1990 535i Head Block

[Jesus4Jews]

im not sure if my 535i has a blown head gasket or a cracked head, i took it to a local mechanic and he said it was a cracked head. Is there any way of knowing if it is a blown head gasket or a cracked head , the symptoms are the oil on my dipstick is milky and it feels a bit sluggish , i dont wanna part out my car so im looking for any reason to keep it please help

[Rudolph320i]

Best way is to pull the head and check for cracks.

[slocar]

Either way you slice it, the head has to come off. When you have it off, send it to a machine shop to be resurfaced and pressure tested ... they'll tell you if it is or not. Around here, it's usually 100-150 bucks to have that done but it's well worth for the piece of mind knowing that everything is in good shape before you bolt it back together.