Beware the timing case gasket stub
 

There's a big omission from the BMW TIS system regarding sealing the valve covers. My Snap-On man is a former BMW Master Mechanic whom I consulted before doing the valve stem seals job on my buddy Dave's X5. When getting ready to replace the valve covers I noticed a relatively big bump of timing case gasket extruded up at the front top and bottom of the head. I measured it with a feeler gauge; the ridge of rubber sat off the head's sealing surface by 66 thousandths (about 1/16"). I asked Mr. Snap-On about this - he told me I must trim the protruding gasket flush with the sealing surface, suggesting a lubricated single-edge razor blade so the gasket wouldn't tear.

No way the valve cover gasket would have sealed with a wisp of RTV silicone and that big ridge. See attached photo.

The valve cover I removed was leaking, even though the dealer had changed the valve cover gasket only last November, 2017.

I have the AGA valve seal repair tool kit for N62 engine if interested, its a must have for this repair. Mine is used but in great shape, link below is what the kit looks like, PM me if interested.
https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...AaAjw4EALw_wcB

Reminder that many smoking problems are just CCV
 

Jus a reminder that many smoking problems are oil suck from a broken CCV membrane and NOT the dreaded valve stem seal.

Always check the easy and cheap CCV system before diving into the expensive valve stem seal repair.

A thread on it:


https://xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-forums/...lem-fixed.html

If you have a continues smoke , better check your CCV's!
You should have 2 of them, left and right sides.
http://i65.tinypic.com/28jri8.jpg
If like this is not good:
http://i66.tinypic.com/2vwts79.jpg
Get new, Amazon is cheap for 2 of them or get them original but pay 5,6 times more $.

For me i failed emission test at 5 minutes idle, and my CCV where replaced 4,5 months back, so i kind knew that my valve stem seals are gone, and i did replace them all the valve stem seals and passed smog/emission with no problems.

Found a rival of the AGA valve stem seals tool and it sells for only $350!
German Speciality tools BMN62VSST
https://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-Valve-S...e/163358707098

It works great and gets the work done though not as well as the AGA tool, but the AGA tool is bloody ridiculously expensive. It's not worth it for the DIY in my opinion when the GST tool serves exactly the same purpose- changing the valve stem seals without removing the head. I think instead of renting the AGA tool it's better to just buy the GST tool and take your time doing the valve stem seals (most rental fee is about $200-300 per week or two). An endoscope is a must have for the difficult to see areas. It makes a significant difference I have to say. They're cheap - a good one goes for around $25.

If you notice in the picture (the green cord), I'm using the bungee cord technique- no air compressor! I'm at peace with my neighbors and my wife as I quietly work late evenings.:thumbup:

Wait. What is the bungee chord technique?

Air pressure is used to keep the valves up preventing them from dropping into the cylinder when changing the valve stem seals. Well, many DIY folks don't have an air-compressor or have a sissy one (like myself), mainly because of home situations - space and noise restrictions. Further, valve stem seals job for the DIY'er comes with particular pressure to rush through the job for fear of losing air or power while carrying out the procedure and therefore resulting in dropping of the valve stem into the cylinder - a night-mare that can take aggravating days to retrieve.

So some creative mechanics came up with this bungee cord trick. It's a very old trick actually - your grandpa or your old uncle may know about it:bustingup. You feed the bungee cord into the cylinder you're working on (through the spark plug hole), turn the crankshaft by hand to raise the piston up, compressing the bungee cord against the top of the cylinder. This keeps the valves held up so you can remove the keepers for seal replacement. The combustion chamber will be filled with bungee cord, as opposed to air pressure and its attendant risks (leaks, loose of power, faulty compressor, upset neighbors and family, etc. :D) In this way bungee cord offers reassurance that the valve won’t drop – the valves are fully supported with no chance to drop down. As a DIY'er, you can take your time to do this project and stopping half way through a task, working on weekends or after your day job:thumbup:

Nice price for the tool set. The bungee chord i was reading somewhere that it has to be about 4 feet in and @x5only, i see you have the cams still in? or u taken them out?
Replaced my valve stem seals about 2-3 weeks ago, but was done by a shop and they removed the cams and also timing. Had warranty on my engine so insurance paid for the job, other wise i had to do it if had no insurance.

Yeah, you don't need much - I put in about 3 feet and it does its purpose perfectly. Most bungee cords are about 4.5 feet standard length. It takes 2-3 minutes to push it into the cylinder you're working on. Of course the cams are still in and no messing around with timing and such - that's the genius of these tools:thumbup: The procedure is well explained in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_z0PmoRmT4 and the AGA tool video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YacOx2ydMbI

By the way, which insurance company are you using?

Wow. That’s a good technique. I have a decent compressor, but I still have fear that the valve stem would drop in, or the cylinder turn over. This is way smarter. When my time comes around to do this, I will use the bungee technique.