[myeshia91]

Hey guys,

I have a 1994 525i. I had replaced the valve cover gasket about 3 weeks ago because I was getting oil 3rd spark plug housing. Today, I checked my spark plugs and in the 1st spark plug housing, there was like 1/4 cup of oil! there was even oil on the inside of my beauty cover. I realised that it is from when I changed the valve cover gasket, one of the two inner threaded screws had broke in half (see pic. the hole is supposed to have a threaded screw(?) sticking up inside it, but that broke in half). My dad said that it's okay and oil won't leak. Well, apparently he was wrong! Is there anyway I could anchor down the valve cover?

Thanks for the help.

 

[BMW_507_4ME]

Leak

Hey guys,

I have a 1994 525i. I had replaced the valve cover gasket about 3 weeks ago because I was getting oil 3rd spark plug housing. Today, I checked my spark plugs and in the 1st spark plug housing, there was like 1/4 cup of oil! there was even oil on the inside of my beauty cover. I realised that it is from when I changed the valve cover gasket, one of the two inner threaded screws had broke in half (see pic. the hole is supposed to have a threaded screw(?) sticking up inside it, but that broke in half). My dad said that it's okay and oil won't leak. Well, apparently he was wrong! Is there anyway I could anchor down the valve cover?

Thanks for the help.

You will have to drill out the stud and replace it with a new one. You can try to drill into the "VERY CENTER" of the broken stud and use an easy out to remove the rest. If that doesn't work, you will have to drill it all out and use a tap if you have enough material left (you can most likely go one size up on the new stud, but you may have to widen the anchor hole a little) If that doesn't work you will need a heli-coil, good luck with your car.

 

[BMW_507_4ME]

Dad

Sorry to say, your dad was wrong on this one, you need all the bolts and all of them torqued correctly, starting from the center and working out for a hope of a good seal. You will need a good quality new gasket as well. Below are pictures of a helicoil and ez outs, I hope this helps

 

[BMW_507_4ME]

Picture

I am looking at picture and you say the "hole" is supposed to have a screw in it. Are you talking about the hole with the black grommet around? If so, the advice is still the same, but I also see what looks like a broken stud in the head just below that. If it is, the advice for that is the same also, but you will need to fix BOTH to get the gasket to seal if both are broken.

 

[myeshia91]

I am looking at picture and you say the "hole" is supposed to have a screw in it. Are you talking about the hole with the black grommet around? If so, the advice is still the same, but I also see what looks like a broken stud in the head just below that. If it is, the advice for that is the same also, but you will need to fix BOTH to get the gasket to seal if both are broken.

yea, I meant the hole with the grommet. I didn't even know something else was supposed to be below that. It's been like that since I got the car 2 years ago.

My dad is suggesting that I just buy gasket sealant to make sure it's all sealed up. Idk if that would work. :/

 

[BMW_507_4ME]

Rtv

yea, I meant the hole with the grommet. I didn't even know something else was supposed to be below that. It's been like that since I got the car 2 years ago.

My dad is suggesting that I just buy gasket sealant to make sure it's all sealed up. Idk if that would work. :/

Some properly applied RVT gasket sealer would probably hold for a while, long enough to sell it, but I wouldn't do that to a buyer. In time with the heating up and cooling down it will start leaking again. The way to tell if that is a broken stud is to look at that valve cover and see if it lines with a hole for the stud, if it does, that explains the leak and you getting oil on your, as you call it, beauty cover

 

[TheEinstein]

Whoa... hold on there...

That grommet is sandwiched by a metal washer and what I expect was more of a cap nut isn't it?.. I can't make out for sure on RealOEM whether those studs come off the cam shaft bearing caps or not as they do on my V8.

If those are the same as mine, you can't drill, retap, or do a ghatdayum thing without pulling that cap off and out to do the work. That is direct exposure to the upper cam/valve train. There will be no metal shavings in there please and thank-you.

As for RTV'ing that spot, you're gonna have to build a mountain of it if I'm right about above.

I'd suggest taking your valve cover back off to check on where and what you've got there. Pull off another one of those fasteners and take a wider shot of it all for us. Another thing, if I'm right about what you've actually got there, it's not unheard of for those nuts to strip out, so you may just need some new ones..

P.S. If you're gonna do the valve cover gaskets, it's highly advisable to do every one of those grommets too. Because having the cover off and out where you can clean it up, allows one to punch those often crumbling and hardened craps out for replacement.

 

[BMW_507_4ME]

Defer

Whoa... hold on there...

That grommet is sandwiched by a metal washer and what I expect was more of a cap nut isn't it?.. I can't make out for sure on RealOEM whether those studs come off the cam shaft bearing caps or not as they do on my V8.

If those are the same as mine, you can't drill, retap, or do a ghatdayum thing without pulling that cap off and out to do the work. That is direct exposure to the upper cam/valve train. There will be no metal shavings in there please and thank-you.

As for RTV'ing that spot, you're gonna have to build a mountain of it if I'm right about above.

I'd suggest taking your valve cover back off to check on where and what you've got there. Pull off another one of those fasteners and take a wider shot of it all for us. Another thing, if I'm right about what you've actually got there, it's not unheard of for those nuts to strip out, so you may just need some new ones..

P.S. If you're gonna do the valve cover gaskets, it's highly advisable to do every one of those grommets too. Because having the cover off and out where you can clean it up, allows one to punch those often crumbling and hardened craps out for replacement.

I will defer to TE, I don't have experience with the 525 and I cant tell much from the picture. It looked like to me like a hold down bolt had broke off just below the grommet. I thought you might remove the remaining piece with an easy out, but have no clue as to that might be harming your cam / valve train. Please disregard my idea. Good luck with your car

 

[myeshia91]

so it turns out the part that broke was just the stud to the valve cover (see link)
http://www.rmeuropean.com/Products/11121718856-MFG9.aspx
So i just went to the wrecking yard to get another.

 

[BMW_507_4ME]

Good

so it turns out the part that broke was just the stud to the valve cover (see link)
http://www.rmeuropean.com/Products/11121718856-MFG9.aspx
So i just went to the wrecking yard to get another.

Glad to here it. It looked like it was just a broke stud, but when I read you could damage your valve train, I never want to give any advice that could harm another members car. Please up date us on how well your fix works, good luck with your car

 

[TheEinstein]

That's damn good news