Valve Cover Gasket

[dreamrider01]

Follow up to previous post - OOooo... that smell..."

Valve cover gasket ordered from ebay. It came with the valve cover gasket, the 2 gaskets for the spark plug wells, and the 15 rubber grommets for each valve cover bolt.

2000 BMW Z3 Roadster, 2.3 (2.5L)

Tools utilized:

Ratchet, 10mm socket, 10" swivel-end extension, 10" straight extension, 8mm socket (for three small nuts holding ground wires), 200 ft-lb torque wrench, RVT silicon (oil resistant), Break Cleaner, Dremmel too and conical wire brush attachement, screw driver, electric drill.

Note: Where the tutorial at pelicanparts.com noted that the wiring harness housing running across the firewall, and above the valve cover needed to be removed. I was able to remove the valve cover without touching the harness cover. Once loose, I tilted the cover toward the wheel well a little bit, and it slid right off. Also, refitting the cover can be done in the reverse manner. Tightening the two rear bolts is possible via a small opening (big enough to fit your hand and reach if needed) between the wiring harness and the firewall. The furthest back bolt toward the middle of the engine can be bolted on, and torqued without the use of an extension. It is a tight fit, though. But, it can be done.

Note 2: Without a repairs manual, or response to inquiry on this board regarding torque specs for the valve cover bolts, I tested torque settings on these bolts starting at 10 ft-lb, with increments of 2 ft-lb until the torque wrench stopped clicking at a specific torque. According to my measurements, it would appear that the 4 inner bolts of the valve cover consistently yielded 38 ft-lb readings, while the 11 bolts on the perimeter of the valve cover appeared to be 34 ft-lb. Clearly, these are just "guestimates" obtained via a rather crude deduction method. Actual manufacturer specifications may differ significantly from these values.

Note 3: Older gaskets, as mine is, loose flexibility, becoming rather brittle (like the foreskin of a Siberian cockroach in the dead of Winter). Care is required when: 1) removing the cover, since it might stuck because of a deteriorating/degrading valve cover gasket. The cover is very cheap German plastic, which, as all German plastic parts on this piece of crap vehicle are, can break easily if a bit much force is utilized to pry it off the engine. Mine, although a bit challenging, didn't, but I can see it happening. The piece of crap plastic cover is over $400. 2) I had to reconstruct the gasket after removal because it broke in bits and pieces in some parts. Reconstructing the gasket told me how many and what size bits had fallen on the camshaft area, as well as the areas around the spark plug wells. It is important that all bits are recovered, and the areas noted cleared of any small debris.

Note 4: There will be remnants of the valve cover gasket on some points of contact. Those must be removed prior to installing the new gaskets. I used a wire brush attachment with a Dremmel tool. Subsequently, all dust, and bits were removed with a vacuum hose, and rags.

Removal of COP cables.
IMG_3245.jpg

10mm socket for 15 of the 18 bolts that need to be removed.
IMG_3246.jpg

Using an electric screw diver with a socket attachment adaptor after loosening the bolts. Speeds up tedious, repetitive bolt removal.
IMG_3248.jpg

Removal of crankcase vent hose.
IMG_3254.jpg

View after valve cover is removed.
IMG_3255.jpg

[dreamrider01]

Continued.

The under side of the valve cover after cleaning.
IMG_3256.jpg

Brittle gasket from the spark plug wells.
IMG_3257.jpg

Point of valve cover gasket failure, front, passenger side.
IMG_3258.jpg

Remnants of the old gasket on spark plug wells.
IMG_3259.jpg

[dreamrider01]

Continued.

Reconstructing the old valve cover gasket.
IMG_3261.jpg

Removing old gasket remnants with wire brush attachment and Dremmel tool.
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RVT Oil Resistant Silicon. Only a dab in a few places is needed to hold the gasket in place while installing the valve cover back.
IMG_3268.jpg

Installing the new gaskets.
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Hold on to your washers. Most kits do not provide those. Some kits provide the rubber grommets (15), some don't. I didn't see any that provided washers. Maybe the BMW OEM kit does... who knows.
IMG_3269.jpg

The bolt tightening pattern is the usual star-shape, starting in the middle of the valve cover. I went with 34 ft-lb for all bolts. Although, a slight difference was noted between inner and perimeter bolts when tested prior to removal of the valve cover.

[dreamrider01]

Took the car out for a "spirited" (5K-6K RPM range) spin after installing the gasket. The smell and smoke are pretty much gone. Just a little bit of smell remains, since the catalytic converter had been well covered with the oil drips from the failed valve cover gasket. That too will pass...

M

[bluptgm3]

Nice write up.
Valve cover fastener 89 in-lbs.

I believe the factory uses (sparingly) a non-hardening product similar to Permatex Form-A-Gasket No. 2 Sealant.
Applied at the corners of the half-moons at the rear of the head and at the small joints where the VaNos cover mates to head.


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[BimmerBreaker]

I would never dremel a mating surface. I scrape carefully with a plastic scraper, it takes a little longer but wont scratch anything

You also need to replace those donut washers any time you do a vcg. Those are designed to compress slightly and push the valve cover down onto the gasket. When they get old they lose their softness and no longer help compress the valve cover.

[Sleepyhead97]

In my experience, the torque is basically from the screw bottoming out on the head. Of course these covers are 20+ years old so they have warped a bit

[s8ilver]

I would never dremel a mating surface. I scrape carefully with a plastic scraper, it takes a little longer but wont scratch anything

You also need to replace those donut washers any time you do a vcg. Those are designed to compress slightly and push the valve cover down onto the gasket. When they get old they lose their softness and no longer help compress the valve cover.

I'm about to do a VANOS rebuild on my M52TUB28. My "old" gasket is pretty new (very squishy)...still replace all the washers? I just want to make sure I have all the parts before I start. I have new VANOS bolts in case I break them, and a new VANOS gasket and of course the Besian kit.

With M52TU engine cars (98/99-00) with cold engine idle jolt symptoms, the vanos intake solenoid (metal cylinder) electrical connector can be removed. If the idle jolts cease then the problem is the vanos seals.

This is exactly what I have going on. The "jolt" vanishes after warm up or if I unplug the solenoid.

[lecbr600]

View after valve cover is removed.
IMG_3255.jpg

I'm really impressed in how clean and "white" is your internal cylinder head!
In my case it was all reddish:

Testata pulita.jpg

Continued.

RVT Oil Resistant Silicon. Only a dab in a few places is needed to hold the gasket in place while installing the valve cover back.
IMG_3268.jpg

I remember that I had been told to pay attention on a sealant suitable for catalitic converter, as its vapour could damage the converter..

Bye

[BimmerBreaker]

I'm about to do a VANOS rebuild on my M52TUB28. My "old" gasket is pretty new (very squishy)...still replace all the washers? I just want to make sure I have all the parts before I start. I have new VANOS bolts in case I break them, and a new VANOS gasket and of course the Besian kit.

I replace the rubber donut washers any time I replace the valve cover gasket. If you yourself replaced the VCG and those washers recently I would not be hesitant to re-use them - but if you haven't serviced them yourself, I would... it can't hurt, the things are only about $15 for all of them

I remember that I had been told to pay attention on a sealant suitable for catalitic converter, as its vapour could damage the converter..

It is not clear to me how vapors from sealant in the valve cover can reach the catalytic converter

[lecbr600]

It is not clear to me how vapors from sealant in the valve cover can reach the catalytic converter

Crankcase vent hose is connected to the intake manifold....



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[BimmerBreaker]

Crankcase vent hose is connected to the intake manifold....



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Well aware of that, even if it does suck some vapors through, they will be extremely dilluted... I would not worry about this type of thing when doing vcg

[dreamrider01]

Nice write up.
Valve cover fastener 89 in-lbs.

I believe the factory uses (sparingly) a non-hardening product similar to Permatex Form-A-Gasket No. 2 Sealant.
Applied at the corners of the half-moons at the rear of the head and at the small joints where the VaNos cover mates to head.


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Thanx! 89 in-lb torque=7.4 ft-lb. Seems a little low. Not denying what the manual may say, but that is the equivalent of maybe hand-tightening the bolts? Mine were definetly way, way, way tighter than that when I took them off. May be it meant 389 in-lb?

And, the sealant I used as you noted; just a couple of dots here-and-there to hold the gasket in place when one flips, and slips the valve cover back on. One of the pictures shows what you noted the factory does with sealant right on the front of the valve cover. It shows as redish-brown dots. So, I cleaned those, and put mine on the same places, exactly.

M

[dreamrider01]

Lecbr600, maybe European motor oils have other additives that may make it color red? I have used Mobil-1 Full Synthetic for the last 2 oild changes. However, I used Walmart brand regular motor for all prior oil changes.

One doesn’t really need to use much, just a couple of dots at the front and back to hold the gasket in place during installation. But, good to know. Thank you.

M

- - - Updated - - -

BimmerBreaker, yes, grommets = doughnut washers. replaced all 15. I only reused the metal washers.

[bluptgm3]

Thanx! 89 in-lb torque=7.4 ft-lb. Seems a little low. Not denying what the manual may say, but that is the equivalent of maybe hand-tightening the bolts? Mine were definetly way, way, way tighter than that when I took them off. May be it meant 389 in-lb?

No, these are a shoulder bolt, meaning that the smooth shank is a much larger diameter than the thread diameter. Once the fastener is ‘seated’ on the shank shoulder, a low torque value is all that is required. A static bolt will always exhibit a much higher ‘breakaway’ than that of kinetic (?) torque or that of a bolt in motion, especially one that has been ‘baked’ in place several heat cycles.



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[MIKYZZ4]

Valve cover bolts are low torque (5~7ft/lbs.)
They can snap very easily, not much more than finger tight is needed.

[dreamrider01]

Valve cover bolts - good to know, guys. Thanx!! They were in way tight. I guess they get that way with temp changes over time? Like I noted above, I measured, crudley, of course over 30 ft-lb.

[jrkoupe]

I'm about to do a VANOS rebuild on my M52TUB28. My "old" gasket is pretty new (very squishy)...still replace all the washers? I just want to make sure I have all the parts before I start. I have new VANOS bolts in case I break them, and a new VANOS gasket and of course the Besian kit.

[FONT="]With M52TU engine cars (98/99-00) with cold engine idle jolt symptoms, the vanos intake solenoid (metal cylinder) electrical connector can be removed. If the idle jolts cease then the problem is the vanos seals.

[/FONT]This is exactly what I have going on. The "jolt" vanishes after warm up or if I unplug the solenoid.

Just saw this thread....

I have had car since new, and have had jolty cold idle for 19 yrs!......I never could find out y...lol....even dealer in '99 had no clue!