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Thread: Rocker Lever Broken on a M20 :(

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
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    Default Rocker Lever Broken on a M20 :(

    Hey

    look what I found when opening the head cover





    Have you ever seen that on a 180 000 km (120k) M20?

    How to best repair this? Can you do that without dropping the head cylinder?

    Thx

  2. #2
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    Dec 2003
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    Yeah that repair isn't too bad and its very common. I believe you remove the rocker bar and install a new rocker. Someone will know more about it but don't worry you're not alone. It actually doesn't damage anything really - your intake valve wasn't opening so no fuel or air was in that cylinder. That means you shouldn't have burnt a valve or anything.

  3. #3
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    Dec 2003
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    The samething happened to me a few years ago on my M20. On the drivers side but more in the middle, thus having to take the head off. Since your break is on the rocker towards the front you may be able to slide the rocker arm shaft towards the rear of the engine and put in a new one. Good luck.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pwr2spare View Post
    The samething happened to me a few years ago on my M20. On the drivers side but more in the middle, thus having to take the head off. Since your break is on the rocker towards the front you may be able to slide the rocker arm shaft towards the rear of the engine and put in a new one. Good luck.
    yep we tried it but not enough room to shift the rocker arm shaft

    my mechanics wants to remove the distribution, radiator and some of the front grills and slide the rocker arm shaft out of the cylinder head. I'm a bit scared about that.

  5. #5
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    Hey

    A friend showed me this and he had a borken rocker lever







    I don't think that's my condition. Because the oil is clean, no metal in it

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
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    Gateshead,UK
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    There's two ways to repair that. One is to remove the head and fix it with the head off, the other way is to loosen the engine mounts, jack the engine up, remove the bonnet, rad, cam belt & pulley wheel etc,slacken all the rockers off on that shaft, pull the locking t-piece out of the slot and attempt to slide/pull the rocker shaft out of the head. They are a tight fit in the head and won't come out without a fight though, so be aware you may need to find a good rocker shaft to replace the old one that could be damaged. It's up to you which way you do it, but if it was me doing it I would just take the head off.

    HTH,

    Shaun M

  7. #7
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    Oct 2006
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    Reading, UK
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mordan View Post
    That looks scarily like my cylender number 3 on my old M50 right before it went to the great scrapyard in the sky!

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by E34-520iSE View Post
    There's two ways to repair that. One is to remove the head and fix it with the head off, the other way is to loosen the engine mounts, jack the engine up, remove the bonnet, rad, cam belt & pulley wheel etc,slacken all the rockers off on that shaft, pull the locking t-piece out of the slot and attempt to slide/pull the rocker shaft out of the head. They are a tight fit in the head and won't come out without a fight though, so be aware you may need to find a good rocker shaft to replace the old one that could be damaged. It's up to you which way you do it, but if it was me doing it I would just take the head off.

    HTH,

    Shaun M
    thx bro. I'm tempted to do that as well. I don't feel it good otherwise. will I need to put a new head gasket because I removed the head?

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mordan View Post
    thx bro. I'm tempted to do that as well. I don't feel it good otherwise. will I need to put a new head gasket because I removed the head?
    Yeah you'll need a new HG and new bolts if it's the first time it's been done - the bolts will be old and may be starting to go brittle...

    I agree the best way to do this is to take the head off - that way you'll know 100% what condition the cylenders are in inside the engine....

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ferret View Post
    Yeah you'll need a new HG and new bolts if it's the first time it's been done - the bolts will be old and may be starting to go brittle...

    I agree the best way to do this is to take the head off - that way you'll know 100% what condition the cylenders are in inside the engine....
    Yep, new bolts, new head gasket, and while it's off you should replace the cam belt & tensioner too, for peace of mind. It just depends how much money you want to sink into the car to keep it running. Of course I'd be biased and say keep it running at all costs, just so I know I haven't got the only one in the UK lol!

    Good luck,

    Shaun M

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