Great video. Myself I used PVC plumbing pipe with some fine sand paper to clean up the cam bearing shells (on my N55). The right PVC pipe is just a little smaller diameter than the cam journal. I bought chinese cams and checked the hardness with a scratch kit. The chinese cams have runout so beware.... but are easy to straighten true. I will put a video together soon.
Hi Bimmerzen, I also polished my journals but by hand and I was careful not too overdo it after watching your video. I was prepared to do some polishing but I actually found the journals to be in good spec at 0.051 mm. I think one of two things happened to you, Either the fact that you sanded in a lathe took of too much material. OR You used the red plastigauge and I used the green. The green one has a narrower band of measurement, from 0.025 - 0.076 and yours seems to go all the way from 0.025 - 0.175.
So wish this had been up before i did mine - couple of things i didnt do or know but its too late now as rebuilt and back in the car. Will have to see if it runs ok!! I didnt get any sleeves in my kit either so hopefully no damage on the velve stem seals. I took the injectors out - you shoudl have seen the wrestling match i had on cyclinDer one - it was welded in. Hope it didnt get damaged in the process. You can get the seals back on using a biro pen top to stretch it and then electric tape wrapped a few times to recompress. I lapped the valves but didnt test like you did - went on sound. Also didnt plasti the cams. My jounrals looked ok but i replaced a cam because there was wear in the actual cam lifter part. I knew id see things i would then worry about if i watched these but hey ho - too late now.
very good job as usual it shoud be a good running engine! i can not wait to hear it running, im debating now to do the same work on my 1 series with the n45 engine or just swap it
It's sooo much work and money to rebuild an engine. I recommend getting a good used engine and replace all the gaskets, valve stem seals and chain drive.
@@BimmerZen i concur although i did it as a learning project and i learnt never again :D too much time and agro for a diyer with no lift (and no mechanical experience).
It's okay to pressure wash the head with soap and water with the injectors and spark plugs still installed? My general feeling is that injectors are really sensitive and break easily but maybe it's not the case.
@@BimmerZen Hehe yeah I get it. Would be so satisfying to get a totally clean block right? And probably easier to clean too... How's the engine doing? Excitedly waiting to see how it runs. I just started my own rebuild of an N43. First one :D
Damnit I removed the vacuum pump bearing bridge at the end of the intake side. The BMW manual says not to remove it as it is not possible to adjust it. When I tore the engine down I just unscrewed everything... I feel like there might have been some sealant there. Gahh how do I deal with this. There's no instruction on how to install it. Looks like it should just be torqued down with some sealant but I'm worried that I screwed something up.
@@MrBojangles901 I'm not an expert, but that seems to he the only practical and logical way to do it. The bridge is line bored with the camshaft bearings. But the vacuum pump has a slot coupling that allows some minor play, so all should be ok. Just make sure the bridge is well aligned so no edge can be felt with the fingernail.
N40/N42/N46/N43 have the same lifters on the intake and exhaust side. If you press down and they slowly go all the way down (dont hold pressure) then you should try to clean them and rebleed them. If that doesnt help them hold pressure then replace them.
My engine is N42, but still watched this tutorial. keep up these zen videos!
Great video. Myself I used PVC plumbing pipe with some fine sand paper to clean up the cam bearing shells (on my N55). The right PVC pipe is just a little smaller diameter than the cam journal. I bought chinese cams and checked the hardness with a scratch kit. The chinese cams have runout so beware.... but are easy to straighten true. I will put a video together soon.
Thank you so much for this interesting content, it's specially interesting to N43 owners like I am 😅
I am rebuilding a N46 at the moment. Your videos are very helpfull! 🤩
Hi Bimmerzen,
I also polished my journals but by hand and I was careful not too overdo it after watching your video. I was prepared to do some polishing but I actually found the journals to be in good spec at 0.051 mm.
I think one of two things happened to you,
Either the fact that you sanded in a lathe took of too much material.
OR
You used the red plastigauge and I used the green. The green one has a narrower band of measurement, from 0.025 - 0.076 and yours seems to go all the way from 0.025 - 0.175.
So wish this had been up before i did mine - couple of things i didnt do or know but its too late now as rebuilt and back in the car. Will have to see if it runs ok!! I didnt get any sleeves in my kit either so hopefully no damage on the velve stem seals. I took the injectors out - you shoudl have seen the wrestling match i had on cyclinDer one - it was welded in. Hope it didnt get damaged in the process. You can get the seals back on using a biro pen top to stretch it and then electric tape wrapped a few times to recompress. I lapped the valves but didnt test like you did - went on sound. Also didnt plasti the cams. My jounrals looked ok but i replaced a cam because there was wear in the actual cam lifter part. I knew id see things i would then worry about if i watched these but hey ho - too late now.
With you being in upper tolerances on the exhaust cams. You're definitely not in an issue.
Awesome content, as usual!
very good job as usual it shoud be a good running engine! i can not wait to hear it running, im debating now to do the same work on my 1 series with the n45 engine or just swap it
It's sooo much work and money to rebuild an engine. I recommend getting a good used engine and replace all the gaskets, valve stem seals and chain drive.
@@BimmerZen i concur although i did it as a learning project and i learnt never again :D too much time and agro for a diyer with no lift (and no mechanical experience).
@@BimmerZenis it mandatory to change the chain drive when replacing valve stem seals?
@@emmanueloseiaboagye9554 no, but I would definetely replace the plastic guide rail and tensioner
@@BimmerZen please what is plastic guide rail and where is it located in the engine?
Great job.
Nice job 😮
It's okay to pressure wash the head with soap and water with the injectors and spark plugs still installed? My general feeling is that injectors are really sensitive and break easily but maybe it's not the case.
I would definitely recommend removing the injectors! I wish I removed them while doing this...
@@BimmerZen
Hehe yeah I get it. Would be so satisfying to get a totally clean block right? And probably easier to clean too...
How's the engine doing? Excitedly waiting to see how it runs. I just started my own rebuild of an N43. First one :D
Damnit I removed the vacuum pump bearing bridge at the end of the intake side. The BMW manual says not to remove it as it is not possible to adjust it. When I tore the engine down I just unscrewed everything... I feel like there might have been some sealant there.
Gahh how do I deal with this. There's no instruction on how to install it. Looks like it should just be torqued down with some sealant but I'm worried that I screwed something up.
Reinstall it with the vacuum pump inserted to help it center. Torque it to 10 Nm.
@@BimmerZen Yess good man. I was thinking the same but nice to have it confirmed by the expert.
@@MrBojangles901 I'm not an expert, but that seems to he the only practical and logical way to do it. The bridge is line bored with the camshaft bearings. But the vacuum pump has a slot coupling that allows some minor play, so all should be ok. Just make sure the bridge is well aligned so no edge can be felt with the fingernail.
Are intake and exhaust lifters different? and how do you understand they are dead? on my N47T I cannot push them in more than for 10%
N40/N42/N46/N43 have the same lifters on the intake and exhaust side. If you press down and they slowly go all the way down (dont hold pressure) then you should try to clean them and rebleed them. If that doesnt help them hold pressure then replace them.