Valve cover torque value

[DaveCinNO]

Does anyone know the correct valve cover bolt torque value for a cam head? I can't seem to find it anywhere online.

 

Tks,

[6speedTi]

http://www.bmwlt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67487&highlight=torque+values

[Selden]

Dave, After the number of reports I have seen here about stripped threads, rather than use a torque wrench, I would suggest using a stubby ratchet drive, and tighten as little as possible. "Snug" should be enough, although that is a somewhat vague term. If it leaks, try a little more. A little bit of leakage is a lot easier to fix than stripped threads.

 

If you feel you must use a torque wrench, set it for about half the recommended torque value. I'm guessing that the cam head has the same recommended value as for earlier boxers: 8 Nm. Start at 4 Nm; if the bolts don't loosen and the cover doesn't leak oil, fine; if it does, try 6 Nm.

[DaveCinNO]

Thanks for the reply's. I'll definitely sneak up on this setting as I too fear over tightening them. I guess they were cramped for space as that is certainly a small thread.

[mneblett]

and tighten as little as possible. "Snug" should be enough, although that is a somewhat vague term. If it leaks, try a little more. A little bit of leakage is a lot easier to fix than stripped threads.

A key thing to remember is that once the flanges on the valve cover bolts contact the flat face of the cylinder head flange, no amount of additional torque will further compress the valve cover gasket, i.e., unless you have not tightened the valve cover bolts enough to reach the cylinder head, more torque will only start the thread-stripping process. The bolt flanges are there precisely for the purpose of *preventing* excessive gasket compression.

 

You can *easily* feel when the bolt's flange contacts the cylinder head -- the lightest bit of "snug" from there is sufficient. That said, this is one place I really prefer to use a torque wrench -- it removes all doubt about whether the bolts might have been tightened too much (or to little, for that matter).

[Jim VonBaden]

and tighten as little as possible. "Snug" should be enough, although that is a somewhat vague term. If it leaks, try a little more. A little bit of leakage is a lot easier to fix than stripped threads.

A key thing to remember is that once the flanges on the valve cover bolts contact the flat face of the cylinder head flange, no amount of additional torque will further compress the valve cover gasket, i.e., unless you have not tightened the valve cover bolts enough to reach the cylinder head, more torque will only start the thread-stripping process. The bolt flanges are there precisely for the purpose of *preventing* excessive gasket compression.

 

You can *easily* feel when the bolt's flange contacts the cylinder head -- the lightest bit of "snug" from there is sufficient. That said, this is one place I really prefer to use a torque wrench -- it removes all doubt about whether the bolts might have been tightened too much (or to little, for that matter).

 

Perfect advice!

[6speedTi]

Must be a BMW thing. My 97 318ti M44 engine 4 cyl. valve cover bolts worked the exact same way. All you do is screw them down until you get that bottomed out feeling and your done. If you go any further your asking for big trouble.