DIY: E34 Valve Cover Gasket

Alright ladies. Here's a DIY for an M50 valve cover gasket.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
Ratchet
10mm Deep Socket
10mm regular socket
Flathead screwdriver
Pliers
8mm socket
RTV
New Gasket Kit (I like Victor Reinz) Valve Cover Gasket Kit
New Valve Cover Nut seals (you'll need 15 @ $1.00/ea) Valve cover nut seal

A cold brew
Some form of music to drown out your old ladies calling from inside to come watch dancing with the stars.



1. Pop the hood and take off the engine covers. Use your flathead to pop off the little circle bolt covers.



Then undo the four (2 for top cover, 2 for larger bottom cover) bolts using your 10mm socket,

Remove and place to the side.

2. Next, unplug each of the coilpacks. Slide your flathead into the metal clip and pull up. While lifted, pull out connector.



Also remove the valve ventilation hose. Lift tab carefully, it could break, and slide out.


3. Using your 10mm socket take off the nuts holding down the coil packs. *BE SURE TO NOT DROP THEM IN*
Pull out and place to the side. This is a good time to inspect for any damage or filth to clean up. Also make sure there's no oil on them or in the plug well.

4. Remove the nuts using your 10mm socket again. By cylinder 6, youll see a grounding wire attached to that bolt. Using your 8mm socket (i lost mine so i just used the pliers), remove this off of the nut. Then undo all of them around the perimeter and the 4 in the middle. 15 in total.


5. Carefully remove the valve cover so as to not damage that sexy sexy powdercoat job and place it to the side.


You're now looking at the heart of the beast. The best motor bmw has ever made.

6. Pull off the old gasket, it may have come off with the valve cover, may still be on the head. Replace both the spark plug well gaskets and the perimeter gasket.


Clean the mating surfaces. On both head and valve cover.

7. You're half way there. Enjoy your brew.


8. Take out you're RTV and place it on the mating area of the vanos to the head





And in the half moons at the back. Put some on your finger and place it on. A LITTLE DAB WILL DO YA!!!!! Don't get any in the motor, this chemical nightmare would be no bueno inside a running engine.


9. Place the new gasket on. It can only go on one way. Use deductive reasoning.

The rest is the reverse of removal. CONGRATS!!

Tightening Torque:
Valve Cover to Cylinder head. . . . . . . . . . 10 Nm (89 in-lb)
Coilpacks to Valve cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . A little more than finger strength. If you over tighten this, you will start to pull out the stud.

These are easily stripped. I broke 3 studs previously and replaced them during this job; luckily I had 3 in my inventory. It's always a good idea to keep a few around.
Stud
Nut

Gentlemen, do me a solid and post a Valve Cover Gasket DIY in this thread for the other motors. M20, M30, and M60 please.


Here is a video a that was suggested I add. you'll see some differences between the M50 and the M52...


Sent from Joe's Galaxy Tab 2 via BimmerApp

Very nice write up Joe . You may want to mention something about the torque down of the bolts as it is very little and easily stripped.

Thanks from all of us.

Originally Posted by BMR_LVR

Very nice write up Joe . You may want to mention something about the torque down of the bolts as it is very little and easily stripped.

Thanks from all of us.

You're absolutely right. Updated.

Hope you don't mind Joe, but I'd like to add this video as further explanation. I'm a very visual learner and others may be as well.