[charlie fairmont]

Originally Posted by 32valves

That's a good question, but I? have to admit my ports look perfect from the water meth.

Would taking a piece of the old gasket and putting it in a jar of meth for a month be a worthwhile experiment?

Anyway, good luck with the leaks.

[335dsleeper]

I have a similar issue with my X5 that doesn’t have meth injection. I think it’s more age/ mileage related.

Originally Posted by Mark M

Shot in the dark.....could the water / meth be causing the premature failure of the rubber valve cover gaskets? Similar to how ethanol in fuels was harming fuel line seals.

[32valves]

Originally Posted by charlie fairmont

Would taking a piece of the old gasket and putting it in a jar of meth for a month be a worthwhile experiment?

Anyway, good luck with the leaks.

I? could do that for shits and giggles, but also I? got 100,700 miles on my car. But you would think a vc gasket would last longer than that. But I? just did a X3 3.0 with 125,000 miles and I? had to chisel the vc gasket out.

[32valves]

Thanks to 335stoner it was the valve cover gasket but how he knew I? have no idea...

[335dsleeper]

Great stuff! Glad it's fixed.

[32valves]

Originally Posted by 335dsleeper

Great stuff! Glad it's fixed.

Who you telling I? was gonna torch the damn car

[robnitro]

Originally Posted by robnitro

So you're saying that the round intake ports go in the though the valve cover and have gaskets that can leak boost into there? I thought intake goes into the side of the head, but with this split swirl ports design I'm clueless...

Edit: I see now in real oem that yes the round ports are part of the valve cover!
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...diagId=11_4223

I was just thinking that depending on how the big rectangular port on side of head and the round port meet at the valves.... you could have just cut rubber gaskets to block the air going into the round intakes at the valve cover and depend on the rectangular ports for flow instead. (This would only work if one already deleted the swirl flaps!)
In the case of blocking flow/pressure to the round small ports, there would be no pressurization of the intake valve cover.

This can be a good way to diagnose it without having to remove injectors and the valve cover. But we don't know if it would limit airflow at high rpm... I am guessing no, but who knows.

[dmanb2b]

Originally Posted by 32valves

Thanks to 335stoner it was the valve cover gasket but how he knew I? have no idea...

Andrew Rodriguez gave us a heads up on the NA Facebook group page. There have been a handful of VC gasket failures recently. I wish the documented the procedure here. Someone in Canada just did his with very detailed photos, but post drops down so fast and hard to search for it.

Glad to see she is running again!

[32valves]

Originally Posted by dmanb2b

Andrew Rodriguez gave us a heads up on the NA Facebook group page. There have been a handful of VC gasket failures recently. I wish the documented the procedure here. Someone in Canada just did his with very detailed photos, but post drops down so fast and hard to search for it.

Glad to see she is running again!

It's a job not for the faint, but I? did it and happy that's what it was. I? called the dealer for shits and giggles they quailed me $1700...

[dmanb2b]

Originally Posted by 32valves

It's a job not for the faint, but I? did it and happy that's what it was. I? called the dealer for shits and giggles they quailed me $1700...

Major points for tackling that...dreading it myself

[335stoner]

Originally Posted by 32valves

Thanks to 335stoner it was the valve cover gasket but how he knew I? have no idea...

I could say I was a badass, but then I would be lying.. yes like mentioned it was a lengthy discussion on the FB page.