540i Timing chain guides

[KelvinD 25]

Hi guys,

I'm about to start tearing into the engine to replace my guide rails, will do vanos seals, valley pan and a few other bits while im in there. I am wondering if anyone has done this job before and has the cam lock blocks and timing tools i could possibly borrow/rent? Buying them for a 1 off job seems a bit of a waste. Also want to hear any tips or tricks to get that stubborn crank bolt off, i understand it can be a right p.i.t.a.

[zero 1162]

Crank bolt will come off with a decent rattle gun.

 

Looking forward to following your progress.

[necsis 27]

I have done this job twice, my own 540I and my fathers.

-Research, I spent about two weeks doing researching everything single little thing - I was lucky to have another car to drive.
-Spend time confirming part numbers and making lists of the parts you need and tipple checking. www.realoem.com is good for this
-I highly recommend replacing other items whilst you're in that deep.
-You definitely require the special timing tool kit for the M62. I managed to rent a kit.
-I bought the crankshaft holder tool and the Vanos press tool. Other tools, torx and e-torx sockets, seal picks and a left hand torque wrench
-Take your time and label/bag up all items. Have a clean working surface when doing the Vanos rebuild.
-Thoroughly inspect and clean oil pick up as you will find tiny bits of chain guide
-Have a laptop out in the shed for easy access to forums/help
-Be very careful removing plastic parts as they can be brittle - replace if you think it needs replacing
-Take special care installing alternator with new seal as I pinched mine which caused a small coolant leak. $65 from the dealer instead of $14 from Pelican for the same part....
-Buy a cheap scan tool cable that plugs into a laptop - they work well just for pulling codes and clearing them.
-Once you have completed the job successfully. I recommend changing the oil and filter within a few hundred kms just in case any debris/tiny bits of chain guide were still in the engine.

It's a massive job, a lot of pissing around triple checking, cleaning, torquing etc. There's a lot of info on the internet about all this, as well as some good youtube videos. You can do this job quite a bit cheaper if you only want to replace the timing chain associated items. I'm a fussy prick though and will be keeping my 540i for as long as I can. I f**king love it.

I rented the timing tool kit from a guy in Tauranga - PM me if you want his number.
Happy to rent you my VANOS press kit and crank holding tool...

[aja540i 1906]

Do the oil seperator while you are in there its behind the timing chain and made of plastic.....

[KelvinD 25]

On 10/2/2018 at 3:06 PM, necsis said:

I have done this job twice, my own 540I and my fathers.

-Research, I spent about two weeks doing researching everything single little thing - I was lucky to have another car to drive.
-Spend time confirming part numbers and making lists of the parts you need and tipple checking. www.realoem.com is good for this
-I highly recommend replacing other items whilst you're in that deep.
-You definitely require the special timing tool kit for the M62. I managed to rent a kit.
-I bought the crankshaft holder tool and the Vanos press tool. Other tools, torx and e-torx sockets, seal picks and a left hand torque wrench
-Take your time and label/bag up all items. Have a clean working surface when doing the Vanos rebuild.
-Thoroughly inspect and clean oil pick up as you will find tiny bits of chain guide
-Have a laptop out in the shed for easy access to forums/help
-Be very careful removing plastic parts as they can be brittle - replace if you think it needs replacing
-Take special care installing alternator with new seal as I pinched mine which caused a small coolant leak. $65 from the dealer instead of $14 from Pelican for the same part....
-Buy a cheap scan tool cable that plugs into a laptop - they work well just for pulling codes and clearing them.
-Once you have completed the job successfully. I recommend changing the oil and filter within a few hundred kms just in case any debris/tiny bits of chain guide were still in the engine.

It's a massive job, a lot of pissing around triple checking, cleaning, torquing etc. There's a lot of info on the internet about all this, as well as some good youtube videos. You can do this job quite a bit cheaper if you only want to replace the timing chain associated items. I'm a fussy prick though and will be keeping my 540i for as long as I can. I f**king love it.

I rented the timing tool kit from a guy in Tauranga - PM me if you want his number.
Happy to rent you my VANOS press kit and crank holding tool...

Thanks mate  I will take you up on the vanos press tool and crank holding tool. I will be in touch some time soon, i plan to do this around xmas once all my parts and tools arrive.

[KelvinD 25]

On 10/2/2018 at 4:12 PM, aja540i said:

Do the oil seperator while you are in there its behind the timing chain and made of plastic.....

Yes i planned on doing this while im in there as it did used to smoke a little tiny bit on cold starts

[KelvinD 25]

On 10/2/2018 at 2:46 PM, zero said:

Crank bolt will come off with a decent rattle gun.

 

Looking forward to following your progress.

I think ive settled on a good 3/4 breaker bar with a 6 point socket and holding tool, ill need the 3/4 for pressing the vanos when i do the seals too so it will serve 2 purposes.

[dirtydoogle 383]

You can find the dimensions for cam lock tool online and make your own, I've had a few of them laser cut for me. Can also make your own crank tool. 

My 18v rattle gun will do the crank pulley with ease too. 

It's a huge job to undertake, be over prepared 

[KelvinD 25]

I thought about making all that but buying/hiring seems a much less fussing around way to go. If watching every video i can find and reading every forum also in the past month and making an exhaustive list of parts and tools and torque specs hasnt prepared me... i dont know what will. I've learnt a lot from videos and forums of what not to do and what to watch out for so a big thanks to those guys sharing their experinces allbeit bad ones but it helps us put a good plan of attack in place.

[KelvinD 25]

Well i got to dig into the M62 this afternoon thanks to getting off work earlier than normal. Going well so far but im at the point now where ill have to order my tools and parts but at least ive had a little look at what ill be replacing. what did surprise me is how clean the valves are, not a spec on them. Also noticed the valleypan was leaking so good thing ill be replacing that while im at it. Its no wonder the guides gave up, they are so brittle and almost worn paper thin by the chain, that and the pitting im surprised they didnt go sooner.

[zero 1162]

How many kms on the engine?

[KelvinD 25]

39 minutes ago, zero said:

How many kms on the engine?

285000km

[zero 1162]

1 hour ago, KelvinD said:

285000km

Done well to get this far if those are the original guides.

Looks like you stepped in just in time.

[aja540i 1906]

I have a Besian vanos kit (seals and tools) from when I had my 540i, never got around to using it so will part with it for a fair price. PM me if you're interested.

[KelvinD 25]

6 hours ago, zero said:

Done well to get this far if those are the original guides.

Looks like you stepped in just in time.

Looking at it my guess is they are original, doesnt look like anyones been in there before. Only had the car a month before they went, changed oil and filter the first week of owning it then 3 weeks later the chatter started. Just my luck haha. Its only the second BMW ive owned, the first being a 96 528i that had a blown head gasket but thats a whole different kettle of fish.

[KelvinD 25]

1 hour ago, aja540i said:

I have a Besian vanos kit (seals and tools) from when I had my 540i, never got around to using it so will part with it for a fair price. PM me if you're interested.

Yea could be keen mate, ill be in touch later when im sourcing all my parts.

[Etwenty1 45]

I have the tools. Pm me if you want to discuss hire.

 

[Young Thrash Driver 1020]

6 hours ago, Etwenty1 said:

I have the tools. Pm me if you want to discuss hire.

 

How did you get on with that black 540 Chris? Was the head gasket gone, in the end?

[Etwenty1 45]

All good, I replaced one side but no signs of a leak so who knows might have been a valve sticking open. Rebuilt the starter and now chasing creaky suspension so it just goes on. Trying to sell it but who wants a V8 with 280ks on it when gas is $2.30...did you sell your wagon?

[Young Thrash Driver 1020]

Someone has put a deposit on it and is coming to have a look this weekend. Fingers crossed! Yep I think we are stuck with our cars for a bit, unless we sell them for pennys... Wouldn't have bought the touring if I knew I'd be selling it for half what it owes me but at least it taught me a few things I guess.

[KelvinD 25]

17 hours ago, Etwenty1 said:

I have the tools. Pm me if you want to discuss hire.

 

Thanks, ill be in touch. Just to be clear do you have just the timing tools? ie. Cam locks, vanos, cam sensor, locking pin etc. do you also have crank pulley holder and vanos seal press? 

[KelvinD 25]

So here is an update with some snapshots. The last of my parts should be arriving in the next day or 2 and i cant wait. Notice the wear on the lower cover from the chain, i count my lucky stars that wasnt any worse than it is. Even ordered the wrong water pump, but that was just peventative maintenance and can wait a little longer to be replaced. So far i have replaced the oil seperator, pcv tube, ccv and all associated intake gaskets, valley pan gasket re sealed and a new oil pump chain. The amount of guide pieces i have pulled out of every orrifice of this engine is just crazy, its as if a grenade went off in there, the alloy filings are another pain in the butt although the filter captured most of it thankfully. At least it feels like im on the home stretch now with every surface and orifice cleaned up and ready to accept the new parts.

 

 

 

[zero 1162]

That damage on the lower cover is scary.

Was the chain rattling about so much it was rubbing against it?

[KelvinD 25]

4 minutes ago, zero said:

That damage on the lower cover is scary.

Was the chain rattling about so much it was rubbing against it?

Yea the reversing guide had completely gone so there was no lip to prevent it rubbing on the case, it also rubbed a little on the vanos solenoids and upper covers, the guide rail has big score marks where the chain de railed and the bank 2 rail had started to chip away also, what freaked me out the most is where it was rubbing was directly behind where the water pump mounts. There is still plenty of material left where it ate the cover so i will be ok with that and im replacing all chains, tensioners and guides so i should be ok for a little while. It serves as a good example of how things can get really bad really fast if the guides explode on these engines.

[adro 1083]

Good work. I remember thinking I had the wrong guides as the new ones didin't have the same big score marks down them...lol