DIY: Vanos Removal and Installation

[m3f_ANT'S M3]

hey hansel LOL, great write up man u got some balls. I was scared when I did mine on my s50 a couple years back. Alldata ftw

[m3f_M3cosmos95]

Great write up, how long did it take you? How much did you save by diy?

thanks!


well i've done it several times, so I've kinda got the hang of doing it. The last time i did it it took about an hour to get everything off...and about and hour and a half to get it back on (due to me doing it alone!). Expect this to take 4-5 hours for your first time, make sure your doing it right! Don't rush through it, you'll break/forget something!


probably save a few hundred bucks...the last time i saw someone get their vanos replaced, the shop charged them for 4 hours of work...at 100+ bucks an hour!

[m3f_M3cosmos95]

hey hansel LOL, great write up man u got some balls. I was scared when I did mine on my s50 a couple years back. Alldata ftw

lol yea big brass ones...the first time i took mine off i was rebuilding my motor! so the vanos was the least of my worries!

[m3f_egebhardt]

Is there going to be a Re-Installation?

I read it all and didn't see it.

[m3f_zoti]

Drvanos.com has full install instructions online.

[m3f_egebhardt]

Drvanos.com has full install instructions online.

I've read the PelicanParts, BeisanSystems and Dr.Vanos Instructions. They all differ slightly. I'd like to know how this guy did it so I can compare. Timing makes a difference.

[m3f_Rhyzz]

Tell you what, sod the VANOS, I was prepared to pay a friend who owns a garage to swap my cams for me...i'll do it myself now



A* and a cookie for you

[m3f_M3cosmos95]

sorry guys it has been a rough couple of months and this got put on the back burner for me. Anyways why would you need to re time the cam shafts if your swapping the vanos?



anyways just got to pelican parts if you need to time the cam shafts because that's what i used to time mine.

[m3f_zoti]

you need to re-time the cam shafts because the car has variable intake cam timing controlled by the vanos. It has an initial setting between the crank, exhaust and intake timing which needs to be set with the BMW tools. Once you remove the Vanos you mess that timing up so when you install you need to make sure everything is in TDC position.

[m3f_M3cosmos95]

That is why you lock everything in place before you take it off... With the tools I listed. To install the vanos you crank the sprockets over as far as you can, I suppose you could call that timing.

[m3f_egebhardt]

Anyways why would you need to re time the cam shafts if your swapping the vanos?



anyways just got to pelican parts if you need to time the cam shafts because that's what i used to time mine.

First, I'm replacing the secondary chain and secondary tensioner and both the exhaust and intake cam gears. The Dr.Vanos StageII kit involves replacing both cam gears.



Second, PelicanParts uses the timing pin tool to 1.2Nm in place of the primary tensioner, when setting the timing. Raj at BeisanSystems and Chris at Dr.Vanos do not use the timing pin tool in place of the primary tensioner.

Did you use the timing pin tool?

[m3f_OahuMPower]

great start Ansel....

[m3f_M3cosmos95]

great start Ansel....

lol yea...now like 6 months later i might actually get around to finishing this

[m3f_M3cosmos95]

First, I'm replacing the secondary chain and secondary tensioner and both the exhaust and intake cam gears. The Dr.Vanos StageII kit involves replacing both cam gears.



Second, PelicanParts uses the timing pin tool to 1.2Nm in place of the primary tensioner, when setting the timing. Raj at BeisanSystems and Chris at Dr.Vanos do not use the timing pin tool in place of the primary tensioner.

Did you use the timing pin tool?

I have done it with and without the timing pin tool, the results were the same for me. I would say that if the dr. vanos kit you are getting say not to use it, go with that. Timing the gears isn't hard at all, pelican parts has a few pics but i used the ones in my Bentley book to get it exactly right. The first time i did this i used several different diy guides and found what worked right.

[m3f_OahuMPower]

im debating doing the Dr Vanos Stg II and all the tensioners, seals, etc, etc in there this summer ...