First time adjusting valve clearances...

[e34.535i.sport]

I'm a bit nervous over it! I've done plenty of research but a few things are still unclear... I'll just fire away:

1. When I put the first valve down into the fully closed position, will it be apparent where I am supposed to measure the clearance? I can't make it out from the limited pictures there are of the inside of the head in the bentley...

2. The eccentric - what the hell is that?!

3. What is the best clearance for the m30 - I want good performance but to improve the idle also... (I don't want much do I!)

4. Will I need a gasket scraper or will a stanley knife or something similar suffice?

5. My torque wrench has a lowest setting of 40nm and the bentley reckons the head nuts should be done to 10nm... Is there a way of estimating this torque - i.e finger tight then half a turn? I don't want to spend £40 on a new torque wrench for the lower torque band if I can help it...

Thanks guys, I'm going to have a go at some point today - I have no idea when it was last done and I've owned the car for almost 2 years so I think it's about time!

[Ken35i]

1) Clearance is measured between the cam lobe and the rocker. You will need feeler guages.

2) I've only done it once and I didn't really do it completely, I mainly watched someone else who knew what he was doing do it.
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=HD22&mospid=47382&btnr=11_1188&hg=11&fg=25
Number 16. Kind of like a cam lobe itself. Loosen the screw (15) and nut (18). There's a small hole on the side of the eccentric, use a small allen key (I used) like 2mm size or so; then turn the eccentric with it (doesn't need to be much).

3) I went by Bentley's. I think it's 0.35mm both exhaust and intake.

4) For scraping off the valve cover gasket? Probably not, mine just came off it wasn't stuck/glued on.

5) Yeah maybe finger tight plus 1/2 turn max (could be wrong). If unsure use a dab of thread lock should be good.

It's all I can help you with. I'm sure a flood of info will follow. This is your first time I take it? Take your time, it's worth triple checking the clearances. :D

Oh yeah, you know about turning the engine 3rd of a turn each cylinder? Anyway, bed time.

[e34.535i.sport]

Thanks Ken... Your post has sparked more questions!

Q: Will I be adjusting 12 valves- 6 intake & 6exhaust???

Q: I s it ok to leave the rocker cover off for a while because I want to paint it if I have the bonnet down or should I clver it with cling film or something???

[Allen]

Avoid one mistake I made the first time adjusting valves. Check them before you start loosening anything. Most likely no more than one or two will need adjusting if it has been done somewhat recently and correctly. It should be more correctly termed checking your valve clearance.

Yes you will be checking 12 valves one intake and one exhuast for each cylinder.

For the valve cover it would all depend on how clean your work area is. Usually a clean shop rag is sufficient to keep stuff from falling into your engine. Not sure what extened exposure to motor oil would do to cling rap.

[e34.535i.sport]

Thanks for the further info Allen!

So... I know I do it in a specific order: I.e. 1-5-.... but do I do intake and exhaust for 1, then intake and exhaust for 5, then intake and exhaust for... OR do I do intake 1, intake 5, bla bla bla.... THEN exhaust 1, exhaust 5, etc...

Thanks!

[whiskychaser]

I'm a bit nervous over it! I've done plenty of research but a few things are still unclear... I'll just fire away:

1. When I put the first valve down into the fully closed position, will it be apparent where I am supposed to measure the clearance? I can't make it out from the limited pictures there are of the inside of the head in the bentley...

2. The eccentric - what the hell is that?!

3. What is the best clearance for the m30 - I want good performance but to improve the idle also... (I don't want much do I!)

4. Will I need a gasket scraper or will a stanley knife or something similar suffice?

5. My torque wrench has a lowest setting of 40nm and the bentley reckons the head nuts should be done to 10nm... Is there a way of estimating this torque - i.e finger tight then half a turn? I don't want to spend £40 on a new torque wrench for the lower torque band if I can help it...

Thanks guys, I'm going to have a go at some point today - I have no idea when it was last done and I've owned the car for almost 2 years so I think it's about time!

Hi John

1. You measure the clearance with the valve shut. The 'pear drop' pointy bit should be as far away from shoving the valve down as it can get
2. The eccentric is a posh word for the pointy bit on a pear
3. Clearance on yours is 0.3mm or 30 thou in old money. Bentleys says thats both inlet and outlet. You dont get to choose - it only affects performance if you dont do it right:)
4. Dont use anything sharper than your elbow. If you know what you are doing, you COULD use a stanley knife blade. But you have to hold it in your fingers, not any sort of tool
5. My torque wrench has a certificate but 10nm is sfa. Use a 3/8 drift and put your hand near the pivot point and push. It will be enough. People auditioning for Mr Muscle ads wont manage it but you will
6. There is no 6 but can I just point out that adjusting anything with feeler guages doesnt take into account any wear - the feeler blades may not go into the dips that the contact between moving parts had made. So if its still a bit rattly after it doesnt mean you did it wrong!

[e34.535i.sport]

Hi John

1. You measure the clearance with the valve shut. The 'pear drop' pointy bit should be as far away from shoving the valve down as it can get
2. The eccentric is a posh word for the pointy bit on a pear
3. Clearance on yours is 0.3mm or 30 thou in old money. Bentleys says thats both inlet and outlet. You dont get to choose - it only affects performance if you dont do it right:)
4. Dont use anything sharper than your elbow. If you know what you are doing, you COULD use a stanley knife blade. But you have to hold it in your fingers, not any sort of tool
5. My torque wrench has a certificate but 10nm is sfa. Use a 3/8 drift and put your hand near the pivot point and push. It will be enough. People auditioning for Mr Muscle ads wont manage it but you will
6. There is no 6 but can I just point out that adjusting anything with feeler guages doesnt take into account any wear - the feeler blades may not go into the dips that the contact between moving parts had made. So if its still a bit rattly after it doesnt mean you did it wrong!

Hehehe LOL!

That's exactly what I needed - 'Layman's' is my native tongue! :D :D

Thanks Whisky...

[e34.535i.sport]

I got there in the end! took the cover off no problems... looked inside and it took me a while to peice all the little peices of information together and figure out what to do!

WTF! :p
http://img33.picoodle.com/img/img33/3/8/8/f_insidevalvem_a62cf09.jpg (http://www.picoodle.com/view.php?img=/3/8/8/f_insidevalvem_a62cf09.jpg&srv=img33)

The clearances were adjusted really tightly - like 0.18mm when they're supposed to be 0.30mm according to bentley... could they have gradually got tighter over time or has someone set them too tight? I changed them to the 0.30 and now the engine is running REALLY smoothly and MUCH MUCH better at idle. The only downside is that I can hear the valves tapping now quite loudly, when I couldn't hear them before?

Is this better for the engine as it is now or worse? I'm really tempted to get back in there tomorrow and go halfway back to quieten them down - like 0.25? I know your not supposed to choose but it was running really quietly which I liked...If I do go and tighten them up - will I need a new gasket even though I only put this one on today???

Thank you so much guys, you got me through it! :D

[whiskychaser]

I got there in the end! took the cover off no problems... looked inside and it took me a while to peice all the little peices of information together and figure out what to do!

WTF! :p
http://img33.picoodle.com/img/img33/3/8/8/f_insidevalvem_a62cf09.jpg (http://www.picoodle.com/view.php?img=/3/8/8/f_insidevalvem_a62cf09.jpg&srv=img33)

The clearances were adjusted really tightly - like 0.18mm when they're supposed to be 0.30mm according to bentley... could they have gradually got tighter over time or has someone set them too tight? I changed them to the 0.30 and now the engine is running really smoothly and much better at idle. The only downside is that I can hear the valves tapping now quite loudly... When I couldn't hear them before? Is this better for the engine or worse? I'm really tempted to get back in there tomorrow and go halfway back to quieten them down - like 0.25? I know your not supposed to choose but it was running really quietly which I liked...If I do go and tighten them up - will I need a new gasket even though I only put this one on today???

The idle is probably smoother because the valves are being allowed to close properly! I put down the noise to point 6 in my previous post:) I think you may be asking "how much wear have I got on my cam lobes and followers-I need to know how much to reduce the gap by?" I will be interested if any one can tell you the answer. You could try dropping the gap a couple of thou and see how you go. But did you get the feeler guage to just grip? I wouldnt put on a new gasket. Just wipe it dry and put it back on again

[e34.535i.sport]

The idle is probably smoother because the valves are being allowed to close properly! I put down the noise to point 6 in my previous post:) I think you may be asking "how much wear have I got on my cam lobes and followers-I need to know how much to reduce the gap by?" I will be interested if any one can tell you the answer. You could try dropping the gap a couple of thou and see how you go. But did you get the feeler guage to just grip? I wouldnt put on a new gasket. Just wipe it dry and put it back on again

I done it so the 0.30mm was scraping through! The best way I found of doing it was to put the 0.30mm feeler underneathe, then tighten it up as tight as poss and pull it out. Anyone with a better method? I really could have used a third arm to be honest, two just didn't feel like enough. :D

Thanks for the advice, I think I'll trust your judgement... Always steers me in the right direction!

It's a hell of a task though, it took me a while to do it and then recheck everything... Oh by the way - I done intake 1, exhaust1, intake 5, exhaust 5, intake 3, exhaust 3, intake 6, exhaust 6, intake 2, exhaust 2, intake 4, exhaust 4.... Does that sound ok?

[Ken35i]

Yeah, you pretty much have it, mate.
Re-using the gasket? Is that ok?

[e34.535i.sport]

Yeah, you pretty much have it, mate.
Re-using the gasket? Is that ok?

I hope so! What's the worst that can happen?!!! (Famous last words!)

[E34-520iSE]

A new-ish gasket will be fine if it's not damaged. The worst that can happen is it'll leak oil through any skanky bits, which is can be annoying but isn't catastrophic!

Shaun M

[e34.535i.sport]

A new-ish gasket will be fine if it's not damaged. The worst that can happen is it'll leak oil through any skanky bits, which is can be annoying but isn't catastrophic!

Shaun M

That'll do me! The Gasket is brand new from the dealer, nice and thick too. The old one will be kept in storage too as it looked near perfect and came off super easy.

[Jon K]

Did you do it cold or warm? Most people like to do it when the oil/valves are warm.

[e34.535i.sport]

did You Do It Cold Or Warm? Most People Like To Do It When The Oil/valves Are Warm.

Cold!

[e34.535i.sport]

Hey again guys what do you make of this...

Just been out with the Captain and we re-adjusted the valves to exactly 0.23mm from the 0.30mm I had done previously... (I think when I checked for the first time they'd been set at 0.18mm!)

At 0.30mm the valves were tapping a lot and it was much noisier than before...

Now at 0.23mm the tapping is gone which is good :) - it sounds much healthier on idle and on test drive it was performing well... However I've now got a sound that sounds like a turbo whistle!!! It's not super loud but well audible when accelerating especially in 1st and 2nd gear... Is this a problem? I'm thinking it must be something to do with the exhaust side valves are they ok???

I'm hoping it's not a problem as I don't mind the sound, but I'm tempted to get in there and re-adjust to 0.25mm... Becoming an expert now! :p

Oh, and when we first turned it over the idle was a bit weird, it was hunting a bit and when I put the accelerator down a bit the idle stuck at 1000rpm. We disconnected the ICV and AFM and reconnected them and it was ok after this and a test drive, just thought I'd mention incase it has any relevance...


Any thoughts guys????

[bubba966]

Did you do it cold or warm? Most people like to do it when the oil/valves are warm.

The S38 needs to be done when it's dead cold. And the M30 is similar enough to an S38 that I'd also think that it'd need to be done cold.

[BigKriss]

Mate, I'm pretty sure they should be set at 0.12" or ~0.030mm dead cold. I set them at that and the bently manual says to set them at amount also, p116-7. So why have you set them to close together for, sure it's quieter but not good for the cylinder head. you might also want to consider Don Gale's bango bolts for the oil sprayer bar too :)

yes, the idle will be worse with the larger valve gap and noiser.

I followed Don's website - it's perfect as far as I can tell

http://www.nmia.com/~dgnrg/page_5.htm

[e34.535i.sport]

Mate, I'm pretty sure they should be set at 0.12" or ~0.030mm dead cold. I set them at that and the bently manual says to set them at amount also, p116-7. So why have you set them to close together for, sure it's quieter but not good for the cylinder head. you might also want to consider Don Gale's bango bolts for the oil sprayer bar too :)

yes, the idle will be worse with the larger valve gap and noiser.

I followed Don's website - it's perfect as far as I can tell

http://www.nmia.com/~dgnrg/page_5.htm

Hey Kriss thanks for the link. I did set them to 0.30mm and it was VERY noisy - the tapping would drive me crazy. This made me wonder why such a difference? Now I'm under the impression that after 18yrs there'll be some wear in there (the whisky Factor #6 :D) meaning if I set it to 0.30mm it's really opening it up more than that - so I set it back to 0.23mm and think it's too tight and I'm worried about the valve guides getting toasted! I'm going to set it at 0.25mm / 0.010" and leave it at that. I think that'll be the best compromise for me as I'm not listening to taptaptaptaptaptap for ever!

[Jeff N.]

I hope someone set you straight on this -

1) Clearance is measured between the cam lobe and the rocker. You will need feeler guages.

That's not correct. You measure and set the clearance between the eccentric and the valve.

[e34.535i.sport]

I hope someone set you straight on this -

1) Clearance is measured between the cam lobe and the rocker. You will need feeler guages.

That's not correct. You measure and set the clearance between the eccentric and the valve.

Hey thanks Jeff, don't worry once I got it open I figured it out - it's confusing when u've never seen it before but it makes perfect sense once you have the cover off!

:D

[BigKriss]

fair enough.


Hey Kriss thanks for the link. I did set them to 0.30mm and it was VERY noisy - the tapping would drive me crazy. This made me wonder why such a difference? Now I'm under the impression that after 18yrs there'll be some wear in there (the whisky Factor #6 :D) meaning if I set it to 0.30mm it's really opening it up more than that - so I set it back to 0.23mm and think it's too tight and I'm worried about the valve guides getting toasted! I'm going to set it at 0.25mm / 0.010" and leave it at that. I think that'll be the best compromise for me as I'm not listening to taptaptaptaptaptap for ever!

[e34.535i.sport]

Hey guys... Got back in there AGAIN today, I know I'm being anal over this by the way, and re-adjusted the valves to a tight 0.28mm - I done it so the 0.25mm would slide through with relative ease and the 0.28mm was hard to get under there... Put everything back together - fired her up and she runs sweet as a nut!

The idle isn't as smooth as when I set it looser :(, but I can live with that. The engine sounds really REALLY good when accelerating - I'm impressed with it. You wouldn't think that making such small adjustments inside the head could make such dramatic differences in the drivability and sound of the idle.

Coupled with the new engine mounts I took it out for a drive and it seemed to go like a rocket. :DThis is with the normal chip in, not the EAT which I still need to get back in there. I got the Captain to time me on a 0-60 run and we hit it in 8.5/secs - not bad with me at the wheel! I didn't cain it as much as I could have on take-off either as there were too many ppl around and I didn't want to be burning any rubber! reckon with the Stig in there it wouldn't be far from what the manual reckons it can do it in!

I just wanted to let you guys know how I got on in the end and to say a massive thanks again for all the info and advice... :D

[Bill R.]

The clearances recommended by most bmw master techs is 12 to 14 thousanths on the M30 motor, I set mine and my customers to an intermediate of around .013 thousanths . I do it dead cold, if you do it warm you must use the larger gap of .014. I prefer cold settings , If your getting excessive tapping then you possibly have a flat eccentric which should be replaced or your setting them wrong. Mine tap a little at .013 just like any flat tappet motor should. If you have a flat spot on an eccentric when you rotate it to adjust it you'll end up with a point or edge on top of the valve which won't let the feeler slide like it should. You should also use either angled feeler gauges or the long individual feeler gauges.

If the gauge isn't perfectly parallel to the valve stem surface it will bind and not feel correct, also giving you the wrong setting. .013 idles smoother than tighter and will last longer. IF the valve is too tight you run the risk of burning a valve or wiping out the lobe on the cam.

These engines don't have pressure feeding to the cam lobes, instead the oil spray bar just drips or sprays oil onto the cam lobe, The clearance between the cam and eccentric allows some oil to get in there lubricating the surface. IF the valve is set too tight there is no clearance for oil to run in between the cam lobe and eccentric and you'll soon have a flat lobe and the valve will tick really loud along with a nice miss in the engine.

[e34.535i.sport]

The clearances recommended by most bmw master techs is 12 to 14 thousanths on the M30 motor, I set mine and my customers to an intermediate of around .013 thousanths . I do it dead cold, if you do it warm you must use the larger gap of .014. I prefer cold settings , If your getting excessive tapping then you possibly have a flat eccentric which should be replaced or your setting them wrong. Mine tap a little at .013 just like any flat tappet motor should. If you have a flat spot on an eccentric when you rotate it to adjust it you'll end up with a point or edge on top of the valve which won't let the feeler slide like it should. You should also use either angled feeler gauges or the long individual feeler gauges.

If the gauge isn't perfectly parallel to the valve stem surface it will bind and not feel correct, also giving you the wrong setting. .013 idles smoother than tighter and will last longer. IF the valve is too tight you run the risk of burning a valve or wiping out the lobe on the cam.

These engines don't have pressure feeding to the cam lobes, instead the oil spray bar just drips or sprays oil onto the cam lobe, The clearance between the cam and eccentric allows some oil to get in there lubricating the surface. IF the valve is set too tight there is no clearance for oil to run in between the cam lobe and eccentric and you'll soon have a flat lobe and the valve will tick really loud along with a nice miss in the engine.

Hi Bill thanks - I'm sure I have it sorted now as I loosened off to around 0.28mm which i suppose is a tad over 0.011" (11.2 thousandths to be exact!) COLD. The bentley/Haynes manuals suggest 0.012 cold so factoring in any wear over the 18 yrs I'm sure it'll be ok bieng 0.8thousandths tighter do you agree? I used individual long feeler gauges and tested and retested the gaps this time and they seemed spot on.

I may not have adjusted the clearances correctly the first time and possibly had some differences between the twelve values making the ticking 'seem' louder...

Anyhow,it's running sweetly and sounds really healthy so for now I'm happy! :D In terms of the eccentrics I didn't have any problems adjusting correctly with a bit of practice so hopefully they're ok... If anything changes I can always change the eccentrics - it doesn't look like a difficult job (hopefully no-one will correct me on that one! :D). The inside of the head looked in great condition in general and the banjo bolts were still in tightly enough luckily!

[e34.535i.sport]

I don't want to look obsessive over this but I just adjusted the valves again... Last time I had them to around 0.28mm as opposed to 0.30mm specified in the bentley. I was worried after reading that setting the clearances too small would eventually cause damage to the seals...

Went out today and set them to 0.33mm to ensure they were loose enought to allow the valves to close completely and I'm really happy with the results! I was expecting it to be noisier than before (like the first time I set them to 0.30mm) but it's still just as quiet as before - I think as ppl suggested it's a matter of getting all the clearances the same to prevent that horrid ticking noise! Made up with that. What I also noticed is some power has been released low down, that car seems to pick up speed much easier from 1500revs onwards. REALLY pleased with this! AND, if that wasn't enough the idle seems much smoother, which is refreshing. Overall, well worth the effort doing it again (4th time?)!

Quick question though - on previous adjustments I have removed the spark plugs, this time I didn't. Turning the crankshaft was a little more difficult but I expected that... What I didn't expect was a sound that was like gas venting when I turned the crank via the fan nut. Is this normal with the plugs left in?! It never happened on the other occasions when I took them out. There doesn't seem to be any negative effects as the car is running really well.

Although I think I'm running rich or something (unrelated!) because I have had some visible exhaust gases lately, but I digress!

[E34-520iSE]

Well done - setting valves requires patience. Don't worry about that hissing noise you heard, it's just compression being created as you turn the engine.

ATB,

Shaun M

[whiskychaser]

They used to make a tappet adjustment tool that obviated the requirement for three hands. Unfortunately, they are no more so you wont find one in your Xmas stocking :-) Glad you got them sorted!

[e34.535i.sport]

They used to make a tappet adjustment tool that obviated the requirement for three hands. Unfortunately, they are no more so you wont find one in your Xmas stocking :-) Glad you got them sorted!

Gutted! Could do with one of those bad boys... :(

[e34.535i.sport]

Well done - setting valves requires patience. Don't worry about that hissing noise you heard, it's just compression being created as you turn the engine.

ATB,

Shaun M

You're right there mate, requires a strong lower back too! :D Thanks for putting my mind at ease over the other too!