Jacking up and oil filter housing gasket DIY

[dandoe]

Ok so I'm trying to figure out where I should use my jack and jack stands. I know there are jack points on the car but I don't know how to jack the car up and place the jack stands. Ok, second part of my question. I was looking at the oil filter housing DiY, I want to know if you need to take the alternator to fix this issue or if you can leave it in? Please help, I've tried to going through the e46fanicatic page but can't seem to post anything. Please help this needs to be done soon. Thank you.

[danewilson77]

I would say, when you're doing the oil filter housing...if the alternator interferes with it....then remove?

http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=348089

[dandoe]

Awesome, cause as you might know I just had it replaced and really don't want to mess with it. So I'll try and see how it goes. I talked to the guy at Autozone and he tried to tell me really weird lift points, but they might screw up some stuff. Thank you, I now feel better about using the jack and jack stands. Any other info will help.

[nathancarter]

There's also a center REAR jack point right in front of the diff. Don't jack by the diff, jack by the crossmember in front of the diff.

In the front, early E46s have a center jack point in the form of a round rubber pad located kinda between the two FCABs, but later E46s have the big flat aluminum pan (marked with the red square above). There's a raised bubble in the middle of that pan - if you jack there, it'll crush in that bubble but it won't damage anything else. (mine is crushed so I just continue to use it as a jack point - lousy advice, I know, but it's pretty harmless)

Make sure to use good jack stands, and once the car is down on the jack stands, give it a couple of good shoves to make sure it's sturdy, before crawling under there and horsing on things with a wrench.

If you're skinny, ramps are a good idea as well: http://www.rhinoramps.com/8000.html
The 8000-lb ones will work unless you're lowered or have a big chin spoiler or splitters. Sometimes they're on sale at Advance or Autozone or Wal-Mart for $35ish.

[hooRAH]

If you're skinny, ramps are a good idea as well: http://www.rhinoramps.com/8000.html
The 8000-lb ones will work unless you're lowered or have a big chin spoiler or splitters. Sometimes they're on sale at Advance or Autozone or Wal-Mart for $35ish.

I used to love my Rhino ramps. With the Mtech2 front bumper installed, the front is now too low to get up the ramps without scraping.

I may try and find some plywood or something to pre-lift the car and see if I can still get it onto the ramps.

[danewilson77]

There's also a center REAR jack point right in front of the diff. Don't jack by the diff, jack by the crossmember in front of the diff.

In the front, early E46s have a center jack point in the form of a round rubber pad located kinda between the two FCABs, but later E46s have the big flat aluminum pan (marked with the red square above). There's a raised bubble in the middle of that pan - if you jack there, it'll crush in that bubble but it won't damage anything else. (mine is crushed so I just continue to use it as a jack point - lousy advice, I know, but it's pretty harmless)

Make sure to use good jack stands, and once the car is down on the jack stands, give it a couple of good shoves to make sure it's sturdy, before crawling under there and horsing on things with a wrench.

If you're skinny, ramps are a good idea as well: http://www.rhinoramps.com/8000.html
The 8000-lb ones will work unless you're lowered or have a big chin spoiler or splitters. Sometimes they're on sale at Advance or Autozone or Wal-Mart for $35ish.

Yeah....the rear jack point is shown in the linky....

[Grim Reaper]

+1 on post #2 above.

I jack on the jackpad location and then use my flat top jackstands under the framerails about 4 inches behind the front subframe crossbrace.

Take out the alternator... IIRC I don't think you can pull the housing with it still there. Anyway, when I did it I was glad to have all that removed so I could spend a good time cleaning that side of the engine block, frame and subframe area.

[dandoe]

I found a Duralast jack, jack stand and creeper set at Advanced for $70. I will need the jack instead of the ramps to do my control arm bushings. But I would rather have the ramps, they seem a little safer.