N52 valve cover gasket replacement

bigwinn

Elite
 Lincoln UK
Site Supporter
Hi all

Slight weep of oil means I think it’s time to do the valve cover gasket on the coupe

Q1- mine is a silver top engine, is that the one that needs new bolts or can I reuse?

Q2 while that’s off what else is worth replacing?

Cheers

Stuart
 
Q1.

I didn`t change mine and I have the black top so either I should have or you need to :)

Q2.

This is what I changed when doing mine .

Valvetronic Gasket 11127552280

Gasket 11127559699

Eccentric shaft sensor 11377524879

You are also advised to get a spare one of these 11157559528 as they are prone to braking when taking them off but mine didn`t brake . It depends if you need the car before getting a replacement if required .
 
1536Z4 said:
Q1.

I didn`t change mine and I have the black top so either I should have or you need to :)

Q2.

This is what I changed when doing mine .

Valvetronic Gasket 11127552280

Gasket 11127559699

Eccentric shaft sensor 11377524879

Legend

Thank you!!!
 
Just had a thought you may have different part numbers as yours is the silver top . Pretty sure you are supposed to replace the bolts on your engine though .

Just found this

https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1981640#
 
About to do my N52 with the black cover. Research indicates that I don't need to replace the bolts. They are captive on the valve cover. See the other recommended part above is the crank case breather pipe that runs from the rocker cover. Can this be changed with out taking the inlet manifold off? Any thoughts welcomed thanks.
 
Bmw Enthusiast said:
About to do my N52 with the black cover. Research indicates that I don't need to replace the bolts. They are captive on the valve cover. See the other recommended part above is the crank case breather pipe that runs from the rocker cover. Can this be changed with out taking the inlet manifold off? Any thoughts welcomed thanks.

I just bought a whole new cover with the pcv on it. Includes all new gaskets
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/333399659227?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=HacwYNbASKO&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=pHx5nMAURgO&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
 
Bmw Enthusiast said:
I'm replacing the whole cover too with a Febi Bilstein one, but no pipe with mine. Will just have to be very careful when I disconnect it.

If they are like the m54 ones you have to go some to break them and it’s usually when you apply twisting pressure
 
I'm pretty sure you need to replace the bolts on all N52 engines because they are aluminium "stretch" bolts.

That's so they match the thermal expansion/contraction characteristics of the Magnesium/Aluminium block and head, which steel bolts wouldn't.
 
Mr Tidy said:
I'm pretty sure you need to replace the bolts on all N52 engines because they are aluminium "stretch" bolts.

That's so they match the thermal expansion/contraction characteristics of the Magnesium/Aluminium block and head, which steel bolts wouldn't.


Gotcha

On order just in case
 
The previous owner of my 330i with the N52 had a new cam-cover gasket fitted just before I bought it by a local garage, but told me he had insisted they used new bolts.

The invoice includes the comment "Found front O/S corner of rocker cover had 2 bolts snapped off and been left in holes" so they had to drill them out!

Shame he didn't get the oil filter housing gasket replaced though.
 
Mr Tidy said:
The previous owner of my 330i with the N52 had a new cam-cover gasket fitted just before I bought it by a local garage, but told me he had insisted they used new bolts.

The invoice includes the comment "Found front O/S corner of rocker cover had 2 bolts snapped off and been left in holes" so they had to drill them out!

Shame he didn't get the oil filter housing gasket replaced though.

Ooof

Blimey
 
In the past few weeks I’ve done an E89 and an E85. Both black top. Both had magnetic bolts so not ally and I reused them. Although captive, some of the captive collars come out with the bolts. Note which are which as the corner ones have a slightly bigger collar and won’t fit anywhere else.
 
Correct - Al bolts for Silver Top, Steel for Black Top. My 128i convertible had the Black Top and my E86 has the Silver Top.
 
Wonder what the Pro is of using Alu bolts as non re-usable seems a bit of a pain
 
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