Finally got around to doing my VANOS... Pic heavy...

[Behr]

Nice post Mike. Very helpful.

I'll get my arse into gear next week and do mine. The kit has been sat on the side for two months now

I'm with you on the oil pressure thought. It could be that oil is still filling the cylinders as you surmise, but it could be at such a flow rate overall that it makes little difference to pressures observed elsewhere around the motor. In order to measure and prove such effect then you'd need to do a number of identical full load rpm cycles (so that the cylinders go through their phases) before and after repair and compare the graphs surely?

 

[Ducklakeview]

Been out for a hoon tonight, the shove in all the gears between about 2k and 5k is noticeably improved, didn't find myself needing to stretch to 6k+ as I normally do.. Happy chappy!

Mike

 

[Marlon]

Does make a noticeable difference and even improves mpg ever so slightly. All M54 vanos seals are supposed to be pretty much goosed by 20k so god knows how any are out there under performing. Must be only a very small percentage that actually have the seals replaced.

So is this mainly an M54 issue - how do the N52 engines fair do you know?

 

[Ducklakeview]

Does make a noticeable difference and even improves mpg ever so slightly. All M54 vanos seals are supposed to be pretty much goosed by 20k so god knows how any are out there under performing. Must be only a very small percentage that actually have the seals replaced.

So is this mainly an M54 issue - how do the N52 engines fair do you know?

Ibelieve it's a general BMW VANOS issue, due to the material the factory fitted seals are made from not being up to the job in terms of temp and oil resistance. My seals were rock hard, totally inflexible and brittle, and that's at 62k! The consensus appears to be that the OEM seals are shot by 20k.... The Besian and I6 kits have seals made from a different material.


Mike

 

[Marlon]

Does make a noticeable difference and even improves mpg ever so slightly. All M54 vanos seals are supposed to be pretty much goosed by 20k so god knows how any are out there under performing. Must be only a very small percentage that actually have the seals replaced.

So is this mainly an M54 issue - how do the N52 engines fair do you know?

Ibelieve it's a general BMW VANOS issue, due to the material the factory fitted seals are made from not being up to the job in terms of temp and oil resistance. My seals were rock hard, totally inflexible and brittle, and that's at 62k! The consensus appears to be that the OEM seals are shot by 20k.... The Besian and I6 kits have seals made from a different material.


Mike

Thanks Mike - I think
So the symptoms are gradual loss of power and smooth acceleration in high revs?

 

[Leesfarm07]

I can see a trip for roof motor relocate AND Vanos now

 

[Smartbear]

Does make a noticeable difference and even improves mpg ever so slightly. All M54 vanos seals are supposed to be pretty much goosed by 20k so god knows how any are out there under performing. Must be only a very small percentage that actually have the seals replaced.

So is this mainly an M54 issue - how do the N52 engines fair do you know?

Hi Marlon, the n52 engine is supposed to have vanos seals which don't suffer as badly as the m54 versions-that's from reading bmw literature
Rob

 

[Ducklakeview]

Thanks Mike - I think
So the symptoms are gradual loss of power and smooth acceleration in high revs?

It's the low end power that suffers most, as the cams aren't being "actively" adjusted on the fly. I believe, from what I've read that the top end doesn't suffer as much. TBH, people commenting on improved mpg after getting them done makes me think what I said above is accurate, after all - if the mid range is improved, then there will be less inclination to up the revs to access the power...


My 30 odd mile drive today certainly proved the point to me, the car was noticeably punchier out of the bends and away from roundabouts on well known and travelled roads in the Zed.

Mike

 

[MACK]

So is this mainly an M54 issue - how do the N52 engines fair do you know?

Ibelieve it's a general BMW VANOS issue, due to the material the factory fitted seals are made from not being up to the job in terms of temp and oil resistance. My seals were rock hard, totally inflexible and brittle, and that's at 62k! The consensus appears to be that the OEM seals are shot by 20k.... The Besian and I6 kits have seals made from a different material.


Mike

Thanks Mike - I think
So the symptoms are gradual loss of power and smooth acceleration in high revs?

I know you have been getting "paranoid" lately Marlon, but this isn't something you need to worry about on yours as they changed the seal material as Smartbear said in the later engines. It only afflicts the M and some S series engines i6 engines. Even if it did effect yours it's near impossible to tell as the seals gradually fail but are supposed to be knackered by about 20k so the reality would be you've been driving it with dead seals for your entire ownership period. Which is exactly why most M54 engined cars dont have them done, the owners are unaware there is anything wrong as the car drives/runs pretty fine. Its only after there done do you go "well that made a difference".

On yours sometimes the Vanos solenoid seals can start to leak (look for oil right at the front of your engine towards the top) or the solenoids can fail themselves. The seals are cheap and easy to replace at home, as are the solenoids (minus the cheap bit!). I wouldn't worry too much the vanos seal issue on M54 engine is one of those "it afflicts every single one" type of faults, the solenoids failure on yours is fairly rare.

 

[MACK]

Thanks Mike - I think
So the symptoms are gradual loss of power and smooth acceleration in high revs?

It's the low end power that suffers most, as the cams aren't being "actively" adjusted on the fly. I believe, from what I've read that the top end doesn't suffer as much. TBH, people commenting on improved mpg after getting them done makes me think what I said above is accurate, after all - if the mid range is improved, then there will be less inclination to up the revs to access the power...


My 30 odd mile drive today certainly proved the point to me, the car was noticeably punchier out of the bends and away from roundabouts on well known and travelled roads in the Zed.

Mike

The 10% fuel economy improvement Beisan systems claims on their website is very optimistic though, I think I''ve seem circa 1 MPG in the three cars I have done.

 

[Ducklakeview]

Strange, my pics are no longer showing, but they are still there on the host, and the links are all working fine?

Mike

 

[markplant]

Strange, my pics are no longer showing, but they are still there on the host, and the links are all working fine?

Mike

Are they on photo bucket,
As there's a issue with 3rd party links

 

[Ducklakeview]

Strange, my pics are no longer showing, but they are still there on the host, and the links are all working fine?

Mike

Are they on photo bucket,
As there's a issue with 3rd party links

No, I uploaded them to [ref]Buckz[/ref] site as I bloody hate PB.. Still showing on his site and the links work, strange - But a "how to" ain't much use to others without pics! Will check a few more of my threads...


Mike

 

[Ducklakeview]

Strange, for some reason all of the pics in my threads hosted on vstanced.com are no longer appearing on the forum, come on - Who have I upset???

Mike

 

[markplant]

Buckz site has been blocked by mods
Ithink on page 3 or 4
http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=98170

 

[Ducklakeview]

Buckz site has been blocked by mods

Eh, do we know why?

Mike

 

[markplant]

Just sent the link in post above

 

[Ducklakeview]

Just sent the link in post above

Just read it thanks.

Mike

 

[Rusky]

Mike i may concider having this done at some point in the near future what sort of price for this and the disa valve?

 

[MR BLACK]

Hi Mike
Did you replace the needle roller bearings in the vanos pistons?

Cheers
Rob