Headgasket replacement (some big pictures, so 56K beware)

[Craig]

I figured I'd start a new thread for this. Got just about everything off the engine now, the only thing left to do is set the engine to TDC and pull the cam chain sprocket. I'm going to rent a lift Saturday and the head should come off then.

For now, here are a couple pics.

From this-
http://www.535i.net/random/pics/headgasket/DSCN1191.JPG


To this-
http://www.535i.net/random/pics/headgasket/DSCN1194.JPG

[Martin in Bellevue]

So the Craig not in Seattle also has a calypsorot 535? Great color, that is.

Try not to bounce the head off the plastic chain rails & the 2 back head bolts may need to be in the head before repositioning the head onto the block.

The m30 head gaskets seem to be failing these days.

[Craig]

No, this is Craig in Seattle. :D

You busy this weekend? ;)

I'm renting a hoist so hopefully it will be a little easier to control the head when installing it and I won't have to bounce the head off the guide.

[Martin in Bellevue]

I can't imagine a hoist being needed for the head, unless you plan to leave the intake & exhaust manifolds attached. If they are left on the head, I'd expect alignment to be visually challenged. And, it might be tough to get a hoist in there to lift the head, without pulling the front wheels off, or pulling the bonnet.

Sucks, you just got that thing & need to do a headgasket.

My garage is available, & so am I.

[Craig]

I'll let you know. I plan to leave the intake and exhaust on the head, it looks pretty difficult to remove all that in-situ. The bottom bolts on the intake in particular look to be a problem.

[Mr Project]

Yep, those bottom intake bolts are a pain, though doable on the E28 I just helped with. Manifold doesn't weigh that much, though, so it shouldn't be a huge issue to pull it with ....

I would think it would make installation a pain, though!

[Craig]

Got the head off this morning and dropped it off at the machine shop. They are going to put new valve seals, guides (if necessary), true the head (as little as possible since a turbo will be going on and I don't want too much compression) and clean it up.

Once the head came off, I found this little guy in one of the oil passages. Not sure what it came from, but it didn't seem to be doing much damage.
http://www.535i.net/random/pics/headgasket/o-ring.JPG

Didn't drain the block, on retrospect I probably should have. The result was this nasty mess.
http://www.535i.net/random/pics/headgasket/engine2.JPG

Here's Martin's favorite part. Hopefully I won't smash it putting the head back on.
http://www.535i.net/random/pics/headgasket/timing-chain.JPG

[Jeff N.]

Craig - if you really want a lift, you can borrow mine. I have a large engine hoist.

PS - that rubber thingy looks like a oil filter seal o-ring.

[Craig]

I thought oil filter too, but at this point it's done its damage so I'm just glad it is out now. :)

[winfred]

make sure you get the liquid out of the head bolt holes before you reinstall, the hydrallic pressure can crack the block

[Craig]

make sure you get the liquid out of the head bolt holes before you reinstall, the hydrallic pressure can crack the block

Yeah, I've got a few days to wait before the head comes back so I'm going to be cleaning it up a bit. As you can see, it's a bit of a train wreck right now. :D

I got the water out of the cylinders tonight and then quit. Was planning on using some rags to soak up what I can and then maybe using WD-40 or something similar to force the rest out. Any tips for cleaining the holes?

[TC535i]

Yea, blow the head bolt holes out with some high pressure air, clean em out GOOD. If those don't get cleaned out well, no sense using the head bolts, may as well just throw some JB Weld on the head and slap her on!

[535ise]

Yeah, I've got a few days to wait before the head comes back so I'm going to be cleaning it up a bit. As you can see, it's a bit of a train wreck right now. :D

I got the water out of the cylinders tonight and then quit. Was planning on using some rags to soak up what I can and then maybe using WD-40 or something similar to force the rest out. Any tips for cleaining the holes?

I used carb cleaner and a kid's tooth brush to remove the gunky old oil.I don't have a compressor so i blew the hole's out with compressed air that you can get in an aerosol(sp?) can.

If you don't clean all of the oil out of the block hole's or the bolt hole's in the head then this is going to affect how much torque you will put on the bolt.As far as i know the torque figure's are for a dry thread(non oiled).

Good luck with your head job m8,just don't forget to properly torque up your timing chain sprocket !!!!

[Bill R.]

lightly oiled bolts. Anyway first i carefully scrape away all traces of gasket material on the top of the block surface, then I take a mill smooth file and run it across the top of the surface to knock down any high spots such as around the bolt holes, then I clean out the cylinders with rags and wiped a light film of oil on the cylinders by hand, just to keep the dry cylinders from rusting. then i use the qtips to clean out all the bolt holes completely, then I use a tap the chase the threads on all the bolt holes and clean out the holes one more time after chasing. One last time run the mill file across the top of the block in case i raised any burrs when tapping the bolt holes.




Yeah, I've got a few days to wait before the head comes back so I'm going to be cleaning it up a bit. As you can see, it's a bit of a train wreck right now. :D

I got the water out of the cylinders tonight and then quit. Was planning on using some rags to soak up what I can and then maybe using WD-40 or something similar to force the rest out. Any tips for cleaining the holes?

[George M]

...if the people that have you work on their cars Bill only knew how good you are and your depth of understanding.
George

[Bill R.]

do things twice or have problems... so even a dummy like myself learns eventually that a little extra care on things like this save me time or make my job easier in the long haul.... Besides I get paid by the hour not flatrate :p

Thanks for the words though George.








...if the people that have you work on their cars Bill only knew how good you are and your depth of understanding.
George

[Craig]

Great info, thanks.

[Craig]

This is a picture of a broken o-ring that came from somewhere in the head, unfortunately this one worked its way down to the oil pan and got stuck in an oil passage.

I have a new one in my headgasket kit, but for some reason I can't quite figure out where it goes. I would guess it's on the distributor, but don't want to put it in the wrong spot.


http://www.535i.net/random/pics/headgasket/o-ring.JPG

[Jeff N.]

...that is that size is the o-ring seal on top of the oil canister. I can't recall any other o-ring from my teardown. Maybe there's one at the bottom of the oil pan were the level sender bolts up? Hard to drop that one into the motor.

The distributor shaft has a traditional seal around the stub shaft that drives the rotor - wouldn't be that.

I'd pull a spare oil filter kit and compair it to one of those. Betcha that it's it.

Jeff


This is a picture of a broken o-ring that came from somewhere in the head, unfortunately this one worked its way down to the oil pan and got stuck in an oil passage.

I have a new one in my headgasket kit, but for some reason I can't quite figure out where it goes. I would guess it's on the distributor, but don't want to put it in the wrong spot.


http://www.535i.net/random/pics/headgasket/o-ring.JPG