valve adjustment

[NC325iC]

hey guys, i was plannin on doin a valve adjustment sometime soone, wondering whats the best procedure for doin this, and also wondering if i need a new valve cover gasket everytime i take it off, should i wait until i change the oil to do this or can i do it whenever.
oh and is it better to do it hot or cold?
Thanks alot guys

[Kip]

Bentley!!!

Procedure is outlined in Bentley manual, and covered here. Use "search" function!!!

Set valves with engine cold, as in sat overnite.

Remove spark plugs.

I found it easiest to place front or car on jackstands, turn crank bolt with large crescent wrench for TDC.

If this is first time in a while, replace valve cover gasket ( PN 11121730229), check tightness on oil rod that runs across head (Below #3), and replace the seals on ends of rockershafts. (#13, BMW PN 11331264519, 4 needed.) I have reused rubber gaskets with no leaks, but that is iffy.

To adjust the valves, there's a 10mm nut on the side of the rocker arm you have to loosen, which frees up an eccentric. Rotate the eccentric w/a small allen key or stiff piece of wire until you reach specified clearance between the tip of the rocker and the end of the valve stem.

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, DO NOT DROP YOUR ADJUSTER DOWN ONE OF THE OIL GALLEYS. THIS WILL SUCK!!! TRUST ME!!(thanks you BMW for aluminum oil pans, and thanks to God for the big ass magnet that I used to pull my adjuster out of oil drain hole with)

[NC325iC]

damnit did a noob just tell me to search
just kiddin man, ive got the bently and ive read the procedure, but did not get the answers to the specific questions i asked in my first thread and i also wanted to get different opinions on what to do, this engine only has about 13k miles on it which was about when it was done last and theyr gettin noisy again so i thought id adjust them sometime soon

[Intense]

^^^What he said.....I just did this last weekend. A couple suggestions from my experience.

- BMW has a 'remote control' engine cranker (It's the best way I can describe it). It's got a blue handle connected to a black piece that plugs into your diagnostic port. This thing was uber-handy for turning the engine over without having to use a wrench. Just press the button on the top of the remote and the engine turns over. I borrowed one from the local BMW shop, not the stealership.

-Get the bent feeler gauges. The space in the head is really damn tight. Getting feeler gauges in there is a real chore. I wish I had bought the ones that are pre-bent.

Good luck....if you still haven't done this by the weeeknd of the 15th, I'll be in -town doing an install on Saturday. I could come by on Sunday and help out.

mike

[Kip]

Smackdown...not

Sorry, did not see your status as oldster. j/k

Seriously, I changed my oil right after due to two things.

1 - chunks of engine crud fell down into oil galleys. Looks like an old BBQ in my engine, prev owner must have used Pennzoil.

2 - Had to, as I was under car with aforementioned big ass magnet pulling my dropped adjustment tool over towards drain hole.

Main diag conector has two pins that a homemade jumper and switch can use to bump engine. I believe jumping pins 11 and 14 of the diagnostic connector will crank the engine with the ignition on or off. Verify before doing this, hate to have a n00b cost you a DME or burn down your house.

We have a bad enough reputation already...

Good luck.

[AdironRider]

Feeler guages at millimeters thick. Are you to much of a waffleswaffleswaffleswaffleswaffles to bend them yourself then bend them back?

[Intense]

Feeler guages at millimeters thick. Are you to much of a waffleswaffleswaffleswaffleswaffles to bend them yourself then bend them back?

No, I'm not. I did mine. I was just suggesting something that might make the job a little easier. You can't argue that the space in the head is a little tight. While I was adjusting the valve, I started to think that it would have been nice to have the pre-bent gauges.

Just trying to help out and give suggestions. Isn't that what these boards are for? Or am I mistaken that everyone here is fully competant and a god of their garage.......

[etxxz]

This is what i used to do the valve adjustment. pic-by-pic, step-by-step.

http://www.pelicanparts.com/BMW/techarticles/E30-Valve_Adjust/E30-Valve_Adjust.htm

if you want to do an oil change just before the adjustment, get some of that hardcore valve cleaner oil additives (ie. Valve Medic), pour two bottles and run the engine for about 10-15min then do the oil/filter change and adjust the valves.

tip i found helpfull. dont loosen the eccentric too much, better to have some drag so after you're finished adjusting it, you wont have trouble tightening the eccentric and keeping it as you had it.