Do-it-yourself vanos m54 repair

In detail: do-it-yourself repair of vanos m54 from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

VANOS is BMW's variable valve timing system. On the vastness of our Internet, it is simply called vanos, and someone unknowingly calls it vanus. The Bavarians began using this phase shifter system on their motors in the early 90s. The principle of operation of this mechanism is very simple: at the right time, the vanos must change the opening angle of the intake valves (on the double vanos system, the opening angles of the intake and exhaust are changed). This unit turns the camshafts using helical gears, which are hydraulically driven through the vanos piston.

There are no electric motors in the vanos mechanism. Thus, the main condition for the normal functioning of this phase shifter is the flawless operation of the hydraulic part. Of course, nothing is perfect in our world, and the first generation of vanos, used on our favorite motors M50, M52, M54, M62 TU, had its drawbacks.

THE PROBLEM OF VANOSING ON MOTORS BEFORE 2005

Until about 2005, the hydraulic part of the vanos was equipped with rubber seals, which were made from a certain type of rubber. This material is called “Buna” in the automotive industry and is widely used in the manufacture of seals and profile gaskets for motors. The sad thing is that this material is poorly resistant to temperature extremes and the chemical effects of additives in modern oils. In our climatic zone in winter, temperature differences in the engine can reach from -30 to +110, and even more in friction pairs. Thus, the seals in the hydraulic part of the vanos become inelastic or, in other words, turn into plastic.

Video (click to play).

The hydraulics are unable to push the piston due to the lack of the required seal, and the vanos, in turn, DOES NOT turn the camshaft to the right degree and at the right moment. Over time, the BMW vanos can even jam, which causes the appearance of extraneous noise and the DME error “Mechanical jam of vanos”. According to various independent experts, the resource of native rubber bands of vanos on motors until 2005 is approximately 40-50 thousand km. This means that all old BMWs have long been rolling with non-working phase shifters, or, at least, they do not work as they should. Hence the increased consumption, noisy engine operation, uneven idle, etc. Another fact is that the longer the motor works with a faulty vanos, the more is the load on its parts (bearings, teeth of bevel gears and other rubbing pairs) and the less chances of successful restoration.

The BMW concern solved this problem radically and installed a fundamentally new phase rotation system on the engines of the new generation N without the use of rubber seals inside. And they "disowned" the problems of old motors. With a strong desire, you can buy only the VANOS actuator entirely, all with the same “problem” rubber bands inside. The price of an assembled part is completely inhumane and starts from 500 euros for single-axle motors.

ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION REPAIR KITS

There is an easier and relatively inexpensive way to return your BMW engine to its former power and glory - this is a vanos repair kit. The kits consist of a set of rubber seals for the vanos hydraulics and some kits have bearing repair sleeves. The most important thing about these repair kits is the use of suitable materials for the working conditions of the vanos. O-rings are made of Teflon and Viton materials, resistant to chemical effects of additives and large temperature drops - this guarantees the service life of the repair vanos for 100-150 thousand km.Vanos bearings, by the way, are an equally important part in the unit, since the vanos pistons themselves do not rotate with the camshafts, and the entire load goes to the bearing. Its wear gives an increased backlash in the vanos unit, complicates the work of hydraulics and increases the likelihood of wedging. They are found on all inline 6-cylinder engines of the M generation.

Do not delay repairing the vanos system of your BMW, because this procedure can be compared with the planned maintenance of the brake system or chassis. It is not cheap, but after the repair, the result will definitely please you.

Vanos repair kits for engines M50, M52, M52 TU, M54 and M62 can be bought in our BMWFix store

Repair kit installation procedure Double vanos for motors М52TU, М54 and М56 is quite simple and does not require any special dealer tools. In addition, with this procedure gas distribution phases do not go astray, as is the case with single-shaft motors M50 and M52. If you doubt your abilities, we recommend that you contact the service station, which will be able to perform this procedure using the instructions given.

Vanos itself is located in front of the cylinder head (cylinder head). In order to get to it and dismantle it to install the repair kit, you need to remove the valve cover, remove the thermal coupling or the electric fan (in the case of the E46). All of these procedures are well documented in the TIS.

This is how VANOS will look after removing the valve cover.

Removing Vanos

Disconnect the camshaft position sensor connector. To do this, press on the side clips and pull the connector.

Disconnect the exhaust side vanos solenoid connector. To do this, press down on the metal clip and pull on the connector.

Disconnect the thermostat sensor electrical connector. To do this, press on the metal clip and pull the connector

Disconnect the intake side vanos solenoid connector. To do this, press down on the metal clip and pull on the connector.

Unscrew the valve on the vanos hydraulic hose (key 19). Note: Replace the two sealing washers when reassembling.

Remove the lifting eye of the motor by unscrewing it from the head of the block.

Remove the two vanos cylinder caps. To do this, cover the belt of the air conditioner and the radiator pipe with a paper towel to avoid getting oil on them. Then unscrew the lid (use an 8mm Allen key), but not completely, substitute any container and remove the lid completely. Residual oil will pour into a container.

Remove the two vanos piston caps.

Unscrew the vanos piston fixing bolts. Attention . There is a left-hand thread. Unscrew clockwise (Use Torx T30 sprocket). Be careful not to rip off the edges of the sprocket on the bolts. If the bolts are broken, continue removing the vanos assembly from the motor. By removing the vanos, you can remove the damaged camshaft bolts and replace them with new ones.

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Unscrew the 6 bolts securing the vanos to the motor.

Pull the vanos forward towards the radiator and remove from the engine. To avoid getting oil on the belts, wrap the vanos in a plastic bag as shown in the photo above.

It is recommended to replace the metal gasket between the vanos and the motor.

We disassemble vanos and diagnose it

Above: intake manifold vanos on the left, exhaust vanos on the right. Note: the intake and exhaust pistons are the same and can be swapped. But for the best performance of the assembly, keep the pistons in place. To do this, make notes with a marker.

Unscrew the bolts securing the vanos cylinder covers. Please note that there is a spring on the side of the outlet vanos! Remove the pistons from the cylinders. Clean the assembly from oil and dirt residues.

Now you can diagnose the node. To do this, insert each piston into its own cylinder and move it along the working stroke. Remember how easily the pistons moved through the cylinders with the old O-rings.

Next, we proceed to diagnostics of bearings in pistons.

Install each piston in its place in the camshaft. Secure the piston with the bolt (Torx T30 head) by lightly tightening it.Attention! Left hand thread! Unscrew clockwise.

Check for backlash, as shown in the photo above: fix the helical shaft with two fingers and shake the piston in different planes. Only the presence of a radial play is allowed, which is necessary for the correct functioning of the unit. Axial play is not allowed and means that the bearing is loose and needs to be repaired.

Install the anti-backlash washer from the repair kit

Attention! Washer installation must be done prior to installing new O-rings.

If you do not have a pneumatic impact wrench, you can make a special wrench to hold the vanos piston in a vice.
There are special teeth on the back of the vanos pistons (they are used at the factory when restoring vanos units).

For making, take a two inch metal pipe.
Chamfer the outside radius.
Apply grease to the pipe, lean against the vanos piston, make cuts in the places of the teeth marks with a “grinder”.
The key is ready! Clamp the wrench in a vice from above, install the piston and unscrew the nut.

Fix the piston in a vice using special soft sponges or wooden spacers. Be extremely careful not to damage the piston surface or overtighten the vice, as the piston is very fragile.

Using a 24mm head, unscrew the bearing cap. Once you unscrew the lid, loosen the vise.

Remove the outer bearing washer.

Attention! It is important not to mix up the bearing parts when assembling.

Remove the upper needle bearing.

Remove the center bearing race.

Take out the lower needle bearing.

Then remove the outer bearing washer.

Thoroughly clean the bearing parts with a brake disc cleaner (thinner or benzine).

Reinstall the anti-play washer from the repair kit.

Reassemble the bearing parts in reverse order and tighten the cover slightly.

Take a vise and tighten the bearing cap. Do not tighten it to the final torque, as you will most likely have to disassemble the bearing again to fit it.

Next, reinstall the piston on the camshaft and tighten it with the fixing bolt. Now we need to check for the presence of the required radial play. Then rotate the piston axially, thereby checking the rolling resistance of the bearing. After installing a new washer, the piston should rotate on the bearing without much resistance. If the bearing is very “tightened”, then it is imperative that the bearing center race be adjusted (see “Tightening Tightened Bearing” below). If the piston still has an axial play and it is very easy to rotate on the bearing, then you need to adjust the installed washer from the repair kit (see below "Fitting a loose bearing").

Fitting a Tightened Bearing:

Disassemble the bearing again and remove the center race (washer that is between the two needle bearings).

Place a sheet of sandpaper (P250-P400) on a hard and level surface and sand the washer on both sides. Grind the washer evenly for a couple of minutes on sandpaper, clean it, assemble the bearing and again check how the bearing turns. Repeat the trimming procedure as necessary until the bearing spins without much resistance.

Loose bearing fit:

Disassemble the bearing again and remove the outer washer (the washer that was installed from the repair kit).

Place a sheet of sandpaper (P400) on a hard and level surface and sand the washer on both sides. Grind the washer evenly on sandpaper for a couple of minutes, clean it, reassemble the bearing and again check the axial play and whether the bearing is pinched during torsion. If necessary, repeat the adjustment procedure until the axial play disappears, but the bearing should rotate without much resistance.

When the fit is achieved, tighten the bearing cap to 40 Nm.

Replacing the O-rings from the repair kit

Having eliminated the backlash of the vanos piston bearings, you can start installing new sealing rings.

Carefully cut the old o-rings with a suitable cutting tool. Be extremely careful not to damage the working surface of the pistons!

After you have cut and removed all o-rings, wipe both pistons with a paper towel and clean the ring grooves well.

Place the rubber rings in the grooves first.

Check that the rubber rings (they have a circular cross section) are not twisted in their places.

If the installation is carried out at an air temperature below 20 degrees Celsius, then it is necessary to put the Teflon rings in warm water (40-50C) for a couple of minutes to give them elasticity. Then wipe the rings dry and reinstall.

Pull the Teflon ring gently and slowly from one end of the piston to the other.

Next, you need to carry out the procedure for the first installation of the piston with new rings in the cylinder. This procedure is very important as the material of the Teflon ring must contract in the cylinder and take the desired shape.

Coat the cylinder walls and top chamfer with engine oil.

Lubricate the large o-ring on the piston and the area around it.

Place the piston in place at approximately 60 degrees, then twist and insert fully into the cylinder.

Rotate the piston in the cylinder several times and move it up and down so that the large ring takes the shape of a cylinder. Repeat this operation until the Teflon ring stops turning in its groove.

Press the piston to its lowest position and let it stand for 2-3 minutes. Then remove the piston.

Lubricate the cylinder in the vanos cover with engine oil.

Lubricate the small Teflon ring on and around the piston with oil.

Using a slight wobble, insert the small side of the piston into the cap. Then rotate the piston several times by moving it slightly forward and backward. Repeat this operation until the Teflon ring stops turning in its groove.

Leave the plunger in the lid for 2-3 minutes.

Do the same with the other piston.

Again lubricate piston and vanos well before reassembly.

Install the piston into the caps according to the marks you made earlier with a marker.

Replace the covers and tighten the bolts. Do not forget about the spring in the exhaust shaft vanos. Install the vanos covers and gaskets so that the oil holes in the body and in the gasket converge.

The cover bolts must be tightened crosswise.

After assembling the assembly, check the piston stroke in the housing so that there is no jamming. Note that the exhaust side vanos has a spring that creates some stress on the piston stroke.

Replace the small rubber rings on the piston caps.

Installing Vanos

Clean all parts and surfaces from oil and dirt residues. Install a new gasket.

Install the vanos in place. The intake piston must be pushed all the way into the cylinder to facilitate installation. After the vanos is firmly attached to the cylinder head, you can tighten the fasteners (force 8 Nm)

Press the intake manifold towards the camshaft as far as it will go. Replace the T30 Torx fixing bolts. Tighten them. Attention! Left hand thread! Tighten these bolts counterclockwise! (tightening force 8Nm).

Lubricate the new o-rings on the caps with engine oil and install them in place. Rotate the cap to make sure the cap is in place.

Replace the vanos covers. Tighten them to 50Nm.

Connect all electrical connectors, screw on the vanos hydraulic hose, reassemble everything in reverse order using BMW TIS. Be sure to check that there are no oil residues on the belts and rubber hoses.

Be sure to check the oil level after assembly!

It is important to know that the O-rings should be run in approximately 300 km in the urban cycle. Try not to load the engine with high revs and active driving during the break-in period.

Enjoy the smooth running of your motor.

2. Rubber-plastic pads

1. Rubber-plastic pads

3. Wrench + 24mm head

4. Ratchet + heads 13mm / 11mm / 10mm / 8mm, torx T30

8. Standard flathead screwdriver (pry off the coil wiring housing, valve cover)

9. Small screwdriver or scalpel (for cutting old Vanos rings)

10. Open-end wrenches for 19mm and 32mm + hammer (who has a viscous clutch)

12. Gasoline-solvent "Galosha"

13. Engine oil 50-100mg (for lubrication of Vanos unit components)

14. Hands growing from the right place 🙂

1. O-rings (Teflon, Viton) Vanos - 10 pcs; metal rings - 2pcs

2. Sealing gasket for Vanos unit -1pc

3. Sealing ring for oil line - 2 pcs.

4. Valve cover gasket set

It looks like this:

The whole process of installing the vanos repair kit takes about 4-5 hours.

1. Take out the plastic rivets and remove the front part of the duct housing

2. Disconnect the wiring from the viscous clutch housing

3. Unscrew the self-tapping screw (torx T25) from the casing, hook and pull out the plastic rivet

4. Disconnect the wiring from the casing of the viscous clutch. Unscrew the self-tapping screw (torx T25) from the casing, pry on and pull out the plastic rivet. Using a 32mm open-end wrench + inert hammer blow, loosen and unscrew the nut of the viscous clutch. Attention - left-handed thread, unscrew clockwise.

5. We take out the casing and blade

6. We take out the cabin filter, then with the help of torx T30 we unscrew 4 bolts; remove the case, having previously uncovered and disconnected the wires.

7. Using a 10mm head, unscrew the engine cover, which consists of 2 parts, and remove them by unscrewing the filler cap. We twist the lid back.

8. Press on the fasteners and, with a little effort, disconnect the KRKG hose

9. Pull back the brackets of the coils, disconnect the wiring connectors; with an 8mm head, unscrew the 2 nuts of the wires to the ground; prying off with a flat screwdriver, disconnect the ignition module harness housing from the fasteners and set it aside so that it does not interfere with removing the valve cover.

10.Using a 10mm head, unscrew the 12 coil mounting bolts

11.Using an 8mm head, unscrew the two ground wire nuts located on the 1st and 6th coils

12. Disconnect the lambda probe wiring and proceed to dismantle the valve cover: unscrew 11 nuts with rubber bands around the valve cover, after 4 nuts with rubber bands in the center

13.Using a flat screwdriver or spatula, pry the gasket and remove the valve cover

14. Disconnect the 2 solenoid connectors, the exhaust camshaft position sensor and the thermostat connector.

15. Using a 19mm open-end wrench, unscrew the hollow bolt of the oil line

Attention when unscrewing:
a) be careful not to drop the O-ring; b) a little oil will pour out - be smart 🙂

16. Using a 11mm head, unscrew the nut from above, 13mm - the bolt from the bottom and remove the engine mounting bracket

17. Using an 8mm hexagon, unscrew the 2 cylindrical bolts of the Vanos case
Attention - oil again!

18. Using pliers, take out the 2nd plugs

19. Torx T30 and unscrew the two Vanos piston bolts of the intake and exhaust camshafts.
Attention - left-handed thread, unscrew clockwise!

20. Using a 13mm head, unscrew the pin in the upper part, above the thermostat, and a 10mm head - 6 nuts around the perimeter

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21. Carefully, remove the heart of the BMW motor, wrapping it in a plastic bag, so as not to stain the pulleys and drive belts with black blood! 🙂
If you want to play it safe, initially, when starting the Vanos installation, cover the belts / pulleys with any non-oily rags or paper towel.

22. Drain the remaining oil from the unit and thoroughly rinse the body with gasoline, put the unit on a clean operating table! The smallest speck that gets inside this organ can cause a complete arrhythmia and, as a result, a heart attack! 🙂

Now we will mentally add the word to the verbs of all the points below "Carefully"!

23. Using a 10mm head, unscrew the 5 bolts of the intake camshaft piston cover, remove it and take out the piston. Slightly loosen but do not remove the 4 exhaust camshaft piston cover bolts. There is a spring under the piston! Only after the bolts are slightly loosened, pressing the cover with the palm (which is more convenient, respectively) will completely unscrew the 4 bolts and release the charged piston outward.
Remember how the spring stands. We remember which piston is from where. They are exactly the same, but there is such a thing as "lapping".

24. Smoke break! Work - work, and lunch - by schedule! More seriously, it is really better to take a break for 5-10 minutes (from personal experience). Nervous and muscle tension can lead to inattention, inattention to error! If you smoke, light it up! Don't smoke - have some tea with cookies! :)

25. Wipe the body, pistons, oil spring with a paper towel and rinse it in a container with "Galoshes" to surely remove unwanted specks. Examine the surface of the cylinders carefully for any damage or significant scratches. The surface must be flawless.

26. Let's start opening the piston. The rings are mandatory after, the savvy will guess why? We clamp the piston in a vice with soft-bodied nozzles; we clamp tightly enough, but without fanaticism, so as not to damage the patient's surface.

27. Using a 24mm socket wrench, loosen the cylindrical bolt and unscrew it by hand. Loosen the vise clamp slightly.

28. Next, we remove the inside of the compound bearing by elements in such a way that, after replacing the ring, in the exact sequence, return all the components to their rightful place!

And finally we get to the "chirping" ring! We replace it with a new one.

29. Take out the last washer; we thoroughly wash each element in some kind of combustible chemistry.

30. We return all the components of the piston bearing back, not forgetting to coat each layer with a small amount of oil. We manually bait a cylindrical bolt, strengthen the vise clamp;
We take a wrench, set it to the minimum tightening power and, slightly pressing it to the surface of the piston, tighten it with a second delay, trrrr and that's it ?! Dismantle the 2nd piston in the same way.

31. Using a small knife, cut or gently pry off old rings. Each groove has 2 rings (Viton - inner, Teflon - outer). Appealing with the words "teapot", the outer ring is more plastic than rubber, the inner one is more rubber than plastic? In fact, it is a more special material than rubber or plastic. Viton, for example, is a fluorocarbon rubber with increased resistance to oil products and high temperatures ... but that's not the point now.

32. We wash the "bare" pistons in the "Galosha" to virgin purity 🙂

33. We put rubber rings on the inside of the piston grooves, on the outside - those that are more plastic than rubber ?. With the outer rings, things are more complicated because they are not elastic and must be worn very carefully. If the repair is carried out in a sufficiently cold room (below 15 C), then, in order to avoid ring rupture, soak the outer Teflon rings in warm water for 2 - 5 minutes; after wiping with a clean cloth, while "lukewarm", put on the corresponding groove of the piston.

34. Lubricate the cylinder and rubbing surfaces of the intake camshaft piston with machine oil

35. Insert the Vanos piston of the intake camshaft (which is without a spring) at an angle of 60, and slowly rotating, push it deep into the cylinder. Having liberally lubricated the friction surface of the cover and the piston with oil, push the piston cover by pressing evenly on it. We bait, crosswise tighten 5 bolts back.

36. The installation of the exhaust piston is slightly different because, as we remember, there is a spring.Initially, the piston is inserted into the cover; after that, the cover together with the piston, pressing the spring, is cured and evenly tightened with 4 bolts.

37. Replace the sealing rings of the plugs

38. We clean / degrease the connecting plane of the cylinder head and Vanos with Galoshes, install a new gasket for Vanos

39. Install the node in reverse order.

40. Similarly, we clean and degrease the connecting surface of the cylinder head, the plane for the gaskets of the candle wells, install 2 gaskets of the candle wells

41. Degrease the contact plane of the valve cover with the gasket. Install the gasket on the valve cover.

42. Carefully spread the sealant at the corner points of contact of the gasket with the cylinder head plane. Do not forget to grease the rear part (corners) of the cylinder head plane and in the area of the Vanos seams.

43. Put the valve cover back. So that the lid is pressed as evenly as possible, we adhere to the following sequence: bait 4 fittings and tighten to the floor of a force, moderate force?; bait and similarly, to the floor of the force, tighten 11 nuts with sealing rubber bands; we tighten the union to the end, starting with the central ones; after tightening two nuts around the perimeter in the center; from them we stretch the rest crosswise.

We install the rest of the units in exactly the reverse order of the above points.

The whole process of installing the repair kit takes about 4 - 5 hours.

Sport KB specialists carry out urgent, scheduled and overhaul repairs of BMW X3 (E83 2.5i), 3 (E46, E39, 325i) and 5 (E60, 525i, 525xi) series cars with M54B22, M54B25 and M54B30 engines. We repair Vanos M54 with replacement or restoration of mechanism parts. You can order from us all the necessary spare parts and consumables for the repair of the Double Vanos system, and other timing units, as well as: oil pump, cylinder-piston group, power supply systems, cooling and release of the BMW M54 engine.

BMW M54 engine Vanos repair service includes:

dismantling of the unit, its cleaning and troubleshooting;
replacement of a repair kit (Double Vanos 11361440134), gaskets (11127521009, 11127521010), seals (11127526447) and rings (11121437395);
assembly of the unit and its diagnostics;
hardware adjustment of the valve timing of the BMW engine.

The need to repair the variable valve timing control system in a BMW M54 engine usually arises closer to 70,000 km of the vehicle's mileage. Gaskets and joints made of elastic materials lose their tightness property, O-rings are worn out and need to be replaced.

When the Vanos piston does not provide the required pressure, the camshaft does not turn by the current degree and the valve opening moment ceases to be optimal. The gas distribution phases go astray and the efficiency of the engine is significantly reduced, and fuel consumption, on the contrary, increases.

Signs of the need to repair the Vanos (Double Vanos) system are:

loss of engine power (decrease in torque);
lack of smooth acceleration when starting from a standstill and overtaking maneuvers;
uneven engine idling;
problems with starting the engine when starting in the winter;
increase in fuel consumption (in the absence of malfunctions in the filtration and air supply system);
the appearance of extraneous sounds in the area of the motor valve cover.

To eliminate the problem: reduce fuel consumption, return the engine to powerful traction in the entire rpm range, get rid of the “crackle” of the worn Vanos mechanism and return the car to a smooth ride, contact Sport KB! Our specialists carry out repair and maintenance of BMW cars at the level of official service, but much more affordable!

I changed Moscow time using the one described in Kalamba 525 dryers. Collected from a 20mm profile tube. A very handy thing. Only I used 6mm bolts - because of this, the central long bolt was licked for the first time in the place of the nut travel. Another bolt burst in the same place, unable to withstand two passes.Then I put in an 8mm bolt, it lasted for a long time. In general, for those who will assemble this, advice - take the central bolts in reserve so as not to stop work)

Now the questions: the wetsuits in the removed form were stretched out and when I put the bed back with them, the bed does not press against the seat to the end. Because of this, I can not screw the shaft covers, because do not give the camshaft cams. How is this problem solved? In yew, a device is used that presses on the shaft covers. But they do everything without her. I heard that it is possible to squeeze the wetsuit with a vice, but somehow it’s scary to do it….

When installing the shafts, the pistons need to be set so that none are at TDC, right? And then, when the shafts are installed and tightened, do you need to set the TDC to the 1st?