Well, I was under the impression that I know all about my car and possible issues, but BMW never stops surprising 😉
Recently I was replacing the leaking valve cover gaskets and noticed a tiny crack in the vanos covers.
One of the covers was also misplaced a bit. I tried to move it back, but it cracked even more.
At that point I was glad that I noticed that “while I’m there” and I was going to order the new replacement covers.
I was literally shocked when I realized that you cannot buy them separately and the new vanoses will cost over $4k just in parts plus re-timing the engine which is barely a DIY. Used parts was not an option for me, as they will come with the same crappy plastic and unknown history. On top of that replacing a perfectly functional part is kind of ridiculous.
Then I found a Carbahn option with the washer covering the spring. Way less expensive than the new parts, however, will also require vanoses unbolting and using the timing tool.
After sharing it with my friends, I found out that
slonik was working on some covers prototypes. He did not have any sets available, but he was willing to fabricate the set for me.
3-4 week of patiently waiting and it I finally got it.
I was beyond impressed by the craftsmanship.
It is made of aluminum. Super light, super sturdy.
It’s just clicks in instead of OEM and you are good to go. No messing with vanos bolts, timing tool etc.
The fitment is perfect. All four covers had zero play after installation.
I will not go too deep into DIY details. All the steps are pretty much the same as valve cover gasket replacement. (The DIY could be found here:
https://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1839655)
On top of that, you will need to remove 4 bolts of the front vanoses cover.
(do not forget to order the new gasket)
Remove the old plastic covers. The plastic is super brittle, use some cloth or towel to prevent the plastic pieces from falling inside the engine.
Once the old plastic cover removed, click the new aluminum cover on.
Few things to pay attention to:
- Larger gap needs to be placed on top of spring end.
- This pin helps you to center the cover properly.
Once installed please make sure all the longer flaps seated properly.
It makes quite loud click when it clicks in place.
i hope that will help.
after deep dive in this topic, i think i might be the new issue that the majority of E9X M3 owners will have to address at some point...