E30 M52

B C

Heavy stop and go rush hour commute. Lots of time in 1st gear and lots of time stopped. It must have some air in the cooling system still. It crept up to 220 while stopped then within a few seconds of freaking out (225 is my “shut ‘er down” temperature) it dropped quickly back to 200. It stayed right at 200 for the next 10 minutes of stop and go traffic then shot up to 220 again and i pulled over to try and bleed some air out. I didnt see anything bleed out but for the last 15 minutes of stop and go it stayed at 200 and reached a max of 205

B C

Jdesign

Bleed some more or pressure bleed it next? Congrats on you successful journeys!! It feels nice just hearing of such success, it must feel even better to be driving the success!

jc43089

Where are you bleeding at? The expansion tank self bleeds the system while the engine is running. I have found it best to never open the system unless cold. You have the sending unit in the cylinder head?

B C

Jdesign said:

Bleed some more or pressure bleed it next? Congrats on you successful journeys!! It feels nice just hearing of such success, it must feel even better to be driving the success!

Thanks, im still not enjoying myself in it like I should unfortunately and im burned out on working on it. Perhaps it wont sell before I have a renewed interest in continuing this dream

jc43089 said:

Where are you bleeding at? The expansion tank self bleeds the system while the engine is running. I have found it best to never open the system unless cold. You have the sending unit in the cylinder head?

Yes, sending unit is in the stock location. I am bleeding it at the thermostat housing (E39 housing has a bleeder) and also running it with the cap off at an elevated idle while squeezing hoses to watch for a steady coolant stream back into the reservoir.

jc43089

Are you seeing any bubbles when you do that?

B C

nope, it looks as normal as can be.

I need to run the temp gauge to a dedicated power and ground to help ensure its not voltage fluctuation related. I am currently using a common power and ground for the 3 gauges.

jc43089

Just giver. I don't think you have a problem.

I had a mild panic attack last night. I just hooked up a temp gauge in my e36 and my wife took it to go shopping and she called me on the way back and said she stopped and shut if off because the gauge said 250, the highest reading it shows, I told her just drive home thinking the gauge must be not working right. She said it showed 250 all the way home on the highway and then dropped back to 200 right before she got home. Weird.

B C

Temp gun shows high 190's at the coolant neck and 180's in the top hose. obviously emissivity and surface can change the readings but ive never had a temp gun reading over 200 on any surface

jc43089

Sounds perfect. More burnouts, less worrying.

Jdesign

jc43089 said:

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?

B C

The thought of replacing another head gasket makes me want to move to alaska and become another alcohol statistic

GunMetalGrey

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.

jc43089

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...

B C

Went to go for a drive tonight and the starter motor pooped the bed.

I dont think it wants to leave the garage. Time to get my spare tested.

B C

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.

GunMetalGrey

Remember to take the towels out before putting the manifold back on.
Not that I would have any experience with that.

SteelBlue

GunMetalGrey said:

Remember to take the towels out before putting the manifold back on.
Not that I would have any experience with that.

B C

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!!!

Earl

Compression test...

WIBIMMERS

E30 M52