N54 ARP head stud nut socket size

shushikiary

Sergeant
Jun 4, 2018
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335xi
I'm about to pull the valve cover on my built N54 to re-tighten the ARP stud nuts per what their website says, but before I get it apart I'm wondering if someone can tell me what size socket I need that will fit through the holes on the intake cam ledge and the semicircles on the exhaust cam ledge to let me do it without pulling the cam ledges.

From pictures they look like they are 14mm 12 point, but I want to make sure and have some special socket in hand if I need it before I pull everything apart. I suspect I will need a thin wall socket. If they are 14mm 12 point then that's super lucky as the spark plug socket we all have to have that is thin wall is already in my possession.

Thanks.
 

Jern54

Sergeant
Oct 18, 2019
288
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Netherlands
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E91 N54 335i
You will need to remove both cam ledges in order to reach/take out all the head stud nuts.
The holes in the ledges are intended to use with the factory head bolts and utilizes a long Torx (T50) bit.
I don't think there is such a thin walled socked that fits trough the holes.
 

RuskiRacer

Captain
Jul 17, 2019
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2009 e93 335i
Should not be an issue you can take the whole head off without even removing the cam trays. As long as the socket can physically fit between the small holes in the cam trays to reach the nut on the stud you'll be ok. Otherwise you'll need to buy 28 new cam tray bolts as there one time use
 

shushikiary

Sergeant
Jun 4, 2018
304
173
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335xi
Yea that's what I'm worried about is that I'll have to remove the cam ledges as there isn't a socket that will fit (as you said the original holes were designed for a T50 bit).