engine and drivetrain Can you date valve covers by type?

[Conserv]

On 2/28/2015 at 12:48 PM, kiva667 said:

I think Steve has a point here, that the car's manufacture date isn't necessarily the same as the cover's casting date, which may be earlier. And unless you are the original owner how can you even be sure that the cover is original to the car? That is my dilemma anyway.

Kit

Carl is the original owner of his '74 tii, and Paul's tii appears to be quite original. Nonetheless, and emphasizing the need to see those casting dates, I've owned my '76 since new, I have extensive photos of the engine compartment as far back as '83, I never KNOWINGLY switched valve covers, but how can I be confident that some mechanic, in '77 -- or even Korman in '11 -- didn't accidentally swap covers with the '02 in the next service bay?

 

So...show us your casting dates! And let's hear your manufacturing dates at the same time!

 

Thanks all!

 

Regards,

 

Steve

[PaulTWinterton]

73tii date of mfg Nov 72.

Sorry, clarification...that's my car's date of mfg. Definitely original cover.

Just saying that that's the (tii)cover of the period. My assumption correct?

Edited February 28, 2015 by PaulTWinterton

[Conserv]

.....

(FYI: my different routing of those wires across the valve cover).

Original installation may have differed from car to car, Carl, but my 2762757 (Oct. 19, 1972) is in the "Paul camp" regarding the cable clamps/retainers attached to the left side of the cover, as evidenced in factory Repair Manual, section 11, p.11-00/34. I follow the repair manual carefully...unless it conflicts with my preconceived notions!

Thanks and regards,

Steve

Edited February 28, 2015 by Conserv

[Conserv]

...Definitely original cover...

Very likely, Paul, but as I point out in Post #16, I will feel slightly more comfortable making the same claim about my '76's valve cover -- a car I've owned since new -- AFTER I see the casting date...

Regards,

Steve

[OriginalOwner]

Steve,

 

I gotta laugh, as I've "always" routed those wires as I noted ..... as if I can remember the actual original condition.  

 

Funny story:  when I got my tii back from Le last Sunday, I noticed he had routed those wires as per your Repair Manual picture.  I said to myself, "no way" and changed the routing.

 

Cheers,

 

Carl

Edited February 28, 2015 by OriginalOwner

[Conserv]

Carl,

 

LOL. I hear you! When these were 4-year-old cars, the LAST thing I could have cared about was how the wires in my engine compartment were routed. As long as the car started every morning, the world was a great place!

 

Regards,

 

Steve

[John_in_VA]

Original installation may have differed from car to car, Carl, but my 2762757 (Oct. 19, 1972) is in the "Paul camp" regarding the cable clamps/retainers attached to the left side of the cover, as evidenced in factory Repair Manual, section 11, p.11-00/34. I follow the repair manual carefully...unless it conflicts with my preconceived notions!

My wire is routed as shown in the B&W manual page Steve posted. I've wanted to tuck it under the breather hose, but apparently over is where it belongs! Mine is a 1974 2002tii, produced 12/11/73.

[Mike Self]

As far as I know, Kiva is correct in identifying three basic valve cover types for 1600/2002 cars (4 if you include the subvariety used on tii's.  

 

The smooth type (no longitudinal ribs) valve cover is a carryover from the NK sedans; I know it was used on 66 and 67 1600s, and at least some--if not all--the 68 2002s.  

 

Then sometime either in '68 or very early in 1969, the factory added ribs to the valve cover--my Feb '69 production 2002 has this valve cover.  I also remember 2000CS coupes with this style cover, except the raised sections were polished rather than left rough-cast.  I did that to my '69 shortly after I bought the car.  

 

The third style has the Roundel relocated to the space forward of the oil filler.  I think that style was used on all squarelights (check a sales catalog to verify).  The '74tii pictured above with its original second style valve cover is a puzzle, but I can offer a possible explanation...

 

The factory didn't want to make a tii variant for the third style cover as tii production was a small percentage of 2002 output, so they simply used up the earlier style valve covers they had on hand.  Does anyone have a '74tii with a very late production VIN?  If so, check your valve cover for style and let us know.  

 

All this authenticity research will pay off for '02 owners 40-50 years from now, when all the original owners are...uh...gone.

 

mike

 

PS--the M10 valve covers with a flat boss that has two threaded holes is for an E21 or E30 engine...

Edited March 1, 2015 by mike

[lilmo]

I have a tii cover, same style as shown in John in VAs photo (though not as shiny!) with a casting date that appears to be December 1973.  Presume it is from a '74 tii OR, maybe, a 520i? I bought it as a loose part, so not sure of its original home.

[jmr_1602]

Here's one I have lying around. Didn't see a date stamp but there was a parts number(?).

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Conserv]

Here's one I have lying around. Didn't see a date stamp but there was a parts number(?).

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That's early: no ribs! Perhaps the early ones don't have a casting date?

Thanks and regards,

Steve

[Conserv]

Taking Mike's suggestion, what might the sales brochures tell us?

Well, not too much, as it seems the intake (left) side of an engine makes for a much sexier photo than the exhaust (right) side!

The U.S. brochure (un-dated) that covers '72 and/or '73 shows a tii engine from the front. Valve cover, like all tii covers shown thus far in this thread has ribs, "BMW" aft of the oil filler, and "Zundfolge" forward of the oil filler (first photo). Maybe all tii's used the same cover.

The U.S. brochure for '74 doesn't help us as both carbed and tii engines are shown from the wrong angle.

There are two U.S. brochures for '75-'76: (a.) an 18-panel stapled version (red cover), and (b.) an 8-panel fold-out-only version (front of a Sienabraun car on cover). Both rely on the same photography pool, all but one of the photos having been taken on or before August '74, the dates of the two earliest versions of each brochure. Versions dated August '74 and January '75 show an engine with a thermal reactor. (Thus, it would appear to be the U.S. '75 "all-states" version.) The valve cover has ribs, "BMW" aft of the oil filler, and "Zundfolge" forward of the oil filler (second photo). Versions dated February '75 and January '76, however, show an engine without the thermal reactor. (It appears to be a U.S. '76 49-state version.) The valve cover has ribs, "BMW" aft of the oil filler, and "Zundfolge" forward of the oil filler (third photo).

But note that these show neither the roundel-aft-of-the-oil-filler version nor the roundel-forward-of-the-oil-filler version. As with the '72-ish engine in the '72-'73 brochure (plastic runners), "BMW" is spelled out In lieu of a roundel. So there appear to be at least 4 carbed-car versions: (1.) no ribs and "BMW" aft of the oil filler; (2.) ribs and "BMW" aft of oil filler; (3.) ribs and roundel aft of oil filler; and (4.) ribs and roundel forward of oil filler. Thus far the tii's appear to use a ribbed version with "BMW" aft of the oil filler, akin to version 2. in the preceding sentence.

Are there U.S.-Euro version differences?

Regards,

Steve

Edited March 1, 2015 by Conserv

[PaulTWinterton]

 

All this authenticity research will pay off for '02 owners 40-50 years from now, when all the original owners are...uh...gone.

For some of us LONG GONE!

Routing what? 

[OriginalOwner]

Yet another cover difference, and I will suggest "tii unique" because of the interference of the big air plenum thingie.

 

Conserv showed the above engine pictures: 

--  the 2 carburetor pictures:  notice the stub to which would attach the rubber air breather hose, it projects straight out from and beyond the edge of the valve cover.

 

My '74tii has a "divot" beneath that stub to give clearance for the air hose to attach, and the stub itself is shorter in length, and larger in diameter, and does not project beyond the edge of the valve cover.

      In Conserv's top picture of the tii engine, you can see the different stub length.

 

 

Cheers,

 

Carl

Edited February 28, 2015 by OriginalOwner

[John_in_VA]

Yet another cover difference, and I will suggest "tii unique" because of the interference of the big air plenum thingie... 

My '74tii has a "divot" beneath that stub to give clearance for the air hose to attach, and the stub itself is shorter in length, and larger in diameter, and does not project beyond the edge of the valve cover.

Yep - jgerock pointed that out in post #5: