Jerry's car project

[Jerry Scholder]

This nut in the picture is on top of the PS mount (not pump) where the 19" and 22" bolts are connected. It is almost directly above the top engine mount bolt on drivers side. I took it off by mistake when changing the engine mount and it has a number of small washers underneath it and oil around it. I am concerned that I didn't damage anything. Yeah.....I finally got a picture to load.

[Jerry Scholder]

Not to worry Jerry, the continuity test is just to verify that you have rotated the Vanos fully advanced. Be careful not to force it.
From Beisan's site:
Caution: Do not place notable pressure on vanos turning tool as pins will break.
Ohm meter will display 0 ohm when vanos at fully retarded position.
Note: Vanos internal piston will connect with vanos test pins when fully retarded and cause a short reading (0 ohm).
Note: When ratchet pressure is released ohm reading can change to open circuit (infinite ohm). This is normal.
Note: In many cases a short will not be achieved and a 0 ohm reading will not occur. This is normal.

This is to make sure that, when timing the cams, you are in fully retarded position to lock the timing wheels and cams.
Just be vigilent when torqueing the cam bolts and timing wheel nuts that nothing moves, support the cams with a wrench,
and verify the cam lock blocks have not move up off the head surface.

From there it is just reassembling all the fiddly bits...then the fire up!

Additional information re: this subject: When the cam lock block is positioned on the cam lobe of Bank 1 (E) in the correct position, I am able to get a reading of continuity. When the block is removed and the cam lobe spring advances it forward, I do not have a continuity reading on Passenger side only. When putting a screwdriver through the vanos hole without valve cover on the vanos pin is above the hole by a small amount. Just checking for confirmation......

[Jerry Scholder]

I can't believe I'm in "Park" because of a broken bolt that had to be drilled and now have run out of options to replace the bolt due to helicoil questionable use, (size limitation?) and location of hole limiting ability to increase the size of the hole. Have not yet received any answers as to whether I can go without the bolt and use something as an alternative to maintain the tight fit on the lower cover of E38 740I. Didn't realize the increase in hole size needed to put in a helicoil replacement. I was thinking some form of glue/sealant could be used in this area to compensate for the bolt loss??bmw broke bolt.jpg

[kouks]

If it’s just the upper oil pan I’d go without it, just use black gasket maker in that area. It will not leak unless you like to put a lot of pressure on the engine the way you drive. If you do drive very spirited, it will eventually leak, otherwise will be fine.

[oldroller]

"Additional information re: this subject: When the cam lock block is positioned on the cam lobe of Bank 1 (E) in the correct position, I am able to get a reading of continuity. When the block is removed and the cam lobe spring advances it forward, I do not have a continuity reading on Passenger side only. When putting a screwdriver through the vanos hole without valve cover on the vanos pin is above the hole by a small amount. Just checking for confirmation...... "

Jerry, put the cam block back on the bank 1 cam, fully flush with the head, then check the hole in the trigger with a drill bit that fits tightly through the inspection hole. Continuity loss is normal when the cam rolls forward. If set with the cam forward, your timing will be off.

As for your bolt hole, were you able to remove the broken bolt? If any is left in the hole you have two options:
Clean the area well, apply sealer to both sides of the gasket and in the hole, and bolt the cover up. Crankcase pressure and oil splash only in that area, seal it well and it shouldn't leak.

Or if you were able to remove all pieces of the broken bolt, clean the hole well and fill the cavity with JB Weld, Devcon, or Bellzona... incredibly hard epoxy type material.
Skim it flush with the block before it hardens. Using the cover as a guide, drill a pilot hole for a 6mm tap, and tap the material-filled hole. Assemble, being careful not to apply too much torque to THAT bolt. Used this repair frequently in bad conditions on boats, held up well. Beats pulling the block and sending it to a machine shop for repair.

[Jerry Scholder]

If it’s just the upper oil pan I’d go without it, just use black gasket maker in that area. It will not leak unless you like to put a lot of pressure on the engine the way you drive. If you do drive very spirited, it will eventually leak, otherwise will be fine.

Sorry I wasn't clear on the location of the bolt; it's the lower cover, first up from the dowel on pass side. Thanks for the reply.

[Jerry Scholder]

Thanks for the great response and timely as well; I can now go "safely" back to work. I have the JB Weld and will do the 6mm tap; another tool to add to my list. I'll seal the bolt at the gasket and at the lower cover area where bolt is inserted. The timing process was done exactly as instructed with cam blocks on when trigger was set with G.A.S. tool kit. Hole lines up perfectly. I guess cam block movement from spring doesn't effect the position of the trigger if set up properly from the beginning. I did the anal version of the Dr. Vanos instructions; did it over again just to be sure when the original set up was done.

[Jerry Scholder]

This nut in the picture is on top of the PS mount (not pump) where the 19" and 22" bolts are connected. It is almost directly above the top engine mount bolt on drivers side. I took it off by mistake when changing the engine mount and it has a number of small washers underneath it and oil around it. I am concerned that I didn't damage anything. Yeah.....I finally got a picture to load.

SECOND REQUEST: under this nut is a plethora of small o rings which I'm not sure if I replaced all of them. Not sure what the function is under this nut and I removed it by mistake thinking it was the engine mount top nut at the time. Would someone comment on this question?

[Jerry Scholder]

Time for an update on the 2001 740i Timing Chain Guides replacement (and other things). From the beginning, whatever could go wrong went wrong. Thanks to many people that helped along the way at bimmerforum I was able to get past the many hurdles I encountered. Presently, I've put the lower and upper covers back on; they lined up nicely. I stripped a 10mm bolt on the lower cover; tried to extract it, then drilled it, then tried to tap it (not enough width--first bolt after 13mm at bottom on passenger side) then sealed it with JB weld and put sealant around it. Had to put a new gasket on that side. Sealed the bolt hole with JB weld as well. Fingers crossed. Put oil pan bolts in; connected the oil sensor, and other connector ?; Had fun putting on water pump-won't go into detail; Put "Jesus Bolt" back on and only got to 4:00 (used lock tite so not too worried); Looked a lot for things, so wasn't as organized the first time around. Put dipstick back in; New Chain Tensioner installed. I was sent a small O ring for chain tensioner and couldn't figure out where it went; decided it was wrong part and put Crush Washer on. Decided Zip tie on chain could come off before chain tensioner went on; didn't see anything about this in any of the instructions. Went back to see how the AC pulley and Idler were attached. Put sealant around the water pump for extra piece of mind. Used lock tite for most of the bolts on upper and lower cover and water pump. Installed new Solenoid gaskets--what a PIA that was trying to line up the screws and seat the gaskets; they seemed way too hard that the rubber wasn't flexible. The day after they seemed to loosen up a bit and seat better. I'll have to keep an eye on them for any leaks. Crankshaft seal went well, no problems. I wasted some time taking off passenger side bottom covers in anticipation of needing to put the crankshaft tool holder bar under frame when tightening; it wasn't going anywhere. Left the cam blocks on and flypin in while tightening bolt for extra security; again, probably didn't need to. QUESTION: Has anyone seen my post about the questionable bolt I took off in error and has a bunch of small flat rings with holes in the middle come off of it? Curious as to if I damaged anything. New drain plug on engine block passenger side. (Does driver side have one also?) New idle pulley tensioner and maybe AC tensioner pulley as well. Trying to figure this one out.

[Ruskii]

Do I spy home made "crush washers" on those PS hoses?

[Jerry Scholder]

Do I spy home made "crush washers" on those PS hoses?

Ruskii: Seriously, I probably screwed up placing the washers on those PS hoses if you're thinking they're home made. I still have time to correct it; could you expand on the possible problem? Thanks. I was under the impression 2 crush washers had to be placed at this location. Why is everyone avoiding the question about the bolt that I took off in error and then lost a number of small flat washers with holes in the middle? It has oil around the outside of the bolt. Does it require a special bolt or special internal parts?

[Jerry Scholder]

Hooked up alternator and transmission cooler lines today and added a PS return hose to the two installed earlier. Put on the harmonic balancer with the 6 bolts and was surprised to learn only 22nm torque required. Had a brain cramp remembering what connections were required for the alternator and cost me a little time and aggravation. I noticed my lower timing cover and upper covers have a rubber piece on top and they match up really accurately without the valve cover needing to be put on to push upper cover in line. I'll try to get a picture for later. Anybody else seen this?

[Jerry Scholder]

Ruskii: Seriously, I probably screwed up placing the washers on those PS hoses if you're thinking they're home made. I still have time to correct it; could you expand on the possible problem? Thanks. I was under the impression 2 crush washers had to be placed at this location. Why is everyone avoiding the question about the bolt that I took off in error and then lost a number of small flat washers with holes in the middle? It has oil around the outside of the bolt. Does it require a special bolt or special internal parts?

Feels like someone has been black listed on this bimmerforum as of late. I almost thought you guys would see this timing chain and other repairs to the finish with me. 8/16 post and "second request" on 8/29 not being answered convinces me something's up. It was just a matter of time before Moderators hassling me and not allowing me to post different subjects that would arise during "Jerry's Car Project" would result in less interest and answers. Thanks to all those that helped in the past.

[georgebest]

Hooked up alternator and transmission cooler lines today and added a PS return hose to the two installed earlier. Put on the harmonic balancer with the 6 bolts and was surprised to learn only 22nm torque required. Had a brain cramp remembering what connections were required for the alternator and cost me a little time and aggravation. I noticed my lower timing cover and upper covers have a rubber piece on top and they match up really accurately without the valve cover needing to be put on to push upper cover in line. I'll try to get a picture for later. Anybody else seen this?

I guess the question is how well they line up. Logic would say they wont line up perfectly because of the new gasket you just put in for the upper timing cover. Even a mm counts and could cause all kind of timing issues. I wouldnt try to save time on this one, so much work to remove it and redoing if turns out to be misaligned.
Btw: I did this mistake when doing it first time.

[oldroller]

Not sure what 'a rubber piece' is referring to, Jerry. If anything, you should see just the upper end of the upper cover gasket when the cover is in place.
As long as the flat surface of the cover is flush with the flat surface of the head, you should be good.
If the surfaces are flush and there is gasket material protruding, trim it flush with a razor knife. Be sure to apply a little sealer at that juncture when
installing the valve covers/gaskets for the final time.

This alignment also affects the solenoid seals. If not aligned, the seals can be difficult to install, with more pressure on the underside of the solenoid. Leaks
from the seals and leaks from the valve cover front area can be a problem.

[oldroller]

The forum has been a little slow traffic-wise lately Jerry, busy time for all. Don't think it's a 'black-listing' issue.

The bolt you removed from the power steering gear is an unknown to me, as I have not had a servotronic box apart.
Realoem shows no parts for the internals, and most owners would get a junkyard replacement if a problem exists.
Rebuilding one requires special tools and specific steps due to tolerances, etc. The good thing is that box was used
from 1993 to 2001 on the E38, so sourcing a used one should be easy if needed.

But looking at the bolt location, if it came out clean with no protruding 'parts', just O-rings, I would guess it is a port for
testing operational pressures and the bolt seals the hole. Just my guess.
Get her fired up and see what occurs. You may be able to acquire O-rings locally if a leak shows its head.

[Ruskii]

Feels like someone has been black listed on this bimmerforum as of late. I almost thought you guys would see this timing chain and other repairs to the finish with me. 8/16 post and "second request" on 8/29 not being answered convinces me something's up. It was just a matter of time before Moderators hassling me and not allowing me to post different subjects that would arise during "Jerry's Car Project" would result in less interest and answers. Thanks to all those that helped in the past.

Hi Jerry, I used my smartphone when I saw your picture, so it looked like the crush washer were home made (looks square-ish with jagged lines) but it appears to be a reflection on the milled metal. Silly me.

And one of the reason why you didn't get the responses about the bolt you took off, is because most of us never taken it off and don't have a clue what it does/how it should go back/etc.

[Jerry Scholder]

I guess the question is how well they line up. Logic would say they wont line up perfectly because of the new gasket you just put in for the upper timing cover. Even a mm counts and could cause all kind of timing issues. I wouldnt try to save time on this one, so much work to remove it and redoing if turns out to be misaligned.
Btw: I did this mistake when doing it first time.

If I remember correctly.....actually I don't remember the alignment procedure and proper check to insure the valve cover lines up with the upper timing cover; so I will look for the thread which explains this before asking any questions. Thanks. P.S. Passenger side transmission mount still being a pain; drivers side off. Shredded the bottom of the rubber mount but top nut is really locked on; need longer drill bit to move on. Just curious; what is that large rubber piece secured by one 19mm nut at the middle of the cross frame holding the bottom mount nuts? If I could get that out of the way, it would be easier to access the top nut. I'll try to get pics.

- - - Updated - - -

The forum has been a little slow traffic-wise lately Jerry, busy time for all. Don't think it's a 'black-listing' issue.

The bolt you removed from the power steering gear is an unknown to me, as I have not had a servotronic box apart.
Realoem shows no parts for the internals, and most owners would get a junkyard replacement if a problem exists.
Rebuilding one requires special tools and specific steps due to tolerances, etc. The good thing is that box was used
from 1993 to 2001 on the E38, so sourcing a used one should be easy if needed.

But looking at the bolt location, if it came out clean with no protruding 'parts', just O-rings, I would guess it is a port for
testing operational pressures and the bolt seals the hole. Just my guess.
Get her fired up and see what occurs. You may be able to acquire O-rings locally if a leak shows its head.

Thanks Oldroller for the usual sound advice; going to have to start calling you, "Mr. Reliable".

- - - Updated - - -

Not sure what 'a rubber piece' is referring to, Jerry. If anything, you should see just the upper end of the upper cover gasket when the cover is in place.
As long as the flat surface of the cover is flush with the flat surface of the head, you should be good.
If the surfaces are flush and there is gasket material protruding, trim it flush with a razor knife. Be sure to apply a little sealer at that juncture when
installing the valve covers/gaskets for the final time.

This alignment also affects the solenoid seals. If not aligned, the seals can be difficult to install, with more pressure on the underside of the solenoid. Leaks
from the seals and leaks from the valve cover front area can be a problem.

My bad; will take pics and follow-up with proper explanation that is clearer. Thanks.

[Jerry Scholder]

I guess the question is how well they line up. Logic would say they wont line up perfectly because of the new gasket you just put in for the upper timing cover. Even a mm counts and could cause all kind of timing issues. I wouldnt try to save time on this one, so much work to remove it and redoing if turns out to be misaligned.
Btw: I did this mistake when doing it first time.

This is the piece located on the cross frame of transmission mounts secured by one bolt; it seems to just go into the cross frame. What section of realoem.com would this area be covered under for bmw e38 740i? Trying to learn how to navigate various sections of pictures to get answers. I was wondering what its purpose was as I wanted to remove it for better access to the transm mount. The other picture was referencing the comment about "cover alignment". The black trim seems to line up nicely. I hadn't realized the thing sticking up is the new gasket from the top timing cover and it's supposed to be flush to the head. Haven't received confirmation of this yet, but will try to push the top cover down with the "double washer" technique.

transmission mount.jpgcover alignment.jpg

[Jerry Scholder]

Hi Jerry, I used my smartphone when I saw your picture, so it looked like the crush washer were home made (looks square-ish with jagged lines) but it appears to be a reflection on the milled metal. Silly me.

And one of the reason why you didn't get the responses about the bolt you took off, is because most of us never taken it off and don't have a clue what it does/how it should go back/etc.

Thanks Ruskii. I'm going to take some pictures of the internals of this bolt and share; who knows....could be of use some day. Has some really strange pieces inside.

[TheAngryBear]

That “cross piece” into the trans support is the vibration absorber, #5 here
https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/sho...diagId=22_0012
Took a guess and used 3/01 but the part number didn’t change throughout production.

As for the upper timing covers, you can use the double washer method (per beisan) or the “timing holes” in the cover. Note the timing holes method is debatable and relies on the system being properly timed with no issues.


2001 750iL DD74441
Stock

RIP: 2003 540iA Sport GS56111
H&R front springs, Ultimate Cup Holder, Euro Dash & Armrest, Grom, BavSound Stage1

[Ruskii]

Regarding upper timing cover: it's odd that your upper timing cover is perfectly matching with the head, given that new gasket should've pushed it up since it is new rubber (which tends to be more "thick" compared to old, hardened gasket). I had a heck of a time try to make them line up perfectly on my car.

Do both covers (left and right side) line up perfectly without pushing down on them?

[oldroller]

Also odd that the gasket extends above the surface of the cover. The valve cover pushes both the gasket and upper cover down into
position, both flush. That gasket looks 'stretched' upwards... just my opinion.

[georgebest]

Also odd that the gasket extends above the surface of the cover. The valve cover pushes both the gasket and upper cover down into
position, both flush. That gasket looks 'stretched' upwards... just my opinion.

Agreed, that gasket extends too much above the surface, I would check again. You probably dont need to remove the upper cover for it, just loosen the bolts a bit. It should stick out max a millimeter or less, otherwise you will have oil leak there.

Also agreeing with Ruski, it shouldnt line up perfectly because of the new gaskets. Double check those gaskets, something is not right there.

[Jerry Scholder]

That “cross piece” into the trans support is the vibration absorber, #5 here
https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/sho...diagId=22_0012
Took a guess and used 3/01 but the part number didn’t change throughout production.

As for the upper timing covers, you can use the double washer method (per beisan) or the “timing holes” in the cover. Note the timing holes method is debatable and relies on the system being properly timed with no issues.


2001 750iL DD74441
Stock

RIP: 2003 540iA Sport GS56111
H&R front springs, Ultimate Cup Holder, Euro Dash & Armrest, Grom, BavSound Stage1

Can't imagine why they have it blocking so much; it does seem to have a lot of torque in trying to take it off, but won't seem to hurt anything if I do. I have to get it out of the way to access that darn transmission mount top bolt that must be rusted on. I don't have a drill bit long enough to reach the mount and drill it out. I ordered a different 13mm wrench for better reach. I've abandoned the job for the moment. The Double Washer Method...hmmm. Saw the post and not sure what to use as a reference to know when the alignment is right. Any pictures? Thanks for your input. I believe this has been explained to me very clearly as to what I need to do.