RTV Gasket Sealer on Intake Manifold Gaskets?

[e30davie]

Id ring a few differential shops and see what they suggest. Might be a standard size etc.

[Echo30V]

So I picked up the 3.73 LSD Diff. Ordered all the seals and am still up in the air about replacing the friction plates. What do you guys suggest? Is there a good aftermarket friction plate brand instead of BMW?

[15Michaeljoseph]

my throttle body flange warped so i had to file it down flat again.
Didn't try to polishing it out, just filed it flat and i used gasgacinch. very good sealant.

normally i just copper spray every single paper gasket though. even the metal exhaust gaskets.
head gasket. metal turbo gasket. even if ur engine is stock another level of 'just in case' is good.

Oops, forgot that in my little summary hahah, copper spray on the head gasket makes for successful sealing!

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[jeffnhiscars]

^a different flange welded on it. got too hot.

Ahh...well...that would do it :-)

[LowR3V'in]

^a different flange welded on it. got too hot.

[jeffnhiscars]

I'm still trying to figure out how one warps a throttle body

[Echo30V]

I know how to test for friction plate issues but how can I tell if I need to refresh pinion bearings etc. I'm buying a used 3.73 to install but want to refresh. How can I tell if pinion bearings, crush sleeve etc need to be replaced.

[LowR3V'in]

my throttle body flange warped so i had to file it down flat again.
Didn't try to polishing it out, just filed it flat and i used gasgacinch. very good sealant.

normally i just copper spray every single paper gasket though. even the metal exhaust gaskets.
head gasket. metal turbo gasket. even if ur engine is stock another level of 'just in case' is good.

[redlightpete]

I measured everything carefully, and the replacement bearings were the same thickness, so I didn’t end up changing any shims. I just set the preload with a new crush sleeve and checked it with paint.
If you just disassemble the pinion to check the bearings, you’d only need to redo the crush sleeve and preload.

[zaq123]

Regarding your 3.73, when I refreshed mine, the pinion bearings were completely worn out and loud. The other bearings were ok. Might want to at least inspect them while you’re in there.

was it a pain to set gear lash after you replaced the bearing? I have my diff out right now. Replacing output seals but hesitating to mess with the input flange. Did it once on the truck diff and was a major PITA: shimming, crush sleeve, paint gears and check, disassemble...new shims, assemble paint......check

[redlightpete]

Regarding your 3.73, when I refreshed mine, the pinion bearings were completely worn out and loud. The other bearings were ok. Might want to at least inspect them while you’re in there.

[jeffnhiscars]

make sure you have the washers and spring in the right configuration on the bitch tube

[e30sh]

Mark the driveshaft / output shaft or tire and rotate. Should be ~ 3 3/4's or a little over 4 turns to determine your gear ratio.

[Echo30V]

Thanks all. So yesterday I changed out the transmission fluid, replaced motor mounts and tranny mounts. Went with BMW rubber.

Waiting on parts for the Bitch tube fix. I'm not going to use any sealant when I replace the intake manifold gaskets. I am getting a oil leak from the breather tube area so I decided just to order a new tube and seals. I will utilize the zip tie method when I replace.

Next up is going to be a differential swap. I have a 1990 325i vert with a build date of 9/89. I checked the vin and this whip came with an 3.73 LSD as an option. However, the more I drove it, the more I thought something was amiss. I checked for the tag on the differential but no tag present. I used a mirror to see if the top of the differential was stamped. No stamp. Did wheel spin test and the wheels rotated in opposite direction.

The case is stamped 1210411. Does the 411 mean its a 4.11 open? Anyway, sourced a 3.73 LSD. I was thinking of doing a refresh on the LSD differential. Thinking all new rubber seals and new friction plates and maybe new dog ears. Don't think I'm going to mess around with the pinion area.

[15Michaeljoseph]

I've done the intake manifold gaskets thee times on my car (once when I first got the car, and twice as part of head gasket nonsense), and never used sealant. No issues. Just remember to tighten the intake manifold nuts from the middle to the sides equally on both ends.

Also, make sure you get two new o-rings for the bitch tube, I like to put a dab of motor oil on them when I install, makes me feel like they'll slip into place easier. No sealant needed here either.

Places to use sealant on an M20: rocker shaft plugs, coolant flange on the back of the head, water pump gasket, oil pan "edges", header to downpipe connection (acoustiflex sealant or comparable), brake booster hose elbows to throttle body holes...... That's pretty much it as far as my experience has held.

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