Replacing seals in my M20
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Well, got started today on the head gasket. Got as far as getting the timing belt removed, valve cover off, and the throttle cables and throttle body removed from the intake. Tomorrow comes removal of the exhaust manifolds and then the head, then removal of the intake and other items from the head so it can go in for surfacing. The only pesty thing so far is trying to remove the hex bolt that attaches the Crankshaft position sensor. Hoping that removing the head will create more clearance for a vise grips to work. The hex part has stripped.
Tomorrow will also begin the cleaning process for the block and engine bay. Want this puppy clean when I put it together.
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Bring me all the crabs. Did you make sure to forget to align the cam sprocket and crank at TDC like some of us do?
Actually I didn't. I have a pretty good DYI from Bimmerforums. The car won't move so the bottom end will stay put. The only thing I'll have to do is make sure I have the top end set right before I put the head back on, and then verify again. My main concern is making sure I get all the various hoses reconnected to the right things. I managed to get most of them marked with tape. Have one or two not.
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Got the head loose yesterday. Don't have it out of the car yet as I ran out of time before we had to take our son for high school registration and then get dinner. Today will pull it out of the car and disassemble the intake from it. The exhaust mani nuts came off really easy which was the part I was dreading most. Then the huge cleaning job as there is oil and grease all over everywhere. Somewhere in there is also the front crankshaft seal. Gonna leave the rear one for the shop if it needs to be done, as I'm not going to deal with trying to pull the trans in the driveway. Wouldn't mind it on a rack, but not going to deal with wrestling a transmission under a car with only three feet of wiggle room.
So far everything has come apart really well. Hopefully reassembly goes as well. I'll post a few more pics later today after I get the head out of the car.
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Got the head out yesterday and off to the shop for surfacing. Now comes the cleaning and painting. Won't get to the reassembly until next week as several parts aren't scheduled to arrive until MON/TUE. Have plenty of cleaning to keep me busy though.
Everything came apart astoundingly easily, even the exhaust mani nuts. Did have cause for a near heart attack yesterday though. I was having a problem getting the torx screw that holds the crank position sensor out of the holder and so decided to tap it with a hammer. Two taps and the whole thing broke off! For about five seconds I had thought that the head was shot, thinking that the mount was cast into the head, until I realized that the holder was bolted on. Called BMW and they actually had one they could get for about $7.
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Where did you take the head to be machined?
If it is Automotive Supply I would call them up and tell them not to touch it.
They have done nothing but ruin parts that I or others have brought there. -
Where did you take the head to be machined?
If it is Automotive Supply I would call them up and tell them not to touch it.
They have done nothing but ruin parts that I or others have brought there.
Dropped it off with my Indy down the street. They sent it out to a shop they trust. Don't know the name. I'm sure it wasn't Automotive Supply, though.
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Found out the shop is Kramer & Ridge. They have found that the head is damaged to the point that it would probably have to be machined quite a bit. They are suggesting replacing it. Anyone have a decent 325 head that would work well on an "I" engine, or recommendations on which one to look for?
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Well, at sort of a stand-still for now on the project. Need to find a new head optimally as I don't have faith that the current one can be repaired and surfaced well enough to make it work. That said, there don't seem to be many heads out there for much under $450. Gonna have to wait a few weeks until my wife gets home from her trip to Switzerland that she and her family have been planning for months, and maybe then I can get Humpty Dumpty back together again.
My fallback options are to either sell the car as-is and hope to get something decent for it considering its overall condition, or else part it out.
Eric
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What is said damage to the head?
Most certainly not grounds for a part out. -
just go for it! tearing down an m20 to the head is simple enough to do again in the future if it doesnt work out. seems like a win over selling the car!!
Dan
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just go for it! tearing down an m20 to the head is simple enough to do again in the future if it doesnt work out. seems like a win over selling the car!!
Selling and parting aren't my first choices. The problem is that this is my DD and if I can't get it on the road by the time the snow flies, I need a car. I'm not driving my 66 Charger in WI winters, and I don't have the money or space for another car to DD while the E30 sits.
I'm sure I'll find something, it's just a matter of what and when.
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What is said damage to the head?
Most certainly not grounds for a part out.
Said head damage is that it has a small nick on the undersurface that has to be welded, but it's also warped. The shop felt that in order to surface it enough to use it would require a hugely thick head gasket. Not sure I want to have to rely on a gasket to obtain proper clearance for the pistons and valves.
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Well, decided to pop for the 855 casting head that was up for sale on Ebay. Not the place I would have preferred to buy, but since everything else I found anywhere was going for around $500 or more, $299 seemed pretty reasonable assuming that the thing isn't junk. I guess I'll find out for sure when I received it and take it in to get it surfaced.
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Car-part.com would have all those listings.
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Should have the new head sometime this week. May have to wait another week to get it surfaced as it will have to be disassembled in order to do so. Not sure if I have the tools or knowledge to take out and re-install valves myself.
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