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N52 aftermarket valve cover - VAICO, Elring etc.
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N52 aftermarket valve cover - VAICO, Elring etc.
I need to change a cracked valve cover on my 3.0si. OEM one is of course pretty expensive, I was wondering if anybody has experience with brand aftermarket ones. All I seem to find is people hating on cheap chinese knockoffs, but no input on brands like Vaico, Febi, Elring - they should be decent, right?
2007 Z4 3.0si roadster - High mileage hero
- skelters
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N52 aftermarket valve cover - VAICO, Elring etc.
Try and find one that's being broken up.
2007 Z4 3.0si Sport. Silver Grey Metallic, Brembo Brakes, HEL Braided Brake Hoses, Machine Monkey Exhaust Tips, Stubby, Piano Black trim, Black Leather, Bilstein B12-Pro-Kit, Michelin Pilot Sport 4 on MV2's. Roof Motor in the Boot!
N52 aftermarket valve cover - VAICO, Elring etc.
I’d be interested in any reports of ‘quality’ suppliers alternatives too..my cam cover has a broken part on it for the engine cover..
Seems like it’s only a matter of time before the original cracks/distorts anyway..
Seems like it’s only a matter of time before the original cracks/distorts anyway..
- patriot66
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N52 aftermarket valve cover - VAICO, Elring etc.
Hi there GTwice. I've heard of Vaico components and believe they are of reasonable quality but haven't purchased or fitted any so couldn't vouch for them. However, I have used Elring gaskets previously and currently have many Febi Bilstein components on my Z4 and regard both brands very highly, particularly Febi Bilstein. Also, I believe some FB parts are covered by a 3 year guarantee
Sterling Grey '03 2.5i SE / Infinitas Supercharger / S.M.G / Hardtop / Gloss Black 162s / Bilstein B4s / 3.0i Brakes / DLV De-Cat & Silencer / Rebuilt VANOS / Sonar 2Xcite Lights / Carbon & Alcantara Trim / M-Sport Seats / ...& Side Covers !
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N52 aftermarket valve cover - VAICO, Elring etc.
Thanks patriot66, I'm very familiar with all those brands and I have used them on many DIY jobs and have always been happy. The reason I'm asking is because all I can find anywhere is that anything other than OEM valve cover is crap (even though OEM isn't much better), but it seems people only ever tried the cheap chinese ones - I could be wrong, but I remember a few years ago there was no alternative to cheap ebay stuff, did Febi, Elring and Vaico only release those parts recently?patriot66 wrote: ↑Sat Jul 17, 2021 5:24 pm Hi there GTwice. I've heard of Vaico components and believe they are of reasonable quality but haven't purchased or fitted any so couldn't vouch for them. However, I have used Elring gaskets previously and currently have many Febi Bilstein components on my Z4 and regard both brands very highly, particularly Febi Bilstein. Also, I believe some FB parts are covered by a 3 year guarantee
2007 Z4 3.0si roadster - High mileage hero
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N52 aftermarket valve cover - VAICO, Elring etc.
Do you mean OE, i.e. BMW? OEM is often confused for OE as a term.
I think Elring is the OEM
3.0si Sport: F10 Illuminated ZHP, Retrofit Cruise, OE Stubby, Gaptech RCH+, Kenwood BT73DAB + Handsfree, HIDs, LED Sidelights, OE LED Number Plate Lights, Custom LED strip bootlight.
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N52 aftermarket valve cover - VAICO, Elring etc.
FYI I went with Elring, so far so good, definitely better quality than SKV Esen which I had before.
2007 Z4 3.0si roadster - High mileage hero
- rjhl64
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N52 aftermarket valve cover - VAICO, Elring etc.
I installed a ESEN SKV Rocker cover last year (6k miles covered) so far no issues to report (only time will tell)
BMW Z4 SI SPORT Automatic / E86 coupe
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N52 aftermarket valve cover - VAICO, Elring etc.
Really? The one I got didn't even fit properly, one of the bolt holes didn't align with the head.
2007 Z4 3.0si roadster - High mileage hero
- rjhl64
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N52 aftermarket valve cover - VAICO, Elring etc.
the only issue i had was that the rocker cover came with all the gaskets and aluminium bolts, i ended up using febi gaskets (i purchased separately) , used the aluminium bolts provided with the rocker cover (So now sill have a brand new set of victor reinz bolts, maybe come in handy one day).
BMW Z4 SI SPORT Automatic / E86 coupe