Member
1993 325i automatic, ~120,000 miles, in need of a new head gasket. What are some things I should change while everything is apart? Already planning to do new coolant hoses and vacuum lines.
Have you checked RealOEM?
BMW CCA Member
Good start on the coolant hoses and vacuum lines. Have you considered doing the rest of the cooling system? What happened to require a new HG?
What HG are you going with? OEM is good, as is Elring. Some people don't like Victor Reinz, but I used one on my track car and it has been fine.
A successful head gasket job requires two things: good prep and lots of little labeled bags of parts. Make sure the block is CLEAN before you put the head back on. I used 3M Roloc discs to clean the block, and then used a series of pieces of finer and finer sandpaper glued to a piece of glass to make sure the block was flat and clean.
- Buy or rent a set of cam/timing tools.
- Rebuild or replace your VANOS (Dr. VANOS for a rebuilt unit, or buy a rebuild kit from Besian)
- Primary and secondary chain tensioners. Check if they need replacing. My primary was going out but secondary was OK.
- ARP head bolts are nice, but not really required
- Buy a full upper gasket kit and replace everything
- Get your head decked, pressure and vacuum checked. Get it hot tanked/cleaned too. Inspect cams. Rebuild or replace if necessary.
- Pull your injectors and buy rebuild kits (cheap). You can also send them out to be cleaned and rebuilt (slightly more expensive)
- Examine the fuel lines leading to the rail closely- mine were dry rotted. Replace with generic fuel injection hose (or buy the more expensive OEM hose, up to you!)
- Clean and inspect your IACV, its easily accessible once the intake manifold is off
I'm probably forgetting a few things. Take your time and label everything. Pelican Parts has a great guide, as does Bentley. If you Google search "E36 head gasket replacement", you'll find a thread where someone annotates each step of the Bentley guide- it is incredibly helpful.
1993 E36 325is
2003 E46 325iT
SpeedHunters feature: http://www.speedhunters.com/2018/04/...t-dtm-tribute/
APEX feature: https://www.apexraceparts.com/blog/m...-arc-8-wheels/
Member
The most important thing to know is that your HG did not fail, but instead you head warped and may have also cracked.
Attn. NEWBIES: Use the search feature, 98% has already been discussed.
Click the search button, select "search single content type", select the "e36 sub forum" specifically, try the "search titles" then try the "search entire posts".
Member
Was planning to do just get the Victor Reinz head gasket set from pelican, which looks to include most of the top end gaskets I would need to replace.
HG issue probably from over heating at some point in the past. Car been sitting around and intermittently started and driven down the block for past few years. Was checking compression today and cylinder 3 sprayed coolant out the spark plug hole. Interestingly I didn't see any obvious white smoke out the tailpipe and the spark plug wasn't steam cleaned like you'd usually see. Head has to be pulled regardless.
- - - Updated - - -Originally Posted by mslevin
Last edited by onspeed; 11-17-2017 at 07:51 PM.
Balogne Cajones
The only thing that makes sense is to go through and check everything. Make sure all sensors are all look unbroken and the wires aren't pinched or cracked.
If your a newb and not completely confident get the cam lock tool and the timing chain wrench.
As far as refresh materials. I usually do the entire upper engine rebuild as to ensure results. That's hg, vcg and grommets, valve stem seals, vanos gaskets and seals. Intake gaskets all the way to the throttle body. Injector o rings as well. Exhaust gaskets and convert to m54 exhaust studs. I got a wonderful valve spring compression tool made by metric mechanic anyone should look into if attempting valve stem seals instead of the horrible universal tool or the gigantic overpriced around head style one.
Member
Never done a HG on a BMW, but I've done several on Chevy motors. Looks pretty similar minus the VANOS and DOHC of course.
I'm debating just buying a cheap e46 to use as a winter beater instead of trying to bring the E36 back to life. Automatic was always a dog anyways. Tempted to just try a 5.0 SBF + T5 swap instead.
Eschew Obfuscation
The best thing to buy for a project car is a daily driver. E46 is even more of a maintenance hog than E36 and will quickly become a second project car, get a boring Toyota or VW.
Then do the V8!
Eat, drink, and be merry - for tomorrow we drive.
Balogne Cajones
Have you guys seen the Judd v8 e36 +e46 hillclimb cars on youtubers? Its rather old, but I think its horrendously under rated! Its hard to find something that Hadent been done a thousand times and has a actual cool factor past hillbilly swap 350 and ls. (No offense to those who appreciate those).
Member
Make sure you take all the extras from the gasket kit to the machine shop. They'll replace your valve guides for you.
-Josh: 1998 S54 E36 M3/4/6 with most of the easy stuff and most of the hard stuff. At least twice. 271k miles. 1994 E32 740il with nothing but some MPars. 93k miles.
Member
IMG_20171126_161940750.jpg
Got the head removed and found a nice crack in the cylinder wall of #3.
Not sure what to do now. Swapping in a good M50 or M52 block would be cheapest I think. 5.0 sounds fairly cheap. S52... seems like it'd be more expensive than a 5.0 swap. Or part the car...
Last edited by onspeed; 11-26-2017 at 05:41 PM.
Member
You have to check the head as well, it can also crack and normally warps.
As to what your next step is... well that's up to you. If you have good junkyards or access to parts be aware that it's common for people to overheat so it won't be easy to trust a used part.
- - - Updated - - -
Buy this 99' M3 take the engine and trans. Part out the leftovers. You can get it for cheap due to the salvage title. Low miles!
https://houston.craigslist.org/cto/d...378238130.html
- - - Updated - - -
The one thing you will want to do is a compression test prior to buying.
Attn. NEWBIES: Use the search feature, 98% has already been discussed.
Click the search button, select "search single content type", select the "e36 sub forum" specifically, try the "search titles" then try the "search entire posts".
Member
Looked at the head trying to find a crack but didn't see anything. No obvious breaks in the head gasket either. Kind of odd to see a cylinder wall go before the gasket or head.
Thinking I'll either find a cheap m50 block from craigslist or junkyards OR get rid of the car. Was trying to fix it to use as a daily driver beater, may just buy one.
Member
Member
That's a rebuilt title, and is clean to transfer and drive. I wouldn't steal parts from that one, other than the fact that it is a convertible and not a coupe.
If you could find one with a true salvage title I wouldn't hesitate to rip it apart.
Member
Rebuilt title is salvage title it’s more just nomenclature that varies by state. The states that offer rebuilt titles do an inspection to certify that you didn’t use stolen parts to rebuild the car.
Buy my native installed ISIS ISTA-D/ISTA-P bmw diagnostic laptop. More Info Here!
Member
There's a 325is , manual, nearby with oil/water mixing, probably could get it for $500. I'm considering buying it to do a auto to manual swap, and doing a top end rebuild while it's out of the car. Just afraid I pull the ends and it's another dud block. Hmm.... Or junkyard m50 for $500 and call it a day.
Member
If the stamp says Salvage it cannot be operated on a US highway without documentation and certification by an approved rebuilder.
If it is stamped Rebuilt it has already been through the process and can be transferred and driven.
Rebuilt is good to go, Salvage is best for parts. It's far too much of a hassle and expense to bring it back.
Member
IMG_20171204_204600122.jpg
Was going to pickup a non-vanos M50 block for cheap, on further inspection of my vanos head, there is indeed a crack on the #3 cylinder from the coolant passage thru to the valve seat. So that plan is out the window.
Just going to do a junkyard m50, found one nearby with supposedly 110k for $500 and a "30 day warranty". We'll see. While motor and trans is out, also sourced a Getrag 250 and all the other parts needed for a manual swap (differential, driveshaft, shifter assembly, pedal assembly, hydraulics, crossmember).
Now then - what should I do with the junkyard motor before I put it in the car? Definitely going to pull heads and inspect the cylinder bores and head. Already have a head gasket kit so might as well. Will definitely be doing the oil pan gasket and rear main seal as well. Anything else that becomes significantly harder after engine is in? On the fence as to whether I should take the head to a machine shop if it all looks good when I pull it.
Last edited by onspeed; 12-05-2017 at 01:28 AM.
Member
Secure the oil pump nut while the pan is off. Also use a quality straight edge to see that the head is flat, watch youtube videos to do it properly.
Attn. NEWBIES: Use the search feature, 98% has already been discussed.
Click the search button, select "search single content type", select the "e36 sub forum" specifically, try the "search titles" then try the "search entire posts".
I'm lost
"Good to go" meaning street legal, yeah. What he was saying is that the car may still be a hunk of junk. Jalopnik wrote an article about what rebuilt means in Michigan. Definitely not what I would consider it good to go: https://thegarage.jalopnik.com/why-y...cle-1653320003
I haven't bothered to see if it means anything different in other states.
Member
24826212_10159762053160525_1460471144_o.jpg24882957_10159762053125525_1930967542_o.jpg
So that was fun. Took little longer than it ought to have, but pretty straight forward all in all. Pulled the bumper off, left power steering and the AC systems all connected.
For anyone doing this in the future and wants an idea of what it'll entail, here are some notes I made to help me remember how it'll all go back together. Probably will be a 1.5 weeks before I touch it again. Head was off the car as this started as a HG job.
Used a lot of 8, 10, 13, 16, 18, 19, 22? mm sockets/wrenches.
Front bumper: Remove headlights (5 bolts per), remove 2 bolts that hold bumper on either end ( faces downward ). Pull black trim thing off the front and get 2 nuts on either side. Bumper slides out.
Radiator support: 2 bolts on either end that connect to fender. 2 Torx on the top ends. 4 nuts to the bumper bracket. One weld on both. 6 bolts that hold in the aux fan. 2 bolts on condenser. 3 torx on each hood pin receiver. Unscrewed a small metal bracket to get the receivers separated from the radiator support.
Wiring: unplug everything you see and label on the harness what it went to. Left the harness with the car, and connected to the metal bracket that attaches to the head. Transmission area had 3 wires, and secured on the PS with 10mm bolt. Also, ground wire on PS engine mount.
Alternator: 2 bolts. easy.
PS: unbolted resevoir bracket from block. 2 bolts holding pump to block from the front, one on the side facing DS.
AC: 4 bolts holding compressor in. Loosened the drier, zip tie condenser, dryer, compressor out of the way on the PS.
Under the car-
Exhaust: 3 nuts on each manifold. 2 screws on bracket near cats attaches to transmission. Middle exhaust hanger bracket can be removed entirely, needed for the driveshaft to slip out of the transmission - 4 bolts to car, 2 hiding behind the hanger mounts. 2 bolts on each pipe securing catback to midsection, plus one metal donut. Did not split the assembly when I removed but it's fairly heavy and I will need to put it back in 2 pieces so might as well split while it's on the car IMO. 2 hangers on muffler, 2 bolts on each.
Heat shield- 3 nut things on the small one, 6 on the large one.
Driveshaft: Rear wheels need to be in the air. 3 bolts on the guibo, 18mm. Need a wrench for the nuts as no space for socket. On fairly tight, half-charged dewalt electric impact took a few seconds on 'em. 2 nuts holding middle driveshaft to car.
Removal: Remove trans shift cable from trans, 13mm wrench for this. I left my trans in neutral. Suggest loading the engine hoist with the engine weight before removing the transmission mount. PS motor mount bracket needs to be separated from the block. DS can stay on and just unbolt the mount from the bracket. For lifting points I used a hole at the back of the block near the starter, and went thru the coolant passage from the water pump on the front. Load balancer on the hoist, you want higher than the rear. Engine needs to be moved a tad towards PS for pan to clear the steering box. And watch out for the wires that use to be clipped to the radiator support for the headlights and etc. Once the pan has cleared the steering rack you can start to level the engine.
Member
Convert the car to self bleeding coolant system from euro spec car. You can get the aluminum hardline for like 30 bucks and an E30 euro expansion tank (identical to E36 euro self bleeding expansion tank except for coolant level sender unit) for like another 30. Never have to deal with the fucking cunt of a job that is bleeding coolant ever again.
- - - Updated - - -
Everything you said was on point. Wish I could give upvotes on these forums.
Last edited by MazerRackham; 12-06-2017 at 11:12 AM.
Member
I've honestly never seen this before, although IIRC bleeding e36 is indeed a PITA. Did some research though, the hard line seems NLA and the expansion tank is $100. Looks like the bracket is NLA as well. Think might DIY my own bracket with some scrap aluminum and use rubber hoses instead of the hard lines - doable?
edit - in looking at this some more - I don't know why the hardline is needed at all.
https://www.estore-central.com/_diagrame/ntg1x3a=.jpg
Can't I just run a U at #7, then run hose towards firewall and around to where the e30 tank would be? Or cut right after it branches off the T, flip it so the bend is towards the firewall, the run a hose to the tank?
Then the overflow I think I can just extend the stock one and run it along the passenger side to the tank?
Last edited by onspeed; 12-06-2017 at 07:29 PM.
Member
Nice job Onspeed, this is now officially your build thread, so update regularly (and take better pictures)
Attn. NEWBIES: Use the search feature, 98% has already been discussed.
Click the search button, select "search single content type", select the "e36 sub forum" specifically, try the "search titles" then try the "search entire posts".
Member
There's a million ways to do it. A lot of guys run soft lines instead of hard lines. You can do whatever you like. Their NLA because you're looking for the wrong parts. That's why I said get the E30 ones. They're cheap and plentiful. If you get the Euro spec E36 parts they're going to be unobtanium. fuck that. The hardline is there because the engine behind the head doesn't get very much ventilation so its prone to dry rotting even faster than the front of the car. That being said I don't see dry rot being an inssue on a modern coolant line for at least 10 years. I don't think it has to be an E30 euro either. I think any E30 M3, or late model 80s E30 had the self bleeding expansion tank.
Last edited by MazerRackham; 12-07-2017 at 08:20 AM.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks