Overheated :(

[TXBDan]

What are people's thoughts on the AutoHead heads that Solaris99 mentioned?

http://www.autoheadperformance.com/m...bmw_heads.html

I've heard good things about them. I'd use them em for a plain jane road car build.

Definitely do the head job and not replace the whole motor. It's actually pretty easy. Youtube has tons of great videos on doing the cams and vanos. You can buy a cam toolset on amazon for $40.

[MauiM3Mania]

The shop I had it at who is considered a top BMW shop in Bergen County NJ has no interest in doing the job so I'm taking the car elsewhere. But they are charging me $350 for the leak down test they did. $350 seems high to me.

I agree, just from watching Chris P. do the job on my M3. I can't see it taking a couple hours. Good luck with whichever direction you go.

[knickfan5745]

I've heard good things about them. I'd use them em for a plain jane road car build.

Definitely do the head job and not replace the whole motor. It's actually pretty easy. Youtube has tons of great videos on doing the cams and vanos. You can buy a cam toolset on amazon for $40.

Well now I don't know. Picked up the car today from the BMW shop that did the leakdown and their owner said that he has seen many E36 blocks get warped from overheating, not just the heads.

[blckstrm]

Well now I don't know. Picked up the car today from the BMW shop that did the leakdown and their owner said that he has seen many E36 blocks get warped from overheating, not just the heads.

This from the shop that has no interest in doing a head gasket? How is that possible? This is such a straight-forward repair.

Also, an aluminum block on an E46 might have warped under extreme overheating, but I've never heard of the iron block on a normal M/S 50/52 warping.

This makes no sense to me. AND my BS meter is starting to beep.

Yes, you're probably better off finding a different indy.

[ChuckDizzle]

Well now I don't know. Picked up the car today from the BMW shop that did the leakdown and their owner said that he has seen many E36 blocks get warped from overheating, not just the heads.

The cylinder head yes, but I've yet to see the iron block warp from overheating.

Does this shop not enjoy doing business?

[TostitoBandito]

I don't know how you'd warp a cast iron block. Crack maybe, but not warp. The iron blocks are tanks; you could beat on it with a sledge and not hurt it. A much smaller and lighter/less dense aluminum head, sure that will warp enough so that it doesn't sit flush anymore.

[NoLastName]

The cast iron block is almost certainly fine. The shop either has no idea what they're talking about or just doesn't want to work on your car for some reason.

[knickfan5745]

Maybe he did say cracked not warped.

So could the block crack from overheating? Or would it only crack from throwing a rod?

[TostitoBandito]

Yeah I doubt heat itself would crack the iron, at least not any temperature attainable in a running engine. More likely some side effect of it getting hot could cause something else in the motor to damage the block in some way.

[blckstrm]

Maybe he did say cracked not warped.

So could the block crack from overheating? Or would it only crack from throwing a rod?

Ok. Yes, it's possible. But it's also ridiculously unlikely. You should either be concerned he'd jump to that conclusion, or disappointed. He's either making excuses to get out of it or really is ignorant.

In either case, you need to find a different shop. I'd say for good, too. I wouldn't go back to that place.

This guy is giving you advice that's freaking you out and sounds terrible to every single one of us. You really need to go find a different shop.