M42club.com - Home of the BMW E30/E36 318i/iS
DISCUSSION => Engine + Driveline => Topic started by: Duct_Taper on March 16, 2009, 08:28:35 PM
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Pulled apart the valve cover and upper timing case tonight to check the timing chain, sprockets, and guides. Looks to me like the chain is good, sprockets are good, guides are alright except the top of the one guide had some pieces broken off - which I found in the oil pan. That was the only stuff I found in the pan though. Thoughts?
(http://www.eng.uwaterloo.ca/~pdmckay/318iC/TC1.jpg)
(http://www.eng.uwaterloo.ca/~pdmckay/318iC/TC2.jpg)
(http://www.eng.uwaterloo.ca/~pdmckay/318iC/TC3.jpg)
(http://www.eng.uwaterloo.ca/~pdmckay/318iC/TC4.jpg)
Last question: does this look like a profile gasket problem waiting to happen?
(http://www.eng.uwaterloo.ca/~pdmckay/318iC/PG.jpg)
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Teeth are not sharp so it looks fine. Guide rail... not so much. Time for a new Has the tensioner been replaced yet?
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I haven't done the tensioner myself - no idea if it was ever done by the PO.
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Any thoughts about the profile gasket? Should I be pulling the head and changing it?
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The gears look fine, they aren't sharp, and don't seem to be hooking, but then again the picture is dark and not very large. That said, it may not be a bad idea to just replace everything, kind of the "do it right the first time" approach. I wouldn't fret over the profile gasket too much, but if it makes you feel better, then do whatever you would like. I would certainly repalce the chain and rails though, and throw in a new tensioner when its all buttoned up.
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You do not need to replace those cam gears. The teeth are still squared, besides they may have been replaced already as they are the new replacement style.