Please help! VANOS piston cover bolts won't loosen

[Dr. Zed]

Hi all.

Started the VANOS today following the x8r guide and everything was going fine till about 10 mins ago.

Their guide shows the engine removed from the car but with the engine in situ the bulk head is getting in the way of me getting the piston cover bolts off (ignoring the fact I'll then need to get into the piston etc itself with the bulkhead there).

Anyone got any tips?
I've tried using an 8mm Allen key which worked for someone else on the forum but these things are apparently torqued to 50Nm so I'm not surprised I can't get them loose with just an Allen key.

Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks!

[G600]

The aren't a left hand thread are they? It's ages since I did mine but I've a feeling they might be.

[bigwinn]

Allen key with a hollow bar on it- just enough to get them popped- they always go with a pop!

[bigwinn]

Or rubber mallet to pop them loose

[Dr. Zed]

Allen key with a hollow bar on it- just enough to get them popped- they always go with a pop!

This is what we ended up doing. How I'm going to torque them down I don't know.

Next issue is getting the vanos itself out. It seems the unit is caught up on the screws and doesn't have enough room to move out before the bulkhead gets in the way.

[DMike]

Allen key with a hollow bar on it- just enough to get them popped- they always go with a pop!

This is what we ended up doing. How I'm going to torque them down I don't know.

Next issue is getting the vanos itself out. It seems the unit is caught up on the screws and doesn't have enough room to move out before the bulkhead gets in the way.

Same method here here, a 30 cm pipe on the allen key and when it finally popped open I thought I had just managed to break the allen key. They were like crazy tight, so I torqued them crazy minus twenty. No way to fit a torque wrench there.

[bigwinn]

Allen key with a hollow bar on it- just enough to get them popped- they always go with a pop!

This is what we ended up doing. How I'm going to torque them down I don't know.

Next issue is getting the vanos itself out. It seems the unit is caught up on the screws and doesn't have enough room to move out before the bulkhead gets in the way.

I’ve had one in three get caught on the studs

Get a long pry bar or block of long wood- place it on the nub of the water pump and cross bar and pull toward the front of the car: it will give you about 3mm movement longitudinally so you can get the vanos tilted and over those studs

[Dr. Zed]

Allen key with a hollow bar on it- just enough to get them popped- they always go with a pop!

This is what we ended up doing. How I'm going to torque them down I don't know.

Next issue is getting the vanos itself out. It seems the unit is caught up on the screws and doesn't have enough room to move out before the bulkhead gets in the way.

I’ve had one in three get caught on the studs

Get a long pry bar or block of long wood- place it on the nub of the water pump and cross bar and pull toward the front of the car: it will give you about 3mm movement longitudinally so you can get the vanos tilted and over those studs

Thanks for this mate! This worked so well. Gave just enough room to get the unit out.
It's now on the table for rebuild. Refit it all tomorrow!