Crank bolt just fell out....
 

Car stopped running and indy shop said timing chain broke. Car only has 49K miles and is a 2007 525xi with M52 6 cyl. Had the car towed home and sits in garage for a few weeks while I decided what to do.






My plan was to remove valve cover and see how bad the damage was. I got as far as removing the belt and the Vibration Damper/Pulley just feel out with hub attached. crank bolt had come completely out.


Chain is in one piece. I wanted to re install hub and vibration Damper, re time then check compression to confirm valve condition. Hub has no Key way and looks smooth. Does the Chain Sprocket just slip over this? What keeps it from slipping? Does anyone have experience with this installation that can assist?

You have the N52 6-cylinder engine. If the timing chain broke then you are likely to have valve and piston damage as well. You might consider getting a used engine and swapping it out.