Valve Clearances and shims on the S54.
This seems to be a topic surrounded in mystique and for which those garages that can do it, seem to charge a lot of money.
However, the money to do it wasn’t really my issue . My problem has been finding someone locally who can do (or, do it reliably). Even my local Main-dealer service department didn’t get back to me (Sopers Lincoln).
The only place I found online (I’m sure there are more, of course) who put a totally convincing case forward that they do it properly is Redish in Bristol. But, that’s too far away for me and would entail me staying over in Bristol at least one night.
Their price online for the Insp 2 is essentially £1000 not including VAT. That also does including the cost of any shims that may be required - although these only cost about £3 each from BMW. It also doesn’t include brake fluid or coolant change! With all of that in mind and VAT, getting there and back, stopping over etc, I was looking at knocking on for nearly £2K !
The local BMW Specialist that I use on all my cars, and who is very good, admitted he didn’t have the kit but “would ask around to see if he could get one”. I’ve been waiting weeks!
Another local garage was recommended by a local chap in a Z4MC whom I happened to run into a couple of weeks and who apparently “always has his Z4MC serviced there” and where the owner of the garage himself apparently alsohas a Z3M Coupe.
When I went to enquire if they could do a FULL Inspection 2 on my car, he at first said “Yes of course, no problem!” When I probed further and I said “that does include checking and if necessary re-shimming the valve clearances on the engine, yes?” His eyes went a bit blank before enquirying “Why would you want or need to do that anyway?”
I made my excuses and left.
My car with 45K on the clock, has never had an Insp 2….only Oil and Insp 1 Services in its book. Although, the valve clearances DO actually also form part of an Insp 1 and this was done at a BMW main-dealer at about 25K miles.
As I’m planning to sell the car now, I want it to be all totally ‘on the button’ and up to date after the car has been in storage for four years…this was now just holding me up and preventing me getting it on the market. I already just replaced all the brakes (discs and pads) myself, so it’s really near ready.
In the end, I just bit the bullet and decided to do it myself! I’ve obviously never done it before….and y’know what? It’s really NOT DIFFICULT! IT IS NOT MYSTERIOUS! It is just a little time-consuming having not done it before
There are decent and very detailed, step-by-step instructional videos on YouTube.
It requires almost no specialist tools, except one which I bought online from a BMW Maindealer for £24. I also had to buy a big, 32mm socket to turn the crankshaft pulley - £6 off Amazon. Apparently some S54s have 4 torx bolts instead. You’ll need a digital callipers - cheap off Amazon but I had one anyway - and a decent head torch helped.
The rest is literally just simple hand tools!
So basically, the job if you don’t have those two items, will cost you £30 plus £3/shim which even if you had to replace every single one ( extremely unlikely!) would only about to less than £100 including VAT. The rest is just your time.
On the Z4M, it is EVEN easier than on the E46 M3s shown in the videos because:
1) Fan removal is easier.
2) You do not have to remove any struct braces to get the valve cover off, as you do with the M3.
3) You do not have to remove the pollen filter housing, as you do on the M3.
I have just done all 24 valve clearances on mine and amazingly ALL of mine were perfectly “within spec” (!), indeed at the lower end of spec and I didn’t need to change any shims. A bit annoying really that I bought the magnetic tool to take them in and out …..so, I took a couple in and out just to justify having bought the thing. IT’S EASY! I actually never even changed out of my house slippers!
I’ll put it back together tomorrow, put the new spark plugs in, oil and filters and just leave the gearbox, diff, brake and coolants for my Indie to do because I don’t have a easy means of lifting the car high enough.
The car will be finally ready!
