I also like my M62tub44 :) It makes really nice useable power. And that WOT V8 sound is music to my ears.

I had my big U-guide fail at 105k miles. I invested in the schwaben timing tool set and did the work myself. I also put on a new oil pick up tube because there were so many pieces of plastic in the pick up tube strainer that I didn't want to chance anything slowing the flow of oil to the pump. Guide failure is not the end all of the motor. Doing the work wasn't that bad. The job was big but not as big as the ZF5HP24 rebuild. I'd still buy the M62tub44 again. :)

Since the guides are "plastic" I think that heat and age play a bigger factor on life of the guides rather than mileage. Slack chain will wreak havoc on the guides too.

It's definitely time + heat and prob every m62tu made by now has brittle or replaced (or possibly brittle and replaced) guides by now.

I am confident that brittle can last 100,000 or more miles as long as you have enough oil pressure and a young enough OEM tensioner and are careful to listen for the slack chain at start to never drive with a slack chain.

Lots of good info here, I appreciate that. I do change my oil every 5,000 miles, regardless. I will look into renewing the tensioner.

Welcome!

The trick is the exact size socket/extension.

3/4(19mm) socket but none of my short socket reach over the body off the tensioner and my deep sockets hit the AC compressor.

The last one I helped with the guy bought a medium depth socket worked perfectly but I use my through hole socket set with adapter it fits like a custom BMW tool.

Crescent 20 Pc. 3/8" Drive Pass-Thru X6 Standard Spline Mechanics Tool Set - CX6PT20 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009L8GEPM...0RC5NNR4?psc=1

The exact set I have but I also bought the 3" extension which is needed for this job.

Agreed. It's a bit of a trick to get the tooling just right for this. As is everything for working on a BMW. special tool this... special tool that...homemade tool here... homemade tool there...

You noticed. About every other job I look up in the repair manual has a 5-6 digit part number for a special tool.

" Use Special part 10-423-23"

Six digits should be a clue how damn many special parts BMW has for working on these things.

The though ratchet with extension fit absolutely perfect. It also was the only way to get to the bolt on the back of the power steering pump on m62

You are referring to a 3" pass-through extension?

Yes correct. It's narrower than the socket so it doesn't interfere with the ac compressor

I don't recall ever purchasing a BMW special tool. I always assumed those were for BMW techs so they can get the job done within the allotted labor hours rather than have them go to a BMW forum where they would find a faster and better way to do the job.

My Dad was a tool designer for GM for over 25 years. The final assembly line had a pace to maintain. When it took too long to get something done they designed a special tool for the job. My bet is that most of the time they were auto designer errors. In those days they made major changes in the vehicles every year.