Hi all,

I recently discovered that my '07 MCS has oil leaking from the oil pan around the gasket. I'm not surprised seeing that it has 105k miles on it. I just ordered a new rubber gasket from ECS tuning and it should be here by next week when I plan to tackle the job. I have a few questions for anyone who has done this themselves.

1. Do I need to move the exhaust out of the way to take the pan off?

2. Do I need to jack the engine up?

3. I did a vehicle match and everything on the ECS website, but some were saying they used a liquid gasket instead. So did I get the correct gasket?
http://www.ecstuning.com/Mini-2007-C...16A/ES2825685/

4. Should I also use sealant on the gasket?

5. And finally, what amount of ft/lbs should I torque the bolts to? I've read that some warp and destroy their oil pans by putting too much torque on the bolts during re-assembly.

I consider myself pretty mechanically inclined. I've done most of the work needed on my Mini myself, so this job shouldn't be too much of a chore, but I'd rather not screw it up. As always, all help is appreciated as it saves me in the long run!

Thanks,
Tyler

 

That's the automatic transmission gasket : 24117566356 linked above, not the oil pan gasket.


Here is the link for the pan gasket, MINI has updated / SS the gasket part to the sealant but some perfer the gasket. 83190404517 or 11137565928

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...an-gasket.html

 

Thanks,
I just called you guys and canceled the order. I'm gonna purchase the sealant since that's what everyone is suggesting. Thanks for the catch before I wasted my money!
Tyler

 

You are welcome.

 

Also, do you have any info on what to torque the bolts to?

 

Oil pan to crankcase is 12Nm (8.8 ftlbs). For the oil pan gasket, thoroughly clean the area off and make sure you don't use silicone sealant. I believe you will need to remove the exhaust system.

 

Thanks for the response! I knew it couldn't be more than 9ft/lbs of torque. Glad someone could clarify for me!

Tyler

 

My pleasure.

 

So I need some help because I've run into a bit of a problem. I've got all of the bolts off but I can't seem to get the pan to drop down. Any tricks that will get it off?

 

Just gotta pry it down. That silicone that the factory use is tough stuff. Find an area that the flat screw will start to get under and go from there. That stuff is tough as hell. It's basically glued on.

 

When I removed mine, I had to buy a tool to cut the pan off. My car is a 2013 and was glued on without any gasket.

 

I was afraid of that.....well I guess I'll just have to give it a shot!

 

A flat-blade screwdriver puts a lot of force in a very small area and could cause a crease. I used a heavy putty knife, corner first, and worked my way around the pan. Breaks a lot of the seal without damaging the pan. Just gotta be sure to clean out all the little pieces of "goop" when cleaning the pan for reassembly.

 

After about an hour and a half of gently prying and working around I finally got it off! I'm finishing up bolting it back on right now. I put a generous, though not over zealous, layer of BMW sealant and bolted the bolts to spec. What's the setting/drying time of this sealant? How long should I wait before putting oil in and cranking my car up?

 

For the gasket on the old one with the sealant it will have to be scraped off with a metal putty knife. Take your time and you should be fine.