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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    Columbus, oh
    Posts
    34
    My Cars
    E39 530i , E60 535xi

    Bolt snapped inside intake cam please help

    i'll get straight to the point
    car: 2007 X5 E70 3.0si
    mileage: 142k
    History: unknown but no accidents or any damage reported (clean title)

    here's what happened : i bought the car sight unseen, when i took delivery it had a check engine light and was running a bit rough but not too bad
    i scanned it and it had this code P0012 ("A" Camshaft Position - timing over retarded), i checked the forum and some say sometimes it happens because of low oil level and causes the tensioners to lose pressure therefore effecting the timing so i added a quart of oil i figured it's not going to hurt (boy was i wrong). then i took it for a spin and i floored twice and on the second time i got a message telling me oil pressure is low and i have to stop the engine right away so i tried to pull over and it died as i was doing so.
    i took it home and i took it apart, i removed the intake manifold and valve cover and discovered the bolt the holds the right (intake) sproked had snapped off and stayed in place, now from up here everything else seemed to be ok , now the question is : do i dig even deeper and remove the entire head , or just replace the bolt and set the timing and put everything back together?
    any suggestion on an easy way to remove what's left of the bolt from the cam, also if i need to remove the cam to have easy access to the hole, is it easy? do i need any special tools ?
    thanks so much in advance guys
    i've always been an e39 and e38 guy this is my first E70 and it's for my wife ]IMG_20200906_003017.jpgIMG_20200906_003010.jpgIMG_20200906_002936.jpgIMG_20200906_002925.jpgIMG_20200906_002920.jpg

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    Ca
    Posts
    6,981
    My Cars
    2001 525it
    Center punch the center of the bolt start with a small drill bit and then move to a slightly lager drill bit until you almost to the width of the bolt remove the remains with a pick

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Seattle
    Posts
    5,773
    My Cars
    99 M3

    Bolt snapped inside intake cam please help

    Might be best to find a tube that has an OD that is the same or just smaller than the bolt OD, then a left-hand twist drill bit just smaller than the tube ID. Use the tube to center the drill bit.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Last edited by bluptgm3; 09-06-2020 at 11:34 PM.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    Columbus, oh
    Posts
    34
    My Cars
    E39 530i , E60 535xi
    ok here's is an update, so i decided to dig deeper and i removed everything and i found out the intake cam is toast and also one of the intake side ledges is also toast, so it looks like i need new head, pistons on the other hand seemed to be ok. on the process of removing the head i did it by myself and it's first time for me so i broke the center plastic piece tap of the timing chain tensioner, now the question is can i replace this piece without removing anything else (like the crank bolt) IMG_20200907_005942.jpgIMG_20200907_005821.jpgIMG_20200907_005840.jpgIMG_20200907_005901.jpgIMG_20200907_005909.jpg

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    .
    Posts
    7,708
    My Cars
    .
    I think you can replace that upper part of the timing chain guide separately from the rest of it.
    ASE and BMW Master Certified Technician

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