Double vanos timing without special tool, rev.2

[Sapote]

Page 1

I posted the original instruction 5 years ago.
http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/sh...t-special-tool

It is time to have a second revision with more pictures which should be easier to follow for other users who want to perform the task or just want to understand how the VANOS works.

The whole idea is to use the stock VANOS unit (called timing tool in this instruction) and its parts as a timing tool instead of the $300 timing jig. The rest of the process is the same as if using the official timing jig. This saves money in buying the timing jig and the solid chain tensioner.

Tools:
T30 Torx bit for the 2 screws attached the pistons to the spline shafts
E8 Torx socket for the 3 bolts holding the EX 2 sprockets and the spline disc together
8mm Allen key for VANOS piston caps
10mm open wrench for sprocket nuts and bolts
Two small common vise blocks for clamping the cam square ends; not too long since the EX side does not have much room by the left wall, and not too short since this loses accuracy

Squareblock pic
squareblock.JPG

Using the stock VANOS unit instead of the timing jig tool.
Stock primary chain tensioner to be added with a Cigar inside:

tensioner.JPG

To make a solid primary chain tensioner, remove the spring loaded piston and spring off the unit, and insert an appropriate length cigar into the cylinder and replace the piston, then you have it – a special solid tensioner!! I don’t smoke so I used a right size socket for the cigar spacer. You can use any thing that fits inside the tensioner housing that when screwed into the block it can exert force on the primary chain before bottomed out the threads.

Initial Condition:
The crank and camshafts are set at TDC without chains attached to sprockets. The red color TDC line on the crank pulley should line up with the index on the block, and there is no need for flywheel locking pin inserted into the hole near the starter as instructed by the Manual. The cams at TDC when #1 cylinder cam lobes are facing each other with the square ends of the camshafts formed square angles to the top surface of the head. You can use a square edge to check this condition, then clamp the camshaft ends using two square blocks against the head’s top surface. This is to prevent the cams from rotating during installing the VANOS unit (which substituted for the $300 VANOS timing jig)

Crank-TDC pic
crank-TDC.jpg

Cam TDC pic
cam_TDC.jpg

Orientation reference is viewed from driver seat.

Assuming the head is already bolted to the block, with the cam shafts installed with the #1 cam lobe on both shafts pointing to each other. If not then you need to learn how to do this without damaging the valves.

CAUTION: Use towels or whatever you preferred to block off and prevent things might fall down into the crank case!!!!

Timing The Sprockets

Install the primary sprocket and chain on the EX shaft flange, then install 3 long studs/bolts (the 3 shorter ones are for IN side) such that the little triangle sign on the sprocket about line up with the cylinder head top surface – the triangle should be at around 8 o’clock position at this point with no slack on the pulling side of chain (opposite side of the tensioner). The special Cigar chain tensioner should be screwed in hand tight to take out all the slack on the chain. Torque the three studs to 20NM. These studs do not hold anything at this point yet, but in the following steps they will hold the EX spacer disc, the spring plate, and the cam timing impulse wheel.

The photo below with the yellow arrow point to the primary sprocket's Triangle mark which should be at the cylinder head top gasket surface. The Triangle position is to make sure the sprocket was mounted with the correct slots over the 10mm studs (you have 1/3 probability to mount it right without knowing the triangle mark )

Make sure the pulling side of the primary chain (opposite of the tensioner side) is taunted and has no slack by rotate the primary sprocket CCW but do not use too much force to rotate the crank – this is important since any chain slack on this side would allow the primary sprocket to rotate CCW when inserting the timing tool and this will lead to timing code later.

On the EX side, install the spline disc in front of the primary sprocket with the wide spline at 12 o’clock and facing the same from the camshaft as pictured: (ignore those arrows in photo if they confuse you.)

EX-spline-disc pic
EX-spline-disc.jpg

Due to 5 pic limit per post, I will continue on next post

[Sapote]

Important: the pic above shows the spline disc position before inserting the spline shaft. At this step the threaded holes for the Torx bolts are blocked by the disc. Insert the EX spline shaft which rotates the spline disc CCW until the threaded holes for the Torx are just clear in the slots for screwing the torx bolts. The yellow arrow in pic points to the visible Torx thread hole now. Don’t go too far from this. If you insert the spline shaft too far then later when inserting the timing tool it will not be able to push on the spline shaft and this will cause timing code.

EX-spline shaft pic

EX-splineshaft.jpg

Install secondary chain tensioner with its spring compressed and not pushing on the chain.

Secondary chain tensioner pic
second-chain-tensioner.jpg

Assuming the secondary sprockets and chain were tied together with string during removal, and so their relative position to each other is not changed and this saves time in installation. If not, it’s not the end of the world, but needs to install them with their relative position as below pic:

Sprockets position pic
sprockets-position.jpg

Install IN 3 stud/bolt on the flange and torque to 20NM. Install both sprockets and chain.

Install EX 3 torx bolts hand tight then back out half turn. Rotate IN sprocket CCW to have its wide spline lines up with the camshaft own wide-spline. The EX sprocket will rotate together with the IN one.

IN-sprocket position pic
IN-sprocket-position.jpg


Now install the IN spline shaft onto the camshaft spline until there is about 2mm of the spline remains outside. Inserting the spline shaft will force the 2 sprockets rotate CCW. The book says 1mm but it’s better to have 2mm so when inserting the timing tool (VANOS unit in this case) it will push on the spline shaft inward further to ensure there is no slack from piston to spline.

IN-spline shaft pic
IN-splineshaft.jpg

[Sapote]

Install the IN spring plate such as its outer edge is pushing the sprocket. If there is a gap between spring plate edge and sprocket, then flip the plate around. (note: the IN spring plate is a round disc shape while the EX is like a fan shape and this is the reason why the weaker EX plate needs additional spacer disc below it to prevent the possibility of having the floating sprockets breaking the many-holed spring plate.)

IN spring plate pic


Install 3 nuts on the IN studs hand tight. This allows the sprocket to rotate with some friction (by the spring plate) when inserting the timing tool. Too loose spring plate will lose accuracy during timing.

Now install the spacer and then the spring plate (spring plate in front of spacer) on the EX side , making sure that the spring plate outer edge is against the spacer. If not then flip the plate around. Next install the EX timing impulse wheel with the impulse segment facing the HALL sensor location as shown below and install 3 nuts hand tight.

EX-Impulse-wheel pic


Release the secondary chain tensioner spring. Check to make sure there is no chain slack on the bottom side and correct this by rotate the EX sprocket CW to eliminate any slack.

Final check before inserting the timing tool:

· make sure the crank and two cams still are at TDC before inserting the timing tool.
· Primary chain pulling side has no slack
· Secondary chain bottom side has no slack
· Spring plates exert some friction force

Prepare the Smart-man timing tool:

Assuming the VANOS was removed from the head already. On the VANOS unit, push the IN piston completely into its housing (at its max retarded position) – the piston can be moved fairly easy. For the EX piston, make sure it’s all the way out (at its max advanced position) and can’t be pushed in by installing an appropriated length spacer between the piston and the sealing cap (without the plastic cap attached to the piston, place a socket as a spacer in front of the piston then screw in the sealing cap with Allen key until the cap cannot go further and there is a few turns of threads exposed and this ensures the piston was forced out to its max.) There you have it: the Smart-man VANOS timing tool.

Timing The VANOS

Install the VANOS steel gasket and slowly bolt down the VANOS unit evenly snug. With the 10mm wrench, reach in and tighten down as many torx bolts and nuts as you can to hold the pieces together at this important position. Remove the timing tool and finish up all the fasteners to spec 10NM for nuts and 20NM for Torx bolts with proper Torx socket. Install the assembled VANOS and tell your friend you had done it.

Note: I don't remember if I used the 10mm open wrench to temporaryly tighten the Torx bolts or using a smaller size wrench.

Final position of cam sprockets and other parts picture after finishing timing (although the pic shows with the secondary chain tensioner being compressed. Should be released now.)

final.jpg

I did once in April 2011 and it worked in the first trial and still working now 5 years later, without any code.

Additional Information.

The spline shaft has inner and outer spline at opposite direction. Under normal operation when pushed into the camshaft, it forces the cam to rotate CW and the sprocket CCW but of course the sprocket does not rotate CCW and so the cam rotate double the amount. So why they didn’t design the system with a straight spline for sprocket and a double-steep angle spline for the cam for ease of manufacturing?

What keeps the Intake sprockets from moving forward and destroy the thin spring plates at racing engine speed? Yes, only a thin spring plate that safe guard the sprocket from jumping off to front – sounds very scary right? This is the reason why they designed the spline shaft with two angled spline instead of simply one straight and one angle spline. The angle spline on the sprocket always pushes the sprocket rearward into the flange.

The IN sprocket flange is not attached to the camshaft and this allows the IN sprocket to rotate against the camshaft during inserting the spline shaft. For the EX side, the sprocket mounting flange is solidly attached to the EX shaft, and therefore the need to have a spline disc to be locked to both sprockets with the 3 Torx bolts. Since the IN sprocket is not solid connected to the camshaft and so the Hall sensing disc is attached to the cam inside the head chamber. On the EX side, the Hall sensing disc is attached to the 3 studs/nuts which attached to the cam, and so this is why the EX sensor is further at front of the head.

VANOS piston caps (with Allen key hole). These caps are to seal off the pressurized oil inside the VANOS from leaking out
Plastic caps with o-ring attached at front of pistons. These caps to seal the pressurized oil from passing through the piston center holes via the Torx screw threads.

The pistons are attached to the camshafts and so they are rotating at the same rpm. The piston o-ring seals rotate together with pistons and seal the pressurized oil, and so these seals will wear out faster than the flywheel seal for example.

Edited: the piston has 3 parts -- not just one piece as I mistakenly thought -- front piece with o-rings and rear piece which is bolted to the spline cup, and the bearing at the middle connecting 3 pieces together. So the rear piece rotates with the cam but the front piece only moves back/forth by oil pressure.

Many pictures were copied from these websites
http://www.pelicanparts.com/BMW/tech...eplacement.htm

http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?p=14097982

Sapote

[Docnelson49]

Sapote,

Thanks for this info. I found and followed your original post, put everything back together, then found this one. I still need to put a few more things back together, but if this all works out then I'll finally be able to drive my car.

Doc

[Rubber]

Outstanding write up. Thank you.

[Dame0660]

Much appreciated...i applaud your bravery. Im gonna try it when i replace my valves

[msesing]

Great write up. Will follow on the m54 motor. Thanks 😉😉😉

[Beeman ekim]

Just want to thank the posters of this. I unfortunately blew my head up. And spent everything I had to get my motor tuned up and a new head. Then find out That apparently you need the tool for the timing. I then found this thread and it took me a couple times to get it perfect but my gawd it worked great. Its nice and I'm grateful for people with the knowledge thats willing to share with others and not wanting anything out of it. And to all those people that clearly get paid by bmw ornsomething to say you can't do it without the tool well you hiya can eat a frickin d#%#% sandwich. The only thing I would add to the thread is take your time and be patient. And after setting the timing take your wrench or socke to the crank or and spin it around a few times to double check you didn't screw up somewhere and have bent valves after trying to start. I knew that since I was years old but others may not . But THANKS YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. I was car less and broke but at least my car is alive again.

[Egeddy]

Unfortunately some pics are gone now and i'm trying figure it out but no chance. I can't find when do i spend tensioner with ",cigar" for the first chain and why for example do i need to put IN piston spline 2mm from outside if later i need to puch IN piston all the way in after putting vanos unit on the place? Makes no sense to me. I think it would be much better to make video and share instead of making this long story.

[E39 Newbie]

Unfortunately some pics are gone now and i'm trying figure it out but no chance. I can't find when do i spend tensioner with ",cigar" for the first chain and why for example do i need to put IN piston spline 2mm from outside if later i need to puch IN piston all the way in after putting vanos unit on the place? Makes no sense to me. I think it would be much better to make video and share instead of making this long story.

Save yourself the grief and just buy the $100 timing kit from Amazon. Timing these things is a tedious process to begin with. Adding complexity by futzing around with three pages of instructions, missing pix, etc., etc., is just a recipe for frustration.

[Sapote]

Are you still working on this? I can help.

[Sapote]

Unfortunately some pics are gone now and i'm trying figure it out but no chance. I can't find when do i spend tensioner with ",cigar" for the first chain and why for example do i need to put IN piston spline 2mm from outside if later i need to puch IN piston all the way in after putting vanos unit on the place? Makes no sense to me. I think it would be much better to make video and share instead of making this long story.

1. cigar tension used when ready to tighten down the bolts on the sprockets.
2. 2mm spline exposed then pretension the sprocket bolts for some friction, then during bolting down the vanos unit, it pushes the spline into the shafts to achieve ZERO PLAYS (backlash) between splines male and female. This is for more precise. People should learn to read and think, not just watching video and follow like a bot.

[nhlekzinmasuku]

Good job