Potentially stupid bmw question

Im hoping next weekend to do the r&r on the intake manifold on my m52tu. 

Theres a bunch of different vacuum lines and o rings in this system. 

Plans are in place for new throttle body and intake gaskets.

Are the o-rings (except disa) a standard size, as in i can replace from my harbor freight o ring assortments? Or should I spend money and buy correct i rings? 

Are the vacuum lines metric or standard? I have plenty of standard hose on the shelf, but no metric.

The ccv us new, disa is good. Im just trying to freshen the system, and fix every potential vacuum leak source. Im also going to do the 02pilot mod while im in there, as it seems like the better solution to fixing the issues than a pcv conversion. At least as far as i can tell. Main reason is that i see people kicking chevk engine light with pcv. Here in North Carolina i cant have a cel and pass inspection. 

What other stuff should i buy/change while im in there?

All metric, without question.  Possibly a metric kit might have a couple of the correct o rings, but I wouldn't count on it.  Volvo is my experience, and most everything is proprietary, or at least goofy.  

Except for spark plugs, you can pretty much forget that SAE exists when working on a BMW of any vintage. If it were me (and it has been), I'd just order all the o-rings and be done with it. Yeah, it's liable to be a few bucks more, but the tradeoff in eliminating frustration is worth it.

I'd recommend you look at the oil filter housing gasket. If it hasn't been changed, it's leaking. It's not hard, and you'll have a bunch of room with the intake off. Good time to check out the belt, pulleys, and tensioner too, as these do fail.

So, wheres the best place/price for the o rings? Im thinking the distribution block on the top and injectors just fir puece of mind. 

Will be giving EVERYTHING a good once over while in there. Want to fix whats broke, but not break me and my budget in the process. 

Those are the ones I would replace. Check the vacuum caps on the firewall end of the manifold - chances are they're cracked and leaking too. If you do the CCV mod the smaller one will be used, but the larger one will probably need a new cap.

FCP Euro or RM European are my two go tos for BMW parts.  Plus Pelican to support the tech forums. 

Are you gonna swap on an m50 manifold at the same time for a few more ponies?

In reply to Robbie :

Ummmm.....

Probably won't.  If and when i decide it needs more power, it will either be forced induction or ls.

But its supposed to be a daily. 

well....

$70 to fcp euro later, i have intake gaskets, upper and lower injector orings, air distribution manifold o rings, dipstick orings, DISA o ring, ICV to manifold tube, and oil filter to block gasket coming. wonder how long the free shipping will take?

My FLAPS has metric and standard vacuum hose in stock, so i should be good there. have to remember what a good o ring lube is, and im thinking synthetic brake grease, but im probably wrong. 

kinda looking forward to going nuclear on this. will probably clean all the oil residue out of the intake while im in there. CCV has less that 600 miles on a new unit and hoses, so i think im good there. will do the "02pilot mod" as there doesnt seem to be a downside to it.

i also ordered a new oil filter. what kind of oil should i use in this? mobil1 10-40 like japanese, 15-40 rotella like american, or.....

   My X3 doesn't really have any vac hoses, not the old rubber hose type.   Everything is plastic tubes, with O-ring end fittings, it all kind of snaps together.

Use something simple for the o-rings: Vaseline, WD40, Windex, spit, whatever. Just use it sparingly.

Oil is the subject of theological levels of debate and dispute. I will tell you what I did on my E39 simply as a data point, not a recommendation. Before the mod I settled on Mobil1 10w40 High Mileage because it is heavy in-grade, ACEA A3/B4, and it cut consumption somewhat. After the mod was developed, I went to Mobil1 0w40, which was BMW LL-01 but is no longer, but still ACEA A3/B4. On my E82 I've settled on Castrol 0w40, which is both LL-01 and A3/B4. In all cases I change every 5k and use only Mahle/Mann/Hengst filters. Don't forget to change the o-rings in the cap.

Do not follow the service monitor for oil changes. Even with the mod and a perfect CCV, ~15k miles is asking for sludge and degradation. Having seen the inside of engines that were serviced on that schedule, I can tell you it's not pretty.

5k was what i always use as a mileage on synthetic, 3k on dino oil. ive NEVER trusted the oil life monitoring systems, or stupid long change intervals. it wasnt until i changed the valve cover gaskets on my dads 300k silverado (which was mobil 1, wix filters, and 5k change intervals) that i believed in 5k and synthetic. it was spotless in the heads at 300k. 

ill look at the acea a3/b4 spec oil. but, and again i ask because i DONT know, is the spec really necessary in these due to vanos, etc? or is it just a good idea?

In reply to Dusterbd13 :

Here is the best "engine oil for dummies" write-up i've encountered.   in my E60 with N52 inline six, i've used various Mobil1 weights and descriptions, ie European Car Formula 0w40, Extended Performance 5w30, High Mileage 5w30, and just plain old Mobil1 5w30.  the only "performance" difference i can tell you is anecdotal at best, with sample size N = 1, but it seemed to me that the Low Oil indicator lit up more frequently with the 0w40 than any of the others.

I have only used Mann or Hengst filters on the S50, M62, and N52.

one of my trusted advisors recently advised me to try Castrol Edge 5w40, which i found on sale last week at WalMart for $24.95 / 5L jug.  He said he uses that on all his "older" high-mileage BMWs.  I was going to try a RedLine product, but the price on the Castrol was too good to pass up.

note:  yes, i realize that a good price on engine oil is a false economy if things go tits up.

That Castrol Edge 5w40 is what I've been using (I misremembered it as a 0w40). It's got all the certs, so it shouldn't cause any issues.

A3/B4 is the basis of BMW LL-01 as I understand it (and when I checked the ACEA website I seem to recall seeing a lot of correlation between them, but that was a long time ago). The BMW spec is really about fuel economy and longevity between changes more than anything else. I suspect any decent synthetic will be fine over a 5k interval with a good filter.

It has Mobil1 Full synthetic 5w30 now with a new filter AND oring with maybe (probably nowhere close) 2500 miles on all of it

Nice!!!

Ill leave it alone until the 5 then.

I was thinking it was close to due.

But discussion on oul type is still good to learn, as (hopefully) it's going to need changed next month.....