Hey Guys -

Great post! My wife has an E60 2008 BMW 528i with about 78,000 miles on it. A couple of days ago, she said she smelled oil burning. I took a look under the hood to find a bit of oil leaking from the valve cover. I found this post when seeing how difficult it was to do.

I'm not an expert mechanic, but have replaced a couple of starters, belts, water pumps, and helped rebuild a 54 Chevy when in high school; but not too much with BMWs. Given the steps above, I think I could do it, but have a couple of questions please...

Questions
1. The valve cover gasket is $37.99 locally. Are the valve cover gasket screw set and the Gasket for Valvetronic Motor separate purchases or are either included in the kit?

2. When replacing the gaskets, do you suggest and gasket sealant / additive on either side? If so, which kind?

3. I'd really like to get this done today (don't have time during the week for such a project) - but - can't find a gasket in stock locally. Would it be a completely horrible idea to use the "create your own gasket" paste , cut one out from a template of whatever material, or any other alternative? By far not my first choice as I believe in doing things right, but maybe someone will reply saying they do it often and it's just as good.

Thanks Guys!

 

Great write up

 

so let me get this right if I unbolt the valvetronic motor slide it out with out spinning the coil then reinstalling it the same way after replacing the gasket the engine should run ok ?

 

so are you saying if I remove the valvetronic and not move the coil inside and replace it the same way after replacing the gasket the engine should run fine

 

HI There,
having done this to my 530, here`s what I remember:
1-the VCG set only comes with the gasket that goes around the cover, and the one around the spark plug holes (mine was made by Victor Reinz). The bolts are separate, again made by Victor Reinz. The valvtronic gasket was purchased at the dealer, it was around 20$.
2-Didn`t use any of that, and I don`t believe it was recommended.
3-I have done things like that on motorcycle clutch covers, but I don`t know if it`s a good idea on the BMW. You will probably end up having to redo it again in a couple of months...

 

When you unscrew the bolts holding the valvetronic motor, you will see that you cannot just yank it out. You have to unscrew the hex coil inside which will push it out of the valve cover. Upon reinstallation, you will see that you don`t have a choice but to screw the coil back in so the valvetronic motor gets closer to the valve cover. Once you reassemble everything, the engine will reset the valvetronic motor`s position when you put the key on (without starting the engine) for 30seconds-1min. I did the key on cycle 2 times, just to be sure it reset the valvetronic.

It`s hard to describe in words, but when you want to remove the valvetronic motor, you will completely understand how it works and why you have to unscrew the coil inside (hex screw).

 

can you confirmed what torque specs are on the valve cover bolts the previous post said 7nm [63 in pounds] because my torque wrench must be off because I just cracked a bolt

 

It is definitely 7Nm for the torque value, but you also need to factor in the torque angle. You don't simply turn it 90 degrees after getting 7Nm, you need to use a torque angle gauge, torque angle allows you to ensure a more precise tightening method.
Apart from that this guide was excellent, thanks!

 

Nice DIY. It lives in infamy even after 2+ years. I performed this last weekend on my 2006 530i with 112k miles. I replaced it because when I changed the spark plugs the last time I had oil in the #3 and #4 spark plug wells. If the OP changed his spark plugs at the same time, I suggest the smoke on start up was due to oil in the cylinders when the spark plug was removed. That's what happened to me ... an amazing amount of smoke!

The only thing I found different was that I did not apply any sealant because there were no seams that would be prone to leaks. I mean, the entire seal surface was flat and seamless.

I did break the vent hose on mine as well and replaced it. Excess oil normally goes through the vent hose (I believe this is normal) and if you don't replace it, you will have an oil leak.

I also broke a couple of aluminum bolts. The torquing is tricky and requires alot of patience! This is probably the part of the job that requires the most technique.

Also, the valvetronic scared me. But I went through the reset process 2X before starting the vehicle and everything was fine.

This job is time well spent, if you have the time, and will save you alot of $$$. It took me about 8 hours because I worked slowly.

 

Great thread! I hope to do this soon. Quick question (for now anyway). My car's valve cover bolts are painted blue on top. Does that mean they are the one time use only bolts or the reusable bolts?

BTW, you can buy the Reinz valve cover gasket set with bolts on ebay. Just do a search on ebay for the gasket part numbers.