Just ordered new head

[Adammcf]

Just ordered a recon head from www.linwar.com
Fully reconditioned with 6 month warranty. The guy seems to know his stuff too seeing he has worked on BMWs for many years.

Cost me Ԛ£450 including delivery and picking up my old head and then Ԛ£75 back when they receive the old one.

Should have it tomorrow or friday hopefully. All I need to do now is order all the gaskets and seals and nuts etc for rebuilding the engine.

I'll start another thread about that tonight as I need to know should I just go to BMW and order everything or would GSF etc do? I think having a big receipt from BMW would look more impressive when selling the car than anywher else plus the quality should be better. (in theory)

[Brianmoooore]

BMW are relatively small as car manufactuers go, and tend to outsource the supply of their components.
If you buy a GSF part with the part number ending in "0" (IIRC), then it will be identical to tne dealer part except for thr packaging and the BMW logo.
As an example, the last clutch I bought was a Sachs unit. I compared it carefully with the old one. It was absolutely identical, with all the same numbers and markings, except the new one had "Sachs" stamped on it, and the old one was stamped "Sachs-BMW".

[Gwynleym10]

You shouldn't have much problem with Linwar, they are top people. They did my rear suspension bushes and I have orderd things from via the post.

Good luck with the fitting!

[Simon]

If you buy a GSF part with the part number ending in "0"

I think that's euro car parts.....
things like head bolts, head gasket, timing belt, I would personally get from the dealer, others try GSF/ECP, ask them what the makes are, I find some of they're suspension bushes/links etc very poor quality

[Adammcf]

I'll probably just get it all from BMW to be honest as Ive had problems with bad quality parts from other places before where the fittings were completely wrong etc and were of inferior build quality.

[Jhonno]

you selling the BMW so soon? what you getting next?

[bullitt]

Adam

Glad you got it sorted..

Go for a genuine BMW Headgasket & Timing belt buy the rest from GSF they will be ok..

[Adammcf]

This whole head thing has just put me off the car to be honest and Ive lost heart in it. Maybe once its back on the road it will be fine again but at the mo Ive got my eye on other things.
I also have to sort out the leaking fuel tank. It just seems like theres always something to sort.

[Brianmoooore]

The youngest E30s are about 15 years old minimum. Most other makes of cars have long since departed this life at that age.
E30s are extremely well built, extremely reliable cars, but after this sort of time there are a few things which may have deteriorated, either because of poor design or lack of attention, or just plain age.
Go over an E30 carefully, sort these things out, and you will have a car that will last easily for another 15 years with little attention other than routine maintenence.

[psychochild187]

thats my theory at the moment if i fix the lot it wont break for ages!

fingers crossed i dont write it off!

[PeteE30Tourer]

things like head bolts, head gasket, timing belt, I would personally get from the dealer, others try GSF/ECP, ask them what the makes are, I find some of they're suspension bushes/links etc very poor quality

This is exactly the tack i'm taking - cant afford to mess about with potentially cheaper and hence inferior things like head gaskets. The dealer does a complete head change gasket set containing everything down to new stem seals for about Ԛ£150. The head gasket alone costs Ԛ£64, head bolts Ԛ£23.

I'll be ordering my bits today. It's worth looking around the rest of the engine bay to see what's worth replacing whilst everything is apart - i'm going to change all the water hoses for instance as they're looking a little tired. Wont cost any more to fit them whilst the head is off anyway.

[Adammcf]

The head was waiting for me in work this morning when I came in!
It looks really well finished so hopefully its up to the job.
Just need to order my long list of parts from BMW now and its time to start putting it all back together.

[Andy335Touring]

Not be long now before it's back on the road !

[Adammcf]

Fingers crossed it shouldnt be too long now.

Heres my shopping list for BMW:

2 Washer jet pipe connectors
inlet manifold gasket and nuts
oil and filter
coolant
head gasket
head studs
bumper brackets
oil cap
6 manifold studs
belts (timing, power steering, alternator)
timing belt tensioner
jubilee clips
body colour paint Ԛ—a Dolphin Grey
rocker cover gasket
rocker cover studs
oil stem seals
seal for inlet manifold to oil pipe in block
water pump

[craigieeb]

Fingers crossed it shouldnt be too long now.

Heres my shopping list for BMW:

2 Washer jet pipe connectors
inlet manifold gasket and nuts
oil and filter
coolant
head gasket
head studs
bumper brackets
oil cap
6 manifold studs
belts (timing, power steering, alternator)
timing belt tensioner
jubilee clips
body colour paint Ԛ—a Dolphin Grey
rocker cover gasket
rocker cover studs
oil stem seals
seal for inlet manifold to oil pipe in block
water pump

damn thats going to be 1 pricey list

[Adammcf]

Tell me about it! Not looking forward to paying for it all.

[Simon]

Fingers crossed it shouldnt be too long now.

Heres my shopping list for BMW:

2 Washer jet pipe connectors
inlet manifold gasket and nuts
oil and filter
coolant
head gasket
head studs
bumper brackets
oil cap
6 manifold studs
belts (timing, power steering, alternator)
timing belt tensioner
jubilee clips
body colour paint Ԛ—a Dolphin Grey
rocker cover gasket
rocker cover studs
oil stem seals
seal for inlet manifold to oil pipe in block
water pump

Hi mate

When you buy a head gasket kit, most of the above is included..all the inlet manifold seals, and the breather pipe, exhaust manifold gaskets, oil stem seals, rocker cover gasket, and obviously the head gasket..

[Adammcf]

Too late! LOL Ordered this list of parts from GSF today. Will order the rest from BMW.

WATER PUMP-BQ
THERMOSTAT HOUSING GASKET
VALVE COVER GASKET-BQ
JUBILEE CLIP-16>25mm
FUEL FILTER-BQ
JUBILEE CLIP-32>50mm
OIL FILLER CAP
FAN BELT-10x965
JUBILEE CLIP-20>32mm
JUBILEE CLIP-50>70mm
POWER STEER.BELT-10x825