Reply With QuoteAdding myself to this thread (subscribed) to see about valve adjustment (and costs!)Originally Posted by xphilter
valve adjustment???
so i had the timing belt change a couple weeks ago and now my engine is a lot quiter than before (m20)...however now i hear alot of tap tap tap tap tap tap tap....i am wondering if this means i should adjust the valves. Also any recomendations for preventative things to do on my car considering it has 216,000 miles and I have no records =). heh, any info is great, thanks.
-amir
3 Grand Master
Adding myself to this thread (subscribed) to see about valve adjustment (and costs!)
Grand Master
Ditto.
2 Grand Master
Apparently it's not too hard: http://www.bmwe34.net/e34main/mainte...lve_adjust.htm
There was another link I think I saw last night, but I can't find it now.
Ralph Mendoza Jr. - Long Beach, CA
Big Time Poster
One of you have hydraulic valves that do not require adjustment: for the others, the best post I've ever read on turning the engine to the correct spots to allow the adjustment was by Bellicose Right winger in this link http://www.bimmer.info/forum/showthr...hlight=rocking.
As for the adjustment, I use two feeler gauges: a 0.3mm set point that should drag slightly as the valve is set - and a 0.013" as a 'no go' gauge to assure that the lash is not greater than 0.3 mm ( ~ 0.012"). When all valves are set equally (on a cold engine), the M30 is a very smooth reving engine ....
hm...you say one of us has hyraulic valves....which one?
-amir
Jaylebo has hydraulic valves on his 535.
The valve adjustment on your 525 with the M20 motor is quite easy, so long as you take your time. And doing it yourself, should only cost $10 for a new valve cover gasket, if you have the other tools (feeler gauge, assorted socket set, metric wrench set).
Grand Master
Clueless question: What are hydrolic valves? I ask because I have a 90 535 as does Jaylebo. Why do they not need adjusting?
Dinan chip, Bilstein sports w H&R, RD sways, RD strut brace, 750 bushings, Zimmermans/MetalMasters, O.E. M Pars, Eisenmann muffler
3 Grand Master
They use hydrolic pressure from the oil
to self adjust for lash.
Vee ave vays of dealing vid your kind...........
3 Grand Master
Oy.
Alright...Let's set this one straight:
1) NO M30 or M20 (< or = 1990 525 or ANY 535) had hydraulically adjusted valves. The first BMW US production engine with them was the M70. ALL M30 and M20 engines need periodic adjustment. M30 is worse, and the valve cover should come off every 15k to check the banjo bolts.
2) Spec on the M20 -- all variants -- is a bit tighter than the M30. Last time I did one (m20), I think I did....8 thou. I set M30s to .012 intake and .013 exhaust (when dead cold), .012/.012 when the thing sounds noisy.
3) It was a bit frightening for me the first time around. It's not a hard job, though. Have a feeler gauge and some wire to adjust the eccentrics. Once the cover's off (get a new gasket -- M20s will probably also need new keystone rubbers -- check ETK), the process is: a) get piston to TDC for a given cylinder, b) check the current gap with the feeler gauge, c) adjust if necessary or go to the next cylinder. Easiest rotation is 1 5 3 6 2 4. I use a fused jumper switch to activate the starter -- speeds up the entire thing. ALWAYS rotate the engine CLOCKWISE, if turning it by hand.
4) Old eccentrics are hard to adjust. Replace them if it's the case.
Another point: back before I knew what I was doing, I followed Robin's excellent writeup (posted sometime in December, 2004). Keywords and phrases for search (because I'm too lazy to look up the link) are: "Haven't you adjusted the valves like 5000 times, quoth my wife", ".012", ".013"
It should cost ~ 1 hour worth of labor to get a valve adjustment at a shop on either of the mentioned motors.
best, whit
Last edited by Kalevera; 09-20-2005 at 08:17 PM.
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