Snapped rockers!!!!

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charlE30
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Post Mon Sep 05, 2005 8:17 am

Well I managed somehow to snap an inlet and exhaust rocker on cylinder 1 :cry: and I've done a search and couldn't find any info on replacing rockers.

I know in the ideal world it's an engine out job but has anyone ever done it with engine in situ, bonnet removed engine mounts undone and jack the engine up enough for the rocker shafts to clear the front??

It's not the end of the world if the engine does have to come out as I've got an M30 3.5 to stick in it's place but would rather get this one working first.

Any help on this one much appreciated :thumb:
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smithy318i
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Post Mon Sep 05, 2005 8:45 am

You should be able to remove the cam shaft while the head is still in the engine (if you do have enough space between the head and radiator)

But the ideal solution is to remove the cylinder head.

You also should be thinking "why did the rockers break?"
"was the timing out ?" and "has the piston hit the valves and bent them?"
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charlE30
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Post Mon Sep 05, 2005 5:46 pm

Cheers smithy, good questions that I want answers to. I've only had the car a couple of months and it came with receipts for Ԛ£1100 worth of head work at a reputable BMW specialist, don't know if this has any reflection on what's happened??

I think I will remove the entire head to check everything properly and my brother-in-law is going to have all the rockers checked out for me at his work, should be able to give me a full report as to why a couple failed and if the rest are still solid.
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buster
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Post Mon Sep 05, 2005 6:52 pm

this happened to me years ago,they can snap due to a large gap (badly adjusted).I had mine at red line decelerating in third,that probably didnt help neither.
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Brianmoooore
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Post Mon Sep 05, 2005 7:59 pm

charlE30 wrote:Cheers smithy, good questions that I want answers to. I've only had the car a couple of months and it came with receipts for Ԛ£1100 worth of head work at a reputable BMW specialist, don't know if this has any reflection on what's happened??.
I've got receipts for a similar amount for headwork on my wife's 325 touring, from eighteen months ago. Inlet manifold gasket blew 7 weeks ago. Had been assembled with the inlet manifold nut at the front of the engine missing.
Nyloc nuts had been used, so it hadn't fallen off.
charlE30
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Post Mon Sep 05, 2005 8:13 pm

Oops double posting :mad:
Last edited by charlE30 on Mon Sep 05, 2005 9:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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charlE30
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Post Mon Sep 05, 2005 9:08 pm

I know that since all the head work was carried out the tappets got adjusted by another garage and I reckon they messed up :cry:
It's sad when you can't even trust " the proffesionals " to do a proper job. One of the reasons if I can do it I WILL DO IT!!

I'm lucky though as I've still got my 'spare' 325i (signiture pic) and forgot how much fun it was to drive, makes my newer lower milage 325 feel like a 318 :lol:

Hopefully my M30 3.5 lump will liven it up again :cool:
BMW E30 344i track car :banana:
BMW F31 335d xdrive