Possible Headgasket problem; need help!

[ryan roopnarine]

bout 15 hours (at most) to extricate it, if you have to keep going back and forth to the parts store for tools. if the tool kit you illustrated in your guibo procedure was s significant number, well, you have a few things to buy....i'd say torx bit and socket sets (like 5 ea at autozone), standard and deep between 7mm and 12mm, wrenches of the same size, a special thin wall socket to get the head bolts out. getting the special tools allows you to work directly out of bentley....rental is on the order of 75-100 something, deposit of 750
to koala....you definitely need another vehicle working to pull it off by yourself, if you have gainful employment

Has anyone out there done a headgasket replacement job? I looked at my Bently manual and there are 3 different special BMW toos needed to do the job. I consider myself a skilled home mechanic but I just want to know what I am getting into. Any thoughts or comments would be appreciated.

[ryan roopnarine]

the second item on this page is the toolset mentioned

http://www.koalamotorsport.com/mall/toolprice.htm

noooowwww, if you want to work without the tools, which means that you rely on your knowledge of setting the cams by how the engine works, click
on my website here
http://plaza.ufl.edu/rroopnar/35831.htm
for winfred's explanation of how to do it.....ultimately i didn't think i knew enough about the operation of motors to go through with it this way during my stab at it, and heard too many machinists BS about some magical complexity in this head over the m50 as compared to m30 so i didnt have the stones to go beyond the steps where the head is unbolted (literally 45 mins to an hour more of work and i'd have taken it off myself). if you wanna work independently and leave nothing up to chance, rent the tools from koala for 75.

[Al Gray]

Ryan, thanks for the info. If I do the job myself, what parts do I need and how much is the approximate cost? I know I would need a headgasket set, new exhaust flange nuts and so on. What else would I need?

[ryan roopnarine]

its up to you whether or not you want to wait for the head to come back from the machinist, but, if its straight (no machining) you can buy the gasket set from bma for about 110 or less, plus about 22 for the head bolts. if you need to buy the gasket (the thicker one), you will have a headgasket useless to you, but a set of all the other gaskets that come along with it. a thicker gasket is like 60 or so....so if you bought the HG set and need the thick one, it would be 110+60, but if you bought all the gaskets separately it would be a little bit more (you need to phone bma, their website is sold out and i don't have anything to work with)...so it might make sense to buy the set no matter what....as far as anything else, no, all of the exhaust header bolts i took out, which are still in my toolkit as spares, are fine, no need to buy new ones. pretty much the only "parts" aside from these are the oil change parts, new antifreeze, carb cleaner....it might make sense to change belts and change spark plugs at the same time if it hasn't been done in a while. i found that in 3 cities, i was able to get somebody who was able to pressure test and level check my m50 head for about 40-50, plus about 30 to clean, plus a little bit more to mill it if necessary, so about 100 for machine shop, so don't take the first (likely exhorbitant) quote for a "bmw" head. tools, et cetera add to costs. plus the cost of your time.

[Al Gray]

Thanks Ryan. If BMW or a shop wants #1500-1800 to do this job I might consider doing it myself. The cost for parts and tool rental only comes to about $300. The difference represents a significant savings. When you did your headgasket job did you run into any problems? Is it best to take the head to a machine shop and have them check it our to see if it needs milling? How can I accurately determine if I need that type of service? I don't think I am making too much of this job. The Bently manual lists about 36 steps to just remove the head and they do detail the special tools that are needed. I guess I am looking for the confidence to proceed with a job like this. I don't want to get too over my head. Any one else have any comments or experiences?

[TheGeak]

i would definately take it to a machine shop and checked for straightness. You probably don't have anything straight enough to check it, and if its slightly warped, it'll make you have to do the whole thing again.

[ryan roopnarine]

think of it as a long stretched out guibo and Cbearing procedure, to the tune of many, many more hours. its not "simple", but if you have an understanding of what it is you are doing, and you have time to execute, its not brain surgery. i don't think you will have a problem finding a shop to do it for 1k though, if that is below the threshold of your doing the job yourself. it makes no sense to do a HG without doing a pressure test on the head, at which time they will check it for straightness. sbcnsu and anton CH have both done it, perhaps some inquiries to them might be helpful....also, i have pics of the steps right up until you need the special tools, which i can send your way if you like (20 mb though).

Thanks Ryan. If BMW or a shop wants #1500-1800 to do this job I might consider doing it myself. The cost for parts and tool rental only comes to about $300. The difference represents a significant savings. When you did your headgasket job did you run into any problems? Is it best to take he head to a machine shop and have them check it our to see if it needs milling? How can I accurately determine if I need that type of service? I don't think I am making too much of this job. The Bently manual lists about 36 steps to just remove the head and they do detail the special tools that are needed. I guess I am looking for the confidence to proceed with a job like this. I don't want to get too over my head. Any one else have any comments or experiences?