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Subject: Valve Adjustment, Valve Cover Gasket, Service Interval reset Author: hgjacobsen as IBHenry : member since May, 2007 : 7075 posts Posted on: 2008-02-02 22:43:20

when adjusting the valves on my 1988 BMW 325i convertible, I did the following. I bumped the starter using pins 11 and 14.


By watching the lobes, I started at the from and worked my way to the back of the engine. I did my valves warm this time and set them at .012. When I did my other e30 2 weeks ago, I did it at .10 dead cold. Turns out that this may be too tight. There was no valve noise but it idles rough until warmed up. So after a warm valve adjustment...Wow, at .012 it was quiet and had plenty of power! Here are some pics of the job.

Make sure the key is out of the ignition,and if it is a manual, that it is in neutral!

1. Remove spark plugs, this will help with rotating the engine (Don't be cheap! Buy new spark plugs!)
2. Remove the vacuum hose with a flat-head screwdriver.
3. Remove all the nuts on the valve cover 10mm 8 nuts (2 have built in washers, the other 2 are normal and holds down the plug wire housing)
4. Remove the intake manifold bracket, 10mm 4 bolts
5. Remove the valve cover to see this:


6. Remove the diagnostic cap and look for numbers 11 and 14. They are numbered (Mine are marked with a gold marker). Put a piece of wire into one of the pin holes, like this:


7. Now just touch the wire semi briefly to crank the engine:


8. Watch the front of the valves as they move up and down. You want to make sure that the rocker is in the relaxed position. or not pressing sown on the valve. There is a gap between the rocker and the top of the valve, about half of mine were bigger than the .012 I was going for, but for consistency, I did them all. Now loosen the nut at the rocker, take a small "L" shaped allen wrench and place that in the eccentric, place a feeler gauge (set at .012) and rotate the eccentric until it sets on the feeler gauge. Don't over do it! You want it to be snug but not tight!

Nut already loosened:


Using a .012 feeler gauge:


Moving the eccentric with an allen and then tighten with a 10mm wrench


After doing them all, remove all 4 cam plugs, clean out the grooves.
Rear pic of cam seals removed:

Front pic of selas removed:


I use black silicone to seal the end plugs. From my experience, these plugs will harden over time and leak, silicone will help prevent oil leaks:


1 of 4 cam plugs seals:


Silicone the end plug seals:


Place the valve cover gasket on (can only go on one way) and bolt the cover back on!


a great link to a valve adjustment

Since I had the diagnostic port open, I also reset my Oil Service Interval lights by jumping pins 7 and 19. Place a piece of wire in these two pins, turn the key to the on position, and then remove the wire, it's reset! To reset Inspection Service lights, leave wire in for about 10-15 seconds.

"No matter where you go, there you are."
2001 BMW 740iL

Mods: New cluster from BMWNA!, Quad taillights, Cross drilled rotors and ceramic pads all the way around, new Traction struts & Control arms=No shimmy! Angel Eyes, done!

• Valve Adjustment, Valve Cover Gasket, Service Interval reset (pic) (url) - IBHenry 2008-02-02 22:43:20 (3230 views)
  • Great work! Thanks for sharing. This is going on e38.org today. (nt) - DavidC 2008-02-05 22:37:56 (504 views)