M42club.com - Home of the BMW E30/E36 318i/iS
GENERAL => Off-topic discussion => Topic started by: Uniquestrain on April 20, 2013, 03:01:41 PM
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Okay so i'm new to the m42 engine
Recently bought a 1991 318i vert and figured since I'm keeping the car for awhile why not make it a happy engine and put all new gaskets on it, (btw had a blown head gasket).replaced both oil pan gaskets, new water pump and thermostat figured why not :) and got a head gasket set. Took the head to get rebuilt, came out perfect. But i had taken off the cam gears to remove the head because the chain wouldn't let me remove the head. My question now is how do i adjust the cam gears? And how do i set the timing on one of these. I have all the proper tools to do this.
Again!! I am new to this engine....
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I haven't done this myself yet, hopefully someone that has done it will chime in. I know there's a good guide somewhere around here.
Just wondering - did you take the timing chain tensioner out before you pulled the head? If not, you'll have to reset the tensioner.
The cams have a square block machined on their back end. BMW makes a special tool to lock them into place, but you can use a pair of adjustable wrenches to do the same thing. As long as the cams' machined surfaces are level with the head cover, you're OK. BMW also has provision for a lock pin on the block. When the motor is at TDC, you can slide a BMW tool (or a small hex key) into the flywheel to prevent the motor from turning until you've completed the timing.
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Line up the arrow on the oil filter housing
(http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q767/mabeer/timingmarks_zps3cd38cb3.jpg) (http://s1358.photobucket.com/user/mabeer/media/timingmarks_zps3cd38cb3.jpg.html)
with the notch on the harmonic dampener (hard to see when dirty)
(http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q767/mabeer/5acdfbc5-5efd-4d70-9cac-76d312945c9a_zpsdfce7d27.jpg) (http://s1358.photobucket.com/user/mabeer/media/5acdfbc5-5efd-4d70-9cac-76d312945c9a_zpsdfce7d27.jpg.html)
Cams go flats in back parallel with head like desktop dave said. Front lobes pointing towards each other in roughly this position.
(http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q767/mabeer/timingmarks-3_zps7dc41c7e.jpg) (http://s1358.photobucket.com/user/mabeer/media/timingmarks-3_zps7dc41c7e.jpg.html)
Arrows on timing gears point up perpendicular to head and 15 links chain rivets between timing gear arrows (arrow to arrow)
Hope that helps.