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  #1  
Old 03-09-2012, 07:23 PM
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'01 4.4i M62 Valve Cover Gasket Replacement

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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  #2  
Old 03-10-2012, 01:30 AM
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There has been much information posted on this forum which will take time to search so meantime here are some links to help .
e38.org BMW 7-series information and links way down the page are the diy`s
this is a good one .Valve Cover Gasket Replacement Procedure (long) (No 56k!)
I know they are 7 series but it`s essentially the same procedure .

I don`t recall any bolts at the rear of the covers

Running the engine for a time after completing repairs and then changing the oil will be better than an oil change before .

Inspect the cam chain guides and have a look at the valley pan

Special sealer is required at certain points on the new gaskets . the Bentley manual should have that information .
The half round sections on the gasket at the rear of engine require special care and attention to seat properly .

A decent write up is always welcome and may be put in the diy section if the forum moderators happen to read it .

This diy from this forum also shows the gasket replacement along with valley pan and crankcase vent .http://www.xoutpost.com/article/BMW%...n%20Gasket.pdf

I am not around this forum much these days so hopefully other members can help if required .
If I knew when you are tackling the job I could try to watch this thread in case you get stuck with something .
Each gasket can take more than a couple of hours to replace .
Good luck .

Last edited by amacman; 03-10-2012 at 03:00 PM.
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Old 03-10-2012, 03:02 PM
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Had to edit that regarding the oil change
Mistakes happen at 5.30 in the morning whilst having breakfast .

More info .
BMW TIS Online • 5' E53 • X5 4.4i (M62) Offroad
http://bmwtips.com/tipsntricks/valve...valvecover.htm
http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...uccessful.html
http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...tallation.html

Last edited by amacman; 03-10-2012 at 03:14 PM.
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Old 03-10-2012, 04:30 PM
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I just did mine and I did thr wp, tstat, pcv, and valley pan and intake gaskets while at it. Depending on when u did those last might as well do it while u are there. One tip weasel gave was pulling the fuel rail off together with the injector drivers so u didnt have to deal with those little injector clips, it made immensely easier.

Also, passenger side was harder to put in cus its tighter, make sure the gaskets are seated properly before cranking down on the bolts for the vc.
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Old 09-09-2012, 02:11 PM
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Coolant Leaking around Transmission Bell Housing

Alas, it appears that I have a valley pan issue I need to address as well. Would you guys mind being my sounding board? I'll bullet point for thoughts...2001 X5 4.4

Is there anything else I should consider?
  • 190,000 miles...engine stills pulls strong...some lifter chatter occasionally when 1st started.
  • light film on windshield...audible groaning from engine bay when I turn heater temp above 70 degrees or so. Recently noticed a "fog" coming out of the vents when I first turned the fan speed up in the cabin. (heater core <film> & water valve <groaning>)?
  • Coolant leaking through or around transmission bell housing.
The previous owners kept pretty thorough service records as far as I can tell. The car never had a water pump replacement or heater core so I'm thinking I should do basically the entire system.

The valley pan DIY is well written and I'm comfortable (given the right amount of time) in doing that myself.

Cheers, and thanks in advance for your thoughts.
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Old 09-09-2012, 04:36 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dmolish85 View Post
Alas, it appears that I have a valley pan issue I need to address as well. Would you guys mind being my sounding board? I'll bullet point for thoughts...2001 X5 4.4

Is there anything else I should consider?
  • 190,000 miles...engine stills pulls strong...some lifter chatter occasionally when 1st started.
  • light film on windshield...audible groaning from engine bay when I turn heater temp above 70 degrees or so. Recently noticed a "fog" coming out of the vents when I first turned the fan speed up in the cabin. (heater core <film> & water valve <groaning>)?
  • Coolant leaking through or around transmission bell housing.
The previous owners kept pretty thorough service records as far as I can tell. The car never had a water pump replacement or heater core so I'm thinking I should do basically the entire system.

The valley pan DIY is well written and I'm comfortable (given the right amount of time) in doing that myself.

Cheers, and thanks in advance for your thoughts.
That chatter is worrisome. That noise could be an indication of timing chain guides. Can you be more specific to the noise?

The film on the windshield I am not following. Lets say you turn the fan speed to max and set to 90 degrees, you can see a fog develop on the glass?

And yes, if you see the coolant around the bell housing, more than likely you have a bad gasket. If the WP, Thermo, VC gaskets, etc havent been done, then at that mileage, I would do a complete overhaul.

Just my $.02
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Old 09-09-2012, 07:25 PM
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I think the chatter is just little high mileage slop in the engine...until the oil makes its way completely around the engine. It generally will only do it if the car sits for more than 12 hours and then only just at start up before getting quiet. My best description of the sound would be a pushrod wobbling around a bit in its guide.
The film on the windshield gets more noticeable when the inside glass isn't cleaned for a couple of weeks. It doesn't have to have the fan on heat or high to get foggy. I'll get a good workout some mornings and when I get in the car...my bodyheat will make the film fog up. I can take my finger and wipe the film off the glass and there is clearly a difference between clear glass and foggy film (hope that makes sense). But to answer your question...yes, the window will fog when I turn the heat on high (this is when I hear the persisting groan from the engine bay). The window will fog before clearing...but I can still wipe my finger or cloth on the glass and get a clearer view.

Just for clarity...you mean complete overhaul of the cooling system...right?

Funny how these cars are...I always have a project on the horizon...then I run into a real problem

Thank you again...you're $.02 is appreciated...
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Old 09-09-2012, 08:41 PM
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Well, any slop in the motor isn't good. So if that's what that is, or valve tick or whatever, it will progressively get worse.

With the film, If I am picturing it my head right, all cars get that film on the inside. Its just dust and crap that flies out of the vents and then mucks up the glass. The problem is worse if you smoke inside. But of the glass isn't wiped down on the inside, eventually the film builds up

When I mean overhaul, I mean this.

Various Vacuum hoses
OSV
OSV hoses
Intake manifold valve
Valley pan Gasket
Water pipe O-Rings
Water Pump
Water Accumulator Gasket
Rear heater hoses
Expansion Tank
Coolant Hoses
A/C Belt
Accessory Belts
Accessory Belt Tensioner w/ pulley
A/C Belt Tensioner w/ pulley
Power Steering Hoses (If Needed)
Power Steering Tank (I would do it at those miles)
Radiator (I haven't changed mine, but it is a part of the overhaul)
and other various hoses and such.

The project is part of the thrill.
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Old 09-10-2012, 01:27 AM
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Ha! Yep, my 14 year old son gets excited for a little wrenching time with Dad when something on the car breaks down. There was a poster who said they only way to access the leak with the bell housing symptom was to remove the transmission. My son was ecstatic...I was deflated. I was elated to find the valley pan DIY!

Looks like it's time to get parts ordered and schedule a little time off work...

As far as the knock goes...I'm going to try and squeeze another 100k out of the engine before full overhaul.

Thank you for the advice...

Cheers...
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Old 09-10-2012, 06:38 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dmolish85 View Post
Ha! Yep, my 14 year old son gets excited for a little wrenching time with Dad when something on the car breaks down. There was a poster who said they only way to access the leak with the bell housing symptom was to remove the transmission. My son was ecstatic...I was deflated. I was elated to find the valley pan DIY!

Looks like it's time to get parts ordered and schedule a little time off work...

As far as the knock goes...I'm going to try and squeeze another 100k out of the engine before full overhaul.

Thank you for the advice...

Cheers...
Ah, that is great! You are breeding a gearhead! If your son is ecstatic to remove the tranny, he won't be once you find everything that needs to be taken out! lol. I would have been deflated as well. Whoever than member is that said, "The tranny need to be removed to do the VPG." I feel sorry for that guy because after he did all that, he will realize that he can't access the VPG is he just removes the tranny. All the work is up top on the motor. If you are neat and methodical, the VPG work isn't bad.
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