N52 valve cover/gasket question

WickedNy · 10-20-2015, 04:23 PM

Think it's time to redo the valve cover gasket on the Z...just hit 90k and noticed slight build up of oil and grime. After watching a few YouTube posts, some people recommended changing the entire valve cover bc there might be hairline cracks etc. Anybody with opinions, experience with this, chime in. Also wondering the difficulty of the install bc the video I watched was a lengthy one of the x3 n52, thanks in advance

HankDKrank · 10-21-2015, 11:42 AM

How bad is it leaking? Just buildup or running down engine? Have you cleaned it off and had reappear? Slow seep may build up gunk but not warrant tearing into it.

WickedNy · 10-21-2015, 02:35 PM

Cleaned it up about two weeks ago and it's a slow steady build up...I know as per maintenance schedule the gaskets should be done, just wondering if it's better to just change the valve cover itself and how difficult of an install it is

WickedNy · 10-22-2015, 04:03 PM

Anybody?

3002 tii · 10-24-2015, 01:41 AM

I did my oil filter housing gasket at 60k same time as water pump and tstat. At 75k I had a shop replace the valve cover gasket as well as the valvetronic and eccentric shaft sensor gaskets. Also did the plugs (could've gone longer but figured may as well since the ignition coils were coming out). That was the last major maintenance item on my car, don't foresee anything else for a long time *fingers crossed*

To answer your question though, I reviewed the DIY's and was considering tackling with a friend but the quote I got was low enough where I actually felt it was better to pay a pro to do it.

Shameless plug but I have an extra set of valvetronic and eccentric shaft sensor gaskets for for sale

m3griff · 10-24-2015, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WickedNy

Think it's time to redo the valve cover gasket on the Z...just hit 90k and noticed slight build up of oil and grime. After watching a few YouTube posts, some people recommended changing the entire valve cover bc there might be hairline cracks etc. Anybody with opinions, experience with this, chime in. Also wondering the difficulty of the install bc the video I watched was a lengthy one of the x3 n52, thanks in advance

Did mime last December. Pretty easy job that took me about 4-5 hours -taking my time. I replaced the other gaskets as well. All is easy to reach and do on a Z4 because the engine sits well in front of the firewall. Since mine is on 06, it is an Al valve cover rather than composite, so I did not replace it. If I had a composite cover, I would probably consider replacing it because of the possibility of cracks. If you don't want to commit to the money, you might buy a new one but hold off on deciding to use it until you can look at your old one closely. You can return it if not used. Just a thought.

gas-can · 10-24-2015, 06:20 PM

Just did mine the last few days actually.

Mine started weaping around 75k. I think the reason was b/c of a cracked bolt (very common on these). The head had disappeared somewhere down the road but the stub was pretty easy to remove with some pliers.

Harder part was the stripped thread on one of the holes. I had to rethread that, but it wasn't too bad.

If you do it, I recommend also replacing the eccentric shaft sensor seal as well as the valvetronic motor seal. The former is an insurance- that sensor is bloody expensive so it makes sense to replace that seal before it goes bad and takes the sensor out.

Job's actually not bad. You will need a good low range torque wrench, some socket extenders, and some female torx sockets. Just take your time and do it right.

-s

WickedNy · 10-26-2015, 06:19 PM

Thanks for the info guys, much appreciated

thelinux · 10-26-2015, 09:27 PM

i did mine about a year or two ago. its very easy. if i do it again, i think i can fnish it with in 2 hours.

Take out the spark plugs and see if theres any oil on the spark plug thread. if yes, the gasket is leaking oil, possibly into the combustion chamber.

I had leak there and my engine was vibrating sligtly. Thought it was the bad gasket. so replaced the whole valve cover with gasket but turned out to be the front control arm bushing. anyway make sure that move all the electrical wires away I put my valve cover back then later realized that i put the cover on top of a o2 sensor wire resulting cracked cover.

Diesel_d66 · 11-03-2015, 08:55 AM

i noticed some smoke from the engine bay infrequently this summer, on hot days, and it turned out to be the gasket (posted some pics/questions:
http://www.zpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1154253)

Is there any urgency to get this fixed or can I push it to next spring? I'm not handy so it would be done by a shop. Also, I plan on covering the car during the winter, but drive it/turn it on once in a while on nicer days.

WickedNy · 11-04-2015, 11:06 AM

I had smoke as well but on a sharp u -turn, however the amount of oil I saw was minimum, as is what's currently leaking out. I plan on waiting till the spring and covering the car for the winter shortly, I'm just gonna make sure to clean it, and that no oil is sitting there and call it a day

worlina · 11-13-2015, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WickedNy

Think it's time to redo the valve cover gasket on the Z...just hit 90k and noticed slight build up of oil and grime. After watching a few YouTube posts, some people recommended changing the entire valve cover bc there might be hairline cracks etc. Anybody with opinions, experience with this, chime in. Also wondering the difficulty of the install bc the video I watched was a lengthy one of the x3 n52, thanks in advance

I did mine last week. I took time to do it. Make sure to take out the spark plug sleeves before you pull the valve cover to have enough clearance at the bottom. You could also reuse the steel bolt if it came with it. The torque specs for the fasteners were 8.6Nm +- 0.6 as indicated on top of the valve cover. Tighten starting in the middle going out in a criss cross manner. Pay attention to the placement of specific bolts, there's a total of 22.

WickedNy · 11-15-2015, 09:52 AM

Thanks for the info, I'm most likely going to wait till spring and might just have a shop do it while I get a ssk installed at the same time. There's only a few good weekends left to clean/drive the car. My days of running a hose from inside the house, getting my ear drums raped from wife's bantering and drying before the water ices over are done. So it'll most definitely wait till spring time before it gets tackled. Right now it's minor spillage so it's not pressing as of yet. But again all the info is much appreciated

10-20-2015, 04:23 PM	#1
WickedNy Get Some 225 Rep 759 Posts Drives: 07 Z4 3.0si Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Long Island iTrader: (1) Garage List 07 z4 3.0si [0.00]	N52 valve cover/gasket question Think it's time to redo the valve cover gasket on the Z...just hit 90k and noticed slight build up of oil and grime. After watching a few YouTube posts, some people recommended changing the entire valve cover bc there might be hairline cracks etc. Anybody with opinions, experience with this, chime in. Also wondering the difficulty of the install bc the video I watched was a lengthy one of the x3 n52, thanks in advance
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10-21-2015, 11:42 AM	#2
HankDKrank Seasoned Novice 9 Rep 54 Posts Drives: 08 Z4 Roadster Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Dallas, TX iTrader: (0)	How bad is it leaking? Just buildup or running down engine? Have you cleaned it off and had reappear? Slow seep may build up gunk but not warrant tearing into it.
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10-21-2015, 02:35 PM	#3
WickedNy Get Some 225 Rep 759 Posts Drives: 07 Z4 3.0si Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Long Island iTrader: (1) Garage List 07 z4 3.0si [0.00]	Cleaned it up about two weeks ago and it's a slow steady build up...I know as per maintenance schedule the gaskets should be done, just wondering if it's better to just change the valve cover itself and how difficult of an install it is
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10-22-2015, 04:03 PM	#4
WickedNy Get Some 225 Rep 759 Posts Drives: 07 Z4 3.0si Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Long Island iTrader: (1) Garage List 07 z4 3.0si [0.00]	Anybody?
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10-24-2015, 01:41 AM	#5
3002 tii Lieutenant General 2282 Rep 12,565 Posts Drives: Z4 M, X5, GX460 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: CT iTrader: (99) Garage List F15 X5 xDrive35i [8.75] E86 Z4 M [10.00] F10 550i (Retired) [9.17] F25 X3 xDrive35i (R ... [9.43] E82 135is (Retired) [9.50] E85 Z4 M (Retired) [9.41] E90 328i xDrive (Re ... [9.25] E86 Z4 3.0si (Retired) [9.22]	I did my oil filter housing gasket at 60k same time as water pump and tstat. At 75k I had a shop replace the valve cover gasket as well as the valvetronic and eccentric shaft sensor gaskets. Also did the plugs (could've gone longer but figured may as well since the ignition coils were coming out). That was the last major maintenance item on my car, don't foresee anything else for a long time fingers crossed To answer your question though, I reviewed the DIY's and was considering tackling with a friend but the quote I got was low enough where I actually felt it was better to pay a pro to do it. Shameless plug but I have an extra set of valvetronic and eccentric shaft sensor gaskets for for sale __________________ Follow for latest mods
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10-24-2015, 06:20 PM	#7
gas-can Second Lieutenant 25 Rep 204 Posts Drives: 2006 3.0i Roadster Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: USA iTrader: (0)	Just did mine the last few days actually. Mine started weaping around 75k. I think the reason was b/c of a cracked bolt (very common on these). The head had disappeared somewhere down the road but the stub was pretty easy to remove with some pliers. Harder part was the stripped thread on one of the holes. I had to rethread that, but it wasn't too bad. If you do it, I recommend also replacing the eccentric shaft sensor seal as well as the valvetronic motor seal. The former is an insurance- that sensor is bloody expensive so it makes sense to replace that seal before it goes bad and takes the sensor out. Job's actually not bad. You will need a good low range torque wrench, some socket extenders, and some female torx sockets. Just take your time and do it right. -s
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10-26-2015, 06:19 PM	#8
WickedNy Get Some 225 Rep 759 Posts Drives: 07 Z4 3.0si Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Long Island iTrader: (1) Garage List 07 z4 3.0si [0.00]	Thanks for the info guys, much appreciated
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10-26-2015, 09:27 PM	#9
thelinux Private First Class 14 Rep 155 Posts Drives: 2008 Z4 3si Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Irvine, CA iTrader: (0)	i did mine about a year or two ago. its very easy. if i do it again, i think i can fnish it with in 2 hours. Take out the spark plugs and see if theres any oil on the spark plug thread. if yes, the gasket is leaking oil, possibly into the combustion chamber. I had leak there and my engine was vibrating sligtly. Thought it was the bad gasket. so replaced the whole valve cover with gasket but turned out to be the front control arm bushing. anyway make sure that move all the electrical wires away I put my valve cover back then later realized that i put the cover on top of a o2 sensor wire resulting cracked cover.
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11-03-2015, 08:55 AM	#10
Diesel_d66 Private 8 Rep 71 Posts Drives: '07 MR Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Baltimore iTrader: (0)	i noticed some smoke from the engine bay infrequently this summer, on hot days, and it turned out to be the gasket (posted some pics/questions: http://www.zpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1154253) Is there any urgency to get this fixed or can I push it to next spring? I'm not handy so it would be done by a shop. Also, I plan on covering the car during the winter, but drive it/turn it on once in a while on nicer days.
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11-04-2015, 11:06 AM	#11
WickedNy Get Some 225 Rep 759 Posts Drives: 07 Z4 3.0si Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Long Island iTrader: (1) Garage List 07 z4 3.0si [0.00]	I had smoke as well but on a sharp u -turn, however the amount of oil I saw was minimum, as is what's currently leaking out. I plan on waiting till the spring and covering the car for the winter shortly, I'm just gonna make sure to clean it, and that no oil is sitting there and call it a day
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11-15-2015, 09:52 AM	#13
WickedNy Get Some 225 Rep 759 Posts Drives: 07 Z4 3.0si Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Long Island iTrader: (1) Garage List 07 z4 3.0si [0.00]	Thanks for the info, I'm most likely going to wait till spring and might just have a shop do it while I get a ssk installed at the same time. There's only a few good weekends left to clean/drive the car. My days of running a hose from inside the house, getting my ear drums raped from wife's bantering and drying before the water ices over are done. So it'll most definitely wait till spring time before it gets tackled. Right now it's minor spillage so it's not pressing as of yet. But again all the info is much appreciated
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