Ty_Lo95
Ty_Lo95 New Reader
3/13/12 9:48 p.m.

My dad and I are trying to get my e36 in good enough condition for my beginner season of autocross. Basically we're just doing subframe/diff bushings and re-enforcement and tracking down an oil leak. We're pretty sure the oil leak is the 240k pcv hose seeping oil down the drivers side of the engine, making it look like an oil pan gasket. Regardless of what it is, we just got new hoses to try and narrow it down. Considering how much oil was leaking from it we decided to add a catch can. Anybody know of any catch cans that a 7/16 breather hose will fit on? I cant seem to find any that are still in production that the e36 guys are using.
Thanks

JohnyHachi6
JohnyHachi6 Reader
3/13/12 9:55 p.m.

Summit has some with 3/8" ports - that's the closest they have.

former520
former520 Reader
3/13/12 10:33 p.m.

I just fixed a leak in the same area. It was the gasket between the oil filter housing and the block. It is right in the location you are speaking of and a know issue. I also changed out the o rings on the back of the filter housing as it was out and easy to do.

Not a horrible job to do, if the radiator hadn't crumbled at the upper hose mount it would have been a 2 hour job tops.

Ty_Lo95
Ty_Lo95 New Reader
3/13/12 10:47 p.m.

Thanks, I read up on that actually. I have a feeling that's what it is, but what do I know? Lol Im just learning. We figured we'd literally start from the top. Thats the next step if this doesnt fix it.

Did it actually make it look like an oil pan gasket was going? I get maybe a quarter sized puddle of oil in the driveway after it's driven. You can see that its dripping from the bottom of the oil pan but it appears to be blown back from the front part of the engine.

02Pilot
02Pilot Reader
3/14/12 6:59 a.m.

The design may have changed a bit, but on the M54 I'm immediately familiar with, that oil filter housing gasket is a common leak, to the point that it is the first suspect for oil emanating from that side of the engine. It could easily be mistaken for a pan gasket leak.

If it were me, I'd rip in and change the gasket, and probably address the CCV system while I was in there; if it hasn't been done already, the hoses are cracked and/or blocked.

Do that and the valve cover gasket and you've addressed most of the common oil leaks on an M50.

Ty_Lo95
Ty_Lo95 New Reader
3/14/12 8:10 a.m.

The valve cover was done back in October, so luckily im good there. Im going to order all the oil filter housing gaskets when I get home. Might as well do it while were there.

former520
former520 Reader
3/14/12 8:26 a.m.

In reply to Ty_Lo95:

It made it look like the oil pan, front main, possibly hole in the block. It was leaking a quart a 1000 easy and leaving a puddle everywhere I stopped. It happened quite quickly from no leak to massive. If you look from the air box towards the back of the oil filter housing, if it is wet, it is leaking above the oil pan gasket. Mine was all wet on the bracket and air flow was enough to wet the back of the cylander to make it look like it was leaking from the top cap itself. The gasket and orings actually cracked they were so old and dried out. Not a drip (at least engine oil) since it was swapped out ~1000 miles ago.

Ty_Lo95
Ty_Lo95 New Reader
3/17/12 4:43 p.m.

Just a quick update. We confirmed it was the oil housing gasket today. We cleaned the engine bay and as soon as I restarted it you could see the gasket starting to leak. Thanks for the suggestions, crazy how a 4 dollar part can cause so much mess! Lol

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