Oil Change S54 Wheres the Drain Plug?

Okay. I own a 2.8 Z3 and can eaily identify the location of the oil drain plug. When I lifted my new 01 M coupe with the s54 motor it all looks different. For starters the bottom of the motor is covered with a plastic shield. There is no 17 mm drain plug visible (as indicated by my Bently manual). I do see a allen head socket plug next to a round cover (approx 3" in diamieter). Can some one advise as to the location of the drain plug. Is it necessary to remove the plastic covers? Removal looks like a lot of work just to drain the oil.

Originally Posted by MPOWEROH

Okay. I own a 2.8 Z3 and can eaily identify the location of the oil drain plug. When I lifted my new 01 M coupe with the s54 motor it all looks different. For starters the bottom of the motor is covered with a plastic shield. There is no 17 mm drain plug visible (as indicated by my Bently manual). I do see a allen head socket plug next to a round cover (approx 3" in diamieter). Can some one advise as to the location of the drain plug. Is it necessary to remove the plastic covers? Removal looks like a lot of work just to drain the oil.

There is a plastic door that swings down exposing it. Many of us have removed the plastic under body cover for the reason you mentioned.
I initially modified the car for jacking before I removed it. The second pic shows the oil drain plug access cover.

Or you can just use an oil extractor.

Be careful with the plug. You can strip the head very easily or worse.

Florian

I am in the process of sorting out an s54 for an engine swap to my e36 and came across this thread. Dropped the pan today in advance of rod bearing job and discovered I have a pan that has been helicoiled.


I am trying to get the plug out but it does not want to move. How much torque will this thing take? Any ideas, maybe a little heat or just more slow steady pressure?

Thanks!

Jay

Why bother? Get an oil extractor and never touch the plug.

I have NEVER removed the drain plug on any of our BMWs.

Originally Posted by JayMac

I am in the process of sorting out an s54 for an engine swap to my e36 and came across this thread. Dropped the pan today in advance of rod bearing job and discovered I have a pan that has been helicoiled.


I am trying to get the plug out but it does not want to move. How much torque will this thing take? Any ideas, maybe a little heat or just more slow steady pressure?

Thanks!

Jay

I'm really surprised to see a stripped pan thread, as the hollow bolt usually breaks so easily (so I've been told). Some ham-fisted clown must've cross-threaded the bolt going back in (likely breaking off its head) and then did an amateur job with the Heli-coil.

If you're dead-set on doing it right, drill out the bolt, it should be soft enough, staying exactly on the hole's centerline. Once the bolt is out of the way, you can unravel the insert by pulling/unwinding the HARDENED steel coil from the inside of the pan.

Take care that your unraveling process does no further damage to the threads, or you'll wind up with too big of a hole and have to go up a size for the drain plug.

The insert should not extend beyong the aluminum casting, and should've broken off "square" to allow the bolt to pass through the end of the insert__that's what likely jammed up the installation you have before you.

Or take Terry's advice and put the whole thing out of your mind, commiting all future oil services to be done with an extractor...

Thanks guys, I soaked it in PB Blaster and it finally broke free. Randy, the plug here was solid and I am cleaning all this mess up so you don't have oil all over the place when I bring this down to you. I am guessing that the plug is not OEM either due to the coil not being trimmed. Pinecone, I got most of the oil out while I had this engine sitting in the back of my Jeep. Cold 10w60, if that's what it was did not flow too well. Luckily next time it would be warm. This engine had 114,000 on it so the bottom was coming off anyway and I am taking this down to Randy for the rod bearings. Here is what the pan looked like before and after.

I can't speak for what was done or where it has been, length of time sitting on a shelf waiting for a home, but I just have a vision of the temp changes causing moisture and forming a nice black goo that no extractor is going to get out. I have some wonder picture of a goo filled accusump that never saw anything but synthetic oil. If this had been a used car purchase I would have drained the oil flushed it with clean oil and some TEC 2000 and changed the oil again. http://www.tec-2000.co.uk/tecinfo/en...ngineflush.php

Not much makes me happier than working on a clean car/engine/parts. Cleaning is good!

If you want to leave the drain plug heli-coil alone, I will take care of it while it's here.

Probably would be suspended if the engine was run more often and come out if the oil was hot. Or it is that hard to move, it will just sit there and do nothing.

Too many other things to worry about.