N62 4.4l Cylinder head/Cam cover Cap Nuts

[Rick G]

Well here I am again with a real weirdo of a problem. When I dismantled the heads I didn't notice that 8 of the 16 Cap Nuts that hold the cover on were about 3mm shorter.
Real OEM doesn't specify the length of these nuts only thay there are 2 types but that refers to the 5mm thread in the top of the cap.
Some time later I am getting to put it back together and find that the left cover (I haven't tried the right cover yet) wont seal at the lower edge of the cover. Ah Ha I thinks that is where the short Cap Nuts go but I cant get the thread started. When the cover is down tight I can get a thick feeler gauge into the gap between the head and new rubber gasket.
It seems that no matter how hard it gets pulled down the gap is still there. Common sense says there is a physical stop as in something preventing the cover seating down.
Has anyone encountered this? Is it a known issue? any ideas I am ready to burn the damn thing.

[Themoog2]

I’m sure I read only the other day about this. Something to do with front vanos covers being slightly too high due to new gaskets.
It’s on here - a write up on doing a chain job on a 4.6. Have a search.

[Rick G]

Just had a look around and that is the M62. The N62 is a very different critter.

[Rick G]

Well I wont leave the thread hanging I found the problem. On the inside there are 3 small c shaped plastic bits screwed to the cover (they are not even given a part number so must be part of the cover) which are there I presume to help guide the cover into the correct position and they were hanging up on the sharp right angle corner of the head and holding the cover about 2mm off the head surface. The trick was to place the cover then hold it down against the head and push on the section where the valvetronic stepper motor mounts till it goes click into place then the short cap nuts will screw down onto the studs. Should have taken a picture but once they were on they were staying there.