M42 timing

[Uniquestrain]

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....

[DesktopDave]

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.

[mabeer]

Line up the arrow on the oil filter housing



with the notch on the harmonic dampener (hard to see when dirty)



Cams go flats in back parallel with head like desktop dave said.  Front lobes pointing towards each other in roughly this position.



Arrows on timing gears point up perpendicular to head and 15 links chain rivets between timing gear arrows (arrow to arrow)

Hope that helps.