Stock or MLS HG and ARP or stock studs..? Pics of my poopmobile

[328iJunkie]

So heres my newest mod... :D! :(..
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v47/davewmarkert/New008.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v47/davewmarkert/New004-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v47/davewmarkert/New003-1.jpg

Yeah Sweet eh?... Now onto rebuild time... No idea why it blew. No idea. Just started having slight overheating problems the last weekend (~220 at most) and couldnt figure out why. Thought maybe i overfilled cooling system so on sunday i let some coolant out. Still didnt fix the problem and now i look today and its like this. What the F. Asshole.

So should i go with a MLS stock size gasket or a BMW gasket. and BMW studs or ARPs?

[///36M]

sorry to see... what else are you going to do to it that you would need MLS HG and studs?

I personally would go studs just so you dont have to use that ghey tool that just cost me 59 dollars for the bmw head bolts, but thats me :stickoutt

[328iJunkie]

Idk. From what ive seen the MLS is better than the stock gasket and same with the studs... am i wrong?

[///36M]

You are right

[shim]

definitely do the studs....... ARP hardware is excellent and a stud kit is stronger & holds more accurate torque than bolts.

plus, stock hardware stretches and is not intended to be used again. ARP is definitely the way to go.


about the headgasket, if you are not planning on running boost later on, i would just stick with a stock HG.

[328iJunkie]

I am planning to run boost later though.

[shim]

well, then i guess you could consider running an MLS HG. but remember the thicker you go, the lower the compression #, so the more sluggish your power will be than before.

also, before putting the MLS HG on, you must mill your head & deck so it is a completely even surface.

[RRdawho?]

They recommend 50RA or better, but smoother is better. I went down to a 16L.

[328iJunkie]

How should i go about getting the deck milled? I can pull the head and take it somewhere but what about the deck. I cant pull the motor myself...

[328iJunkie]

Okay is it possible to do MLS gasket and stock studs?

[///36M]

You can clean the block yourself.... you dont need to get it resurfaced... but do get the head resurfaced as it will be outta the car...

If you are planning on FI in the future DEF get the studs.... Your car will drive slower before you go f/i with the compression at 8.9:1 instead of 10.5:1 with a standard HG... I would consider getting the studs now and a stock HG.. then changing the HG if you go F/I... if you dont you might not be happy with the car in the mean time. Studs can be used more than once, unlike stock BMW bolts.

[328iJunkie]

See the thing thats weird is that the MLS is cheaper than the stock gasket but the studs are way more expensive than the stock bolts.

[///36M]

See the thing thats weird is that the MLS is cheaper than the stock gasket but the studs are way more expensive than the stock bolts.

what??? link plz

[///36M]

in my quick search I found this:
http://www2.bimmerpartswholesale.com/parts/parts1/bimmerparts/wizard.jsp?year=1997&make=BM&model=328-I-001&category=A&part=Cylinder+Head+Gasket+Set&dp=false

thats every gasket for your whole car... for 190... Vac lists their MLS HG at 220 (for S50), but you can get them for ~160...

Theres no way if you search you cant find a oem HG for cheaper than a cometic

[328iJunkie]

Well thanks for that link i was looking at :
https://secure19.nexternal.com/shared/StoreFront/default.asp?CS=bimmerworl&BusType=BtoC&Count1=367504298&Count2=284644722&CategoryID=68&Target=products.asp

[shim]

Okay is it possible to do MLS gasket and stock studs?
it's possible........ but do not skimp out on studs. stock bolts stretch and they will fail on you. while you have everything torn apart, just go ahead and upgrade to ARP stud kit.

[JClark]

ARPs stretch as well. It's definitely better hardware, but they cant be reused, as earlier implied, or retorqued just like the oem stuff.

[shim]

ARPs stretch as well. It's definitely better hardware, but they cant be reused, as earlier implied, or retorqued just like the oem stuff.
yes it can.

any quality aftermarket stud kit can be reused over & over. especially ARP hardware. they can be retorqued as well, just make sure you use the proper lubricants, so it lessens the friction & makes the torque reading more accurate. ARP hardware does stretch, but very miniscully, b/c the hardware is made with tighter tolerances.

OEM bolts should always be thrown out after usage.

[328iJunkie]

well i figured that about OEM bolts cause theyre like 20 bucks... Should the dipstick be polluted as well because its not really that i can tell. Ill be changing the oil tomorrow. Ill see how Fd up that is. Any idea why this happened? And why does the car still seem to run as strong and as normal as usual...?

[HBpredhunter]

stock hardware isnt gonna faill.... its one time use big deal...
if your gonna build some big time power motor then studs woudl be the way to go, but for a stg1 stg 2 turbo bolts will be fine.

[328iJunkie]

So which is it! MLS , Stock, ARP, Stock!?!?!??!??!

[///36M]

yes it can.

any quality aftermarket stud kit can be reused over & over. especially ARP hardware. they can be retorqued as well, just make sure you use the proper lubricants, so it lessens the friction & makes the torque reading more accurate. ARP hardware does stretch, but very miniscully, b/c the hardware is made with tighter tolerances.

OEM bolts should always be thrown out after usage.

+1...


stock hardware isnt gonna faill.... its one time use big deal...
if your gonna build some big time power motor then studs woudl be the way to go, but for a stg1 stg 2 turbo bolts will be fine.
This is not good advice. A Technique Tuning stage II kit comes with studs, i'm fairly certain Nick G knows what he's doing.

Better to be safe than sorry, and go with studs if a turbo is in your future. In other words, if you plan on having the head off ever again to change compression, (as you would with a turbo) go with studs.


So which is it! MLS , Stock, ARP, Stock!?!?!??!??!

Decide on your application first... its easier to give a definitive answer.

[328iJunkie]

Need to get the car running right now. Need it to run strong till i boost which will be not for a while...

[shim]

This is not good advice. A Technique Tuning stage II kit comes with studs, i'm fairly certain Nick G knows what he's doing.

Better to be safe than sorry, and go with studs if a turbo is in your future. In other words, if you plan on having the head off ever again to change compression, (as you would with a turbo) go with studs.



Decide on your application first... its easier to give a definitive answer.
exactly.....

i'm sorry, but running stock hardware with boost is just asking for trouble. especially if you are running a TT stg 2.

[GotBHP?]

yes it can.

any quality aftermarket stud kit can be reused over & over. especially ARP hardware. they can be retorqued as well, just make sure you use the proper lubricants, so it lessens the friction & makes the torque reading more accurate. ARP hardware does stretch, but very miniscully, b/c the hardware is made with tighter tolerances.

OEM bolts should always be thrown out after usage.

Tolerances have nothing to do with material properties. All bolts or studs will stretch when put under tension, and strain hardening in the threads will happen no matter what (which is why at the very least the nuts should be replaced every time).

I could see resuing the ARP studs if that is in fact what they were designed to do (but keep in mind they still have to use the same diameter and thread as the factory bolts, so the material had better be superior). But honestly, how much are they, and how often do you have to remove the head?