Extra Part 92 E36 please help identify

[MaxEnergy]

I broke the timing chain on my 92 e36 and bent the valves. I am finishing up the reassembly and have an extra part that I now believe goes somewhere on the head (hopefully not under the head).

It is a all metal threaded check valve with an oring at the base that is approximately 1/2 in in diameter and 1 inch tall. It seems like something that would have been installed in the head. The machine shop gave it back to me with some other parts after they rebuilt the head. It needed the new oring from the gasket set before installation and I forgot about it until now (after all has been assembled).

Anyone know where this check valve goes before I start to disassemble again?

Thanks Jamie

[BMW RACER]

Jamie.

DOH!

Bad news! That's a check valve for the oil system and screws into the head BEFORE the head goes on :(

If the head's been torqued you'll also need another head gasket :(

Now for the good news. You'll be a real BMW expert by the time you finish putting the head back on the second time. Be extra careful, I make the most mistakes when doing something over again.

How did you break a timing chain? How many miles are on the motor?

Good luck.

[MaxEnergy]

BMW RACER, thanks, you confirmed what I thought so i got the head off and inserted the check valve but am waiting on a new headgasket to reassemble.

The broken chain was very strange. An unmolested 70 k mile car. I was headed down the back straight at Mount Tremblant, flat in fourth gear and at exactly 6000rpm on the tach there was a small noise and the engine died and I coasted to a stop. I opened the hood and the intake timing chain that runs off the exhaust cam had come through the valve cover and tensioner parts and oil were all over the enging bay. I bent six intake valves but only scored one piston top enough to even see a mark. I removed the engine, dropped the pan to check the piston skirts, rods and cylinder walls and to look for pieces of the chain. I believe I found everything that stayed in the engine and reassembled.

Jamie

[zracre]

did you put new rod bearings in it? I have seen many a timing belt failure cause rod knocks within days

[MaxEnergy]

That sounds like a good point but I am not taking it apart again! I can imagine the valve hit compressing a rod bearing. I'll post the results it should be running in the next couple of days.