Anyone had their Engine Chain guides replaced by an indie or Main dealer?

how long did it take to get done and how much were the parts?

also, any preferences from those who have done it themselves or had it done on the best Brand/make of Chain Guides or is there only one?

Car is 2004 4.4 V8 petrol BMW.


thanks fellas.
DB

Last edited by Dolphinboy on 18th Jan 2017 4:26pm. Edited 1 time in total

I used Febi Bilstein chains and guides in mine which seem ok but I have another underlying issue of potential head gasket failure and also a top end rattle which I think is because the engine was overheating after a top hose blew off so I don't think any of this is related to my chains and guides
I also rebuilt my vanos with Beisan kit and alll was going very well until I lost the radiator hose.
I would imagine £1500 for an Indy maybe more, main dealer would be unthinkable

I'm thinking you'd need to budget for about £1200 all in, though you might get it a little cheaper by finding the right place.

The parts are about £350, and it took something like 10-hours labour. You might want to also think about changing other parts too while there, such as the chain tensioner.

It's not the easiest of jobs, so try finding someone who's done it before and has the specialist tools needed, and there is quite a lot that needs to be removed before you get to the timing chain cover. Current:
- 2017 L405 3.0 V6 Autobiography
Sold:
- 2013 L405 4.4 TDV8 Vogue
- 2004 L322 4.4 Vogue (BRC LPG)
- 2002 L322 4.4 HSE (having fixed timing chain guides)
- 2000 P38 4.6 Vogue (BRC LPG)
- 1981 2-door In-Vogue
- 1980 Ex-Army SIII LWB
- 1976 SIII LWB
- 1968 SIIA
Stripped for parts:
- 2003 L322 4.4 Vogue

Thanks Andy, was hoping you would pop up. Just waiting for saint v8 to give his verdict now!

Thanks also to zebedee for some good int.

Well, had one quote at £3960, Inc vat. That includes cam cover gasket. They also want to take the engine out to do it. Hhhmmmmm? Any thoughts on this?

Will also get the valley gasket done at the same time methinks.

Had another quote of "at least £3,000 in labour alone. Probably not worth doing it!"

Anyone know the official schedule/time required for this job?


DB

Do not need to take out the engine, think only some of the BMW cars require this, most garages don't like to do the job.

I really took my time and it took me around 45 hours which included making some tools, rebuilding the vanos units and all the other stuff. You would need a cam timing kit which you can pick up from around £130 but double check it does the M62TUB44, you would need some form of breaker bar and 27 mm socket, my bar was around 5 ft long and there is a link below to some of the items i purchased.

Have your guides actually gone ?

My old chains looked identical in length to my new chains
There are a couple of guides for the cam chain tensioners which are a couple of quid and there are other seals and gaskets including the upper front timing covers and lower timing covers, vanos solenoid seals, non return valves, timing chain tensioner, crank bolt, front crank seal, beisan kit if you want to rebuild the vanos at the same time.
You may not need the chains and you could reuse your old coolant if necessary but oil and filter.
I reckon I spent £800 including the tools.


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/302046328498?_tr...EBIDX%3AIT

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/401217811678?_tr...EBIDX%3AIT

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/330657909842?_tr...EBIDX%3AIT

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-FEBI-BILSTEI...5b1cbf5de1

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CRANK-BOLT-FRONT...258d0e3530

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-FEBI-BILSTEI...48862d1286

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-FEBI-BILSTEI...51dc09b68b

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Motul-Inugel-Exp...487f9c88fb

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Timing-Chain-Gui...5d679c49de

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Timing-Chain-Gui...5d679c49eb

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Timing-Chain-Gui...4891518788

Thanks for the info HC  03 4.4 V8 petrol / lpg. 1st of many hopefully. I love my Rangie

No problem, are you looking to change the guides for fun or have yours broken up ?

I'm getting a price for mine this week so shall compare.. my engines relatively quite and I love the car so if it's going to prolong its life then I'm getting it done..I shall report back on Tuesday once mechanic looks over it..any other wee jobs I should add in as he will have it in bits and I reckon it's worthwhile doing..

Cool, i think my head gaskets are ok, i think i had a problem with bleeding the air out after fitting the 80 degree mod, never had a problem with the standard stat.
i did
valley pan
PCV valve ( hoses and oil separator already done.)
Vanos solenoid seals
Vanos solenoid non return valves
Timing chain tensioner
CAM chains and tensioner guides
Timing chain
Timing chain guides
Front crankshaft oil seal
All other related seals including cam covers, cam chain tensioners, timing chain covers and alternator o ring
Vanos seals and mod using beisan press tool and seals.
Ancillary belt
Ancillary belt tensioner
powder coated cam covers
80 degree mod

Probably more than that but my brain is in Bombay Saphire mode...

Well this is depressing.....

Have talked to several garages in the bristol area, including a former Land Rover main dealer who told me "there aren't many BMW petrol engines around any more and wE've never done a chain guide job before"!! They all are not able to do the job (either don't have the right kit or expertise and are unwilling to try.)

There is a BMW specialist up the road who would be ideal but who won't touch my car "'cos it's got LPG"!! 😡

The book time for the job is 11 hrs (so you were close zeb) but the front runner wants to take the engine out ("cos it's easier). That doesn't sit well with me, it being a 12 year old car and old, rusted LR bolts being what they are, prob going to create more probs. Comments?

I have been quoted just under £4K which I think is taking the mick on 11 hr job. Even if it were 20 hrs that's only £1560 labour Inc vat.

Anyone got any further thoughts on what my next course of action might be? I am reluctant to let the car go as she has been mechanically perfect in the 5 yrs I have had her. Once this is done and with a few gaskets changed (cam cover and valley) she will run and run.

I am getting a little confused as to who has got what !!

Are your guides gone or are you just looking at preventative maintenance Dolphin ?

I am not sure how much extra work is involved with LPG

Hi Andy,

Sorry wasn't very clear thus far was I? Should have posted my other posts for reference - Apologies.

I think my chain guides or tensioner went as I turned the engine on after a very cold spell and the old girl had been sitting for over a week. It sounded like something rubbing at the front of the engine and the d☠️Ckhead in the garage only 100m from my house diagnosed a rubbing fan! I couldn't find anything wrong with the fan so reckoned it could be chain guides or tensioner.

Asked for advice here earlier:

http://www.fullfatrr.com/forum/topic40678.html

http://www.fullfatrr.com/forum/topic40673.html

http://www.fullfatrr.com/forum/topic40691.html

Want to get the work done as the old girl has been faultless mechanically up to now (save 2x water pumps and 1x radiator) but having real problems finding a competent mechanic who has the ability or inclination to do the job for a price which matches a 12 year old motor!

Where in Kent are you Andy, might drag her down to you to do?

Blimey, you have been around the houses

Ok, lets try and get this fatty back to life.

We need to establish it is not the waterpump again, the auxillary belt tensioner, the timing chain tensioner or something else other than the dreaded timing chain guides.

What is your mileage ?

LPG is not a good omen for the timing chain guides as it is my belief it makes the engine run hotter and seems to kill the plastic quicker than non lpg, mine has never had LPG and my guides when I changed looked good.

i hate to see these wonderful cars binned for the sake of a few bits of plastic.

As already pointed out in one of your previous threads, the best way to diagnose guides is dropping the sump, how much spannering confidence do you have, could you drop the sump ?

Hi Andy,

Tried everywhere. Can't understand why there aren't any competent spanner monkeys around any more who can do this (apart from you and Johnboyairey)

it's deffo not the water pump or anything else exterior to the engine. I agree ref the lpg affecting hi temps and making the guides brittle but it has been fitted for over 7 yrs with no probs, no overheating or any mechanical defect.

Mileage is 187,000. It's all been good up to now.

It may be thetensioner but how do you ascertain if it is without taking the front of the engine off?

Same with the timing chain- how do you check that's ok?

My money is on the guides. If it is just that and the vanos is intact, it should be a pretty easy and straight forward fix, no?

I can get it 100m down the road to the d☠️Ckhead who said it was the fan and get him to drop the sump. Can't do it at home as no space to get underneath due to driveway being Unlevel.

Thanks for sticking with me in this one. I really want to get the old girl past 200k and there's no reason why she shouldn't.

187 K and LPG you would be a good candidate for guides, the timing chain wont have failed, it may be a longer than when it was born but not enough to make a noise, the timing chain tensioner is one nut, but it is not in a great place to get to without the right socket and bar and not likely to have failed to the extent of causing, and i quote "A noise like a skeleton w@nking in a biscuit tin"
The only real way to tell is dropping the sump or you could try taking the oil filter out and checking for aluminium glitter from the guides but you may not have got that far yet.

My concern would be removing the LPG to an extent to allow the removal of the cam covers.

How much is the car worth as it stands and how much can you budget to get it sorted is the bottom line i guess ?