Help: Valve Cover Woo's

Hello Everyone!

I think I've dug myself in a small hole and am hoping everyone here can help me out.

I have an oil leak from the vacuum pump washer and I believe the passenger side valve cover gasket also.

It's a 2004 X5 4.4i with close to 160K miles.

So, I read several DIY's, postings and the TIS and thought this is pretty straight forward -- I'm gonna do it! Got all the parts, set aside the weekend and after basically a day (my wife took the car out most of the day Saturday!) I'm stuck.

I got everything off the drivers side cover to realize that I cannot lift it up without taking off the fuel injection assembly or disconnecting the fuel line. I realize that I didn't take off the cabin air filter assembly (which would have saved me hours). Does the fuel injection assembly need to be removed?

My next issue, is the servomotor as the TIS simply states to remove it. I'm doing some more reading tonight and realize that there were additional steps before removal (such as connecting a diagnosis tester and following the instuctions on the diagnosis tester) and (which I haven't gotten to yet) additional steps after installation (such as "read out fault memory of control unit of Digital Motor Electronics").

Am I in trouble here? After reading this, I was planning on just reinstalling the servomotor, not starting the car and taking it to an independent dealer to take a look at to verify it's installed correctly.

I've attached picture of where I'm at right now.

Any advice/suggestions are appreciated!

Thanks!

Chucke

BTW... The vacuum pump replacement was pretty straight forward and simple (very misleading on the valve cover replacement).

I am currently doing this in a 745 now. I remove the fuel line going over the valve cove. Press in the black clip and pull the hose off. You can press by hand or with anything you can find since it may be tight.

I wasn't aware that the servomotor had to go through all of that. I've heard people getting away without doing that. I will find out since i am basically at these place you are. I am putting up that side tonight.

The clip should be pushed in towards the the hose. Hope that helps.

Have you reconnected the fuel line yet? Did you need a special tool?

Also, did you just remove the fuel line or the fuel rail also?

Let me know about the servomotor! I'm just going crazy thinking about that!

Thanks!

Chucke

There is no tool needed for the fuel line. I just pushed it back onto the metal line to install. I am still not finished yet. I will know about servo tomorrow.

I just remove the fuel line. Not the rail. This is on a 2003 745 li.