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Replace valve cover bolts or not?
Hi,
I have a bit of a conundrum here. I need to know whether I need to replace the valve cover bolts when replacing the gasket or not.
It's a 2011 E90 (328i) with an N52 engine (I'm fairly sure it's not N51 - at least when I enter the last seven digits of the VIN on realoem.com, it says N52).
Some sources say that with the N52, I definitely need to replace the bolts as they're made of aluminum. Some sources, however, say that after 2007, BMW switched back to steel bolts.
Now, is there any surefire way to figure out whether I need new bolts or not BEFORE taking the engine apart and checking the bolts with a magnet? If I need to replace the bolts, I would need to order them online and it would be great to order them beforehand, not when I've taken the engine apart and already have all other parts, and then wait for a week for the bolts to arrive.
Thank you!
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