Uh oh. Bennys' first tantrum! WAYHAAAY We're back in business! :) EDIT: 2000 mile update.

Marlon said:
:rofl: your cat knows you so well. Your posts always bring a smile :)
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Hehe, he does!
He's actually not even my cat - belongs to my neighbour in the next row behind mine. He wandered in from the back garden one day 7 years ago while I was watching TopGear, looked at me and then casually proceeded towards the kitchen whereupon he found a delectable assortment of dinner leftovers.
I carried on watching TG as Stig was doing one of his obligatory laps in something then the cat wandered back into the lounge licking its lips then hopped up onto the couch next to me, settled down and watched the rest of the programme with me. We've been mates ever since!
He didnt have a collar and I therefore presumed he was a feral. Didn't seem to have any fleas that I could detect so I didn't really object - glad of the company. I only found out about a year ago that he does actually have an owner, and many more 'friends' down my street who oblige him with tasty tidbits. Clever!
 
Plugs out. They look a bit grimy and were an absolute PITA to get out. Feared they were x-threaded but with a bit of persuasion came out.
Thoughts on condition? May just replace anyhow. They were so tightly screwed in my fear is they might even be the originals (105000 miles).
Cleanable with a good douse of carb cleaner / electrical contact spray?
Photo 28-09-2016 12 40 43.jpg
Photo 28-09-2016 12 41 47.jpg
Photo 28-09-2016 12 42 12.jpg
 
Chris_D said:
Marlon said:
:rofl: your cat knows you so well. Your posts always bring a smile :)
Click to expand...


Hehe, he does!
He's actually not even my cat - belongs to my neighbour in the next row behind mine. He wandered in from the back garden one day 7 years ago while I was watching TopGear, looked at me and then casually proceeded towards the kitchen whereupon he found a delectable assortment of dinner leftovers.
I carried on watching TG as Stig was doing one of his obligatory laps in something then the cat wandered back into the lounge licking its lips then hopped up onto the couch next to me, settled down and watched the rest of the programme with me. We've been mates ever since!
He didnt have a collar and I therefore presumed he was a feral. Didn't seem to have any fleas that I could detect so I didn't really object - glad of the company. I only found out about a year ago that he does actually have an owner, and many more 'friends' down my street who oblige him with tasty tidbits. Clever!
Click to expand...

Cats are ace :thumbsup:
 
Chris_D said:
Plugs out. They look a bit grimy and were an absolute PITA to get out. Feared they were x-threaded but with a bit of persuasion came out.
Thoughts on condition? May just replace anyhow. They were so tightly screwed in my fear is they might even be the originals (105000 miles).
Cleanable with a good douse of carb cleaner / electrical contact spray?
Photo 28-09-2016 12 40 43.jpg
Photo 28-09-2016 12 41 47.jpg
Photo 28-09-2016 12 42 12.jpg
Click to expand...

I've seen plugs in worse condition, if they are working ok clean em up and stick em back in. I take it the car didn't come with any service history?

You are providing us with an interesting and entertaining post and I love all the photos it almost like we are doing the job with you. :thumbsup:
 
Lol, thx sharpy.
Cover's off and relatively easily. I heard a 'CRACK' and my heart jumped into my mouth as I thought I'd cracked it somewhere, but after inspection it mustve just been the tension-release from the predictably baked-on gasket.
On further inspection, there were also bits of the gasket left on cylinder 1 and 2 mating surfaces on the cam housing side due to the sheer brittleness of the gasket. Confirmed as an absolutely necessary fix right there I think, notwithstanding the leak at the back end!

Anyway, after inhaling too much carb cleaner while cleaning the gasket mating surfaces I'm feeling a bit light-headed so it's time for a little break and a nice cuppa rosy and a garibaldi. Then on to removing the nasty old gasket from the cam-cover and then more cleaning, ready for installation of the new gasket.....

Relatively chuffed to have reached halfway point without any major f@@kups.....or stripped bolts :lol:
As mentioned a few times previously, I'm not a mechanic by any means - just an enthusiastic amateur. I know this job would have taken some of you 20 minutes but I'm going slow and steady....and that works ok for me! :roll:
Cover off and before cleaning gasket mating surfaces
image.jpeg
after cleaning. you could eat yer dinner off that!
image.jpeg
This bit of gasket couldn't bear to leave. Ahh bless.
image.jpeg
Thankfully, no evidence of condensation mayonnaise. Phew.
image.jpeg
 
I really would replace those spark plugs - they look way past their best. But on a positive note they are not oily or fouled up which means by and large that engine compression must be ok.
 
Mike6 said:
I really would replace those spark plugs - they look way past their best. But on a positive note they are not oily or fouled up which means by and large that engine compression must be ok.
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yer, i'll get some newuns at some point but for now, i gave them a quick blast of contact spray and most of the carbon has cleared out. I slipped them back in with the aid of a tiny smearing of copper grease as they were a b*tch to get out. didnt want the spark plug holes exposed while i was cleaning the gasket mating surfaces.
 
So, after some 4 cautious and somewhat leisurely hours, interspersed with frequent handwashing, tea breaks and way too many bikkies, the cover has had a thorough cleanup with all the gasket channels now being squeaky clean, new gaskets installed and it's ready to go back on the engine side.

I gave the half-moons at both ends as well as some of the corners the merest soupson of Permatex Gasket Maker 2 as I thought that seeing as how there are 2 schools of thought that promote it and advise against it that it was the best compromise. It's a non-hardening material used in aviation and I've also previously specced a similar material for nuclear applications (atomic tolerances) albeit admittedly at a lower pressure.

It also stinks like that hideous cough mixture you used to get at school back in the 70's and I can't help theorising that some nerdy-looking Open Univerity-type NHS be-spectacled bright spark down at the medicine factory came up with the idea to use the sediment left at the bottom of the mixing tanks would 'make an excellent gasket material!' ... :lol:

Photo 28-09-2016 17 08 09.jpg
 
Everything back on now.
Looking down the front of the cam cover and it looks like its indented at the middle bolt. Shhhhh*t. That does NOT look right! It should be perfectly flat right? What do you think?
Photo 28-09-2016 18 43 25.jpg

*edit* slightly better photos:
Photo 28-09-2016 18 55 34.jpg
Photo 28-09-2016 18 55 11.jpg

Oh well. Going to call it a day and crank it up tomorrow morning after the gasket has had a chance to bed in....
Might try un- and re-tightening and seeing if the gasket became obstructed. drat.
 
I would not start the engine until you are happy the cam cover is sitting correctly.If you start the engine ,the top of the engine will fill with oil and make the job more messy.
 
maxman said:
I would not start the engine until you are happy the cam cover is sitting correctly.If you start the engine ,the top of the engine will fill with oil and make the job more messy.
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Yeah def agree.
Decided to play it safe and un-tighten the bolts so as not to warp the cover overnight.
I'll take it off again tomorrow and set it on my glass garden table to see if it is actually warped when off and set a metal ruler edge on the flange at the engine.
I pattern-torqued the bolts as per numerous instructions online starting from the inside and working outwards so I have a suspicion that this may have been done incorrectly perhaps.
The bolts 'bottom out' so its not possible to over-tighten which puzzles me a little.
Better to be safe than sorry!
 
Looking at one of the previous photo's of the 'naked' top end, your spots of visible oil are nice & clean, always a good sign in my eyes.
Waiting for the next instalment.........quite addictive this thread! :)
 
Thx fox.
Next installment will concern re-tightening the cover bolts in a slightly different pattern to see if that corner will end up as raised as when i first tightened down the cover. Suspect it might so if that's the case i'll have to whip it off again, re-clean, re-install gasket and re-seat. Bita of a pita as i used non-hardening gasket maker on both surfaces.

Been searching the internets and came accross a fella with exactly the same height gasket standoff i noticed when installing mine to the cover. Thought it was wrong size initially but have been advised, as was guy on e46 forum that it was normal fit.
http://www.e46fanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=850866
Piddling down here today so it's a job for tomorrow.

Photo of his gasket but mine looked exactly the same before re-installing cover...
image.jpeg
Just looking at the lower edge of his cover and his looks similar to mine- not 100% straight. So i might be ok. Still looks wrong th imo.
 
Fox889 said:
Looking at one of the previous photo's of the 'naked' top end, your spots of visible oil are nice & clean, always a good sign in my eyes.
Waiting for the next instalment.........quite addictive this thread! :)
Click to expand...

Agree with this looked quite good condition, could you see what the other end of the cam cover fitted like? Any further down, flatter? :thumbsup: keep up the good work.
 
It's really difficult to say yes or no on this one!! I will check mine against your picture when I get home.

But if you think it went on correctly bolted down right to the corect torque then it's probably right? If anything it looks over tightend?!? The plastic looks like it's rising up between the bolts. Like you would expect a weak plastic part bolting to a solid aluminium of the head.
 
Thx Sharpy.
And agree MM, I un-tightened everything after I took that pic as I feared i might have warped the cover
(I'll never learn my lesson re overtightening things! :headbang: )

Will attack it again tomorrow when it's not raining.
Would be great if you could throw up a pic of yours for comparison?
That goes for anyone else who would be kind enough; if you could take the photo from the same angle looking at the front ns corner of the valve cover including the front edge to see if there is any gasket hang or warping of the valve cover etc.

thx in advance
:wink:
 
I will post the picture tomorrow (still struggle on my phone!!) but mine looks very similar to yours and I would say your ok :thumbsup:
 
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