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E30 M3 Valve Adjust
E30 M3 Fuse Box Diagram

S14/S38 Valve Adjustment
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Procedure w/ pictures

This valve adjustment procedure comes to us via fellow E30 M3 owners Jim Banks and Bob Talbot.  All photos are by Jim Banks.



Tools/Supplies needed:
  • 10 mm socket and drive   8 mm combination wrench
  • Valve bucket compression tool (e.g., Skyway Tools #1007 Double Ended Tappet Depressor) picture 1
  • New OEM valve cover and spark plug hole gaskets   Valve shim kit *or* wait until you measure lash and purchase needed shims (Note: BMW OE shims are 33mm in diameter and come from 3.00mm to 4.25mm thick, in 0.05mm increments)
  • Feeler gauge (inches or mm, a 45 degree angle works very nicely)  Shim pliers or compressed air/magnet (for removing out-of-spec shims)
  • Micrometer or measuring calipers (for measuring shim thickness) 

Procedure:

1. Let car sit overnight so the engine is COLD 

2. Take car out of gear and secure with tire chocks and parking brake. 

3. Remove fan or lower airbox assembly (picture 2) so you can put a 36mm socket on the crank bolt for engine rotation. 

4. Remove valve cover vent hose above #4 (rear) cylinder. 

5. Remove three (3) 8 mm bolts and wave washers securing distributor cover to distributor (be careful, these bolts are very short) and leave distributor cover loose (it is not necessary to remove the cover completely). Remove two 10 mm acorn nuts and wave washers securing spark plug harness to valve cover (be careful not to lose the knurled brass inserts). Pull spark plug wires off plugs and carefully pull harness out of way. 

6. Remove eighteen (18) 10 mm acorn nuts and wave washers that secure valve cover. 

7. Remove valve cover, valve cover gasket and spark plug hole gaskets. 

8. Remove spark plugs if you want to ease engine rotation. Note: be VERY careful that nothing (e.g., washers, sockets, dirt) drops into the open cylinders through the spark plug holes! 

9. You should now see the exposed cams (intake on top, exhaust on bottom), as well as the shim and bucket valve actuation mechanism (picture 3). You will notice some pooling of oil around the exhaust buckets at the bottom of the engine. This is normal and doesn't affect the valve adjustment procedure (except to make it a little messy). Remove the oil if desired with a turkey baster, vacuum device or rags if desired - but remember to check and top off your oil after completing the valve adjustment procedure.

continued »


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E30 M3 Valve Adjust
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