Just bought a 525i... take a look and help me out :(

[Jameseypoo]

Hi, I just purchased this car http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1,1&item=150038016811&ih=005&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWN%3AIT and I'm wondering if I made a good choice. I just called around a couple places and was quoted anywhere from $900 to $1900 to get the required work done that was stated in the auction. Since a new head gasket set comes with the car I am just buying this http://www.pelicanparts.com/cgi-bin/ksearch/PEL_search.cgi?command=show_part_page&please_wait=N&make=POR&model=BE34&section=ENGcam&page=3&bookmark=12&part_number=PEL-WPSKE34-02N Did I make a bad choice in getting this car or is it a pretty good deal? I plan on taking picking it up next weekend and dropping it off at a shop to get the water pump super kit (2nd link) put on and seeing if that will fix the overheating problem. If it doesn't then I'll have to wait a little bit and get the head gasket replaced. Any suggestions on anything? Thanks in advance.

[DaveVoorhis]

Your URLs don't work.

[weazman187]

yeah i got nothing too

[Jameseypoo]

Oops sorry, this is the car http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1,1&item=150038016811&ih=005&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWN%3AIT and this is the water pump super kit i purchased http://www.pelicanparts.com/cgi-bin/ksearch/PEL_search.cgi?command=show_part_page&please_wait=N&make=POR&model=BE34&section=ENGcam&page=3&bookmark=12&part_number=PEL-WPSKE34-02N Thanks again

[Rigmaster]

Well, it seems that you didn't make a good choice IF you are just now realizing that a shop will charge that much to replace a head gasket. And chances are, you won't be able to simply replace the headgasket without doing some work to the head- it may even be cracked.


But, that price seems OK for that car, even if it has a cracked head/blown head gasket. You might want to ask around and see if you can find someone who might be willing to help you do the repairs- that way you learn about your new car and possibly save some $$$.


If you do have a major problems with that engine, you should be able to pickup a good used engine for ~$800 or so, $1000 max- that may be the way to go instead of messing with trying to fix the problem(s) with that engine.

Even if you have to pay someone to install the new engine, they should be able to do it for ~$600-900 (installation labor only).




Bret.

[SnakeyesTx]

A few thoughts here ...

I thought I blew a headgasket about 3 weeks ago. Upon disassembly, the shop found out that the gasket was fine.. but the head had a crack between a water passage and an exhaust port. Funny thing was, the crack was almost in the same spot pelican parts "how-to article on replacing the HG" head was.

Resurfacing and R/R total with labor averages about 1600 total. Problem is, if the shop who disassembles the motor has any suspicion of the block deck being warped, they probably won't touch it (if its a good shop that won't just put it together without knowing, take your money, and wait for the phone call a few weeks later when the new gasket blows) If they can verify a warped deck on the block, they're going to recommend a long-block type rebuild. Now you're looking at 4000 plus.

I got the call about the questionability of the warped block since it did show signs of serious overheating. I was able to acquire a complete M50 for 1600 with 81k miles on it. Total cost of my replacement is about the same cost as a new head (I've seen it as high as 2100) and installation.

Visually the car looks like it was still worth what you paid for it, and even if you're forced to do an engine swap, you'll still be well below the bluebook value of the car with money invested into it.

[Jameseypoo]

Fixed the above links.. also, I am getting the water pump super kit put on and they quoted me around 160 to get it all put on, which doesn't seem too bad at all. Picking it up on Friday. The radio missing is no big deal since I was going to put mine in anyways and I can get the windshield from the junkyard. The shop i was taking it to quoted me around 1000 for all the work, but thats with the parts too and i have already purchased all of them. since they quoted 160 for labor for the water pump kit, i figure the most they'll charge is around 600 if the very most i need is a need head gasket set put on after the water pump work is finished

[Jameseypoo]

He said his friend thats a mechanic (not very reliable, i know) says that it neaded a water pump, t-stat, and head gasket. Hope thats all it needs

[Jon K]

http://i4.ebayimg.com/05/i/08/5a/a4/79_12.JPG

what the hell is that thing above the exhaust manifolds but below the engine cover, looks like a motor mount.

[Dave M]

A few thoughts here ...

but the head had a crack between a water passage and an exhaust port. Funny thing was, the crack was almost in the same spot pelican parts "how-to article on replacing the HG" head was.


Apparently quite common. The PO had one go in the same place on cylinder 5. I bought it and swapped it out. Then I swapped the block two years later, sucker for punishment.....

Dave M

[Dave M]

http://i4.ebayimg.com/05/i/08/5a/a4/79_12.JPG

what the hell is that thing above the exhaust manifolds but below the engine cover, looks like a motor mount.

Its either a built in turbo adapter (c'mon Jon) or an engine mounted cigarette lighter.

[Rigmaster]

http://i4.ebayimg.com/05/i/08/5a/a4/79_12.JPG

what the hell is that thing above the exhaust manifolds but below the engine cover, looks like a motor mount.


Nope, looks like one of those alarm siren/horn things.



Bret.

[CarloE34]

what the hell is that thing above the exhaust manifolds but below the engine cover, looks like a motor mount.


Alarm?????;)

[632 Regal]

thats the go-fast button.

http://i4.ebayimg.com/05/i/08/5a/a4/79_12.JPG

what the hell is that thing above the exhaust manifolds but below the engine cover, looks like a motor mount.

[Gayle]

The redeeming feature is that it is a 5 speed. Somewhat rare and desired by many.

Does the fact that you bought a car that can't be driven immediately mean that you do not need it for transporation immediately? If you can take your time, you can work on it yourself, have a wonderful learning experience, and be the mechanical master of your car. That is a nice position to be in.

[Jameseypoo]

The redeeming feature is that it is a 5 speed. Somewhat rare and desired by many.

Does the fact that you bought a car that can't be driven immediately mean that you do not need it for transporation immediately? If you can take your time, you can work on it yourself, have a wonderful learning experience, and be the mechanical master of your car. That is a nice position to be in.

Well the thing is, I currently go to college and live downtown so I have no way to really work on the car. I don't really need it for transportation immediately, but will in the very near future. I would love to work on it all myself because it is very rewarding, but I currently just don't have the time.

[genphreak]

The redeeming feature is that it is a 5 speed. Somewhat rare and desired by many. Does the fact that you bought a car that can't be driven immediately mean that you do not need it for transporation immediately? If you can take your time, you can work on it yourself, have a wonderful learning experience, and be the mechanical master of your car. That is a nice position to be in.You always manage to sum up the experience and big picture things so well Gayle, there is simply no better advice to give a new e34 owner as that... but it pays for many to have someone they know around, or a laptop on .info in the garage, its easy to make mistakes on these cars.

(Hint: Jamseypoo; buy the Bently manual ASAP and a BMW TIS on CD) :) Nick

[calmloki]

I'm sorry, but my unhappy customer alarm is jangling. 1st: you got the car for a fine price - have no doubt about that. Problem is in thinking that the provided water pump "SUPER" kit is a cure all. Looks like an overpriced combination of parts to me. Then you are hoping the shop will get you happy and on the road for $600. Can't do any of the work yourself, college student (= tight bucks), wishfull thinking... this just doesn't sound like it will end well. I would pull the plugs to see if one is steam cleaned. That's cheap. Or have a a tailpipe sniffer check for coolant in the exhaust. If so then swap in a junkyard motor to avoid downtime and massive price creep associated with engine repair. I see you ending up with $3000 in this car. Better to expect that before spending the money than to just open a money vein and let drain. BTW: a water pump R&R on that engine doesn't get much easier.
Tom (Mr. Eeyore)


Fixed the above links.. also, I am getting the water pump super kit put on and they quoted me around 160 to get it all put on, which doesn't seem too bad at all. Picking it up on Friday. The radio missing is no big deal since I was going to put mine in anyways and I can get the windshield from the junkyard. The shop i was taking it to quoted me around 1000 for all the work, but thats with the parts too and i have already purchased all of them. since they quoted 160 for labor for the water pump kit, i figure the most they'll charge is around 600 if the very most i need is a need head gasket set put on after the water pump work is finished

[Jameseypoo]

Alright, so I drove roughly 900 miles round trip to pick up the car and am majorly bummed. 1st, I wasn't able to check for coolant in the oil or anything like that because it was so far away. I dropped it off at the shop on Sunday and they called me today with some bad news. 1st, it does need the parts that I bought for a new water pump/thermostat. Not bad.. 160 in labor. Next, it does need the head gasket set replaced... ouch... thats another 900 in labor (previous owner had new head gasket set purchased and included with the car). Now I find out that it DOES have a cracked head. On top of that, it needs a new intake hose (old one was duct taped) and a new battery (one that came with car was wrong size... laid in sideways and had cardboard wedged in there). For everything, he gave me a high estimate of around $2200. I have no clue what to do now. I did drive it for about 20 seconds and it was nice... I drove it from the tow dolly to a parking spot. Anyways, I am stuck. I don't have that kind of money to dump into a car. I'm a poor college kid that works as a server. I know it's my fault for not being able to look into it more, but I am at a standstill right now and have no clue on what to do. What are my options?

[SnakeyesTx]

So... basically, you're kind of in the same situation I'm in. A rebuilt or new head is killer... like 1600-2100 bucks alone. Your best bet if you plan on keeping this one as your driver is to look around here for people who's parting out cars and try to grab the top end. Honestly, you're going to want to get a whole motor. If it overheated enough to crack the head, the blocks deck is warped, pretty much guaranteed. That's where I was at. If you wanted to put a new head on it, you'd have to get the deck (the top of the block where the head sits on) resurfaced flat, or you'd just be throwing your money away waiting for the next head-gasket to blow. If you get the deck resurfaced, they'd have to disassemble the motor to parts, meaning while you're in there, you'd want to go ahead and rebuild the bottom end with new crank and rod bearings and rings at a bare minimum. (See where the idea of getting a whole motor starts to sound better?)

Try to find yourself a gem. A low milage motor from an auto salvager. I was fortunate enough to find a motor with 81k miles complete for 1600 bucks. Since you're strapped for cash like the majority of us are in college, you could try tackling the engine swap yourself if you have the space and tools (you can rent the engine hoist), or get your hands on a motor, wait a few weeks and then pay a shop to install it. Basically you're not gonna get away from about 3000 bucks on the dollar figure. :(

Another route could be to find another car. One that's cosmetically crap but mechanically sound and swap the parts from this one over to the new one. That or, part that one out and get the most you can for it, and try your luck at buying another one. If you strip that head down, you can get a good chunk of change for the aluminum for scrap, but you have to take all the studs, and steel parts out.

[DaveVoorhis]

Two options:

1. Sell it.

2. Take it home and start hunting for a used head or engine. Then become the wrench, glasshoppa. This is an excellent opportunity to learn car repair. When you're done, you'll be confident enough to do the majority of your own mechanical work, which will save money and impress women for the rest of your life.

On the plus side, an intake hose is cheap. I just paid £11 for a new one.

[Jameseypoo]

With option 1, do you think it would be possible to get around 1700 out of it?? 1400 for car and 240 for parts purchased to fix car.. Also, I would definitely do option number two if I had the tools or space, but I don't. I currently live downtown and the only parking is in the street

[DaveVoorhis]

$1700USD? Honestly, I doubt it. If you paid $1400 on eBay, then you're the person (at least on eBay) who was willing to pay more than any other bidder for it. Therefore, $1400 or less is probably more realistic. You could try selling the parts separately.

However, I'm more familiar with UK prices. Here, it would probably sell for about £200. :(

[Jameseypoo]

wow, $375 usd?

[DaveVoorhis]

Actually, with the conversion calculated as a rough percentage of take-home income, more like about $200 USD. BMWs are far more common here than in most areas of the US, and have less of a "luxury" cachet than in the US.

[SnakeyesTx]

Just noticed you have a space issue in one of your replies. If you had to fix or part out, you could rent a public storage place for cars. My friend pays about 65 bucks a month for his. Their only rules were no painting, and no welding, otherwise, any mechanical work is perfectly fine.

[Jameseypoo]

Actually, the number one problem is money. That far outweighs everything else.

[Dave M]

I don't believe you'll be stuk with a $1600+ bill for a used, pressure tested cylinder head. If you want too get it on the road, I suggest start phoning around for a head. I've purchased a head and block on two seperated occasions and paid less than $1600 Canadian for both combined. Find it yourself, bring it to a machine shop for a once over ($200-$300) and install it. I don't know how often a steel block would warp due to a cracked aluminum cylinder head. I'm sure it happens, but I think the odds are on your side.

You're either out a bunch of money and car (if you try to sell it and lose $$) OR you can source a head, use the head gasket you've already paid for and learn something you'll never forget. You don't need any special tools (regardless of what Bentleys states), but you might want to get on it before the snow flies ;)

Good luck with it, hope things work out (better than they have). We'll be around

Dave M

[Jameseypoo]

I don't know how often a steel block would warp due to a cracked aluminum cylinder head. I'm sure it happens, but I think the odds are on your side.

Hmmm, so if I was given a quote for 2300 for all of the work done (water pump, thermostat, head gasket set, cracked head repair, battery, etc.) am I getting a pretty good deal? I guess I'm asking if you guys would pay that much for it. I really would love to get in there and work on everything myself but I don't really have the time or resources to do so. After all is said and done, I will have a nice car for around 3600. I don't know... right now this really sucks.

[calmloki]

Hmmm, so if I was given a quote for 2300 for all of the work done (water pump, thermostat, head gasket set, cracked head repair, battery, etc.) am I getting a pretty good deal? I guess I'm asking if you guys would pay that much for it. I really would love to get in there and work on everything myself but I don't really have the time or resources to do so. After all is said and done, I will have a nice car for around 3600. I don't know... right now this really sucks.

ASk how much to have them provide and install a used engine. Hate to see people heading into a $$$ pit.

[Jameseypoo]

I emailed the guy that I bought the car off of and told him of all the problems that he didn't tell me about and he wanted to know what he could do to help. He seems pretty understanding, but I just hope he's not going to be giving me the runaround