Valve Cover TIS Question
 

I was wanting to change valve cover gaskets on my 2001 4.4. The passenger side was relatively easy because you can actually change it without removing the ignition coil box that connects to the fuel injectors. However, the driver's side appears to be a different story. The TIS doesn't outline about how to gain any slack from the positive battery lead and suggests that it just lays under the ignition coil box. From what I see it runs deep into the bowels of the intake manifiold area. Are there any special instructions for removal of the battery lead to get it out of the way? The TIS also doesn't mention any special instructions about moving the ignition coil box out of the way. It just shows in the picture that it's gone. I read somewhere on the web that there are special clips which hold the box to the injector. Is that really the case, if so the TIS doesn't mention it. Anyone have any advice before I dive into the driver's side?

Thanks.

anyone come up with an answer for this?
I have the same question. There is NO slack in the cable, and no obvious way to get it moved.

Nope... I finally found an indy to change it for me since nobody replied and the TIS manual doesn't outline what to do. I just didn't want the fuss. The older I get the less patience I have.

Good luck.

anybody change their valve cover gaskets in their X5 diesel models ?

OK, I got my driver's side cover off.
There is enough slack in the big cable to get it pulled up over the timing gear hump and down to the front out of the way.
Have to pull rather hard on the intake manifold side. The cable snakes down under the manifold, a good steady tug will get it to move. Once the required slack is gained, I pulled the cable up and towards the front and tucked it down out of the way below the level of the valve cover (aka cam cover, aka timing chain cover).

see my post regarding it http://www.xoutpost.com/x5-e53-forum/...lve-cover.html

So what's the trick to disconnecting the electrical thingy that the coil leads attach to? (attached to the fuel rail) I read somewhere they have some clip mechanism but boy it sure seemed like it was hidden and tricky to get at with high risk of loosing the clip, etc...

Did you just pull the entire fuel rail to get clearance for the valve covers to come out?

I still want to know although, I paid my indy to change mine. I just hate not knowing how it's done.

yes. there are metal clips for each injector. you need to use something like dental pick to unclip those metal clips first. they're not that easy to drop to somewhere that you couldn't pick up though. But I think you can always get the replacement from dealer's parts dept. dunno the parts number for that though.

I found it easier to unclip the box from the injector connectors from inside the box. On each injector connector, there is a little tab that is attached to the box that is holding the box to the injector connector. Using a small screwdriver, I pried each tab out of the way (two tabs per connector, total of eight) which disconnected the box from the injector connectors. This seems to be a lot easier than trying to reach underneath the box and pulling the little clips off.
Then when you are done, the box just snaps back into place.

Well, what the heck, I never saw this post when I did my searches.

I updated this post with what I found, which is that I was able to just pull on the cable to get enough slack. :D