[Imperial328i]

Here we are. 71,xxx miles into my F30's life and it's time to look at the intake valves. I wanted to make a thread to add to the collective experience on here and the internet in general. When we all fill the cup the benefits spill over onto us.

The intake manifold removal was straightforward and available on NEWTIS so I won't go into it. I will add a note though. There is a clip under the manifold that holds multiple wire bundles. The instructions refer to it as a cable strap. At first it frustrated me, but all you have to do is pry it from the clip (circled in red) with a flathead.

Included are two pictures of the valves. I've had the car since 16k miles and it's been BM3 stage 2 since about 35k miles. I was surprised at how clean the bore looks, but the valves look pretty dirty. I'm gonna start the blasting tomorrow, I'll continue the thread then.

[RMachuca3d]

They actually look pretty darn clean tbh

[Imperial328i]

Originally Posted by RMachuca3d

They actually look pretty darn clean tbh

For real. Almost kinda mad that I probably didn't need to do all this, but she's all torn apart so I might as well.

[pierreye]

Looks really good for 70k miles. I’ll just use CRC GDI cleaner instead of taking off the whole intake manifold.

[ktw]

Nice work! I recently removed the intake on my N20 (52500 mi; oil catch can since 45000 mi) just enough to get a peek at the intake valves and also came to the conclusion that it's pretty clean. Since I didn't fully remove it I didn't manage to get an pictures, but it looked similar to yours. Figured I'll revisit in another 30-40k miles.

Your pic of the wiring clip on the bottom of the manifold will certainly be useful when I decide it's time to actually remove and clean everything.

[Imperial328i]

Originally Posted by ktw

Nice work! I recently removed the intake on my N20 (52500 mi; oil catch can since 45000 mi) just enough to get a peek at the intake valves and also came to the conclusion that it's pretty clean. Since I didn't fully remove it I didn't manage to get an pictures, but it looked similar to yours. Figured I'll revisit in another 30-40k miles.

Your pic of the wiring clip on the bottom of the manifold will certainly be useful when I decide it's time to actually remove and clean everything.

Dude, I got to the point where I wanted to take the manifold off and it was stuck, I was perplexed. Had to include that info lol. I did the blasting today. It looks nice now! I'll put up photos later. Just gotta clean the fine walnut dust out of there the best I can, clean the area and reassemble.

[Imperial328i]

So I finished the job. I forgot to take pictures of the end result, but you can just imagine the pictures of the valves above but cleaner. As far as the process, my rig worked pretty well. I used the setup that Kies recommends in his video

I will say, I bought the nozzle he used from FCP Euro and the gun from Eastwood, and it did not work as easily as he made it seem. I had to hammer the nut off of the nozzle, get a washer and fashion a gasket type thing out of a credit card for the opposite side. It's hard to explain. I've included pictures and feel free to PM if you plan on using this setup.

I also did not use the BMW vacuum nozzle. I was not going to pay $70 for a tool I may use twice (only because I also have an F87). I bought a $15 one on eBay and it worked great. It's 3D printed and it's sturdy. The seller's name is jdenton1977.

The engine fired up with only a little extra cranking and I'm excited to put the brace and covers on tomorrow and go for a drive.