Replacing the vanos unit..

[flekz]

wassup guys im in the process of gathering parts to replace my vanos unit but my question is which is the vanos unit? is it the gear itself thats on the camshaft itself? here is the diagram for the whole camshaft assembly and what i am assuming is the vanos unit...



now what i am thinking is #1 is the camshaft adjuster unit but #9 is the vanos solenoid.. from reading threads, i am under the impression that #1 needs to be changed also with teh solenoid. for anyone knowledgable in this please feel free to reply and let me know what to do

[c0rnfl4k3]

It's number 1 in the picture below:


I got the rebuild kit from Beisan Systems, works like a charm.

[diyanich]

how about v8 4.4i?

[flekz]

yes im sorry i forgot to state that this is for a 4.4

[diyanich]

well..That's why I felt it should be clarified,although you signature states your engine displacement and I am kind'a wondering the same VANOS question..

Originally Posted by flekz

yes im sorry i forgot to state that this is for a 4.4

[caisson12]

kit for the six cyl in the past and may have one for the 8 by now. They are well regarded on the ROADFLY E39 board and prices and info are well worth looking into. All you will probably need are new seals....the original seals were made from inferior/incorrect compound so don't get the new seals from BMW...

Beisan Systems

Cheers,

[Idle]

Hi.

Flekz, I take it your engine is is an M62TU?

Yes you are correct, the VANOS unit is No1 in your diagram. There is one on the front of both inlet camshafts.

There is no fix from Beisan for the V8 VANOS as they are sealed units. The only way to sort it is to replace both units.

Of course that depends on what the problem is. Can you give more information on why you want to do this job and why you think it is necessary to change the VANOS solenoids as well? It's quite an expensive job and needs a few special tools.

I have recently done the VANOS replacement procedure on my 2000 E38 740i V8 4.4 M62TU.

The reason I did it was because there was a tapping/knocking deisel like sound coming from the top of the valve covers at hot idle. After two years of investigation, numerous failed 'fixes' and worrying that something very bad could go wrong at any moment, I found it was the VANOS units all along. Now the engine is nice and quiet.

Hope this helps.

[diyanich]

Hi there..it's an answer I was waiting for.
Could you tell me :
1. I assume those are identical units on both sides..right?
2. What would it involve if I swap them...Valve cover gasket I assume,but further..
3. What did you gain beyond disappeared tapping noises? Power ,better fuel milage?
4. and the last one...was it DIY and what was the cost and where did you get your parts from..(3 in 1 )

Thanks a lot in advance.

Originally Posted by Idle

Hi.

Flekz, I take it your engine is is an M62TU?

Yes you are correct, the VANOS unit is No1 in your diagram. There is one on the front of both inlet camshafts.

There is no fix from Beisan for the V8 VANOS as they are sealed units. The only way to sort it is to replace both units.

Of course that depends on what the problem is. Can you give more information on why you want to do this job and why you think it is necessary to change the VANOS solenoids as well? It's quite an expensive job and needs a few special tools.

I have recently done the VANOS replacement procedure on my 2000 E38 740i V8 4.4 M62TU.

The reason I did it was because there was a tapping/knocking deisel like sound coming from the top of the valve covers at hot idle. After two years of investigation, numerous failed 'fixes' and worrying that something very bad could go wrong at any moment, I found it was the VANOS units all along. Now the engine is nice and quiet.

Hope this helps.

[jst2878]

I would love to do this. Price for each unit is 540.00 in today's age.

[Idle]

If you can live with the tapping/knocking I would think everything will be ok. It will be just..........well..................noisy!

I couldn't stand it any longer and had to fix it. And like I said, I'm glad there wasn't anything more sinister going on which would involve going deeper into the engine.

There is another option that worked for someone but not for me:

Change the oil to 10w-60. It's a thick oil (goes in the M5 I think) that might mask the noise. And that's all it will do...........mask! Probably won't be any good for the mpg either.

Anyone doing this job will also need a torque wrench for left & right hand threads with a minimum of 125Nm. A multimeter (preferrably with sound), a 27mm open end spanner and a T55 torx bit. And of course the special tools. This is the kit I got:

BMW M60 M62 Master Camshaft / VANOS Timing Tool Kit : eBay Motors (item 270570593582 end time May-27-10 12:27:48 PDT)

It will come in handy for if/when the chain guide rails give up. Or you could hire the kit out to others with the same problem maybe.

Yes, it's an expensive fix but.......................how much do you love your car?