Philes' Forum by Vic Lucariello

Hello, Bimmerphiles! Happy Holidays to all of you from the Lucariello family.

Two months ago, in the first-ever Philes' Forum E-Mail Survey, I requested that you e-mail me your picks for the vehicles most likely driven by a Left Lane Ban dit. Well, as I compose this, I have received only three responses. I will wai t another month before publishing the results.

The remainder of this month's column is what we used to call a 'Special Holiday Issue'. In other words, it is recycled stuff from previous columns with a littl e embellishment here and there.

The May 1987 issue of "AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING", the journal of the Society of A utomotive Engineers, contains an article which addresses the loads sustained by various components of a typical, 4-cycle, 4-cylinder, gasoline engine. It seems our friends at SAE used a computer program to predict the loading on a connecti ng rod at various engine speeds. Well, the article suggests that the maximum te nsile loading increases from 5720 to 6800 pounds (!) as RPM increases from 5500 to only 6000. That 500 RPM difference results in an almost 20% increase in rod loading. Lime Rockers, remember this when you're hot dogging it down No-Name St raight!

Here is a great maintenance tip from none other than NJ Chapter and SCCA, and Cl ub Race hot shoe Gary Bossert. The newer BMW engines (eg: 525i, 318is, E-36 3er s) use a replaceable-cartridge oil filter mounted to the front of the engine and accessible from under the hood. Changing these filters is a simple matter. Si mply drain your oil pan, then remove the oil filter canister cover, replace the element, replace the cover, refill the oil pan, and you're finished.

Gary suggests that you leave the crankcase drain plug out while you are replacin g the filter cartridge (instead of draining the crankcase, replacing the drain p lug, then attacking the filter). If you follow Gary's procedure, the pint or so of dirty oil that is released by removing the filter cartridge will flow down i nto the oil pan, out the drain plug hole, and into your drain pan. If you had a lready replaced the drain plug, this dirty oil would remain in the pan to contam inate the nice, fresh oil you put in!

While we're on the subject of oil and filter changes, here are a few more things for you to consider.

Would you like to minimize the time it takes to reestablish oil pressure after y ou change your oil and filter? You know...the agonizing delay after you restart the engine until the oil lamp goes out....Did I remember to put the new oil in? Did I tighten the oil filter? Did I reinstall the drain plug?.....Whew! The cause of this delay is the time it takes for the oil pump to displace the ai r from that empty oil filter you just installed. Guess where this air goes! It follows the same path that the oil normally follows; through the oil passages a nd into the bearings! (Technoids: Since there is very little or no oil pressure while the air is being displaced, the relief valve is closed, right?)

Anyhow, you'll be surprised how fast the oil lamp will go out if you prefill the oil filter before installing it. Just pour oil in the center hole of the filte r until no more will go in. Be patient....It usually takes me two or three minu tes to pour in about half a quart. In the case of the newer engines with front- mounted canisters such as described above, fill the canister with oil after you install the new filter cartridge. This is more difficult than it sounds, so tak e your time (be sure the drain plug is in!).

Another tip for changing the newer-style canister filters is to ensure that you replace the o-ring seal under the canister cover and the sealing ring on the cov er retaining bolt. Some aftermarket oil filters may not come with these two ite ms, so factor this into your purchasing decision. Use a torque wrench to proper ly tighten the retaining bolt.

Did you know that BMW NA recommends replacing the oil pan drain plug gasket (the y call it a "sealing ring", probably because it's made of metal) at every oil ch ange? These rings are designed to deform slightly and create a leak-proof seal when the drain plug is torqued to spec. As far as I'm concerned, the rings do a heck of a job provided you don't reuse them. It seems that, once deformed, the y don't seal as well after subsequent retorquings.

Considering that these rings cost about 5-cents apiece, I suggest that you inves t a buck and buy a hundred-thousand mile supply the next time you're at your BMW Dealer. If you have a 2002, 320i (77-80), Bavaria, 528i, or 530i (E-12), you s hould have a 19 mm hex drain plug, which requires sealing ring # 07 11 9 963 355 . If you have anything newer, you should have a 17 mm hex drain plug, which tak es ring #07 11 9 963 130 (exception: 81-83 320i; #07 11 9 963 129). Or, use the shotgun approach and buy one of every sealing ring they have and match the suck er up.

The 17 mm hex drain plugs get torqued to 24-26 lb-ft, while the 19 mm hexes requ ire 43-46 lb-ft. Believe me, if you haven't yet used a torque wrench on your dr ain plug, these values will feel awfully tight. Incidentally, Imparts, the inve terate Roundel advertiser, offers an inexpensive, 1/2-inch drive torque wrench w hich is a good value for first-time wrench buyers or those who like to have an i nexpensive wrench to take to the track, etc. The wrench costs less than $20, an d is the type that clicks when a preset torque is reached.

Anyone wishing to contribute to Philes' Forum should contact me via the info on the masthead. I'm interested in tech tips, repair/maintenance questions and/or tips, dealer horror stories, product evaluations, etc. Please call before 8 PM , and if you leave a message, PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR WORK PHONE NUMBER. Also, plea se be patient, I try to return every phone call, but it sometimes takes awhile. The best way to contact me is via e-mail.

Copyright 1997 - V. M. Lucariello, PE