I haven't found any real guidance for the N20 timing chain or oil pump drive replacement in any forum. The posts seem to only be about having the work done, and one X3 forum that made mention of doing the work. I felt like I had repeatedly found a terrible Joe Beermaster video, one of the oil pan being removed on a lift, and lots of "whine" videos. You all had me all worried about it, so as I neared 100k miles I took it on. I figure I can throw out a bit of info on it, and maybe it’ll do someone good. Excuse the spots where I just start listing out single thoughts. This is four pages as it is.
I knew of the chain issue when I bought the car (2012 328i) last year, and planned on doing it myself. While this isn't a full DIY, maybe it'll help as some of you since the early F30 are reaching that age. I'll only reference a couple TIS document numbers. It'll be best for you to be familiar with that setup, which is invaluable.
This is a big job. You should be really mechanically savvy. It makes me working on my e28 look like a hobby (it is). However, it's obtainable. As you'd expect, things are put together with the ability to properly work on them. There are a couple exceptions. There always are.
I probably spent 30 hours on the job. I took a lot of dead ends. Hopefully this will save some. It'd probably be a 12 hour job for me to do again. To be fair, I don't use power tools, and I clean things really well. You could thrash, skimp, and get through it more quickly.
Tools (in addition to a healthy quantity of normal tools)
E-Torx socket set (the Neiko 04300A set was great) and box end e-torx wrenches. Maybe you can get away without the box ends, but I used them in a number of places to break things free. The ratcheting ones may be too large to fit in some spaces.
T60 bit for oil pump sprocket bolt, plus a set up to T45 of sockets and bits for the tight spots.
10mm hex, maybe? 8mm at least.
Ratcheting box end wrenches. Standard (1/4) fits the smaller Torx hex (the tool, not bolt) size in tight spaces where you'll only be able to get the bit or socket in. They also fit an external torx head once they're loose, so they can speed up removal. Don't use them to break free an external torx head.
Torque wrenches from .6Nm (1/4" drive beam territory) and up.
3/4 drive sockets from 22mm to 27 or 28. I have a big Klutch set that have been more useful than I expected.
I think I used one of my 27mm or so angled open end for the tensioner.
Line end wrenches or crows feet for the fuel lines.
Assortment of picks to remove clips. Forcing German clips is a terrible idea. Play nice.
I even borrowed a universal joint set.
12 point thin wall spark plug socket. You'll also need a universal joint or wobble.
Torque angle gauge. 3/4 would be nice, but 1/2 at a minimum. I used mine to mark the degrees on the crank bolt with a blue sharpie, and a couple other places like the vanos nut.
BMW Specific - Timing tool (eEuroParts rental was the CTA brand), oil pump tool (CTA, but the tensioner pin was wrong), crankshaft locking tool (JTC #6670 was sufficient with my flywheel access plug out and is the third option in the TIS 11 41 010). I got away without a crankshaft seal tool. It'd be nice to have for removal, where you have to be careful. I was able to use the old seal to help install the new one. I cut a slit in it, and used the pulley at the crank to help guide it in evenly after it was set by hand. That process of removal and install (lots of back and forth) probably cost a couple hours.
Engine hoist or appropriate support bar. Floor jack(s).
A tow hook from an earlier model (like e46). There's an engine removal process (TIS 11 00 050) that shows it for a hoist. The one supplied with the F30 won't work. I ordered 72-15-7-203-519 from the local dealership because they could have it the following day.
Procedure
Hopefully this helps. I spent lots of time going over the TIS and trying to piece together how things would work and never had much confidence in my order. The procedures tend to be targeted to the isolated task. There's lots of overlap, sometimes what seemed to be conflicting methods, and directions to do things that would get in the way of or pre-empt other jobs.
Use this valve cover gasket video for upper removal,
. It's a great video.
You'll need to disconnect the wastegate actuator and exhaust manifold heat shield for the timing tool and tensioner tool. Do it now, do it later; now will let you clean up the seeping oil from the head instead of off your exhaust. Remove all of your air intake plumbing in the front and to the driver's side charge pipe. There are a number of vacuum lines with all of that. You'll have an accessory belt to do at some point.
The oil pan removal is deceptive in the TIS. They show it in like two simple steps. You can hardly see all the bolts on the pan. There are a couple nested in the upper portion of the driver side engine mount. Plan on supporting the engine and removing the engine mount arm on that side for access for those bolts. No combination of extensions and universal joints I put together could get to them for me. I can't imagine getting a good torque measurement/feel if you reinstalled them that way. I tried everything I could to get it out without dropping the subframe and wasted a number of evenings in my attempts. I'm a patient guy. I threw my 1/4 ratchet at some point, quit for the night, and cursed them for days for not providing better access. If they're making it plastic, they can do far more than a machined part to do such a thing. As a design engineer, I think it's the kind of thing they should make those engineers do like they're at home to teach them a good lesson. I can't do this without saying something...
I had no choice but to drop the subframe. The TIS have good info on steps, like disconnecting the power steering motor, etc. My general order, should I do it again:
Remove the underbody covers shown in the subframe TIS sections, and loosen the wheel well covers. Or, just look at what will be in the way of the dropping subframe. Having the wheel well liner loose on the driver side will make it easier to reach in from the side for the engine mount and oil pan fiasco.
Support the engine and remove the mount arm and associated subframe mount (optional for wrench access).
Remove the bolts from behind the arm. While the arm is out, remove the bolts that attach the transmission line supports. Reinstall the mounts (you'll remove them again later).
Remove the rest of the oil pan bolts. There are two, on the aft side, that are supposed to have locking compound. Try to note those. The part diagram is terrible for figuring that out.
Drop the subframe. Remove the oil pan. Put the subframe right back up. Maybe you'll do all of this without the subframe in place, or engine mount out, but there's a whole lot of torque going on the engine later. Also, my engine hoist is not trustworthy.
Reattach the engine mount nuts.
Get to business with putting the engine in timing location and installing the tools to lock it in place. You can pretty well follow the TIS on this. The biggest bit is getting the crankshaft bolt out. It took my 3/4 breaker bar with its 18" extension, wife watching the flywheel tool to not fall out, and as much force as I could muster to get it going. I didn't use the 3/4" ratchet until it was on its way. That much force.
The crankshaft seal in the TIS always confused me. I did it with the pulley and hub out. Then reinstalled it after the chains where reintstalled and the hub was going back in.
I didn't run into much worth noting on reinstall. Do pay attention to the high pressure fuel line reinstallation. The high pressure line gets a different torque. Also, they say you should replace it.
I left the front skidplate off to watch for leaks afterward.
Parts
I based my order off the FCP Euro kit. I omitted the plugs for the guide bearings, only got a couple of each oil pan bolt, and did the Febi pump kit instead. The oil pan bolts are listed as an item to replace in the procedure. The only sense I can make of this is that they don't want you to neglect the ones with locking agent on them. That's me being nice about replacing bolts that are in 100 other places at under 10 ft lb of torque and not cursing the engineers (like I did for the guys that did the engine mount/oil pan access). The two different oil pan bolts simply have a locking compund on them. Dimensionally they're the same. They're not torqued to yield. Bananas.
The Febi pump kit was all the same as the BMW (every single marking) stuff that came out. I was relieved that it wasn't a cheaped out version. Getting the genuine BMW part is still not a bad idea, but I took that price difference and added that CTA Oil Pump Tool.
A few shortages that I noticed as I did the work:
The bearings for the plastic chain guides.
Oil pump sprocket bolt.
As recommended in the valve cover gasket video, a vacuum pump seal.
When you drop the subframe, you're supposed to replace the gasket on top.
There are a couple areas like the steering motor wiring where they have some special cable ties. 3-4 are probably necessary. I'd get half a dozen to be safe.
The high pressure fuel line noted above that I totally didn't replace and has been fine.
Conclusion
Like the valve cover gasket video says, it’ll probably take a couple pushes of the button to get it to start. Mine was on round two. I also got a check engine light. The code was P05CC. Remember, you’ve drained all the control systems in the engine that are controlled by oil pressure. The variable cam system is included.
The car drove well. I stressed about the CEL a bit, but after a long weekend the light went off at right about 50 miles. So, expect that. I don’t yet have ISTA-D, so I couldn’t clear it out. I just sweat it out, but know that it should.
And the guides? Broken. I found the escapees in the oil pan. Sounds like I’ve got 80k until I do it again.