Helpful Valve Adjustment tips?

[Cubieman]

I will be doing a valve adjustment for the first time and wondered if anyone with more experience might have any tips/tricks that they have found to be helpful.
A few questions:
- Is it advisable to replace the VC bolts or is re-using them alright?
- Most of the information (including TIS) I have read suggests using Drei Bond just in the transition space where it goes from a flat surface to the "half moon" shaped areas while the FCP Euro DIY suggests using Red RTV on basically the whole surface except the intake side, any thoughts?
- Any tips on keeping track of the math? I received a nice spreadsheet from a member on here and will likely be using it, but just wondering what others have done.
Thanks, it seems every new job I encounter gets my nerves up just a bit.

[eacmen]

Yes you can re-use vc bolts Need new gaskets tho.

Toyota FIPG just on the gap between vanos and head. Only use Genuine bmw valve cover gasket.

Write down the mesurements and be methodical. You may need many of the same shim sizes.

Pretty easy job. Cover the oil galleys and take your time.


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[heinzboehmer]

Don't drop a shim. Also cover everything so that if you do drop one, it doesn't fall into the oil galleys.

Also, I usually measure the shims I take out and the ones I'm going to put in. Easier to do the math and put a shim in that'll leave the valves in spec instead of going for trial and error with different shim sizes and the feeler gauge.

[Cubieman]

I have the Genuine VCG and some Drei Bond to use as sealant, I'll pick up some of that Toyota FIPG as well. I have two Wiseco boxes, hopefully that will do it and if not maybe I could pick up the shims required from my local dealership.

[eacmen]

I have the Genuine VCG and some Drei Bond to use as sealant, I'll pick up some of that Toyota FIPG as well. I have two Wiseco boxes, hopefully that will do it and if not maybe I could pick up the shims required from my local dealership.

two wiseco kits should be sufficient.

The Toyota FIPG is magic, i'm sure drei bond would work just as well.

You only want a small thin layer where the vanos "ears" and head meet you basically want to cover the crack between the two.


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[bigjae46]

Don't drop a shim.

Yes. Just think it would be like dropping the soap in prison.

Especially for cyl 6...it’s a bitch to find.


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[eacmen]

Yes. Just think it would be like dropping the soap in prison.

Especially for cyl 6...it’s a bitch to find.


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Make sure you have a strong pickup magnet for when one falls out of the bucket and you need to find it.


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[jbfrancis3]

Make sure you have a strong pickup magnet for when one falls out of the bucket and you need to find it.


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Agree. If the head of the pickup is too large to fit into a crevice, you can take a long, slim screwdriver and magnetize the end. Take your strong magnet, stick it to the middle of the screwdriver, and drag it along and off the end of the screwdriver. Repeat a few times and the screwdriver (or whatever your choose to use) is magnetized.

[Titaniu//M]

If you pop the valve cover off and there is a lot of sludge/crud, some of the rocker arms might be stuck in place, especially if the car has no recorded history of a valve adjustment. Mine was like this and it took me 3 days to do a valve adjustment. In this case, you might need some sort of solvent (I used B12 chemtool) to dissolve some of the crud around the rocker arm to free it. A big flathead screwdriver (biggest one you can find) and 10W-60 oil will help get things moving too.

[eacmen]

If you pop the valve cover off and there is a lot of sludge/crud, some of the rocker arms might be stuck in place, especially if the car has no recorded history of a valve adjustment. Mine was like this and it took me 3 days to do a valve adjustment. In this case, you might need some sort of solvent (I used B12 chemtool) to dissolve some of the crud around the rocker arm to free it. A big flathead screwdriver (biggest one you can find) and 10W-60 oil will help get things moving too.

Second this. But I would recommend doing what you can to avoid any solvents getting into the oil galleys. Then do an oil change soon after the valve job.


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[Titaniu//M]

Second this. But I would recommend doing what you can to avoid any solvents getting into the oil galleys. Then do an oil change soon after the valve job.


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This is good advice. I didn't pour the solvent directly into the engine, but rather used a combination of old toothbrushes, scraps of kitchen sponges and q-tips to apply to solvent to where the rocker arm mates to the rocker arm shaft.

[Cubieman]

If you pop the valve cover off and there is a lot of sludge/crud, some of the rocker arms might be stuck in place, especially if the car has no recorded history of a valve adjustment. Mine was like this and it took me 3 days to do a valve adjustment. In this case, you might need some sort of solvent (I used B12 chemtool) to dissolve some of the crud around the rocker arm to free it. A big flathead screwdriver (biggest one you can find) and 10W-60 oil will help get things moving too.

Good to know as the service history is lacking in some respects. On a somewhat unrelated note I was collecting all of the necessary parts for a VANOS lockdown but a phone call with one of the previous owners had revealed that Beisan parts (incl. pump disc) have installed already, maybe..
While I'm in there is there any way for me to easily confirm this on any of the visible parts? I see that the Beisan disc's have a "BS" on them, I figured I'd be searching for that. But at the end of the day without service records I can trust the job isn't done to me.

[Titaniu//M]

Good to know as the service history is lacking in some respects. On a somewhat unrelated note I was collecting all of the necessary parts for a VANOS lockdown but a phone call with one of the previous owners had revealed that Beisan parts (incl. pump disc) have installed already, maybe..
While I'm in there is there any way for me to easily confirm this on any of the visible parts? I see that the Beisan disc's have a "BS" on them, I figured I'd be searching for that. But at the end of the day without service records I can trust the job isn't done to me.

Older (pre-2020) Beisan oil pump disks are redrilled stock discs, so they will have 4 holes. Also look at the VANOS solenoid for epoxy/glue around the housing indicating it is a Beisan unit.

[mrgizmo04]

Someone somewhere created this spreadsheet to keep track of the measurements and shims used. I've actually been using it.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6yvR5D9AxJbZ3B1N3J5bURqdzQ/view?usp=drivesdk

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[Cubieman]

Sounds like removal of the head may have to be the next step, then a machine shop. He'll, I may just send it NE>CA for Lang to go through.
I have a local guy here that says removal of the head should be the LAST option and wants to try and drill it out, but I don't have enough faith in that.
What would be worst case, buying a new head I suppose?

All of this is starting to get out of my comfort zone so very quickly, just in panic mode at this moment.