JCKEL Stage 3 DUAL VANOS O-Ring Seal Repair Kit for BMW - M54/M52tu

I performed this critical maintenance on my 2004 BMW X3 (2.5i / M54) with 111,000 miles on it.The kit came complete with essentially everything one needs other than the tools and RTV gasket sealant. I used the absolutely phenomenal procedure description at the Beisan Systems website (I probably should have bought the parts from them, since their how-to guide is worth its weight in gold) in order to guide me through the process. I am mechanically inclined, but by no means a mechanic. The whole process, including an oil flush & drain, took me about 5 hours. Following the instructions, the whole thing went VERY smoothly. Sure, some of it was tedious, and reaching the back cylinders tired my lower back a bit, but nothing was actually complicated (again, following the meticulous instructions at Beisan Systems).Two additional things I did on top of the VANOS rebuild was 1) I flushed (Amsoil flush) the engine oil and then drained the oil completely, letting the engine cool for several hours before starting; i changed the filter, and then eventually refilled the oil after the VANOS rebuild, prior to starting it for the first time. 2) I replaced the spark plugs (NGK instead of BMW/Bosch) and examined the coils. One of the coils had been replaced by the previous owner with some crappy no-name brand (seriously, no name). I kept that crappy one as a backup and put my emergency spare Delphi in its place; it's always good to keep a coil on backup.Results: Before the procedure, i was averaging 20.4mpg for 90% highway. My engine was sluggish until about 3,200rpm at which point full power would be realized. Now, I'm getting about 23.9MPG, and the acceleration is smooth through the entire range. I did install the anti-rattle kit, but I don't feel that really made a difference. Please keep in mind that some of the increased MPG and acceleration could be attributed to the new spark plugs, or to swapping out the crap oil the previous owner had in there with Amsoil's 0W40. However, I normally only experience a 0.5 - 1.5mpg increase at most with a spark plug change, and the RPM-dependent performance is very indicative of bad VANOS seals.Tips: Go to Beisan Systems website and read through the procedure. Gather all of the tools it recommends; most of them aren't expensive, and you will need EVERY tool it recommends. The torque wrench is critical, and the instructions tell you exactly what to set it for when reassembling everything. It should only take you 4 - 6 hours, but give yourself two free days, just in case you forget something and need to borrow your wife's car to go to the auto parts store.

Everything . Fits. How . It . Should. Only thing was they gave me a extra valvue rubber boot thing that bolts down the valve cover and it messed me up because i had to take them all out again-__- lol. Make sure you have a torque wrench , also if doing the needle bearings keep in mind theres no said torque on putting the pistons together . Do you research

I like that everything came in one package and included the pin wheel bearings as well as the thick washers which can be hard to find. I did notice after ordering though that it can be cheaper to buy the items individually.

I'm a BMW Technician and I always recommend this kit. It is a well thought out group of parts that will make your Vanos rebuild a breeze! The quality meets my standards, and the price beats them!

Came with everything I needed to complete my vanos rebuild. Even came with a jig to hold the solenoids in a vice to disassemble to replace the bearings. Excellent quality!

Good quality product didn’t need the anti rattle thing also would have been nice if it came with a silicon tube but not a deal breaker

Everything was need to complete the job and I was very pleased with the quick shipping. Quality kit and will certainly purchase from the Seller in the future!

The new oring and Teflon seals for the pistons looked ok but when I installed them they fit into the vanos “cylinders “ there was no resistance,almost as if they were undersized. Had to order another brand new and the fit was good. All other parts in the kit were good!Follow up, 6 months after install: the small grommet seals that fit over the nuts to hold down the valve cover are leaking. I would suggest coating them with silicone seal before installation.

Works great almost 2 years now