R53 here: I need to replace a leaking oil filter housing gasket. A few questions: 1) Is it necessary to drain the oil?; 2) Is it necessary to drain the coolant since the housing has an attached cooler?; 3) Does removing the passenger side wheel and fender liner make the job any easier or is top-down the only path to the three bolts? Any other brilliant tips or strategies you could offer? On the surface this looks like a real PITA job. Is it? Anyone have any reliable videos of this replacement other than the ModMini version on an R50 that doesn't include the cooler? Thanks.

 

The housing also has coolant lines going to it so have 2x big bolts on hand and plug the coolant hoses too then so it doesn't leak much out and so none gets into the oil.
I don't think you NEED to drain the oil but some will run out..
I just did one in my cousins b7 a4 we didnt drain the oil because it was fresh oil but I replaced what came out and only maybe 1/4qt cake out as well as the coolant.
looking at minis filter housing setup it looks like it's the same procedure.

 

Apologies if you've already done this job. I found it to be a major PITA. I tried accessing the bolts from above, through the wheel well and from beneath the car. The only luck I had was from above but it was no fun. I won't be sad if I don't have to do that again. Good luck!

 

What dmath said.

 

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...th-my-r53.html and https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...he-engine.html for parts and what it looks like on the back side of the housing,.

Yes its a pain on the back side. A lift helps. I would go ahead and drain the oil and coolant and just do a flush while you are at it. When i did it on my old R56 i did the same thing as i did not want coolant and oil to mix from the spill over.

 

The Mod MINI vid on the subject, he doesn't open up the coolant system for this one:

 

Since this thread is fairly new, figured I'd bring it back - Just replaced the idler pulley on my '02 R53 and finally located an oil leak I've been trying to find. Leak appears to be coming from the oil cooler, but I'd like to replace the filter housing gasket as well. Anyone with experience able to tell me if I can get the oil cooler off enough to change the gaskets without disconnecting the coolant lines? I've watched the few videos I could find on the R50 and R53 but they are either replacing the oc completely, don't have the cooler at all (R50) or have the whole engine out of the car. I've had the car in front end service mode enough times and changed enough coolant I'd really like to not have to drain it and buy another jug. @dmath when you were trying to go through the wheel well did you have the oil cooler off? Would removing the oc make getting at any of those bolts any easier? TIA

 

I replaced the entire oil filter housing. As I recall, I removed the oil cooler from the housing prior to installation so that I could wrangle the housing into place. I don't think it made getting at the bolts any easier for me. Maybe it would for others -- I don't know why I had so much trouble with those bolts.

 

Yeah PITA, a little advice for the three housing bolts, the toughest one to get to (especially on reinstallation) was the bottom left imo. After struggling from above and being unable to get enough travel with the ratchet to torque it to a good stop, I went underneath and decided to pull off the ps fan. Dropping the fan and reaching in there got me the last half-turn of the bolt I was looking for. Also, the taco heat shield for the starter motor is a pita to notchback into place from above, but if you do it from underneath, you can slide the two nipples right into the grommets and it'll be solid.The ModMINI video is good to follow, however there is a video of a guy that did it all with an electric 90* ratchet which seems like the perfect tool to make things easier, having options on socket length and extension rods goes without saying.
As for the heat exchanger part, I have not done that part yet and may have to tackle it on the next oil change. I've seen a guy on Youtube go through the wheel well after disconnecting the coolant lines (housing remained on the block) but looks like he also needed a coolant flush. So some of my questions are the same, must the coolant lines be pulled to even reach the screws for the heat exchanger? I do know that if the heat exchanger starts leaking from the two gaskets, prolonged driving in this condition will cause corrosion and mixing w/ hot oil, ultimately ruining the exchanger plates and it will need to be replaced entirely at that point; you'll know this is the case if your coolant tank fluid has oily, rainbow-colored puddles on the surface.
If I had it to do over, I would probably have just spent the couple hundred bucks on a whole new unit, complete w/fresh heat exchanger gaskets so I could just drop it in and walk away. The thought of having to go back in to that job disturbs my lower back greatly.

 

Perhaps you may have the answer to my earlier question... were you able to safely disconnect the heat exchanger from the filter housing without pulling the coolant hoses? Also, I'm just curious, did the new unit come with the two oval shaped gaskets for the heat ex?

 

I'm at just over 3,000km (Canada) since my last oil change but I'm thinking I might do an early oil change and do this all at the same time, appreciate the tips, thank you. I did watch the video of the guy going through the wheel well, and I've had a good look at the heat exchanger with the wheel off, but that wasn't why I was in there so I didn't take a good enough look for how to get it off. Looks like this is something that could use a repair thread of it's own, so I'll try to get lots of pictures while I'm doing this job. But now looking at the pic I took of the heat exchange while I was in there I'm starting to doubt that it's actually my problem... the oil I'm seeing in on the side with the coolant connections so might be dripping from something else? I'll do the gaskets anyway, 21 year old car I'm sure it could use new ones anyway. I don't have any problems with my coolant having oil in it (Thank goodness) so I am doing anything I can to not have to touch it again.

 

@Whisky B The new unit came fully assembled so it did include the heat exchanger gaskets. As I recall, I removed the heat exchanger to make it easier to get the filter housing in place. I disconnected the coolant lines and clamped them to avoid a complete coolant drain. I hope that helps.

 

Yes, there is actually no reason to disconnect the coolant lines at all, simply (and carefully as to not strip them) remove the bolts that hold the cooler to the housing, and move it out of the way.
And yes, as stated, the job is a PITA, but is totally doable from a combination of above, and through the wheel well.
Don't forget to drain your oil first, the filter housing looks like it "may" be high enough to not lose much without a full drain, but you'll lose about 1½ quarts and it will be a pretty good mess.
Also don't forget to pull the pressure switch as well, it's basically a must to snake the housing out and back in.

 

@BlwnAway Right on, thanks for the details, I'm gonna go for it. The main gasket has been recently swapped, good to know I can get after the other two without disturbing the new one.

 

Cool, just the cooler is actually not as bad of a job,, you still have to drain some oil, but won't have to remove the pressure switch.
As I stated before, just be careful to get a good fit and seat with your bit, last thing you want is a stripped out bolt head.
Good luck

 

As others have mentioned, easiest way is with the cooler disconnected and hanging. there are three torx bolts holding it on. The housing bolts for me were a combination of above, side, and below with regards to gaining access. As a word of caution, don't overtighten the bolts to the block. On mine, there is a small gap between the block and housing that you can still see the seal through. On the initial install after resealing the original one with the engine removed, I did this and ended up with a small crack. I got a used replacement and that one was cracked around the pressure switch. So in the end, I replaced mine twice. The oil leak you are seeing could be coming through the pressure switch itself, into the connector. If not, could be the back of the valve cover, or running over from the PS pump hoses.