Weirdest thing happened. Thought I'd change the oil on the 'ol R53, so got all my tools together. Rolled the front onto ramps, unscrewed the drain bolt and warm oil started to flow, then became a drip almost 3 seconds into the draining process. I had forgotten to loosen the filler cap, so I took that off, yet still no more oil flow.

Maybe the fact the car wasn't on perfectly level ground and the front wheels were on ramps caused the lack of draining? I jacked up the rear of the car to make it level and still no luck in getting more oil to drain out. There might be 1 qt in the drain pan at this point.

Tips, advice, beers???

 

Bet you had a leak and almost ran out....
Consider yourself lucky....
Since the drain is on the bottom of the pan, and the car holds about 5 quarts....I would find it hard to believe more than half a quart of oil is left in a ramp...
Does not matter...close it up....change the filter and
BE SURE TO CHECK YOUR OIL on a regular basis...
Common leaks that do not leave a spot on your driveway are..
Oil pan gasket....
And crank position sensor....this one can drop down onto the oil pan gasket...do if the oil pan gasket is wet, IMO do the cps FIRST....see if the oil loss slows down.
A bit of old oil in the pan is not the end of the world ...the old saying in hazmatt classes was "the solution to pollution is dilution".... And half a quart or so of old oil is fine...just think...there is more coating EVERYTHING IN THE MOTOR.
Motor on!!

 

Thanks for the info! I'll fill her up with oil, change the filter and seal her up. I'll also research the sensor replacement to see if it is something I can do on my own. I'll let you know what I find out and report back on the possible leak. Thanks again!!!

 

The sensor is likely fine....but the o-ring on it is about a 30 cent item....
Some folks do full service mode to reach it...
so disconnect the engine mount, the jack the motor up a bit....
have heard of a person or two that could just reach it if they had small hands.....

 

Maybe stick a screwdriver into the hole and make sure it's not blocked b something?

 

Well, tried to follow ZippyNH's advice, and am met with a new challenge: When I tried to remove the oil filter with my low-profile 36mm socket (and a breaker bar), the oil filter housing cracked. #%@$!!!

Now, I've got a car with no oil in it, and a broken oil filter housing that is impossible to remove since the nut has sheared off. %#$$#!!!!

So, now I've been researching how to remove the oil filter base assembly. According to another thread, it just just secured to the block with 3 bolts...the challenge is being able to get my hands in there (with a tool no less!!) to remove the assembly. I looked it up and the assembly is $200+ with a new oil filter housing. #%$#@!!!

Advice, beers, etc. appreciated....

 

Ouch...
Tip for future oil changes...step one...loosen the filter cap...this will let the half quart of oil in the filter drain down to the pan...makes the filter change possible without dripping a drop of oil if it sits for 15 minutes or even an hour...and you get more dirty oil out...
But onto your current situation...
You have 3 possibilities....
If the top us broken, but no leaks, you can fill it, and drive it to a shop...be very carful to check for leaks if you choose this route...
Flatbed it to a shop...
Or diy the fix....
Based on skills, and tools...you need to figure that out.
Good luck!!

 

One more though...
Can you get the old top half of the housing off in parts?
The bottom may be good...so just use the new top...and keep the old one for the future?!

 

I think the challenge will be figuring out how to unscrew the broken filter housing from the lower assembly. Kinda like trying to unscrew a shattered light bulb from a receptacle.

 

Cut a slot across the top...twist it off...alternate a bit of heat/cold...if you suceede...you only oneed to change the cap...if you fail...then the entire unit.
You might get Lucky...
I believe if you take off the passenger side wheel, then pop the liner out/fold it back, you will might have a better view of what you are working on...do remember the oil cooler, etc are all easier to reach from there...maybe the bolts will be easier to reach...not sure...haven't gotten into your situation.

 

Tip for anyone reading. When reinstalling the oil filter cap it only needs to be snug, not tightened with the strength of many men. Shouldn't need a breaker bar to open. I need the strength of closing my hand to open mine. Fingers on ratchet, thumb on valve cover.

Same goes for the drain plug. Snug up with your pinky finger. I had to drill a hole and use an easy out to get out a plug that was installed by the dealer.

Go easy on the torque for these things.

 

Wow that kinda sucks..was browsing eBay and saw item : 181535076459

It's a used oil filter housing for $38.99 you might give that a go???

 

Ended up buying an oil base assembly. This weekend I'll try unscrewing the existing assembly. If I can't get the broken filter housing out of the old one, the new assembly comes with a new filter housing. Fingers crossed!!

 

Did the filter housing nut shear off flush with the rest of the metal? If so I like Zippy's suggestion of a slot but you risk cutting through the housing. Have you tried a strap wrench or a large normal oil filter wrench? Based on how tightly it probably was installed you might not be able to apply sufficient torque with either of those tools in the confined space but at least they don't require cutting.

Another idea that's a bit radical: Since you have a new housing anyway, drill a hole into the side of the stuck one and hook a spanner wrench (the type used to adjust shocks) into the hole.