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    Question about M30 and valves...

    Well, these past few days I went ahead and adjusted my valves in my dad's 1990 535i (M30). I also put in some new Bosch Supers, new air filter, and valve cover gasket.

    I adjusted all valves to .30 mm - learning from my previous experience, I knew exactly what to do. After the adjustment, I would try the one above and below the actual adjustment (.28 mm and .33 mm) to see how they'd fit. Everything went smoothly, I'd use the starter to turn the engine over (no spark plugs) and marked off each cylinder as I adjusted while both valves for that cylinder were closed. I have it down.

    Figuring I had all the valves right on, I didn't go thru them again to check, and put everything back togther - pefectly. Everything is perfect, I know it.

    However, we not have a ticking that is amazingly loud - a lot louder than the M20 Eta in our red car.

    What are my plans now? I'm going to be taking everything apart again - probably thursday. I'll be cehcking all the valve clearances one more time, and putting everything back together checking everything as I go.

    However, since I'm almost 100% sure my work has been done to the point where only human error comes into play - we think it may be caused because our valve adjustment was so overdue.

    The last "recorded" valve adjustment was in 2000 at 107,000 miles. The car now has over 175,000 miles. Now, if this car really went that long, wouldn't there have been some huge problems by now?

    He thinks the valve adjustment may have been done sometime in between thsi period, but we really do not know for sure.

    With all that information, is it possible that - since my valve adjustments, I am almost complete positive, are right on - that there may have been some permanent damage done to the internals of the head? What are some things I should check when I remove stuff Thursday?

    Also, as a side note - I remember one valve being so tight it didn't move at all - I couldn't fit even the smallest feeler gauge in between the rocker arm and the valve.



    The valve cover, and head were insanlely clean though - he's been runnin Mobil 1 for 70,000 miles.

    Input would be great. I know this isn't an E30, but these engines are so similar to the M20 that I figured its applicable, ya know? ;)


    Thanks in advance! ;)

    BTW: The car will remain parked until we figure out the problem.
    - Sean Hayes

    #2
    I did the same exact thing on my 318 (m10) and had the same results. Ends up i had a couple of valves too loose. This time around I was more patient and double checked everything. Now its working smoothly with no problems or loud ticking since.

    Chances are you just have a valve/s set too loose.

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      #3
      Yeah, I'm hoping my double checking Thursday will find this. If it doesn't though - what else could be wrong?

      If valves are overdue that bad, what kind of damage can they do?
      - Sean Hayes

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        #4
        Did you confirm that valve spec? as I don't think it will be the same as the m20 or even the older m30's. When I did the m20 I got them all adjsuted then Cranked the engine by hand a couple times then rechecked the gap, one or two where a little loose after so I thightened them back up.
        85 325e 2.7 ITB'd stroker

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          #5
          Yeah, it's .30 - I've checked and double checked the clearance I was using.

          I'll be going thru all the valves again thursday, hopefully some are off, - then it's hopefully an easy fix.

          Quick question - I'm going to look and see if there's some camshaft wear on the lobes. If there is - would my valve adjustments be a bit different?
          - Sean Hayes

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            #6
            Just an update here.

            I got them readjusted - I can get everything taken apart and put back together really fast now, wow.

            Anyway, I went thru all of them once more, some were fine, others were quite a bit off. As I went thru to double check them all, the clearances changed?! It made NO sense at all.

            The clearances should remain the same, shouldn't they? I know the lobes were pointing down (the valves were closed) whenever I checked them. As a test, I turned the #1 crlinder over a few times, checking it after each rotation, and sometimes the feeler guage fit, and at other times it didn't.

            Is this a sign of camshaft wear, or what? I couldn't make any sense of it.

            Whatever it was though, I just decided to put everything back together after that. Luckily, it does run quieter and smoother now, so maybe I just got lucky? The ticking we hear now are the injectors I believe, and just a tad from the valves.

            If anyone has any ideas let me know... If it doesn't make sense, let me know, I cna try to explain it better.
            - Sean Hayes

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