FuturisticConcept Art BMW E36 with a V8 on a bottom dollar budget

[B C]

​

[Jdesign]

Opened the hood this weekend, then shut it. ughhh.

[Jdesign]

Well... for starters I didn't take any more pictures, but trust me I will.

I did however pull the intake manifold and all of the components attached to it. I then proceeded to pull the valve cover off and look for some carnage. No broken parts was a very good sign, but then it was obvious; all the rockers and push-rods were nice and snug except for lucky cylinder #7. There is a about a good 1/2" of play in the rocker so I removed that as well as the push rod. From here I assumed that I collapsed the lifter or flattened the cam but no parts stores sell a lifter tool anymore. 

With that I decided to make my own tool only to fail finding out that the lifter may have mushroomed on the back side preventing it from coming out. SO.. now I have 1 of 2 options.

1. I can remove the heads and access the lifters that way. This would obviously mean that I need to basically take 60% of the motor apart BUT also install the GT40 heads I have sitting here for more power. This does also mean I will have to get the GT40 heads machined and the car will be down for awhile.

OR.......

      2. I can remove the radiator and all of the accessories to get access to the cam. Then I can pull the cam out, and drop each lift into the cam valley one at a time. This might be           the faster easier route, but the amount of sludge and dirty oil I have found so far means leaving the motor as is, is also risky business.  Good thing I can get a whole new               motor on C-list for $200.

So what do I do here? Any thoughts from the grandstands? 

Here is what I assume happened( the arrow is the direction I would need to remove it through the head and am unable to

[Jdesign]

Well since everyone has been so helpful in providing an opinion on what I should do here, I think I am going to tear into the Intake manifold valley and see if I can get the lifter out that way. If I find any evidence of more than just a single lifter, I am buying a hot cam and roller lifters and sending the heads to get machined. Fix all the things!

[straight6pwr]

well that's unfordunate.

i vote for quick and dirty and get her back on the road.

[wasnt m3]

I can't imagine taking anything apart in that engine and not throwing a cam in it...

[HipMF]

^ this

[Jdesign]

straight6pwr said:

well that's unfordunate.

i vote for quick and dirty and get her back on the road.

I see what you did there. And I also agree with quick and dirty.

wasnt m3 said:

I can't imagine taking anything apart in that engine and not throwing a cam in it...

HipMF said:

^ this

I mean, it is afFORDable

[Daggerty]

Throw the cam in that FORD, it probably isn't making a lot of power if it is stock.

[Daggerty]

Just get some upgraded heads they are probably like 20 dollars.

[Jdesign]

@Daggerty I have some, just need to machine and install them.

[Jdesign]

Soo..... Since I havent posted pictures, I took some last night. I didnt really get around to working on much because I was helping a friend put a set of cams in his R32. 

The oil is caked up pretty bad in nooks, crannies, and corners. I assume part of the reason its like this is not having a dipstick installed makes it hard to change/check the oil. This might even be why I have the ticking. According to the internets, the lifters can easily get gunked up and stick. The solution is to run ATF or sea foam through the engine and it MIGHT solve the problem. At this point though, I have most of it apart to inspected for other hacked up surprises and just assumed for the worst plus it was the perfect excuse to run a bigger cam.

[Jdesign]

So I havent done much with this car besides stare at it and want to drive it really really badly. So I am going to buy big duck overfenders for it tonight in hopes that it boosts my desire to get it back under the knife soon. The motor is still apart with all the gaskets just waiting for me. I need a good solid night of wrenching on ONLY this car. 

Picture of the overfenders (not my car)

[Rekpoint]

Jdesign said:

So I havent done much with this car besides stare at it and want to drive it really really badly. So I am going to buy big duck overfenders for it tonight in hopes that it boosts my desire to get it back under the knife soon. The motor is still apart with all the gaskets just waiting for me. I need a good solid night of wrenching on ONLY this car. 

Picture of the overfenders (not my car)

Photobucket does not work anymore

[Jdesign]

Rekpoint said:

Photobucket does not work anymore

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/photobucket-embed-fix/naolkcpnnlofnnghnmfegnfnflicjjgj

Download that extension for the google chrome browser and it does^

[Jdesign]

So it looks like the Big Ducks brought me some motivation like I hoped. I pulled the rest of the motor apart and inspected the lifter. Looking again at cams, I would have to tear the front waterpump and everything off of the block (again) and I am not sure if I want to deal with that right now this late in the season. On top of that, this thing has roller lifters and I am having a hard time finding a cheap cam that comes with rollers  as well. Most of the cheap cam kits come with flat tappets. 

Good on the left, bad on the right.

I also got the overs on and mocked up. I plan on painting them and wanted the holes in them prior to paint. The fitment is 8/10, which is better than needed for this car.

[Jdesign]

I was going to install this as well, but its not deep enough and puts the steering wheel really far away from me so I will be selling it if anyone is interested.

[B C]

I have only recently discovered how nice it is to have the steering wheel close rto you after trying it out. I also have a Takata airbag recall to tend to. With enough luck I can get metal shards embedded in my chest, Tony Stark can hook me up with a chest-mount electromagnet and I can wear his extra Iron Man suit

Iron Patriot sucks.

[Jdesign]

Snap said:

I have only recently discovered how nice it is to have the steering wheel close rto you after trying it out. I also have a Takata airbag recall to tend to. With enough luck I can get metal shards embedded in my chest, Tony Stark can hook me up with a chest-mount electromagnet and I can wear his extra Iron Man suit

Iron Patriot sucks.

Funny you mention that. My civic had the Takata recall and I was just going to ignore it. But one day I was at my parents house watching the news and they were showing an accident of some girl who was killed due to the airbag and her car was the same as mine. I scheduled an appointment the next day.  

[Bassboy3313]

I just had a recall done for the takata passenger side airbag in my saabaru not too long ago.