[Zyler]

This past weekend I replaced the valve cover gasket due to oil leaking onto my downpipe causing smoke to come into the cabin. I wanted to post some tips for anyone who may have to do this in the future.

First, let me say that for me, it was a big pain in the ass. It took a lot longer than expected due to breaking the crankcase breather hose. Luckily I spoke with ajrettke from this forum who broke the same hose, so I had one on hold at the dealer incase this happened. Replacing this is a huge pain due to the location of the screw (only 1 screw holds it on), however after 1.5 hours of shoving my hand down there I was able to get the new one on. For anyone who wants to tackle this job, GET THIS PART BEFORE YOU START

I used the how to by EatSleepDrive which you can find on youtube. This helped ALOT. Almost all steps in the YouTube video are accurate. The only difference I found is that metal lines that run from the oil filter housing across the motor were in a different location on my car, which made it difficult to easily remove the valve cover. I had to pull those metal lines out of the way little by little while also attempting to lift the valve cover straight off. However, with some wiggling you can get it. When removing the valve cover bolts I noticed that the lower left screw (closest to the downpipe) was very loose, loose enough where I was able to remove it by hand. This was most likely the cause of the oil leak. So for those who have this same problem try to tighten all the screws first to 6ft lbs and see if that solves the problem.
26 screws hold the valve cover on. You may not think so after searching for them all but trust me, there are 26. Even with all 26 removed it took me a while to get the valve cover to break free. I didn't want to pry anything but after a while I said F it and found a tab on the valve cover which is used to hold a bracket and was able to use some force to lift a section of the valve cover and it finally came free. I cleaned all surface where the old gasket was and put the new one back on. I initially thought the gasket would be a tight fit in the valve cover, but it was somewhat loose instead. This made it a little more difficult to ensure the gasket didn’t pinch or fall out of place when putting the valve cover back on. Just make sure to do some checks by lifting the valve cover slightly and feeling for the new gasket once it’s back on the motor.
In total is took me 11 hours. Subtract 3-4 hours for trips to BMW and Lowes, replacing the breather hose, and because I did this in my driveway during a snowstorm in 25* weather under a canopy. So it should have taken me 7 or so.
So far I’ve put 100 miles and everything seems to be going smoothly. The car did smoke once even after the gasket replacement but hopefully that was only residual oil that was burned off.

A side note - once completed I put the main components back together to start the car and make sure everything was running smoothly. Without the plastics/rubber/engine cover, the ticking from the injectors is LOUD. I originally thought I messed something up because I never heard them so defined. However, once I put everything back together entirely the sound got much lower and is back to normal. It surprised me though how much of a difference the engine cover makes to reduce the injector sound.

Make sure you have a good set of wobble/flex extensions to replace the crankcase breather hose.
Someone mentioned to perform this on a slightly warm engine for an easier time removing the valve cover. This would have probably worked if it didn't wake me 4 hours to remove it.

[khj24]

These are pretty much spot on, a few things id like to add on that might help others when I did my m235i a few weeks back.(luckily about 4.5 hours for me)

-I broke two tabs off that breather hose, but it still clipped in very tightly. I will probably replace it soon, but that screw is wayyy down there and Im not mentally prepared for another annoying job at the moment.

-Use a light spray adhesive to hold the gasket down, this probably took half an hour to mask up, but it held the gasket perfectly. I think permatex makes a product called spray tack that is made specifically for this situation, but I used Loctite General Purpose.

- Have a little inspection mirror for this job, it will let you make sure no partsof the gasket have come off or twisted.

- I found the best way to mount the cover back on was to hold it flat above the head and drop it down onto the angled engine from drivers side to passengers. So stand on the passenger side, line the cover up to the front of the engine to the back and drop it onto the block from the drivers side of the engine.

- Take the oil cap off and stick your hand in there for added leverage. I also used an interior trim remover kit to pry a little.

- Make sure you count the 26 bolts rather than loosening 24 and getting pissed off as to why it wont come off. To be fair to myself you cant see the back two on the f22 chassis(the bottom left one is absolute hell).

- I bought a BMW gasket, it has a Mahle stamp so just buy the Mahle part and put the money towards the breather hose.

- Remove the coolant expansion hose, this thing is ridiculously brittle even when new and the oil lines that you will be fighting for most of the job are right next to the connection on the tank.

- Not sure this job is possible without a universal joint, especially on the m235 for the back left screw and the one right underneath the oil lines.

- A second person would be helpful to move things out of the way, but its definitely not mandatory.

- OP is spot on about the injectors, I did this in my garage and they are almost deafening. The car started like shit, but probably because it was starved of fuel.

- This is a big one for me but I would look into removing the exhaust heatshield, my leak was right around cylinder 4 which is rather unusual I think and this made all of the oil drip into the heatshield and overflow onto the manifold rather than the cat. The way the shield is shaped means it just holds oil as the engine is angled that way. So dont be surprised if you can wipe up residual oil in that area(The machined gasket surface is perfectly clean so its not leaking anymore).

- A magnet on a stick is also something I would consider a must, I dropped a grounding nut into the injector well and a fuel rail mounting bolt down the manifold.

Good Job OP, saved yourself a ton of money!

[Tpriest7893]

I just had mine replaced under warranty and it would of cost about 900 if I didn't have warranty, so you saved yourself some money!

[romemedrano]

pro tip / use glass cleaner to remove the crankcase breather hose...


I usually take 15minutes to remove the VC assembly from the car depending on model ....

[Zyler]

Originally Posted by khj24

These are pretty much spot on, a few things id like to add on that might help others when I did my m235i a few weeks back.(luckily about 4.5 hours for me)

-I broke two tabs off that breather hose, but it still clipped in very tightly. I will probably replace it soon, but that screw is wayyy down there and Im not mentally prepared for another annoying job at the moment.

-Use a light spray adhesive to hold the gasket down, this probably took half an hour to mask up, but it held the gasket perfectly. I think permatex makes a product called spray tack that is made specifically for this situation, but I used Loctite General Purpose.

- Have a little inspection mirror for this job, it will let you make sure no partsof the gasket have come off or twisted.

- I found the best way to mount the cover back on was to hold it flat above the head and drop it down onto the angled engine from drivers side to passengers. So stand on the passenger side, line the cover up to the front of the engine to the back and drop it onto the block from the drivers side of the engine.

- Take the oil cap off and stick your hand in there for added leverage. I also used an interior trim remover kit to pry a little.

- Make sure you count the 26 bolts rather than loosening 24 and getting pissed off as to why it wont come off. To be fair to myself you cant see the back two on the f22 chassis(the bottom left one is absolute hell).

- I bought a BMW gasket, it has a Mahle stamp so just buy the Mahle part and put the money towards the breather hose.

- Remove the coolant expansion hose, this thing is ridiculously brittle even when new and the oil lines that you will be fighting for most of the job are right next to the connection on the tank.

- Not sure this job is possible without a universal joint, especially on the m235 for the back left screw and the one right underneath the oil lines.

- A second person would be helpful to move things out of the way, but its definitely not mandatory.

- OP is spot on about the injectors, I did this in my garage and they are almost deafening. The car started like shit, but probably because it was starved of fuel.

- This is a big one for me but I would look into removing the exhaust heatshield, my leak was right around cylinder 4 which is rather unusual I think and this made all of the oil drip into the heatshield and overflow onto the manifold rather than the cat. The way the shield is shaped means it just holds oil as the engine is angled that way. So dont be surprised if you can wipe up residual oil in that area(The machined gasket surface is perfectly clean so its not leaking anymore).

- A magnet on a stick is also something I would consider a must, I dropped a grounding nut into the injector well and a fuel rail mounting bolt down the manifold.

Good Job OP, saved yourself a ton of money!

All these are good additions

A magnet stick is a must. I dropped numerous bolts down to the under carriage.
Also id invest in a digital/good quality torque wrench too. I used a harbor freight torque wrench and didnt trust it to correctly measure 6 ft lbs.

[Jeff@TopGearSolutions]

This tip was more or less mentioned but I just wanted to reiterate when you tighten the bolts, tighten them all by hand and as evenly as possible. Then go back and lightly snug all of them evenly. Then do your final torque. This will ensure the gasket and cover is seated evenly and not pinching to one specific area. Take your time.

[samsont]

I replaced my valve cover a few months ago due to a bad PVC that is integrated in the cover. I got lucky and didn't break any tabs on the breather hose. I used several picks to keep the tabs apart. The problem I had was disconnecting the fuel injectors. The tabs that hold the wire into the fuel injectors broke. The plastic was very brittle. Now I have a problem with the wires periodically disconnecting from the fuel injectors while driving. I probably just replace all the injectors since the car has over 120k miles.

[F32Fleet]

So the 4-prong breather house is attached via screws rather than clips on the opposite end?

How many miles on the vehicle? Original owner?

[khj24]

Originally Posted by F32Fleet

So the 4-prong breather house is attached via screws rather than clips on the opposite end?

How many miles on the vehicle? Original owner?

One screw into the inlet I think. 31k and second owner in my case

[F32Fleet]

Originally Posted by khj24

One screw into the inlet I think. 31k and second owner in my case

BTW...thanks for putting this up. I've watched the video you referenced along with one recently done by FCP Euro (N55. 5 series).

It's a royal PITA and I've been teetering on whether or not to do it myself. Only plus is that my spark plugs are due so I would gain some efficiency doing the VCG at same time.

[Ashhong]

Anybody know the size of the single screw holding the crankcase breather hose?

[F32Fleet]

Tip: Always replace the breather hose. FCP euro sells one in their N55 VC "kit".

Tip: Mirror on a stick can help you catch a rolled gasket before you tighten everything down.

[123Britt]

https://www.2addicts.com/forums/show....php?t=1827770


The key is opening up at least 3 of the hose tabs at the same time.

[Itogliano]

Originally Posted by F32Fleet

Tip: Always replace the breather hose. FCP euro sells one in their N55 VC "kit".

Tip: Mirror on a stick can help you catch a rolled gasket before you tighten everything down.

They sell the kit but are people really replacing the entire VC and not just the gasket?

[F32Fleet]

Originally Posted by Itogliano

They sell the kit but are people really replacing the entire VC and not just the gasket?

Imo it depends on the age of the VC itself. As I understand they do shrink ever so slightly as the miles rack up and the PCV is known to also fail at higher mileage. Because of the labor involved and depending on the miles on the component it may be prudent to also replace the cover.

I did replace my cover at 55k miles because I was afraid of having to replace it at 75k-80k miles and I have the FCP Euro guarantee. I was also expecting to continue driving about 12k/yr.

It was probably overkill but I couldn't DIY. If I could DIY I wouldn't have bought the VC.

[Eschmacher]

Originally Posted by Itogliano

They sell the kit but are people really replacing the entire VC and not just the gasket?

That's my plan... the PCV valve is built-in to the cover and is not easily replaced. Might as well do the entire cover for the peace of mind.

[Itogliano]

Originally Posted by F32Fleet

Imo it depends on the age of the VC itself. As I understand they do shrink ever so slightly as the miles rack up and the PCV is known to also fail at higher mileage. Because of the labor involved and depending on the miles on the component it may be prudent to also replace the cover.

I did replace my cover at 55k miles because I was afraid of having to replace it at 75k-80k miles and I have the FCP Euro guarantee. I was also expecting to continue driving about 12k/yr.

It was probably overkill but I couldn't DIY. If I could DIY I wouldn't have bought the VC.

Originally Posted by Eschmacher

That's my plan... the PCV valve is built-in to the cover and is not easily replaced. Might as well do the entire cover for the peace of mind.

I'm at 85k miles (~24k/year) and just sprung a VCG leak. Seems like replacing the full VC is the way to go then. I am planning on DIYing

[Itogliano]

Got a quick follow-up question before I order the parts, when accessing the VC, are there any bolts that need to be removed that are single-use only? I know the bolts that secure the strut brace that needs to be removed are designated as single-use, are there any others?

[thejeremyman9]

I would check the kits sold by FCP or others to see if there is anything else that might come with them, or call them to confirm

[Rebound]

Originally Posted by Itogliano

Got a quick follow-up question before I order the parts, when accessing the VC, are there any bolts that need to be removed that are single-use only? I know the bolts that secure the strut brace that needs to be removed are designated as single-use, are there any others?

For starters: The valve cover costs about $550 USD, but the Elring is less than half that. I’m told it’s OEM and I’ve ordered one so I’ll be able to confirm after I’ve installed it. It certainly appears OEM.

Yes, the four strut brace bolts are single use. You can certainly re-use them and replace once available; it’s not something that will stop you cold if you don’t have them.

There is also a gasket called the Valvetronic
Motor Seal (BMW Valvetronic Actuator Seal - Genuine BMW 11377502022) and two E6 bolts (BMW Valvetronic Actuator Seal Mounting Screw - Genuine BMW 11367609963) which are all one time use. If you haven’t replaced the PCV breather hose, it basically disintegrates every few years so you should replace that as well. Another commonly self-disintegrating hose is the coolant reservoir overflow tube. Best to stay ahead of that before you have a coolant leak. No tools needed to install it.

With the valve cover off, it’s good to inspect, clean, or replace (BMW Valvetronic Eccentric Shaft Oil Squirter - Genuine BMW 11377583786). If that oil squirter clogs, your engine is toast. Whether you replace the squirter or replace it for cleaning, you’ll need yet another one-time use bolt (BMW Asa-Bolt (M6X30-8.8) - Genuine BMW 07129904573). I’m not an N55 expert; there could be different configurations of squirters and retaining bolts on various N55 configurations, so check to be sure those two numbers are correct for your vehicle.

FCP has a YouTube video and web page up about this replacement.
https://blog.fcpeuro.com/how-to-replace-valve-cover-bmw-n55-engine-x5-x3-335i

[Burnout]

Originally Posted by Rebound

With the valve cover off, it’s good to inspect, clean, or replace (BMW Valvetronic Eccentric Shaft Oil Squirter - Genuine BMW 11377583786). If that oil squirter clogs, your engine is toast. Whether you replace the squirter or replace it for cleaning, you’ll need yet another one-time use bolt (BMW Asa-Bolt (M6X30-8.8) - Genuine BMW 07129904573). I’m not an N55 expert; there could be different configurations of squirters and retaining bolts on various N55 configurations, so check to be sure those two numbers are correct for your vehicle.

. [...]

Intriguing to read this, to me that seemed logical to do given multiple accounts of the valvetronic gear wearing and leading to issues. However I’ve never read or seen a video confirming the squirter can be removed without pulling 2 of the 3 buckets the plugs and injectors sit in adjacent to it.

So to be 100% clear, you were able to remove/replace the squirter concurrent with a VCG change and no additional removals for access?

[5w20]

Originally Posted by Rebound

For starters: The valve cover costs about $550 USD, but the Elring is less than half that. I’m told it’s OEM and I’ve ordered one so I’ll be able to confirm after I’ve installed it. It certainly appears OEM.

Yes, the four strut brace bolts are single use. You can certainly re-use them and replace once available; it’s not something that will stop you cold if you don’t have them.

There is also a gasket called the Valvetronic
Motor Seal (BMW Valvetronic Actuator Seal - Genuine BMW 11377502022) and two E6 bolts (BMW Valvetronic Actuator Seal Mounting Screw - Genuine BMW 11367609963) which are all one time use. If you haven’t replaced the PCV breather hose, it basically disintegrates every few years so you should replace that as well. Another commonly self-disintegrating hose is the coolant reservoir overflow tube. Best to stay ahead of that before you have a coolant leak. No tools needed to install it.

With the valve cover off, it’s good to inspect, clean, or replace (BMW Valvetronic Eccentric Shaft Oil Squirter - Genuine BMW 11377583786). If that oil squirter clogs, your engine is toast. Whether you replace the squirter or replace it for cleaning, you’ll need yet another one-time use bolt (BMW Asa-Bolt (M6X30-8.8) - Genuine BMW 07129904573). I’m not an N55 expert; there could be different configurations of squirters and retaining bolts on various N55 configurations, so check to be sure those two numbers are correct for your vehicle.

FCP has a YouTube video and web page up about this replacement. [...]

I’m 99% sure the OEM N55 VC is made by MAHLE. I could be wrong, but that’s what my memory is telling me. 😅