[beta]

Originally Posted by StickMon

The "default" position for the intake is about dead on the alignment hole, and with the teeth "sticking out just a bit" as expected.
The default position for the exhaust is significantly advanced, and since I couldn't get the vanos piston to budge so I could turn the camshaft, the alignment tool was largely useless to me. You can see the default positions clearly in the 7th pic down in this thread, right under "A shot with the VANOS unit removed. Scary but sexy." Notice how far the exhaust spline is driven in.

Yeah I ran into the same thing. Intake is just slightly off, exhaust is completely to the left. This is the position most advantageous to starting the engine and isn't what you adjust to, so you can't use the tool.

Originally Posted by StickMon

I seem to remember talk about there being a long and short flywheel locking pin.

There are different sizes? The guy at my shop made his own "z4m flywheel locking pin" by sawing it in half as well. I'm going to have to saw mine in half too.

Originally Posted by StickMon

Made careful marks, loosened the hub bolts and turned the camshaft and hub together very slightly CCW. WRONG. Started hard, idled badly, and I could hear the vanos hunting. Tore it apart again, turned slightly CW. Got the 14.0° error down to 8.9°. Learned a couple things about INPA on the way.

If the adaptation is on the + side of zero, you're too retarded camshaft needs to move CW (viewed looking at the front of the engine) by the indicated amount.

Here's what I would suggest after diddling with the vanos:
Get INPA running and visible from the driver's seat before starting the car for the first time.
Clear all adaptations, or at least the vanos.
When you first start it, everything will look nominal. After about 2 minutes, if there's an error, it will show up as a difference between the actual and commanded (sollwert). The adaptation won't kick in until you drive it a little.
Before adjustment mine showed an actual of 114.6 for a commanded of 127.4. After adjustment it was up to 119.9 for the same commanded. Less than the adaptation values. It slowly creeps up as the engine gets warm.

The 8.9° error is at least now in the green zone. Close enough until I do a scheduled valve adjustment in a few months. Then I'll twist it the rest of the way. Car seems to run smoother and the cold start phenomenon seems to have gone away. I think the large error was not letting it set the default position as far advanced as it wanted for optimum starting.

Thanks for sharing your experience.

So after gathering more information, to properly do this procedure you have to secure the engine in the installation position, which tilts it up slightly and allows you enough space to work on the Vanos.

See the attached PDF for more info.

This thread has a picture of the engine in the installation position.