Quote:
Originally Posted by cpgifford
So,
When I put my X5 in the shop for the common bushing replacement, The Tech mentioned that I had the worst oil leak he has ever seen. I then discussed causes that could cause such a leak in the system. I told him that I noticed a bit of oil around the spark plugs when I pulled them and replaced with new ones. Of coarse thinking that it was the valve covers I didn't think to much of it. He told me that that could be the main reason that I had a Leak that bad.
Long Story Short- I'm going to be replacing the Valve cover gaskets myself. I was wondering if anyone else has attempted this and had any tips or tricks they wish they knew before hand. I know its pretty straight forward and my Bentley manual shows step by step, I just wanted to know how long and how difficult and what to watch out for.
Questions:
-Are there any bolts on the back side of the valve covers? (Closest to the firewall)
-Should I drain the oil before starting? (Its due for an oil change anyways)
-Anything I need to inspect for wear while valve covers are off?
-Should I use gasket sealer on the gasket when reinstalling?
Thanks for any help!
Also, Should I do A write up (with pictures!) on it? I looked on the forum and didn't see anything on the 4.4i and also in the how-to section. I kinda thought it might be useful for future reference.
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The 7 series write up linked above is more than adequate. I just did this job, so I'll add a couple of pointers.
--Make sure you buy all the O-ring gaskets for all the bolts and nuts.
--A 1/4" drive torque wrench is ideal for tightening all the cover bolts.
--I found it impossible to position the driver's side cover into position without dislodging the gasket. For me the solution was to disconnect the three heater hoses that go to the firewall, (at the firewall). That will give you room at that back drivers side corner. Passenger side is easy. So you'll need BMW coolant on hand. You'll either need an Air-Lift to fill, or you can use the car's auxiliary cooling pump to bleed the system. The Air-Lift is definately the superior method, but you can get away with running the pump.
--Get a BIG telescopic inspection mirror, so you can carefully check that the gasket is seated properly in the back. By big, I mean 2x3" or so. I tried using a Snap-on fibre optic video (Boroscope), but the mirror worked much better.
--Since the coil packs need to be removed, this is an ideal time to change plugs.
--I found removing the injector plugs easy. I don't buy the idea that removing the fuel rail, (as long as you're not doing the valley pan gasket), is better. You risk getting a fuel leak. I used a Snap-on Mini pick tool with a slightly bent tip to remove the injector clips. Worked great, and like I said, very easy to do. You don't need to remove these clips fully; just dislodge one side.