Help me- M88 valve clearances....15 shims reqd - The Unofficial BMW M5 Messageboard (m5board.com)

farrell · 22nd February 2008, 13:56

Gents
Several hours later.....
I have exhausted my contacts with UK racing teams & manufacturers like
Wurth & Febi.
BMW in UK no longer keep this service item.
BMW in Europe have a no stk status on the shims.
I have a car with a total of 20 shims reqd with clearances well below
what I would be happy to drive.
The exhaust side is two set shims below what I consider ideal.

I am now faced with getting another manufacturers shims ground to tolerance
at great expense to the customer due to having to mill them but maintain roundness
so it will still drop into the bucket.

I would prefer to get the correct size shims.
The following are OS.
1 x 3.5mm thk
4 x 3.55mm thk
5 x 3.6mm thk
5 x 3.7mm thk

Total of 15 os out of 20.
I will buy & pay courier fees.

Does anyone have any shims out there or know a further source.
I would stress that supply has got worse on this & many powertrain parts
for older BMW //M over the last year.

Even if you have not got spare shims, this is a heads up that even basic
service maintenance for an M88 may prove more aggro than thought
dependant on the shim plate sizes reqd.

Thanks
Farrell

marekd174 · 22nd February 2008, 15:17

I was told that the early VW watercooled shims are identical to the M88 shims. Buy one from the VW dealer and have a look if it is indeed the same. I would say for an 1979 Golf GTI. They are also about 10% of the price of the BMW items.

farrell · 22nd February 2008, 15:32

Hi
Correct.
Golf Mk1 from 1977-1984 inc some early Mk2.
As of Jan 07, all VAG 3.7mm thk shims nla.
No quantities of other shims in UK stk.
The parts are not currently commercially available in UK.

I have cars engine open in my only dry garage bay.
I have to reassemble to move.

VAG shims when available are £5.18 ea in UK !
Milling of shims would require a 3.75mm shim as start point.

Its a time vs cost issue now.
Cheers
Farrell

raymondw · 22nd February 2008, 16:27

Darren,

The EPC may not show stock status, but still mentions a price so their status is not NLA. Not that I have M88 shims on stock, but I will check availability from the Dutch dealer network. Given the total net value of DC91 parts that I have on order, I can allow myself such an inquiry.

You will need:

1st => 11 34 1 305 464 (Euro 8,51/pc ex VAT)
4st => 11 34 1 305 465 (Euro 6,16/pc ex VAT)
5st => 11 34 1 305 466 (Euro 8,51/pc ex VAT)
5st => 11 34 1 305 468 (Euro 8,51/pc ex VAT)

I will get back to you.

raymondw · 22nd February 2008, 16:38

Darren,

My dealer just confirmed that BMW AG has stock of all four part numbers in Munich. They take an extra day to deliver, but given the fact that we are closing in on the weekend, the BMW parts system doesn't accept new orders until monday. This means that if ordered Monday they are delivered Wednesday on the earliest.

Please let me know if I can be of assistance.

farrell · 22nd February 2008, 17:55

Raymond
We have sourced the shims now.

Thanks for your assistance.

Cheers m8.

Sebring NL · 22nd February 2008, 17:56

Which Euro dealer did you call Faz?

I rang mine and they gave me a similar story to Rays

farrell · 22nd February 2008, 18:11

I dont ring dealers in Europe guys

My local dealer in Colchester informs me of stk status in UK & Europe.
That may be what stk is updated in main supply network.
The data supplied yesterday is what I acted upon.
You must also remember that if I had been given the stk status you gave me
today & ordered them, I would not have seen the parts until Friday 29th Feb
regardless.
It takes 5 working days most times to get the parts here from Germany, even on VOR.

Thats along time to have a car blocking your workshop or being pushed
about for a week !

When the new workshop is built, the issues like this will have less impact.

Cheers
Farrell

raymondw · 22nd February 2008, 19:09

Great to hear Farrel

Sebring NL · 23rd February 2008, 00:07

Pushing around cars..

Funny you should mention this, as long as I work with my mechanic, we've always been pushing behind mainly my cars (since his all weigh 400 kilos its less of an effort

) ever since we changed the Ascona engine time after time when the damn thing blew again over NOS or drag.

Now we are about nine years further down the road and at some points, my M535i needs pushing into the workshop or client cars that have been put there for valve clearance check. Its a hard life!