Results 1 to 12 of 12

Thread: S50 oil filter housing leak

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    northern michigan
    Posts
    222
    My Cars
    95 M3 - 06 X5 3.0

    S50 oil filter housing leak

    What's the scoop on these oil filter housings? I almost think mine is cracked..
    It's leaking like right by the lower vanos line banjo, leaking onto the banjo, but it's coming from off of the housing where I can't see.. Something up there I should know about?

    It's finally leaking bad enough that I can find it, right at the end of the season, perfect..

    Can you pull the oil filter housing without pulling the intake? Not too bad of a job? Probably want to torque to spec on something like that..
    How much for a used oil filter housing? Upgrades while I'm in there, caveats?

    I just took the M3 off the road for the year.. So far it's looking like for next season it needs this oil problem sorted, front sway links, and tires..
    Put about 10k miles on it

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Seattle
    Posts
    5,776
    My Cars
    99 M3

    S50 oil filter housing leak

    The gasket is a couple bucks and the tower gasket is known to leak. Requires alternator removal and power steering pump off the tower but still connected to lines.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Last edited by bluptgm3; 10-25-2018 at 10:59 PM.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    Rochester NY
    Posts
    819
    My Cars
    1997 BMW M3 Coupe 04 X5
    I would pull it out of there, not to terible of a job and get it on the work bench and see whats going on. definalty order the gasket for the back side of it which is a good maintanence thing anyways. Havent heard of it leaking where your describing, always from the gasket in the back where actually mine is leaking and I will be doing this winter before hitting the track next year.
    97 m3,, e46 6 speed trans swap, running 3.38 rear diff for now, flashed, 1.25 inch drop on tckline set up, full supersprint exhaust, cai, vanos replaced, extensive maintence list -- my pride and joy, goes down to Watkins glen for track weekends twice a year,, 171k and counting, owned her since 52k, 2007
    98 m3 vert blue, dad s cruzer
    97 m3 vert green, dad s cruzer
    99 m3 5 speed bone stock and original recently overhalled cooling system, new front suspension overall, new rack and pinion, new clutch -- sisters car
    95 m3 5 speed, swapping s52 into it and replacing all major suspension bushings. overhauling interior, paint, black 10/94 before ews car -- very fun car
    96 m3 soon to be track rat -- cage, r compound tires, s52 to start, then supercharged, then s54 -- hopes and dreams but fun building her so far
    04 X5 -- 6 speed manual ,, my tow vehicle down to the glen and all year round kid car hauler

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Mills River, NC
    Posts
    1,118
    My Cars
    95 M3 coupe, 97 M3 sedan
    It can leak from the housing to block gasket or the 2 plugs on the back of the housing. It's most likely the block gasket and/or plug o-rings leaking. Highly unlikely that the housing itself is bad. I'd guess your leak is from the plug above the VANOS line. Since you have an S50 I believe your housing will have the plugs retained by snap rings like mine. Once you've removed the housing you'll hopefully be able to see where the leak originated. As long as the housing is ok you should be able to replace the block gasket and plug o-rings and be back in business. The o-rings are -118 size if I remember correctly. You must use Viton o-rings. Regular buna-n rings won't hold up.
    Last edited by NoLastName; 10-25-2018 at 09:58 PM.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    northern michigan
    Posts
    222
    My Cars
    95 M3 - 06 X5 3.0
    Quote Originally Posted by NoLastName View Post
    It can leak from the housing to block gasket or the 2 plugs on the back of the housing. It's most likely the block gasket and/or plug o-rings leaking. Highly unlikely that the housing itself is bad. I'd guess your leak is from the plug above the VANOS line. Since you have an S50 I believe your housing will have the plugs retained by snap rings like mine. Once you've removed the housing you'll hopefully be able to see where the leak originated. As long as the housing is ok you should be able to replace the block gasket and plug o-rings and be back in business. The o-rings are -118 size if I remember correctly. You must use Viton o-rings. Regular buna-n rings won't hold up.
    I am thinking this is the correct diagnosis though I went to the dealership yesterday for other things and tried getting these O-rings while I was there.
    They could not even pull up a parts diagram and pretty much told me they could only sell me the updated oil filter housing with different plugs..

    Pics borrowed from other threads..

    https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...eak-how-to-fix

    Quote Originally Posted by 2001mroad View Post
    the BMW part number is 11 41 7 805 370. It does not show up on a parts diagram, but is a 22x3 mm O-ring.


    I guess that is what it's going to look like..
    It looks like thier is supposed to be a valve under this cap?


    Are their any O-rings on that valve?

    Isn't their supposed to a one-way check valve in/under there somewhere to keep the oil in the head from draining back when the car is shut off?
    I would like to replace any O-rings on that valve too because I have some valve clatter for a couple seconds at cold start and have been suspecting something like that..
    I have to look further into that..

    Are their any other O-rings and/or seals in/under there I can replace while I am at it?



    22x3 viton O-rings ordered..
    https://www.ebay.com/itm/Viton-FKM-O...frcectupt=true

    How-To
    https://webspace.ringling.edu/~dplas...y/fhg/fhg.html
    Last edited by fasteddie313; 03-12-2019 at 03:51 PM.
    E36 M3 S50 - E53 X5 M54 - 1980 Porsche 931 - 2001 Impreza RS25

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Mills River, NC
    Posts
    1,118
    My Cars
    95 M3 coupe, 97 M3 sedan
    Quote Originally Posted by fasteddie313 View Post
    Are their any other O-rings and/or seals in/under there I can replace while I am at it?
    I don't recall there being other seals in the housing. Replace those 2 at the caps and you should be good to go. These cars are kinda known for noisy hydraulic lash adjusters (lifters) under certain circumstances. With mine, disassembling and cleaning the HLAs eliminated the noise except after occasional autocross runs. At the time I had the head off to replace a head gasket though, and plenty of free time to clean things while the head was at the machine shop. Servicing HLAs is NOT an easy job to do on its own. I don't recommend going to that length unless you're deep in the engine for some other reason. You might try experimenting with different oil brands. My M3 seemed to run quietest on regular old Castrol GTX back then. You'll find way too many opinions on oil here...

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Seattle
    Posts
    5,776
    My Cars
    99 M3

    S50 oil filter housing leak

    Quote Originally Posted by NoLastName View Post
    With mine, disassembling and cleaning the HLAs eliminated the noise except after occasional autocross runs.
    LOL!!! Help me out! What are HLAs?


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Last edited by bluptgm3; 03-12-2019 at 11:15 PM.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    northern michigan
    Posts
    222
    My Cars
    95 M3 - 06 X5 3.0
    Hydraulic lifter assemblies?

    I think it is normal top end sound for the first 1-2 seconds on start but if their is a ring in there to keep the oil in the head I may as well replace it while I have the OFH off I thought..

    I am generally happy with the engine and the T6 I have been running, other than the leak..
    Last edited by fasteddie313; 03-12-2019 at 10:50 PM.
    E36 M3 S50 - E53 X5 M54 - 1980 Porsche 931 - 2001 Impreza RS25

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Seattle
    Posts
    5,776
    My Cars
    99 M3
    Quote Originally Posted by fasteddie313 View Post
    Hydraulic lifter assemblies?

    I think it is normal top end sound for the first 1-2 seconds on start but if their is a ring in there to keep the oil in the head I may as well replace it while I have the OFH off I thought..
    #2? Non-Return Valve?
    http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...diagId=11_6082


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Mills River, NC
    Posts
    1,118
    My Cars
    95 M3 coupe, 97 M3 sedan
    Quote Originally Posted by bluptgm3 View Post
    LOL!!! Help me out! What are HLAs?
    Hydraulic lash adjusters, more commonly known as lifters.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    northern michigan
    Posts
    222
    My Cars
    95 M3 - 06 X5 3.0
    With the OFH off I could get my fingers on both sides of the plug and even with the C-clip in place as I took it off I could wiggle that plug back and forth with my fingers a bit.
    The old O-ring under the plug was crispy and squared but not quite as crispy as the block to housing gasket, which was like glass.

    I put it back together and primed the housing with oil where the filter goes in.
    The car started a little rough for the first time this year and soon cleared up but it seems the leaking has ended.

    I put in new spark plugs and did a compression test while I was at it. 205-210 ish psi on all 6 dead cold..
    Immediate increase in the smoothness of the idle with the new plugs, NGK copper v-power ones. ACdelco plugs that came out all looked good and even. None stood out as different.

    I really love how BMW designed this car to be so easy to work on. It all comes apart so nicely and is a joy to wrench on.
    Last edited by fasteddie313; 04-16-2019 at 08:27 AM.
    E36 M3 S50 - E53 X5 M54 - 1980 Porsche 931 - 2001 Impreza RS25

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Seattle
    Posts
    5,776
    My Cars
    99 M3
    Quote Originally Posted by fasteddie313 View Post

    I really love how BMW designed this car to be so easy to work on. It all comes apart so nicely and is a joy to wrench on.
    +1



    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Similar Threads

  1. Replies: 8
    Last Post: 09-22-2006, 09:28 PM
  2. Oil filter housing leak
    By badluckM3 in forum 1992 - 1999 M3 (E36)
    Replies: 9
    Last Post: 09-11-2006, 03:48 PM
  3. Oil-filter Housing Leak??????
    By josev in forum 1991 - 1999 (E36)
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 03-14-2006, 03:15 PM
  4. 540 oil filter housing leak
    By egertge in forum 1996 - 2003 (E39)
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 10-16-2005, 08:26 PM
  5. Oil filter housing leak?!-thanks for your help.
    By mshnayde in forum 1991 - 1999 (E36)
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 05-25-2005, 08:36 AM

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •