Head Gasket leak and removal - Sump Oil pan gasket also
Recovery Vehicle
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,126
Likes: 11
From: mini soda
Thread Starter
|
4wd Low
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 11
Likes: 2
I used the brass fitting from HDepot. BTW. Actual brass fitting to use is 1/8in and NOT 3/8. I used it with Teflon tape. It worked fine. Luckily I went with the piece of plastic screw that broke. When I looked at the 3/8 I knew it was much bigger than the plastic screw. That saved me another trip back to HD. So, now I am up and running ….until something else breaks. Man, I miss my Durango.
Also – I called the dealership to price the bleed screw. They don’t sell it separate. I need to buy the entire hose assembly. $125. Heh! Heh!
Also – I called the dealership to price the bleed screw. They don’t sell it separate. I need to buy the entire hose assembly. $125. Heh! Heh!
Recovery Vehicle
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,126
Likes: 11
From: mini soda
Go to the BMW dealer and ask for Part# 11537793373.
Thread Starter
|
4wd Low
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 11
Likes: 2
Well the OEM plastic screw came in about 5 days after I ordered it off ebay. I left the Hdepot brass version in, I will probably order the BMW version when I have time. This truck is more trouble than it is worth.
About two weeks after doing the head gasket I noticed coolant dripping from the front end of the engine. Agghh! Is it the head gasket? Did something come apart? I left the shroud cover off since the head gasket job to keep my eyes on any further development. It looked like the coolant was leaking from front coolant tube that goes into the upper manifold( I knew I should have gotten that tube gasket). Couldn’t tell for sure with all the hoses and accessories in the way. From below it was equally as difficult to tell. The leak was not constant.plus there was a squeaky noise, like bearing noise at engine startup and goes away after about 3 minutes. I am thinking water pump But wasn’t sure. When I press the accelerator the squirting of coolant seems to increase. .
Got a mirror out and it looked like coolant was coming from the “weep hole” on the pump. What the hell, I will change the water pump. $45 new on ebay. Came in in 2 days. I watched the Atlantic British video on changing the water pump. It looked like a 1 hour job. I had just changed the fan when I changed the heads so that came off easily. Got the fan tool from Autozone. Those worked but it takes some playing around to get the larger wrench to grip the three bolts on the pulley. But I had the technique down since it was only about 3 weeks ago I used it plus I used anti-seize grease on the fan nut the previous time.
The job took about 2.5 hours total and it shouldn’t take that long. The biggest headache and time consuming thing is getting the dried hard and tacky old gasket material off. Prepping the surface for the water pump took about an hour or more. You don’t want to damage/badly scuff the aluminium surface making the new gasket useless. I tried blades, knives, paint thinner etc. What worked best was a soft brush on the batter powered drill at low speed again. For the final surface prep. Most areas were accessible with that. The 2nd longest part was getting the coolant hose on. I wanted to reuse the spring like hose clamp and not replace it with the new screw type. If I did that would of saved me at least 15min. The small space to work was the problem.
Good thing is. No more leaks!!!! And the coolant level does not go down. I added coolant a few time after the job. Since then( 5days) I did not need to. Great!! What will break next?
Upcoming – Wiper blade motor or linkage. It is finicky. Intermitent throttle body code. Intermitent 3 amigos. Front sun roof does not open.
About two weeks after doing the head gasket I noticed coolant dripping from the front end of the engine. Agghh! Is it the head gasket? Did something come apart? I left the shroud cover off since the head gasket job to keep my eyes on any further development. It looked like the coolant was leaking from front coolant tube that goes into the upper manifold( I knew I should have gotten that tube gasket). Couldn’t tell for sure with all the hoses and accessories in the way. From below it was equally as difficult to tell. The leak was not constant.plus there was a squeaky noise, like bearing noise at engine startup and goes away after about 3 minutes. I am thinking water pump But wasn’t sure. When I press the accelerator the squirting of coolant seems to increase. .
Got a mirror out and it looked like coolant was coming from the “weep hole” on the pump. What the hell, I will change the water pump. $45 new on ebay. Came in in 2 days. I watched the Atlantic British video on changing the water pump. It looked like a 1 hour job. I had just changed the fan when I changed the heads so that came off easily. Got the fan tool from Autozone. Those worked but it takes some playing around to get the larger wrench to grip the three bolts on the pulley. But I had the technique down since it was only about 3 weeks ago I used it plus I used anti-seize grease on the fan nut the previous time.
The job took about 2.5 hours total and it shouldn’t take that long. The biggest headache and time consuming thing is getting the dried hard and tacky old gasket material off. Prepping the surface for the water pump took about an hour or more. You don’t want to damage/badly scuff the aluminium surface making the new gasket useless. I tried blades, knives, paint thinner etc. What worked best was a soft brush on the batter powered drill at low speed again. For the final surface prep. Most areas were accessible with that. The 2nd longest part was getting the coolant hose on. I wanted to reuse the spring like hose clamp and not replace it with the new screw type. If I did that would of saved me at least 15min. The small space to work was the problem.
Good thing is. No more leaks!!!! And the coolant level does not go down. I added coolant a few time after the job. Since then( 5days) I did not need to. Great!! What will break next?
Upcoming – Wiper blade motor or linkage. It is finicky. Intermitent throttle body code. Intermitent 3 amigos. Front sun roof does not open.
Last edited by mike111; May 5, 2014 at 03:31 PM.
Thread Starter
|
4wd Low
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 11
Likes: 2
I am thinking I not only had a head gasket problem but also a water pump problem initially. It was certainly leaking coolant at the back at the firewall passenger side. But the intial leak to the front was probably the water pump crapping out. I thought it was the head gasket deteriorating to the front.
