How to Replace the Valve cover Gasket on a BMW 4 Cylinder ( N20)

[@ssgviper7147]

This was a great video, watched it once, made sure I had the tools and knocked it out in 4.5 hours. The hardest part was the vacuum pump in the back. Patience is key on that part. One note is to not close the trunk after disconnecting the battery, I had to jump the car from the front to pop the trunk.

[@MikeMDs]

Nice work! . Good tip on the trunk

[@TDHobbies]

I work at a Toyota dealer and this got dumped on me. X3. THANK YOU!!!! THANK YOU, THANK YOU for making this video and actually taking the time to do the good editing and all that. My install went flawlessly by the way.

[@omaralvarez2627]

That’s why you buy a Toyota not a BMW super over engineer

[@edz2974]

This video is incredible and makes me thankful I purchased a warranty because I’m never touching the N20 . I love my BMW, fantastic ride, great tech but I’m pretty sure the one in my garage will be my first and last. Way, way, waaay too much plastic.

[@BigToro32]

Yes I feel the exact same way I love my BMW but the one I have is probably gonna be my first and absolutely my last I just don’t understand why this beautiful engine is full of plastic I don’t get it

[@magincap70]

Every car is full of plastic these days. It's lighter and cheaper than metal and doesn't rust or warp as badly

[@nordicpride9708]

@@magincap70 Plastic is inferior in every way dude. It’s a accounting decision, NOT an engineering one. Toyotas contain way less plastic vs a BMW. Toyotas don’t break all the time like these German piles. And if you think plastic is superior to plastic you need to stop working on cars right now. The weight arguement is a moot point. BMW isn’t the lightest sedan. It just lightens the owners wallet.

[@magincap70]

@@nordicpride9708 oh really? Maybe go pop the hood sometime. There's a reason toyotas are cheaper than bmws and it's not because they're made of metal. Get a clue.

[@Hyytekk]

I've had my 228i for 8 years and just hit 100,000 miles. It's been incredibly trouble free. Suddenly, I'm seeing oil leaks. Oil pan and valve cover so some headaches ahead. But agreed. It's a great car but I was astounded when I did my first oil change to see the pan and plug are plastic, as is the valve cover. My infoscreen inside is also delaminating. So yes, my last BMW. Will probably pivot to Lexus.

[@Union53992]

Just another thank you. I did a valve cover replacement on my ‘14 320i this evening and this video was a great reference.

[@MikeMDs]

Glad it helped. That's a good way of putting it. Its a reference video vs a how to, and make for experienced mechanics that don't need the in between fluff.

[@Dexteritas55]

@@MikeMDs as a non experienced BMW owner it would have been awesome if you explained each wire a little more and its positioning to help me get a better understanding of my N20 but fantastic vid regardless.

[@platnumboy1357]

Just completed this job after watching your video. This was a lot easier than it looks I guess people get intimidated by the amount of parts that’s being removed

[@MikeMDs]

Great work!

[@samsonevickis]

Very good tip on just replacing the valve cover, glad I didn't waste my time reinstalling to have it come right back leaking.

[@PENETRATQR]

Thanks for the video, I will try to do it this weekend. I followed your recommendation and bought the entire valve cover. I replaced the battery, alternator, drive belt, and tensioner watching youtube videos and reading the bentley book, but replacing the valve cover will be by far the hardest mechanical work I have ever done.

[@MikeMDs]

You're welcome . Good luck and just take your time. Thanks for watching.

[@mrpabs5864]

@@MikeMDs I just finished, it took me 10 hours, but I took my time and enjoy myself doing it. The car turned on and it didn't explode so I will call it a success.

[@mickeymouse7044]

Did you do crankshaft so the air goes out or no

[@mikep439]

awesome workmanship. love the step by step explanation.

[@MikeMDs]

Thank you very much!

[@Antunes416]

thank you so much for the video! amazing, i’m pretty experienced and completed this job in 2 hours, your video was a great help!

[@MikeMDs]

Glad it helped!

[@Importeck]

I just completed it for an F10 N20 528i. Very similar setup, thanks for the video. One thing I would recommend to show how to remove the vacuum gasket on the valve cover, must took me for ever to remove it with out damaging the cover.

[@czartross]

Hey man. Thank you so much for this video. I was able to do this myself and it went perfect so far. The only thing I would add is that in order to remove the two screws that holds the vanos actuator and the screws on top of the wiring harness holder you have to use an E6, which I didn’t have, so I had to run to the auto parts to get it. Besides that, great explanation!

[@mickeymouse7044]

What year is your car and what kind is it did you take the air out by crankshaft or no

[@highperformancehumans]

super duper helpful!!! thanks for the oil cap tip at the end!!

[@bearj3ws74]

Glad you made this video. Pooping the valve cover from back and pulling to front made it come off easily. Keep up the good work and making helpful videos. Now just putting everything back together now.

[@ksukutube]

Well-edited video with rich information. Thanks.

[@scottcrawford4148]

Super helpful to watch this before working on my BWM

[@chrispcritter92]

Bidding the job right. Will be using this video if I get the job! Looks like a good video.

[@MikeMDs]

Hope it works out!

[@baslarose]

Thank you for the video !! Just replace the valve cover on my X1 with your help :)

[@FlyinGuillotines]

I did this this weekend. Thanks so much for this video. It made the job doable.

[@cyclonetcracer]

Do you mind sharing any additionl tips I will attemp this timing chain guided fiasco

[@Mebirduwine]

I was going to attempt to do this myself...hell no after seeing this

[@perfectbongatshabangu7943]

what i said to myself when i saw number of things to be unplugged

[@calvincmcchan9159]

yup i agree !

[@plightn]

Hey you know what's a good idea? Let's put a plastic valve cover on an engine that heats up to 250 degrees!

[@frankfarklesberry]

Ha! Yeah.

[@bryangutierrez6554]

Let me get a list of all the parts I need to do the valve cover job too lol

[@bimmergotup6584]

Nice lesson even foreigners !! Moreover, Lot of tips !! Super thx !!

[@rubencromeyer8043]

Hey Mike you really have something special going on with this BMW channel of yours, because your the only guy I can find on KZbin that has a PROFESSIONAL BMW technician channel! Keep up the good work really I appreciate it a ton! Also if you made a video on how to replace a timing chain on a N 20 motor you would be a God in my book! hahaha

[@MikeMDs]

I really appreciate your feedback. Next n20 timing chain we do I'll do a video on it.

[@edz2974]

Mike MDs That N20 timing change video should get 100,000 views just to start.

[@selintungful]

Do you have the timing chain video?

[@mchung1972]

Excellent video - well-produced, clear explanations and narration, nice close-ups of the tools, and great tips on related things to watch for. Thank you for sharing your expertise - I appreciate it!

[@MikeMDs]

Glad it was helpful!

[@eriakiyemba9325]

if you're doing this make sure you buy a new valve cover mine cracked once I took it out now I I ended up ordering a new one yesterday ill put it in once it arrives but overall this was a great video very informative I just wish it wasn't fast forward though but its easy to figure it out honestly. Trust God watch the video and do it

[@RJTamm93]

I want to do as much work on my N20 as much as possible when it inevitably starts to have issues. Doesn't seem too scary yet, just time consuming. Thanks for the informative videos!

[@mikevargas3159]

Mike how much for installing new time chain on 2012 528i the chain is in good condition I just want to install new one

[@hoodmeister]

With the plastic chain guides failing on these engines, are there any inspections you recommend when the cover is off? I'm so disappointed with BMW and this engine. Can't get rid of the car fast enough. I'm doing the valve cover due to an oil leak over the exhaust manifold, and then selling it! But great video and a big thanks!

[@esteemedenergy]

Very easy, thanks for posting.

[@coachc8094]

When installing the high pressure fuel pump, how important is it that you crank the piston lobe to its bottom? Seams to be the main thing to do in all of the HP pump replacement videos. I just finished up this job on my 328i yesterday. It threw a code that I haven't cleared yet but I hope I didn't damage the pump. Car seems to run ok.

[@MikeMDs]

It's not a big deal. I should of mentioned it, but all it does is lower the tension while removing the bolts for the pump. It won't damage it or throw it out of timing

[@hurrican11Bpoint]

MADE my Day

[@danielpark8256]

Thanks for a great video! Question for you, when you put in the vacuum seal, what lubricant did you apply? Any recommendations? And when you close the valve cover, do you use a torque wrench? Lastly, on top of the gasket, do I use a high temperature gasket maker/sealer? Thanks

[@MikeMDs]

Thanks! You can use vaseline or even a bit of fresh engine oil to lube. Torque to 10 nm. Or just slightly snug after the stops ( metal collars built into the valve cover) touch the cylinder head.

[@revolutionradio2000]

You sound very knowledgeable, I love my N20 wrapped in the F34 chassis. I’m having this done at the dealer….bummer 😅

[@MikeMDs]

I know it's expensive. The repair is well worth having done. Best to you.

[@revolutionradio2000]

@@MikeMDs thanks 🙏🏾

[@BigToro32]

Thank you soooo much for this video I was about to spend a pretty penny for this to be done to my BMW then I came across this video 👏🏾👌🏾👍🏾 Thank you 🙏🏾

[@nestormartinezcastro9329]

Hello Mike gracias por su video podrías crear uno con un bmw z4 2.0i la tapa que instalo era Mitzone? gracias por todo.

[@VincentLim69]

I see the timing chain guide is the old type might break at anytime... Why not change it together ?

[@MikeMDs]

You are very observant. Yes we recommend it before the job. You can see it with a borescope. Only 10% will do what is recommended. 30% will be back needing it. ( the ones that don't have coverage through the extended manufacturer warranty)

[@darwindavis5114]

Mike, Can you do me a favor..? Make a list of all I will need... to replace, what seal did you use, etc... Thanks

[@CookiesUnleashed]

Just go on fcp euro its sold as a set

[@christiancml]

Hi there, two very important things that were missed. When reinstalling the High pressure fuel pump (HPFP) it is very important to MANUALLY crank the engine so that the exhaust camshaft is at bottom dead center (BDC or lowest point). You do this so that the piston of the HPFP is at it lowest point, if not you will brake the piston of the pump when torquing the bolts. New HPFP kit was $300 OEM Bosch. Also you need to bleed out air from the fuel rail to prevent a no start issue due to lack of fuel delivery to the injectors.

[@MikeMDs]

Great info Christian.

[@bradmcdonald6317]

How do you manually crank the engine?

[@christiancml]

@@bradmcdonald6317 From the crank bolt, in front of the engine.

[@RS-qp4bp]

Either the guy lucked out on the HPFP piston position or he's not revealing ALL his trade secrets. Great tip. Sometimes it's better to be lucky. LOL

[@ozgul1969]

Excellent video!

[@ozgul1969]

Hi Mike, how can we obtain the torque related info for this particular BMW ?

[@gigadrillX]

@5:30 mark you use the t30 to remove bolts for what part? I dropped the bolt and need to replace it. 😅😅 btw used this video and replaced valve cover. Vid makes it smooth like butter.

[@MikeMDs]

Bolt is for the high pressure fuel pump. There are two.

[@lolafalana2021]

You're a life saver!!

[@skhumbzomncwabe5323]

It's quite a beautiful engine 😊

[@MikeMDs]

It has its little issues. But it is beautiful

[@alfonsohernandez5005]

Nice video you have good experience on BMWs thank you .

[@daveburgess7684]

I wish you would of shown how you popped off these connectors so easily I’m at removing fuel line assembly and I can’t figure out how you disconnected it so easy

[@ilyakharitonov3997]

Look for a clip inside the plastic connector and VERY gently pry on it, mine came off no problem

[@ahamadshah7666]

Great video, from South Africa. Do you have a video on spark plugs and air filter change on the N20...my motorplan reached 5 years I have 101000 kms on it and would like to do my own service. Would love to know how to...I did see from this video how to take the top of and get to the spark plugs, the air filter? Keep it up and god bless!

[@MikeMDs]

I don't but maybe I'll do one. Thank you for watching.

[@artjoseph4902]

Mike. Morning sir so i watched this video and it gave me the cofidence to do this myself and it turned out great. The only problem is in your video I did not see a tube that when to the black stem off the vaccum pump. So now for some reason there is oil mist or spraying from that vaccum pump is there a reason why its doing that if you can please let me know i do thank you sir

[@Hyytekk]

Thanks for sharing your time and expertise! Very well done. I noticed oil pooling around cylinder #4 when replacing my plugs and coils so this video will be a godsend. Thank you. One question. Im having my oil pan replaced with an aluminum one because i noticed an aggressive oil leak under the car. I assumed, without inspecting the pan with the covering underneath blocking visibility, that so much oil had to be from a more aggressive leak than what i saw up top. But during operating pressure, could that valve seal leak actually be expelling the entire oil leak issue? If so i imagined i would see more oil pooled around the injector/coil area and not just the small pool that was there. Also, theres no oil burning odor or smoke. Any thoughts? And thanks again!

[@MikeMDs]

The valve cover leaks at the back corner too. And the vacuum pump can leak at that back corner. But both will cause burning smell due to leaking onto the exhaust manifold. So you are likely correct about the oil pan leaking. They are notorious to leak on this engine.

[@jansi1015]

Thanks to your video, I've diagnosed that my Vacuum Pump Seal is the leaking culprit. I am having difficulty finding just the seal, however. I would like to avoid having to purchase a whole new pump or a new valve cover. Do you know the part number?

[@ToddTaylorTX]

I really appreciate the production of this video! We're to the point of having removed the old cover... hopefully it all goes back together as planned. For a very rusty DIY mechanic with aging eyes my biggest challenge were the darn electric connectors... maybe a quick video on just connectors? Thanks again!

[@ilyakharitonov3997]

What's the torque spec for the valve cover bolts?

[@mikimiki195]

Great video Did you not torque valve cover bolts ?

[@MikeMDs]

The spec is 9 Newton Meters (NM).

[@mikimiki195]

@@MikeMDs great thanks 🙏🏻

[@danielpark2433]

I enjoyed watching your video. Do I have to empty out the engine oil before replacing the valve cover and gaskets? Thanks

[@ilyakharitonov3997]

No

[@critian19747]

great video ..how mush estimate price for labor in regular shop

[@nassimjack4450]

Hi , do i have to put gasket seal when putting back the new valve cover , because i didn't see you using any seal!! Thank you

[@MikeMDs]

The new valve cover comes with a gasket already.

[@taylorcassady2766]

I just did this job and I don’t have a hose going into the plastic vacuum port on the vacuum pump. I’m guessing mine is the electric version, can I just plug it or is there an updated part to replace it without the port? I’m not getting any leak from the cover but I believe I am still getting a slow drip from there

[@MikeMDs]

Hi, You can just super glue a rubber vacuum cap over it. That should be enough to fix it. The proper way is to replace the entire pump with an updated part number. It's the little check valve ( which is a small rubber diaphragm) that goes bad causing the leak.

[@noelelnolo9642]

Mike, great video and very detailed. Where u at? I would take my F30 to u for service in a heartbeat!

[@czartross]

Thaís vídeo as VERY informative...have you ever consider to do an OIL PAN GASKET replacement on this same engine?

[@telnetdoogie]

Great video. Figuring out whether to do this myself and it looks simple enough, even if a little 'fiddly'. Thanks so much!!

[@jasonramirez2304]

Wow Mike that was very interesting, you certainly have great talent and know what your doing.

[@christiancaravantes2667]

I'm about to do this on my 328i I'm a little scared to touch that engine because has so much plastic on it, but hopefully everything will be ok. After watching this video I feel more comfortable.

[@sunzalea3257]

How was it??

[@shabaanj8413]

Great explaining

[@coochie3244]

A how to that time lapses through all the how to...

[@AndrewKidd14145]

Learn and go to school you can do more than a valve cover after. It’s more difficult on newer cars than you think and you need a good tool set too.

[@octavius9685]

SOOOOOOO happy my shit was stil under warrenty.

[@anthonypowell3854]

Hey. Would be great if you put all the size ratchets or sockets you need in description.

[@MikeMDs]

Good ides. Thanks.

[@christiancml]

Hi there, excellent DIY, doing this soon on my X1, can you tell us the torque for the bolts?

[@MikeMDs]

Hi, thanks. Torque is 9 Nm

[@truth3384]

Having this same issue. I have a 528i 2013 is your engine the same as mine ? Also what are the best spark plugs to buy

[@MikeMDs]

Yes the same engine. NGK or BOSCH are BMW recommended

[@aim2game861]

Would this issue cause Smokey exhaust and blue exhaust smoke. Because I have Smokey issue from exhaust and also engine bay in that area too. Don’t know if it has any correlation?

[@MikeMDs]

It will cause smoke from the engine bay due to oil leaking on the exhaust manifold and burning. Smoke from exhaust is usually a worn turbocharger on this engine.

[@marquesforbes312]

Great Video! I am having drivetrain malfunction issues with my BMW 2013 528i xdrive N20. The engine and turbo has been replaced. I also replaced the lpfp and hpfp. I also cleaned the MAF and replaced air filter. However I am still having drivetrain malfunction issues; code 11A002, 11AC02, and 213601. I also did an OBD reading and the codes were P0087. Any suggestions on what I should do to fix this drivetrain malfunction?

[@mrman_google1811]

Hi Mike, for the valve cover new part are you using BMW original part or aftermarket? its URO a brand you can recommend. Many thanks for this very helpful DIY

[@MikeMDs]

Unless you plan on selling her soon I would use the factory brand.

[@mrman_google1811]

@@MikeMDs Thanks Mike, good point :)

[@LuisTrac]

Excuse me Mike, I have a big doubt about the fuel lines's o rings, when you took it off you did not talk about replacing the o rings so I wanna now If I do the job do I need to replace the o rings for the fuel lines on the 14mm and 17mm??? I would appreciate your answer 🙏

[@ndigs]

If you are ever in Jacksonville FL... I owe you multiple Beers 🍻🍻🍻 😊 thanks

[@RamonRodriguez-yl8wk]

Disconnecting gas pump fuse and let it die, would help with the fuel mess?

[@MikeMDs]

good idea, That would work

[@freedivingmiami237]

Nice video

[@MikeMDs]

Thanks! Let me know what other kind of content you would like to see.

[@zackattack91000]

How long did this take you to take everything off? Or if someone else has done it for their first time, how long did it take any of you?

[@MikeMDs]

It's a half day job. But if its your first time and you're not a daily mechanic then I'd give yourself two days.

[@plightn]

The canister in top with the larger yellow ! triangle, is that like an oil separator or something? And is it serviceable?

[@MikeMDs]

Yes it is an oil separator. Not serviceable with factory parts . There might be an aftermarket repair for it.

[@sebastianromero4930]

How much would you charger for this job ?

[@TheFrenchPug]

Are there any issues with eccentric shaft sensor reinstall like the older n52 engines? I just did my N54 VC and it looks less involved than this one! Lol

[@ramiroparocua8070]

Mike, on the vacuum pump; the plug that looks like it has a hose. Does that go to anything? Mine is spitting out oil through it. My car has an electric turbo actuator.

[@MikeMDs]

That is common, You can replace the entire pump or clean the nipple very well and add a vacuum cap/plug with silicone so it doesn't leak. Only If you have an electric wastegate. It isn't used for anything .

[@ramiroparocua8070]

Mike MDs thank you very much, life saver. It’s been all good since I put a plug on it. Thank you very much and thanks for your videos. I used this video when I was changing the timing chain on my n26 engine. Thank you.

[@mr_nobdyhere]

@Mike - Thank you for the detailed walkthrough. What kind of lube do you recommend to use for vacuum pump?

[@jeffc88888]

Slow down the video! How can we know what to do if almost the whole video is in fast motion??

[@mariomarroquin-castro9401]

You can change play back speed to half lol

[@USABOSS357]

Does the valve cover for N20 and N26 is the same?!

[@Joe-jb9qu]

Where did you get the mini ratchet ?

[@StaticSlidez]

You see the vacuum pump that black nipple thing is there anything connected like a hose to that? I just did a valve cover and after driving it its making a squealing noise from there i didnt remember if it had a hose back there maybe air is escaping but when i removed the oil cap it stops making that noise

[@MikeMDs]

If you have a vacuum actuated turbo wastegate then there should be a vacuum line on the vacuum pump nipple. If the turbo is electrically actuated then there should be a cap on it.

[@cyclonetcracer]

Can you post a tool list. Awesome video

[@Vexulus]

Do all n20 engines sound like a diesel and ticking noise

[@MikeMDs]

yes, the direct injection injectors are what you are hearing.

[@Vexulus]

Mike MDs thank you I just got one a day ago at 68k miles I’m coming from a 2000 e46 328i(250,000miles)still running well but the n20 it just sounded so weird to me

[@buckweat6568]

Here for the timing chain!

[@CookiesUnleashed]

The timing chain is def not a DIY friendly project theres too many things to screw up that can blow your engine

[@buckweat6568]

@@CookiesUnleashed Completed the job about 5 months ago. It was pretty difficult and took many hours. The car runs great though. Video helped a lot!

[@CookiesUnleashed]

Buckweat65 wow you must be an insanely good home mechanic. Good stuff man!

[@buckweat6568]

@@CookiesUnleashed SimpleCarGuy has a great video with some good pointers. That and a little luck. hehe

[@dawnissacsam]

@@buckweat6568 Did you do the timing chain? Do you have a video?

[@henryatkinson1479]

This is a much harder job than on the N52, but its really not any worse than the N53. Shame that things got so complex here.

[@outtkastouttkast5315]

Wow your the best thanks

[@MikeMDs]

You're welcome!

[@terry6552]

I have 2015 x3 with the same problem would this video work for me?

[@MikeMDs]

Its best to have it diagnosed by a professional. Hopefully your issue is simpler

[@XsHaHzEbDX]

hey Mike, any advice on going with an aftermarket valve cover? worth the risk for half the price?

[@MikeMDs]

I wouldn't because it's so much labor to save $200. If you plan on keeping it i'd go original.

[@ericeric4774]

Can you do more n20 related video. I have coolant leak to the turbo. Can you do that one ?

[@MARVELB3ATZ]

Can u plz share the brand of the valve cover or the link you purchase the valve cover😅

[@MikeMDs]

It was a factory brand from the dealer. But you can find them on any bmw parts online. like pelicanparts.

[@manuelgutierrez1787]

Hi Mike have a question about the vacuum pump. I have a 2013 328i turbo and is leaking from the tiny outlet of the vacuum pump so is the pump bad ? because it was no hose before that and out of sudden just starting leaking please give an advice will appreciate the info .

[@MikeMDs]

The check valve at that port is faulty. If you didn't have a Vacuum line coming off of it then you can just cap it with a vacuum plug cap. clean the nipple well, lightly rough it up with sandpaper , then put the cap on with some super glue.

[@autoxpert5231]

Can you do a oil cooler housing gasket next on the N20 engine?

[@MikeMDs]

Yes thanks for the suggestion

[@ismaelrodriguez7588]

Why does it make that rattling noise after you finish up and turn it back on?

[@arturs5919]

Классная работа👍

[@mattnewman4533]

I just completed this replacement but now I am leaking a decent amount of fuel somewhere in the back two cylinders. The cavity around the back two ignition coils was essentially filled with gas after running the motor for a couple minutes. Didn't throw any check engine lights though. Any ideas? I tightened the fuel lines hand tight as you recommended

[@MikeMDs]

Check the tightness of the fuel rails. to injectors.

[@mattnewman4533]

@@MikeMDs Thanks, one of the fuel lines was not properly seated. Didn't realize because I was trying to not torque them down. Should have listened to you when you recommended replacing the whole cover on 80k+ vehicles. I only bought the gaskets and when I popped the cover off, all the gaskets looked fine, eventually found a hairline fracture in the cover. Of course it was the weekend and I had to leave the wife's car torn apart for a few days until a Monday for someone to ship one out. Thank you. I was able to get this done in about 6 hours total on a 2014 X1.

[@esteemedenergy]

Not a bad process at all. Thanks for sharing,

[@juanulloa9988]

Great video, Thank you so much for your time spend. God bless.

[@juanulloa9988]

It save me a lot of money. Easy job

[@aliox326]

Hey can you do a timing chain replacement on N20 video?

[@mickeymouse7044]

Hi man I have question did you do crankshaft so the air goes out or you think crankshaft don't matter

[@MikeMDs]

I'm not sure what you mean.

[@mickeymouse7044]

When reinstalling the high pressure fuel pump do I have to manually crank the engine so that the exhaust camshaft is at bottom dead center lowest point

[@MikeMDs]

Okay I see. Some people like to rotate the engine to where the high pressure fuel pump tappet is at the lowered position. I have done this job at least 20 times. It's not a bad idea, but the main thing is to make sure there is no dirt in there and it is free to move. You can pull out the tapped and pour some fresh engine oil in there and around the hole and install to make sure it doesn't score the cylinder it is in on start-up.

[@mickeymouse7044]

Ok thx but do u have to manually crank or you can start the car without no problem