E46 How To Clean Hydraulic Lifters DIY

Further reading on this topic:
forum.e46fanatics.com/showthre...
Checkout Nathan's channel as well: / @nathansbmwworkshop
This video is for entertainment purposes only. 50sKid assumes no liability for any repairs or modifications performed by the viewer as a result of the information contained in this video.

[@jckrarup]

As a chemist, I highly recommend using GLOVES when immensing your hands in Xylene....

[@scottrobson4097]

Awesome video! In the process of replacing my timing chain guides on my X5 with an M62 and the lifters were all stuck compressed. This video was gold for me. Thanks again! One other thing I did was blow into the side hole of the lifter to clean out the tiny oil passage. A surprising amount of oil came out of there!

[@hashemmehyar9614]

best video regarding lifters by far!

[@JeSuisBacon]

I wasn't even aware you could do that. Awesome!

[@johnnystrogomsky6987]

First, nice informations here on you channel. I have one question, why do new hydraulic lifters come pre filled with oil? My experience with the small spring is that it can have mechnical fatigue so that it cant close the small iron ball properly anymore. You can stretch the used springs a bit so they are tighter again but it wont last very long.

[@jjthesavage]

Doing the timing on my M62 and as Nathan suggested, I checked the lifters. Didn't notice a ton of lifter noise but since I am so close, figured I'd check them out. No squeezing could be done by hand, cleaned all 32, thanks for the insight!

[@_DIRTe53]

Hi I’m in the process of doing the timing chasing guides as well, did you try and turn the engine over by hand before cleaning them ? I was checking my work by roasting engine after installing chain and guides and my engine seems to come to a dead , I’m assuming the lifters are keeping the valve from rising so it’s interfering with poison clearance, any input ?

[@Kyle_Nelson]

as a mechanic i like to fix things of course and it makes me crazy that so many people just change the entire engine when a problem comes along like lifter tick... thanks for the video!

[@dokterkarel]

I am a mechanic aswell, or rather used to be for living. Only for hobby nowadays. And fixing things gives me 100 times more satisfaction than replacing things.

[@thelongranger55]

BMW content really helps me as an AMG owner , w211 e55 specifically. To know never to sell or trade my AMG for a BMW . Jkjkjk I’m not one of those owners my best friend owns a 740il it’s a lovely vehicle reminds me of the movie The Transporter. but I’m in the middle of a m113 rebuild for my w163 ML500 . It impressed me so much due to its off road capabilities before it blew the timing cover O-rings at 170k I decided to rebuild it and go all out as possible & one of these things is popping out the lifters & giving them a ultrasonic bath then reassemble to test the functionality & because I’m under the impression it’s very important to depressurize them before reinstalling . Or else the Valves will be to far open .

[@jmastercha]

ty so much... im bout to do this on rb25det... i have lots of stuck thingys?... buckets or lifters what ever u call them

[@brewsterred5861]

Hi Kid. I have decided to replace all the lifters with new ones in my 2001 330i. What brands do you trust besides original BMW units? I want reliability and longevity but factory is mighty expensive. Thank you, I value your opinion.

[@AlecGD]

Awesome video! I just did this on a e36 m52 engine when I had to rebuild the head. Made them just like new again.

[@simonsonya9525]

alex do you need to lube c.head gasket with oil or not? some one says it is need to be done. and did you lubed with finger sylinders then assambled head?

[@AlecGD]

+Slava Goljakov no you don't need to lube the head gasket. You need a clean surface so you have to clean off the cylinder head and block with something like brake clean. The oil would not let it seal right and could probably cause another head gasket leak. Also I never oiled up the cylinders you should make sure that they are dry and clean as well. I'm pretty sure oil in the cylinder would interfere with the combustion.

[@50sKid]

Yep, I agree with everything Alex said!

[@gabrielito88]

So... is it possible to get away with just cleaning them? I have an m52 engine making a very loud lifter noise and i dont know if i should replace them all or just clean them.. any suggestions?

[@dokterkarel]

Can you clean them with brake cleaner instead of laquer thinner?

[@ducewill]

Great video!! Now do a video on how to remove them that would be awesome. saludos

[@yzhang4418]

hi my mechanic told me my hydraulic lifters are making a grinding noise after cold starts on cold days. do I have to fix it? what if i just leave it like that? (great video BTW) :)

[@fierceeagle2003]

amazing video. i have a lifter tick on cold starts on my 03 525i. once it warms up it goes away. but when i first start it, it sounds horrible.

[@capicapuchino5675]

Change your oil more often

[@garypowell4565]

Good video! I have a 2004 Saab 9-5 2.3l 16 valve engine with a lifter ticking that I need to tear into and fix.

[@ticorico5000]

A very efficient way to clean carbon deposit from engine oil is to use tetraclorid, most commonly called "carb & chock cleaner". But what if the engine is still under warranty? Lifters in that case are defective, and some manufacturers have a superseded part number. Hope to have helped to get you what you are rightfully entitled for.

[@mustafaar7899]

What this tool u used vise scrap i want her name to buy from amazon because we dont have one in iraq

[@hocineyacinea1201]

Awesome video, thanks for the info

[@guzelovalish]

Is it a must to put the cleaned hydraulic lifter on to the right cylinder or can I clean all at once and place them on the cylinders randomly ?

[@Young_23]

guzelovalish late but you should put each lifter back into the cylinder it cane from. They all wear out differently, so best to leave them in their place to not interfere with it.

[@derekkchung]

When a lifter has no oil (totally clean with only air inside), u can compress it and when it is filled with oil, u cannot at all compress it? What makes it possible for air to escape but not oil?

[@BimmerDope]

Hi 50s kid..great video..do we have to do timing if i take them apart.i mean all the timing procedure with special tools.thanx

[@molliarti]

Ok bro,the important tip is don't charge the lift with a new oil after cleaning,right? Thanks for this information,best wishes.

[@rudiger86]

Finally a video that isn't just -> "pour this [ insert sponsor brand name ] product in your engine, and Bob's your uncle"

[@CraigArndt]

Great video, makes sure to wear gloves so that doesn’t hurt your liver. Those chemicals are nasty..

[@capicapuchino5675]

He is hardcore he will probably taste it for testing purposes afterwards. LOL Great Video I plan on doing mines

[@xnonstopChaosx]

@50skid I thought it was just a one way check valve so you would have to fill with oil right?? Also need to fill them up to remove air inside? I do understand it needs to adjust lash but won't that be the case after the engine is started when that check valve releases some of that oil when the cam lobe comes around?

[@50sKid]

You don't want the valves overextended by having too much oil in the lifter. You could cause the valve to come in contact with the piston. Better to start the engine with the adjuster underfilled with oil--it will adjust itself to the right place after a drive.

[@clabcon]

How are your hands after dipping into solvents like that?

[@50sKid]

Well, I'll tell you... I no longer have fingerprints, which is a very handy thing when you're a secret agent. Oops, I did not say that.

[@clabcon]

If you're going that far into the engine, have you considered ZHP cams?

[@fierceeagle2003]

do you know how much a job like this might cost? i still have a great warranty on my car. i work in a shop but my guys don't do this kind of work.

[@50sKid]

I'm sorry, I don't know how much it would cost. But it's possible to do it yourself, you just need the timing tools. Eventually I'll be doing the videos that show how in detail.

[@fierceeagle2003]

OK great. looking forward to watching the video.

[@simonsonya9525]

any one have crankshaft holders to sell? E7 is totaly broked and I could't find anythere parts.

[@50sKid]

Crankshaft or camshaft? Problem is, the crankshaft main bearing caps are machined in place and then literally BROKEN off of the engine block so that they will fit back together precisely. If you look, you will see a jagged surface and not a perfectly smooth, machined one. If yours is damaged, I'm afraid the block is junk and you will need to replace it. Best to talk to a machine shop, though.

[@ukkomies100]

i cant get the piston out of the lifter

[@Young_23]

Impressive

[@TheCowgirlNiamh]

You're full of information! :)

[@50sKid]

I've always thought I was full of shit, but thank you! ;-)

[@TheCowgirlNiamh]

Haha I know lots of people who are full of shit but you're not one of them ;)

[@TheCowgirlNiamh]

Haha I know lots of people who are full of shit but you're not one of them ;)

[@SpecialVeloce]

I really recommend using compressed air for getting the lifter out. Good video though.

[@yucannthahvitt251]

That never works. If the lifter is gummed up enough to need cleaning you will not pop it out with air. I’ve tried many times

[@johnwoolfrey5093]

Best cleaning solution is to boil them in 50/50 simple green/water for 15min

[@cadong92692]

Please show how to remove and install Hydraulic Lifters

[@jeanm1383]

Did this on m62tu years back , as they were stuck

[@_DIRTe53]

About to do the same on my e53 with the m62tu engine, goes did it go ?

[@tahotoy]

Although these should function I'd be leary of warrantying used components 6 hours deep on these cars. Dry crushing 24 lifters is asking for trouble. Soak and cycle then install off tdc 24 hours before setup.

[@KuzbassState]

Спасибо,а то на русском ютубе такого нет.

[@cheepGeek]

I have a pretty nasty valve tick and I think this is the cause. Car runs fine otherwise. Patiently waiting for the video that shows me how to remove them.... (hint, hint)

[@50sKid]

Yeah.... I'm really sorry, but it's going to be a while before that video is out. When I do that video, it will be during a whole larger engine rebuild where I'll be removing the head and the block from the car as well.

[@johnbushe7046]

Technically not lifter interesting but would watch others as well

[@theboringuy]

Why did you have these out? Doing piston rings?? XD

[@50sKid]

I pulled this lifter from a junkyard specifically for this video.

[@sonikempire]

Another way to separate them is to slam them down like a shot glass and they will pop out.

[@50sKid]

I've heard that. I think you would need to slam them down VERY hard because not only is there a tiny little circlip holding them in like on the end of a half axle, but there is oil inside creating a sort of suction effect. You saw how hard I had to pull, right? You'd probably hurt your hand slamming it down hard enough, lol.

[@evsonjunior]

50sKid I did this on my gm/opel 16v engine, it's very hard and yes it hurt the hands, but it comes out

[@gtametro]

just done this tonight banged them on a piece of wood and popped apart, less likely to damage anything

[@MikeSmith-px3bx]

Not on thes puppies you didn't.

[@jamesbarratt593]

Timely too, as just about to do lifters, but on a golf mk5 not a BMW. My E46 needs the valve stems doing though, and with hollow camshafts, I wonder if its a pig of a job? Hey fifties kid, you have to understand, you had your bare hands in Acetone,and it was underneath your unmasked face, and inside. That shit causes cancer, and is serious. I watched as my doctors glives melted in the stuff. Take more care of yourself dude.

[@50sKid]

I appreciate your concern for my health, dude, but you need to relax when it comes to acetone. acetone is safe. it's used in chemical peels that are put on people's faces. it is nail polish remover, so it's rubbed on fingers every day. check this out: Acetone has been studied extensively and is generally recognized to have low acute and chronic toxicity if ingested and/or inhaled. Acetone is not currently regarded as a carcinogen, a mutagenic chemical or a concern for chronic neurotoxicity effects. Acetone can be found as an ingredient in a variety of consumer products ranging from cosmetics to processed and unprocessed foods. Acetone has been rated as a generally recognized as safe (GRAS) substance when present in beverages, baked foods, desserts, and preserves at concentrations ranging from 5 to 8 mg/L it "melted" your doctors gloves because acetone will dissolve certain plastics and nitriles. it's just chemistry.

[@50sKid]

I'll be doing more videos soon on the camshafts and timing and head gaskets and all that.

[@jamesbarratt593]

Well there has to be various types of it then. Or and check this, there knowledge is not enough yet. Fifty years ago doctors prescribed golden eye ointment, this had mercury in it. The can I have with acetone inside firmly says on a big label, harmful to health. Do not breath blah blah blah. I use it in fibreglassing. So its not about calming down my friend, more about looking after my brother from a different mother.

[@simonsonya9525]

+50sKid ha, at last you doing cylinder head job. I was waiting long for that, I took my complytly out, cleaned cut head ,now its like new. I m waiting now 2 weeks for parts to arrive from german... I bought 24 valves from shmiedman for just 140 dollars 5.7 each mine was drived more then 150000 km. and other stuff for 200 dol. now will chek for more vids kid ;)

[@50sKid]

James I'm sorry bro, I'm reading my reply the next day and it sounds way too dickish. I realize you're just trying to look out for me and I appreciate it. Should have chosen my words more carefully. Thanks for watching and commenting!