Followed both the
FCPEuro and
PelicanParts guides , and got stuck in a couple of spots, which could help out others.
Leaky VCG
Remove the Injector Wiring Harness before trying to remove the lower Valvetronic bolt, otherwise you don't have enough space for even the 1/4 ratchet bit.
You *must have* the 1/4" ETorx bit, a 3/8 will not work. I didn't have the right length extension, so used a U-Joint
For the bolt in the lower corner, I ended up unclipping the metal hose and using a long extension threaded behind it.
After removing all the bolts, I still couldn't figure out how people got the Valve Cover off, as the plastic wiper shield didn't give enough clearance.
Asetoy2nr has a great howto to loosen the wiper shield and get the extra space required:
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=839337
The 15 mins it takes to loosen the wiper shield is well worth it to save your sanity. Once you've got the extra room, removing/replacing the Valve Cover becomes much easier.
I was impressed how clean the engine was, despite being at 150k kms
The old VCG was very hard and crusty.
Noticed the braided ground cable on the passenger side was broken. Apparently it isn't the ground cable, but an "Interference Suppression Band"
