B58 engine oil leak (rear main seal)

[las3r]

Finished replacing the Rear Main Seal (RMS) yesterday. The project took me about 3 weeks but should not take a shop that long. Would not recommend this as a DIY project as the transmission needs to come off and the bell housing bolts are hard to reach even with an extension.

The seal I installed originally had two issues causing it to leak:
1. It was not installed evenly in the timing chain cover (it should be flush with the cover)
2. The lip folded during installation.
(Images attached)

You can also see where the assembly lube for the transmission is supposed to go, which is the secondary problem some users are experiencing.

Note: I have the Gen 1 B58, I do not know what generation is in the Grenadier so my part numbers may not align with the right part for your engine. I would check FCP Euro (link below) for the part you need. Mine cost $15, but the labor charges will be astronomical for this repair at a dealer or independent shop. At least with this information you won’t be gouged on the price of the part too.

Part Number (Elring RMS):
ELR-586550

FCP Euro Link:

BMW Engine Crankshaft Seal - Elring 11148602594

BMW Engine Crankshaft Seal - Elring 11148602594

www.fcpeuro.com

 

[singlefin]

This doesn’t really contribute to the discussion here but did anyone else notice the OP go in with transfer case / starter pictured and next photo had paint on it?

 

[las3r]

This doesn’t really contribute to the discussion here but did anyone else notice the OP go in with transfer case / starter pictured and next photo had paint on it?

I was wondering what that was, I assumed it was a coating to help absorb future leaks due to its chalky appearance. It might also show the path of the leak or just make the leak more visible if it comes back in the future.

 

[hoohoohama]

Finished replacing the Rear Main Seal (RMS) yesterday. The project took me about 3 weeks but should not take a shop that long. Would not recommend this as a DIY project as the transmission needs to come off and the bell housing bolts are hard to reach even with an extension.

The seal I installed originally had two issues causing it to leak:
1. It was not installed evenly in the timing chain cover (it should be flush with the cover)
2. The lip folded during installation.
(Images attached)

You can also see where the assembly lube for the transmission is supposed to go, which is the secondary problem some users are experiencing.

Note: I have the Gen 1 B58, I do not know what generation is in the Grenadier so my part numbers may not align with the right part for your engine. I would check FCP Euro (link below) for the part you need. Mine cost $15, but the labor charges will be astronomical for this repair at a dealer or independent shop. At least with this information you won’t be gouged on the price of the part too.

Part Number (Elring RMS):
ELR-586550

FCP Euro Link:

BMW Engine Crankshaft Seal - Elring 11148602594

BMW Engine Crankshaft Seal - Elring 11148602594

www.fcpeuro.com

This is very impressive (at least to me), thank you for sharing all these insights with great details