VCG, Ecc Shaft Sensor & OF Housing gasket: Order of replacement?

[Pwall921]

Hello, new here, trying to save some money. I'm doing the 1) Valve cover gasket & the Eccentric shaft sensor and 2) the oil filter housing gasket.

Does it matter which job is done first? I was planning on doing the OF housing gasket and then the VCG.

Does it matter the car is on front jacks for the oil change? It will drain completely? I cannot access otherwise.


I see a broken VCG bolt on the front left, when I pull the cover off I expect to have to use an extraction kit. This may take some time, I addition this is my first major job so I am going very slow, labeling everything etc. I have the time and no real hurry to get the job done. My question, is there any issues with having that valve cover off and the guts of the engine exposed for a period of time, considering my learning curve and time it takes to extract that bolt? Like will the oil in the engine start to dry if it was 3-4 days? Should I cover in plastic wrap?

[Luccia at Pelican Parts]

Welcome to the Pelican community! What is your BMW year/model? We have some great E90 tech articles that can be helpful here: BMW 3-Series E90 (2006-2013) Technical Articles - Pelican Parts. For the oil change, you will want to raise the vehicle up so you can access the oil drain plug.

Here are the articles you'll want to view for your projects:

Valve cover replacement DIY: BMW E90 Valve Cover Seal Replacement | E91, E92, E93 | Pelican Parts DIY Maintenance Article
Oil filter housing replacement DIY: BMW E90 Oil Filter Housing Gasket Replacement | E91, E92, E93 | Pelican Parts DIY Maintenance Article
Eccentric shaft sensor DIY: BMW E90 Eccentric Shaft Position Sensor Replacement | E91, E92, E93 | Pelican Parts DIY Maintenance Article

Take a look at them and they should help you determine in what order you'll want to do them.