E53 m62 oil leak from bell housing

[Mikealwa]

I bought my dad's 2003 e53 x5 4.4 for $1k with massive oil leaks everywhere. I decided to do the timing chain guides and timing covers and figured that'd take care of that. I just fired it up today and everything seemed good, but I went back out an hr later and noticed oil dripping from the rubber inspection cover at the bottom of the transmission. This is the square rubber cover. I opened it up and ran my finger inside the bell housing and it was wet with oil. Does this automatically mean the rear main seal is toast? If so I may be screwed, not a job I signed up for. There's a small chance the rear of the vc are leaking at the half moons, but dont see how the oil would make it's way I to the bell housing. I can take pics of needed.

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Also, funny enough oil isn't dripping from the holes in the bell housing below the flywheel...only at that inspection cover right above the sway bar. Which is a little more rearward.

[Mikealwa]

This is how much leaked over night.

M62 leak by Mikei, on Flickr

M62 leak by Mikequi, on Flickr

[Mikealwa]

Also I've never changed the ccv system only replaced the two upper hoses, I wonder if that could facilitate leaks?

[Mikealwa]

Talking to myself here 🥲, but might just replace the ccv valve on the intake manifold and throw in a bottle of liqui moly seal conditioner and hope for the best. Car purs like a kitten after the new chain guides, chain and VANOS rebuild, but probably not worth the effort of a tranny out rms replacement.

[andrewwynn]

I have n55 that needs opg and vcg. Smell smoke but never really get drips. I put in two cans of oil saver and really stopped the drop in the monitored oil level iDrive. It will take two cans the m62 takes a lot of oil

[Mikealwa]

The cars not insured and I let it idle time to time in the driveway to let the oil move around before I change it again, cuz the valve covers sat open for months, but it just kinda seemed to stop leaking. I wonder if old vc gasket leaks found their way somehow I to the bell housing, but that seems odd. I'll change the ccv valve and I threw in some oil saver, hope that doesn't hurt my new gaskets. Cars drier than it's been in 10 years!

[Henn28]

Definitely check the CCV plumbing and parts. The separator and hoses sit above the bell housing and can leak as yours is. They are a pain to change, but way easier than a rear main or TQ. There is one hose in particular that runs under the manifold that can completely deteriorate, and the very short hose from the separator to the return hard-line is a huge pain to connect, but fails often and the separator then leaks right out of the bottom. Nice work on the leaks! I swapped my motor rather than do the guides, etc.

[Mikealwa]

I replaced the ccv valve and top hoses to the separator, but didn't want to tackle the lower hose as it looks like a total pain. Maybe another time. With the intake manifold off there was oil in the valley, probably from the old vcg, so maybe that was making its way out of the little hole in the back of the valley. Hope that takes care of it! Drives so good!

[Mikealwa]

I finally got plates for the car and have driven it a bit since doing the timing chain and guides and new ccv. I now have a new oil drip from the front of the engine and it is very clearly coming from above the water pump. I can see some oil pooling in the valley and appearing to be in the v above the water pump where it then drips down. I've redone the vcg twice and inspected with a mirror and am 99% those aren't leaking. Could it be something inside when I had the manifold off to do the ccv? I know it isn't coolant and I have done the valley pan gasket a couple years ago.

[Henn28]

Hmm, odd place for an oil leak. Did you properly attach the manifold internal vent pipe with a new O-ring when you did your work (nos 5 and 9 below). Although, perhaps the E39 doesn’t have this piece? The below is from the E53 M62, which is what I am familiar with.

https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/sho...diagId=11_2281

[Mikealwa]

Now you have me doubting the leak location...haha, I didn't remove the front part of the manifold, so I don't believe I disturb that vent pipe. I just replaced the rear cover and seal with the new diaphragm. If it persists I'll just take the manifold off again as it wasn't too much work and get a good look. Man, I felt so good cleaning all the old oil off the timing covers just to have em dirty again.

[Mikealwa]

I might check the torque on my upper timing cover bolts, I guess if that was leaking the oil could end up in the front of the v.

I do see crusty old oil on the lower left screw on the throttle mounting area of the manifold, so maybe that pipe does need fixing.

[Mikealwa]

Just closing the loop, I do see seeping from the new valve gaskets in a few areas, I may have over tightened the bolts potentially if that could cause leaking. I also used two washers to help compress the old nut bushings better. I'm goona do the intake manifold vent pipe and seals and redo the vcg with bmw parts and new nuts and bushings and use torque specs and call it a day, I hope.

[andrewwynn]

Torque definitely needs to be just right with a plastic valve cover. No reinventing eg extra washers etc. I think you found the cause and the fix. Find the torque including sequence and any application of rtv.

[Mikealwa]

I took the throttle body off today and there was indeed oil leaking from the vent pipe in the manifold, so that will be replaced and new seals put on the throttle body etc. Also going to do the vcg soon again.

[Mikealwa]

Do I really need to replace this lower hose at the bottom of the oil separator? It looks like a huge pita! I'm refreshing the intake manifold and replacing the ccv vent hose inside. The manifold was covered in oil on the inside, but I have a new ccv diaphragm. Is that normal?

Ccv separator by Mikeui, on Flickr

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You can see all the oil that was seeping by the intake gaskets. That seems like a lot of oil for driving probably 10 miles after just having the manifold off and replacing the diaphragm last month.

[Mikealwa]

I changed it, that was an experience. No tips for anyone that is a pita.

[Mikealwa]

There is. A lot of old oil on the top of the bell housing so maybe all this intake manifold leaking was the main issue.

[andrewwynn]

I changed it, that was an experience. No tips for anyone that is a pita.

Well it's still a tip: "brace yourself"

[Henn28]

Yep, that one is awful to change. When I pulled my 4.4 I found the hard line it attaches to missing all the attachment point bolt(s), likely due to the mechanic I used 15 years ago for a valley pan job not wanting to spend the time to reassemble this system correctly.

I wonder if detaching the hardline drain at the oil pan and completely freeing it up would make it any easier to reassemble the Separator and the short rubber hose on the bottom of the separator. This thought occurred to me as I was staring at the bottom of the hardline while changing my starter several months ago. A helper could then push the drain line up to give more access to attach it to the separator.

[andrewwynn]

That reminds me of a great tip on the m54 motor with the starter; detach the power cable from the alternator and you can easily manipulate the connection at the starter; no joke 10-15x easier!


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[Mikealwa]

Damn! If I did it again I probably would have done it as you suggest. Sometimes I can't think outside the box like that haha. Seems like an easy solution.

[andrewwynn]

I just noticed you're from mke. I'm in Racine. Bear that in mind next big repair.


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[Mikealwa]

Yep, I did notice that, I was born in Racine. Grandparents lived by the zoo back entrance.

[andrewwynn]

My best friend from HS lived on Chatham/yout