Valve Cover

I have a 93 325is with 150k miles.

I'm replacing the "valve cover gasket" but the valve cover was very gummed
out and the paint was coming apart.
So after all day cleaning it doesn't have any paint on the inside. It is
kind of dark grayish color!
I don't know if it is a prime or if it is a natural color of Magnesium.
The outside still looks very bad but it is ok for now!
It seems that the bare Magnesium was reacting with the oil and was
corroding.

Why did BMW paint the inside anyway? - To prevent some kind of electrolysis?

Can I leave it without paint?

Thanks
MS

I Have just done the valve cover gasket on my 325i. Its the paint that
causes the leak in the first place. I just cleaned the inside and scraped
all the paint off the
mating surface of the cover, replaced the gasket and put it all back
together....No leaks so far.

Kiwi Dave


"MS" <-- (AT) att (DOT) net> wrote

I have a 93 325is with 150k miles.

I'm replacing the "valve cover gasket" but the valve cover was very gummed
out and the paint was coming apart.
So after all day cleaning it doesn't have any paint on the inside. It is
kind of dark grayish color!
I don't know if it is a prime or if it is a natural color of Magnesium.
The outside still looks very bad but it is ok for now!
It seems that the bare Magnesium was reacting with the oil and was
corroding.

Why did BMW paint the inside anyway? - To prevent some kind of
electrolysis?

Can I leave it without paint?

Thanks
MS

Hey Dave.
I'm not worrying about leaking.
I am worrying about the bare Magnesium oxidizing with the oil and making it
worth on the long run!


"MS" <-- (AT) att (DOT) net> wrote

I have a 93 325is with 150k miles.

I'm replacing the "valve cover gasket" but the valve cover was very gummed
out and the paint was coming apart.
So after all day cleaning it doesn't have any paint on the inside. It is
kind of dark grayish color!
I don't know if it is a prime or if it is a natural color of Magnesium.
The outside still looks very bad but it is ok for now!
It seems that the bare Magnesium was reacting with the oil and was
corroding.

Why did BMW paint the inside anyway? - To prevent some kind of
electrolysis?

Can I leave it without paint?

Thanks
MS