E30 M52
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Sounds perfect. More burnouts, less worrying.
THIS. Whats the worst that could happen? You get a bunch of friends to convince you to put another motor in it?
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Head gaskets are an easy afternoon project.
Ask me how I know.Also, if you keep the cooling system closed, drive around for awhile, come back, let it sit overnight, then open the cap; that is my favorite way to tell of HG issues. If you get a small hiss of air, good to go, if you get a bunch of gurgling or coolant flowing out, bad news bears.
Is that the definitive test? Nah, but it certainly can be a quick sanity check. -
There is no head/head gasket problem. You worry too much. The obvious telltale sign is rough running or missing for a short time after a cold start. The cooling system pressure pushes coolant back into whatever cylinder has the problem and keeps it from firing.
I have done a head gasket on a Saturday before. The Saturday a week before I got married, I still hear about that...
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And so we are here again....
Just getting a head start on the starter motor. I am picking up a new (reman) tomorrow.
I will have to get the car in the air to get access to the hardware on the trans side.
While im in there im going to shim the drivers side engine mount 1/4” to help with booster clearance, and I can make an oil dipstick tube bracket.
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Remember to take the towels out before putting the manifold back on.
Not that I would have any experience with that. -
Remember to take the towels out before putting the manifold back on.
Not that I would have any experience with that.
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Im coming to terms with the thought that my head gasket is bad and that I will have to buy a new head.
I cant sell a car that doesnt run reliably without temperature spikes or possibly a bad head gasket so I have to pull the ad until its all resolved.
you can tell me I worry too much (which is completely true) but symptoms of a bad head gasket persist. Im pretty sure the coolant level dropped since I last added some and the coolant should really be a lot cleaner than it is unless my radiator was full of oil from my M20 pooping the bed or the M52 was really rusty inside from sitting. It may have started to run slightly rougher at the end of my last drive monday, unless that was just the manifold touching the booster and sending more NVH through the car.
And as burned out as I am I cant spend $2000 paying a shop to change the head gasket and possibly another $700 for a rebuilt head in case its cracked.
IM REALLY TRYING TO NOT SUCK AT LIFE!!!

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Yeah, im pretty good at failing those.
The suspense during a compression test is killer. Its like watching the Powerball numbers being read off.
Wouldn’t it be so nice to go for some spirited drives right about now?!?
Reading through this thread is so disappointing hahah
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Im coming to terms with the thought that my head gasket is bad and that I will have to buy a new head.
I cant sell a car that doesnt run reliably without temperature spikes or possibly a bad head gasket so I have to pull the ad until its all resolved.
you can tell me I worry too much (which is completely true) but symptoms of a bad head gasket persist. Im pretty sure the coolant level dropped since I last added some and the coolant should really be a lot cleaner than it is unless my radiator was full of oil from my M20 pooping the bed or the M52 was really rusty inside from sitting. It may have started to run slightly rougher at the end of my last drive monday, unless that was just the manifold touching the booster and sending more NVH through the car.
And as burned out as I am I cant spend $2000 paying a shop to change the head gasket and possibly another $700 for a rebuilt head in case its cracked.
IM REALLY TRYING TO NOT SUCK AT LIFE!!!

I wonder if the coolant level dropping slightly could’ve been from the motor self-bleeding? You said it spiked, then came back down and stayed down for the most part, I wonder if there’s still some air in there that’s slowly working it’s way out. I also feel like you would get some smoke if the head gasket was shot and you were losing coolant, especially on startup.
Are you still running without an o2? I can’t remember if you are, I would take care of that if you haven’t to help troubleshoot rough running before I ripped the engine back down.
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Im coming to terms with the thought that my head gasket is bad and that I will have to buy a new head.
I cant sell a car that doesnt run reliably without temperature spikes or possibly a bad head gasket so I have to pull the ad until its all resolved.
you can tell me I worry too much (which is completely true) but symptoms of a bad head gasket persist. Im pretty sure the coolant level dropped since I last added some and the coolant should really be a lot cleaner than it is unless my radiator was full of oil from my M20 pooping the bed or the M52 was really rusty inside from sitting. It may have started to run slightly rougher at the end of my last drive monday, unless that was just the manifold touching the booster and sending more NVH through the car.
And as burned out as I am I cant spend $2000 paying a shop to change the head gasket and possibly another $700 for a rebuilt head in case its cracked.
IM REALLY TRYING TO NOT SUCK AT LIFE!!!

Take a breath a two. You are hypersensitive given past experience with the m20. Rely on your tech side here rather than the emotional one and follow the advice of others and your own. Compression test so you can sleep. Coolant level dropping as P_Roloff said could simply be a bleeding result. I know I have to top off after doing mine. If the compression test passes and the coolant is looking nasty, a long sitting engine is a good cause. Run it a bit more and then flush the cooling system: drain the radiator and pull the block drain plug and run a bunch of water through it. You're paranoid so run gallons through it, go to the grocery store and fill a shopping cart with distilled water...explain that you're cutting moonshine in a radiator or something more creative. As for the car slightly rougher running, get another set of eyes/ears/rear ends in the car from our expert swap hive and get other opinions.
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I'm offering this as a contingency plan, in case you do verify that something is wonky with your head gasket.
I'll show up with a case of water (that's what your drinking these days, right?) and we'll get the head off in an hour or two. -
I'm offering this as a contingency plan, in case you do verify that something is wonky with your head gasket.
I'll show up with a case of water (that's what your drinking these days, right?) and we'll get the head off in an hour or two.I started drinking Robitussin when glitches started to surface. Bring Robitussin.
and Listerine.
Cool Mint.
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It just needs a burnout. That'll fix it.
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You did a compression test before installing the engine and it came out perfect. Stop being paranoid and just drive it!!!!

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Snap I have a diagnosis. You sir, are an Autochondriac. You have a constant fear and paranoia that something is wrong with your car when in reality you are not dying.
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