DISA stuck

[parkerbot]

DISA only comes out about an inch before getting hung on something. Flap still intact and moves. Please advise.



Edit....appears flap is what is getting hung up......on a pics of dark gray plastic....looks same color as intake

[bmwdirtracer]

That's very odd, Parker. I have never seen this issue, and have removed, oh, maybe a hundred or more DISAs. Usually, the outside hits. If that flap is indeed intact and correctly anchored at the other end, I know of nothing which can stop the unit from coming out. Try rotating it. Make sure the outside is not what's holding you up. Then, pull harder, while wiggling. After all, you can't leave it in there. if something is so wrong that it won't come out.

Do you have a replacement in hand?

You should know that if the flap comes loose, the metal pins which anchor it come loose, and get sucked into the cylinders, and destroy everything.

[parkerbot]

Piece of plastic was from an old disa that had eaten itself....Looks like car is inoperable till payday. Disa got damaged by the old flap. Looks like the original owner\maintainer for this vehicle was a bigger pos than I thought.

[parkerbot]

20170528_102326.jpg

No replacement on hand unfortunately. I also do not see the pin anywhere....looks like intake manifold gasket and injector orings on the list of parts too.

[dworthy]

Leave the injectors in place, for all it will do is cause vacuum leaks later. Unhook the fuel lines, then the electric connectors, and pull the intake out with them.

[jclausen]

You better find that pin or it's curtains for the engine

[parkerbot]

What are your thoughts on the rein brand disa on fcpeuro.com? https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...in-11617544805

[jclausen]

I'm sure it would be fine I rebuilt mine with that kit that gets rid of the pin and also replaces the plastic flat with an aluminum one, the kit uses a long threaded bolt that is threaded in to the flap. I forget the name of the company, but search disa rebuild kit.

[bmwdirtracer]

The company is German Auto Solutions....a great kit, but it won't work here, because this DISA is destroyed....no framework to hold the flap. And, while they have a complete, upgraded unit, it's enormously expensive.

Rein is okay, although it's Chinese, like URO or Vaico, but it's not NEARLY not as good as the GAS item, by a long shot.

Also, I have to wonder whether the original DISA's pin already passed through the engine? That flap has likely been in the manifold for some time, and the replacement (broken) DISA still has its pin in it (thankfully!)

Like jclaussen, I have seen the DISA pin absolutely destroy valves, piston, and cylinder walls.

[jclausen]

You are right but you could use the kit on the New one. That pin is a poor design

[dworthy]

+1 on G.A.S. http://germanautosolutions.com/

I would check ebay or a local yard for another DISA, and then rebuild it. Or you can buy the G.A.S. Gold DISA, I myself bought the rebuild kit for the wagon and have to say it is a good set-up.

[bmwdirtracer]

You are right but you could use the kit on the New one. That pin is a poor design

Yep, but at that point, you either buy a used one, as dworthy suggests, or you buy the complete "GOLD" unit, from GAS, because their kit does not fit cheap Chinese DISAs.

From G.A.S. website:

"G.A.S. M54 DISA Valve Repair kit

BMW has increased the price of the OEM DISA from the original price of $239.00 to a current retail price of $399.00. The G.A.S. DISA repair kit is a $330.00 savings over the cost of a BMW replacement.

NOTE - OUR REPAIR KIT ONLY FITS OEM BMW DISA VALVES!
THE KIT IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH DORMAN, VAICO OR URO BRAND DISA VALVES!"

[parkerbot]

So that metal rod sticking off the end of the flap on the damaged disa is the pin right? If so that makes my life a lot less complicated.

[bmwdirtracer]

Only if the one from the ORIGINAL flap isn't in the intake!

After all, the flap from the original unit is what broke your replacement DISA.

THAT pin is M.I.A. No one here can tell you whether it's stuck in an oil slick, inside the manifold, ready to come loose and splatter your engine...

...or whether the original pin already flushed through the motor instantly when the original DISA failed, without hurting anything. (That could happen, too....or maybe the original pin stuck in the frame of the original DISA, and was removed. Although how the dumbasses left the whole flap in there, I just can't imagine.)

Ya pays ya money, and ya takes ya chances. Your call.

[dworthy]

Whoa, wait a second!

In post #4, I see 2 flaps, was that broken one inside as well?

As for the one still connect to the DISA, yes that pin is still in there, however I would be worried about where the second pin went, as it appears to me the P.O. went out and bought a second DISA without removing the old flap and that is how this one got busted IMO.

So my free advice will be to comb thru that whole intake looking for the lost pin, and make sure all the intake valve are closed before pulling the intake off. As a bonus you can clean all the gunk out of the runners while it is out.

[parkerbot]

Yes the old flap was the culprit for killing the DISA. I have a used oem one sourced and the G.A.S. kit coming next week. Think I'm gonna get myself an early father's day gift and grab a bore scope w/t led and investigate the intake. I'll let ya know how it turns out.

[328 Power 04]

Um,... the picture in post #4 already looks like a germanautosolutions kit is installed. Is that flap aluminum?

[parkerbot]

It felt like plastic...I'll check again when I get home, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't upgraded. If it was I don't know why the original owner would have used rtv instead of the o-ring though, but who knows.

[328 Power 04]

Dug out my spare M54 GAS DISA from the storage room,... yep looks like yours.

[parkerbot]

Well checked the flap...it's aluminum. Not sure damage from a foreign object is covered under their warranty. We'll see.

[bmwdirtracer]

Good catch, Abel!

Imagine, someone's smart enough to purchase a GAS kit, but not smart enough to remove the old broken crap from the manifold....WTF, over?

Parker, you need to find the P.O. and whip him 'til he explains why his mother let him live.

[parkerbot]

So the bad luck continues...order a used disa from ebay. Part number in description (11617544805), model/year car pulled from (01 330CI), last 7 of vin (JU81850) match the right disa and only has 55k miles on it. Part I received is the shorter 2.5l disa. Seller assures me it was pulled from that car, has been in the family since new, and the engine has never had work done to it....so....it must have come wrong from the factory, someone DID replace the disa with the wrong one, or had an engine swap they didn't know about. Checking the users feedback it would be out of the ordinary for them to scam buyers so I don't believe that's the issue. I swear someone has a voodoo doll of me somewhere....

[ArtSkoolDropout]

Hey, new to the forum, but I'm tring to remove my DISA 01 325i wagon and I removed the mounting bolts, but the damn thing will barely move. With a decent amount of effort I can only get it to come out maybe 1/16". I tried rotating it a little to assist with remove, but it doesnt rotate too much. Figured I'd see what I could find out about it on here before destroying something. Ay input would be helpful, thanks in advance. I can post pictures or video of anything that may be helpful?