Head alignment dowels don't match up

[Zac's papaw]

I'm trying to help my grandson replace the head gasket on his 2002 325i e46.
When we pulled the head, there were only two of the alignment sleeves and they were mismatched. The holes in the block were bigger than the holes in the head. From what I've seen in researching this project, there should be four sleeves.
Were there variants of the sleeve diameters in different years? I suspect the previous owner swapped heads and didn't know what he was doing. Probably the reason the head gasket blew a couple days after my grandson got the car.
Can someone tell me what size sleeves should be used and how many there should be?
Any other pertinent information would be welcome as well.

Thanks, Matt

[Pelican Parts]

Hi Matt and welcome to the forum! I'm attaching a link to our site's DIY tech articles on this procedure to help you troubleshoot and resolve. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to post a Comment just below the article and one of our techs will get back to you with specifics. Hope this helps a bit and best of luck!

Head Gasket Replacement

[bmwdirtracer]

Just 2 dowel sleeves, Matt.

Um, you need to know that E46s blow head gaskets because they overheat. When they overheat, the head warps. When the head warps, it pulls the threads out of the aluminum block ! Do NOT just replace the head gasket. Send the head to a machine shop for milling flat.

You actually should have tried to release, and then retorque, each bolt, before removing the head, to see whether the threads in the block are stripped. Otherwise, you'll be reassembling everything, and find out the bolts won't achieve the correct torque spec, and you'll then have to pull it apart again, and TimeSert the block. (This requires a special, fairly expensive fixture from Baum Tools, plus a special, fairly expensive TimeSert kit for this job.)

Plus, of course, you need to rebuild the entire cooling system, with new expansion tank, all hoses, the two plastic pipes, water pump, thermostat, and radiator. These are all maintenance items on this car, and, again, the head gasket goes on the M54 because the engine overheated.

Don't forget new head bolts, replace every gasket you disturb, and replace timing rails and chain if you've got more than ~140 k miles.

There are only two holes that the two dowels will fit into. You can look up the part numbers for the dowels and all other parts at realoem.com Just type in the last 7 digits of your VIN.

[Zac's papaw]

After reading Chris' reply, somebody wanna come get this junker????
Kind of a long story on this car. Grandson was determined to get rid of his truck, 90 something Dodge because we had worked on it quite a bit and he's not mechanically inclined. So, he found some guy online that would swap him even. My wife and I, his parents,several friends etc all told him don't trade but he's stubborn and never listens. Two days after he got it it overheated. Two days later it's pushing water out the exhaust.
He has no money and I'm done paying for his choices.
Chris' reply really ruined my day as I'd almost bet threads are stripped. Likely why it blew in the first place. The head had been off and replaced recently and there was plenty of evidence the "mechanic" didn't know what he was doing. I'm guessing this may never run again. It'd be cheaper to buy him another beater than fix this properly. I was willing to try this quick fix but at this point it's not looking good!
If he can find some alignment sleeves tomorrow, we will try it but I have serious doubts there will be any success.

Thanks for the info,
Matt

[Zac's papaw]

Chris, you're killing me!
My grandson has no money and my wife and I have cut him off financially. Sounds bad but we've bent over backwards for him and his family. He was told by everyone around him to keep his truck and not trade for the 325. He found it on Craigslist or somewhere like that and did a straight swap for his truck. The 325 overheated two days later and started blowing water out the exhaust soon after. Looking it over, it's obvious it had happened before and from the looks of things, the previous "mechanic" didn't know or care about doing the job right.
As best I can tell, the head is warped about .010-.015". Since I'm not paying for head machine work and I know he doesn't have the cash. I'm also guessing the threads in the block are likely pulled as well.
Matthew this point, I'm not sure what we're going to do.


Thanks for the assistance,
Matt

[bmwdirtracer]

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings, Matt.

Still, forewarned is forearmed.
I would really suck at family counseling, so I need to stick to the mechanical side.

Cheapest solution is to buy a salvage yard engine with a warranty, and then add all the cooling system.
http://www.car-part.com/cgi-bin/search.cgi

Actually....you know....my first vehicle was a '62 Jeep Wagoneer, $400. I broke it a few times, eventually with a broken motor.



The kid bought a Bimmer. Hell, he bought a Badly Broken Bimmer. Nothing is more expensive than a cheap BMW.

The kid needs the lesson.....you and I had to learn something like this, didn't we?

(I seem to keep having to relearn this one, so don't take my word for it)

Run away; do not involve yourself in this complex and expensive endeavor, My boss buys E46's for less than a thousand bucks, all the time. The vast majority have blown headgaskets. You can't really be sure, until after you make the cooling system intact.

I have one such car coming apart, at this very moment, and I'll be doing the rethreading and headgasket stuff, as cheaply as possible.

But, you know, even with my boss paying "wholesale" labor and parts, it's going to cost him much more than he paid for the car.

Fixed, well, he'll eventually break even.

The advantage comes when he gets lucky, and buys one for $500 that just needs a fan clutch and an expansion tank., control arm bushings, an oil filter housing gasket, and three window regulators.

Matt, don't fight Mother Nature. This is a ton of money, and a ton of work, I promise.