Hi everyone,

I was hoping someone could answer a question about the strut inserts in my 1990, 740. I replaced the struts inserts by removing the strut tubes, removing the retaining nut and replacing the inserts. The insert instructions said to put a small amount of oil in the tubes along with replacing the inserts. I also replaced the ball joints just because everything was already disassembled. I was surprised to see that no gasket existed between the strut tube and the ball joint. I used Permatex form a gasket between the two hoping it would hold in the oil. But after everything was assembled I see the the oil is leaking out through/around the ball joint. Can any one tell me what was it that I missed? Is there supposed to be a gasket there that was not in place on my car? I don't mind dissembling it again if I knew I could fix it correctly.

Thanks,

 

Although I haven't needed to do mine yet (I've only owned my 740 for 2 months!), none of my manuals or repair sources mention any kind of gasket or sealant being used at the ball joint mounting surface. Your instructions may be somewhat generic, as some other struts I've worked on (BMW?) also had a bit of oil in the tube along with the shock insert, likely just to prevent rust from forming inside the tube, and to provide a better path for the heat generated by the shock to transfer to the outer tube. I wouldn't worry about it.