318is oil service nightmare!!!!!!!

[gman1]

Hi all,
got a bit of free time today so was palnning on giving my little beast a service......changed plugs and air filter with no problems,Then went to undo the sump plug,.....17mm scocket and spanner CANT GET THE BLOODY THING UNDONE!!!!!!!...also cant undo the oil filter cap!!!!

Any ideas guys...before i get ghe sledge hammer out!!

[Brianmoooore]

Engine hot?

[gman1]

Yes got the enginge up to operating temp.......
should it be just warm???,also do i need a special tool to undo the oil filter cap??

Cheers..

[FinalD]

One of these will be handy for the filter/filter cap. ;)

As for the sump plug....man up?

I had a mate complain he couldn't do his on a car, I laid under the car with a 6inch or so wrench and did it myself.

[Brianmoooore]

Hotter the better for removing a steel plug from surrounding alloy.

[gman1]

FinalD........i would "man up"LOL....but i was under the jacked car.....with force of me pulling the spanner thought i would pull the car off the jack!!!!...

[mani]

mate with regards to the sump plug you just need to get some more leverage on it

[Grrrmachine]

Do you know the spanner-lock technique of using two spanners for more leverage?

[youtube][/youtube]

[magpie]

^ i use this method a lot when fragging rotten turds with bolts that have never been touched since they were put in at the factory .

it's also about the only way to get the top diff bolts tight tight when changing one.

[Jozi]

Is the oil filter not just a m10 nut and then lift the lid of it? I've never had a problem with either when I had the m42 in the touring.

[Jos]

yeah, M10 bolt that's about 8" long, shouldn't be tight at all really. Defo not a 2 spanner effort!

[gman1]

No guys the oil filter housing has a big plastic cap.......

[Jozi]

One like this:



Are you sure it's an M42? Maybe my engine was different but it had the m10 bolt and a metal cap.

[Brianmoooore]

One like this:

Hopefully not like that - yet.
If it is one of these, get a socket on the hex. and a band/clamp type tool around the outer edge, and pull on them both at the same time.
Definitely shouldn't be one of these on an E30 M42, though.

[Jozi]

That one wouldn't budge for love nor money, I ended up using a chisels on it, hence all the damage, the nut rounded on and no strap to be found, might have saved it had I found one. The one I got now will be lubed up on the threads and hand tightened!

[Andyboy]

Sounds like the car has been worked on by a beast. I would get another M40/42 lower sump in stock before you attempt the sump plug- chances are it's been so overtightened the threads could be buggered.

[redcar]

My M42 has the plastic cap oil filter housing. Doesn't this just mean it's a later engine?

[G-Bear]

^this is what I thought..

[Andyboy]

My M42 has the plastic cap oil filter housing. Doesn't this just mean it's a later engine?

Yep, 1995 onwards so a very late M42.

[Z3I]

If you are "manning it up" under a car, make sure it has well sited axle stands and a couple of spare wheels under it as a back-up. Don't want any accidents..

[G-Bear]

If you are "manning it up" under a car, make sure it has well sited axle stands and a couple of spare wheels under it as a back-up. Don't want any accidents..

Scares the hell out of me every time..

[Morat]

He who does not use axle stands shall become axle stands....

[G-Bear]

I use axle stands, but I still slide under the car with the fear.. I think it might be because of the slight undulating ground I usually work on... not to mention an overall gentle gradient..

[D7UGE]

He who does not use axle stands shall become axle stands....

I shall be quoting that one. cheers. lol

[gman1]

My M42 has the plastic cap oil filter housing. Doesn't this just mean it's a later engine?

My car defo has the big plastic cap......i have reciepts from the previous owner that the car had a new engine in 2001 from BMW main dealer....it still has only 37k miles on it!!!

[Brianmoooore]

A 2001 engine will have the later filter (no, it's not an improvement; just the first signs of BMW's cost cutting), but no E30 was fitted with this version of the engine at the factory.

[George]

A real gripe of mine are garages who use an airgun to tighten wheel bolts. 2 second job for them, absolute bugger to sort out afterwards.

Luckily we have the 'ghetto pole' for such situations!

[Cloggy Saint]

I assume the ghetto pole is the long breaker bar and not the guy holding it?

[George]

[G-Bear]

A real gripe of mine are garages who use an airgun to tighten wheel bolts. 2 second job for them, absolute bugger to sort out afterwards.

Luckily we have the 'ghetto pole' for such situations!

I had to do the same, with my new touring when I first took the wheels off.. I'm guessing the man is your Dad.. My ghetto pole didn't come with a Dad. At the most he'd hang out the window and hurl abuse at me, telling me to leave the thing alone..