Valley pan gasket failure pictures

garrett.fell · #1 03-11-2014, 09:31 AM

Making some real good progress on the X-now. I've got both valve covers and front timing covers done now. The valley pan has been replaced too!

The gasket was very-flat and had separated from the pan itself in one spot. 4 bolts were very rusty I presume due to coolant, and there was some minor corrosion on the sealing surface of the block.

It's no wonder it was leaking.

I feel lucky I didn't bust one or two of those rusted bolts off - that would have started a shit-storm of epic proportions!

In the home stretch now I think. It'll be so great to not have this thing pissing oil and coolant everywhere!!!

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garrett.fell · #2 03-11-2014, 09:45 AM

Here she is!!

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Doru · #3 03-11-2014, 10:34 AM

How did the coolant pipe look? Do you change that one too (with the expandable one)?

When doing this job, any heads up? reason I'm asking, I need to do this as well (maybe). When the temps started to fall (early winter), I noticed the coolant started to go AWOL, and I had to top every now and then. Didn't see any visible leaks, but I didn't go under the car either to check - too cold to tinker around. But now that it warms up, I will have to start gathering the parts...

garrett.fell · #4 03-11-2014, 10:55 AM

I opted to not replace the coolant pipe at this time. It looked pretty good with no noticeable corrosion anywhere on it. Before I put the intake on - ill pressure test the system to make sure. I am replacing most of coolant hoses.

Tips? I made lots of use of a small 1/4 ratchet with and without extensions to manage the valve cover and front timing cover
bolts. It took me a while to figure out that's the way to go.

The spark plug tube seals can be a real whore. The passengers side went smoothly, but the drivers side was very very difficult. Save your old rubber doughnuts and cut them down a little. This will help cinch the cover into position. So you can install the full-height new doughnuts later. I used a small rubber mallet and the rubberized handle of another hammer to place on the valve cover to "tap" and coax the VC into position while I slowly cinched them down..

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garrett.fell · #5 03-11-2014, 10:56 AM

coolant pipe

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Doru · #6 03-11-2014, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by garrett.fell

I opted to not replace the coolant pipe at this time. It looked pretty good with no noticeable corrosion anywhere on it. Before I put the intake on - ill pressure test the system to make sure. I am replacing most of coolant hoses.

Tips? I made lots of use of a small 1/4 ratchet with and without extensions to manage the valve cover and front timing cover
bolts. It took me a while to figure out that's the way to go.

The spark plug tube seals can be a real whore. The passengers side went smoothly, but the drivers side was very very difficult. Save your old rubber doughnuts and cut them down a little. This will help cinch the cover into position. So you can install the full-height new doughnuts later. I used a small rubber mallet and the rubberized handle of another hammer to place on the valve cover to "tap" and coax the VC into position while I slowly cinched them down..

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Thank you Sir.
The rubber doughnuts are part #12 in the pic below? Don't forget to initialize the valvetronics. If you don't have GT1/INPA, once the job is done, key in POS II (don't turn on the engine) and let it there for 90-120 sec. The VVT will re-initialize.

kesslerbmw · #7 03-11-2014, 01:59 PM

Glad you didn't break those bolts too! I did my E34 540 a few years ago at about 200k miles and I don't think it had ever been done. I spent almost a whole day messing with two of the bolts that broke off. Was glad to get them out using a mig welder to weld on nuts while heating the bolt. Was lucky to get it out without tearing up the block.

garrett.fell · #8 03-11-2014, 02:06 PM

Different rubber doughnut. The ones that hold the VC on! #12 in that pic is the spark plug tube.

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Rockit · #9 03-11-2014, 02:43 PM

Please do yourself a favor, replace the O-rings on that tube...it will leak at some point. Remember the pressure could not build to it's operating pressure because of the leak. When you seal the system the next weakest link will rupture.

While you have the intake out replace the EGR valve..BMW called it intake plate or something...it will fail too. Easy to change now. Just did both of them on mine when I replaced the valley pan gasket...dealer told me to buy the parts because of how many they go through.

garrett.fell · #10 03-11-2014, 02:43 PM

I've seen sweating the valvetronic initialization thing. Why? I don't know.....

I've heard of GT1 before, but don't know what INPA is.

I did order one of those BMW Scanner 1.4 gizmos off eBay. Will that allow some of the same
diagnostic routines?

http://bit.ly/1cYY0zt

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