iddle issues after valve adjustment

[rodrigo]

Car has 127000 miles on the original motor. It is a '89 325i. Since I have owned it it always had a 'clacking' sound and I have no records for this car, so I decided to adjust the valves.

The Bentley Manual calls for 0.25mm on the gap from the rocker arm to the top of the spring retainer for the valve. I went one by one...cranking the motor from the crankshaft, seeing the lobes pointing down, and adjusted the gap to 0.25mm. Does the valve adjusting sequence have to be followed, or can you do any one as long as the cam lobes are pointing down? My sequence was 1-4-6-3-2-5...Bentley call for 1-5-3-6-2-4...would tha make a difference??

I loosened the 10mm, inserted an allen key to rotate the eccentric with the feeler gauge in there, and tightened the 10mm. The gauge was wiggled out after the adjustment.

Once done, Iput everything back with a new head cover gasket. All the bolts tightened in the right sequence, and torque. Put the tube back and the intake bracket.

Started the car and it iddled ok...turned the car off...started again and it was smoother. Now the car iddles without clacking but it is not smooth...Why is that? (thats the question)

I noticed a small fuel leak on a hose that goes to what looks ike a pressure reguator for the 5th injector (3 bolted flange with a hose coming off of it). Hose was split. I cut the hose back, re-inseted, no leak.


Why would the car be iddling irregularly. It did not do that before, or nor nearly as dramatically. Its iddle used to dip a little once in a while when just iddling, but not too bad at all...barely noticeable.

Any suggestions?

[Hallen]

Clean the ICV. Check all the vacuum lines. Make sure something didn't get knocked off when doing the work.

My guess is the stumble was there before, but you didn't notice it as much because of the clacking of the valves.

[rodrigo]

ok...I'll check for vaccuum leaks, but you can feel the car trembling ever so slightly now, where as before you didn't....or maybe im just nervous that I didn't do something correctly.

Is the feeler gauge supposed to be wiggled out or should it be able to pass through the gap?? there are a few scratched on the feeler gauge from me pulling it out of that gap....

[rodrigo]

upon furhter investigation, I found a short piece of hose that has a tear/split on one of the ends that is slipped onto a metal tube...this is the valve with a little arrow on it that comes off a large hose going to the intake manifold.

I'll replace the hose and see if the rough iddle goes away. When driving the car it feels fine...it only seems to act up with the iddle switch is clicked on the throttlebody when in the rest position.

[E30_fiend]

well as far as the valves go, was the engine ice cold or was it warm??

When I adjust mine, I use the .0010 feller gauge with the engine ice cold. Like it has been sitting all night then I tackle the job. I dont use the metric feeler gauge so I dont know what the metric measurement was. I Like my valves to be very tight.


and also about the idling problem, the hose you described could definitely be the problem.




Taylor

[rodrigo]

well as far as the valves go, was the engine ice cold or was it warm??

When I adjust mine, I use the .0010 feller gauge with the engine ice cold. Like it has been sitting all night then I tackle the job. I dont use the metric feeler gauge so I dont know what the metric measurement was. I Like my valves to be very tight.
and also about the idling problem, the hose you described could definitely be the problem.
Taylor

I would say the motor was cold.

I got home at around 11:00pm Friday and went to adjust the valves at around 1:00pm Saturday (today) afternoon. It is summer...about 75-80 during the day and 65 at night. The engine felt 'cold'.

I used the Bentley specification for the valve clearance when the engine is under 95F (35C): 0.25mm=.0098" (or 0.010")

I'm not going to drive the car anymore until I get that hose replaced...I'll have to order it from the dealer unless my local Euro-Parts guy has one in stck or available for next day. The dealer here always takes 3-4 days for anything special order (anything E30! LOL).

[E30_fiend]

well it sounds like you went the right way.


And that sucks about the ordering process at your local dealer


Good Luck




Taylor

[rodrigo]

well it sounds like you went the right way.
And that sucks about the ordering process at your local dealer
Good Luck
Taylor

Well...I'll just have to be patient with waiting for the hose.

Yeah...the dealer's only drawback is the time issue...other than that they are more than helpfull.

I'll post results.

[bimmerboy12]

Well...I'll just have to be patient with waiting for the hose.

Yeah...the dealer's only drawback is the time issue...other than that they are more than helpfull.

I'll post results.

Why don't you just get those parts from Bavarian? Way cheaper and faster, and they have almost anything.

[rodrigo]

Ok...now when I removed the hose to be replaced (lower part of picture) I also noticed this aluminum 90 degree elbow that looks like it is press-fitted into the intank manifoldin line with the hose I am replacing. THis thing is supposed to he a sealed fit, but when I put it in place you can kind of rotate it around...any suggestions? its on the top of the picture. how do I intstall that thing and have a seal so I don't have vaccuum loss??

Why don't you just get those parts from Bavarian? Way cheaper and faster, and they have almost anything.

I dunno...i pass the dealers all the time (BMW, Volvo, MB, AUDI, Land Rover, Mitsu, VW, SAAB)...Long Island's weird like that: 1/2 mile of road and 12 dealerships. The stuff should be here Thursday.

[E30_fiend]

The rotation is ok. The tapering on the idle control valve creates enough seal for that particular vacuum line. There isn't enough pressure in the vacuum system to create a leak there.

To further reassure you, mine does the same thing and I have no idling problems.

Just press the ICV into that aluminum elbow and the other end of the ICV into the intake boot.


Good luck






Taylor

[kamotors]

Ok...now when I removed the hose to be replaced (lower part of picture) I also noticed this aluminum 90 degree elbow that looks like it is press-fitted into the intank manifoldin line with the hose I am replacing. THis thing is supposed to he a sealed fit, but when I put it in place you can kind of rotate it around...any suggestions? its on the top of the picture. how do I intstall that thing and have a seal so I don't have vaccuum loss??

if you want a tighter fit there you could always wrap it in thread tape or something then install it.

[rodrigo]

The rotation is ok. The tapering on the idle control valve creates enough seal for that particular vacuum line. There isn't enough pressure in the vacuum system to create a leak there.
To further reassure you, mine does the same thing and I have no idling problems.
Just press the ICV into that aluminum elbow and the other end of the ICV into the intake boot.
Good luck
Taylor

thats good news...i figured if it rotates its not air tight and may contribute to ill-tempered iddling. i should have the hose in soon...its a waiting game now.

thanks for you help.

[mact]

well it sounds like you went the right way.

And that sucks about the ordering process at your local dealer
aylor

You should be able to patch the hose temporarily. electrical tape, radiator hose repair tape, and several others come to mind that will quickly and adequately fix vacuum hose leaks. suggested only as a patch, replace as soon as you can.

most of these hoses are available from local NAPA stores (and probably other local auto parts stores as well)...just have the "official" name for the hose.

for the idle control valve, which sits on my 84 325e over the valve cover with a couple hoses in and one out to the intake, remove it and use a spray cleaner to clean inside it. shake it out. refit. solved several idle speed problems for me.

FWIW

[rodrigo]

ok...new hose in place and still iddles like a Chevelle....

:(