M42 - Water in oil but not going HG, HELP!

Thu Apr 02, 2009 8:23 pm

This is getting frustrating now!

We did my headgasket back in January because I was getting water in the oil, and I thought there was the sweet smell of burning antifreeze...

SO now, several months on, its still eating some water, but I've been around, worked through some stuff, done other things, worried about the MOT (vehicle test) etc since then and forgot!

Yesterday I pulled the dipstick out and it dripped Checked water, and I was down to about 1/3 rad full!

NOT GOOD. I suspect the dipstick isn't milky due to the sheer quantity of water in there

Any idea's whats causing it? Water getting in the oil, but not leaking to the floor. Not getting into the cylinders either. Where could the leak be?

Thu Apr 02, 2009 9:36 pm

I hate to say it but it could well be that the profile gasket got 'nudged' out of position during fitting the head, this could let water into the timeing cover's and directly into the sump.

IIRC the M42 heads are also known to crack from the water jacket to the valves

Edit, google turned up this pic from an american bmw forum

Fri Apr 03, 2009 11:46 am

Hiya,

The head isn't cracked. That was checked while it was off and skimmed *phew*!

Which one is the profile gasket?

Thanks!

Fri Apr 03, 2009 3:21 pm

papercutout wrote:Hiya,

The head isn't cracked. That was checked while it was off and skimmed *phew*!

Which one is the profile gasket?

Thanks!

The one you have to take the head off to change!

Fri Apr 03, 2009 4:17 pm

So by profile gasket, you mean the headgasket itself? Couldn't be, I dunno, the timing chain cover gasket or something cimple?

This sounds fun!

Fri Apr 03, 2009 7:54 pm

It's the red bit...

Fri Apr 03, 2009 8:28 pm

This is the profile gasket -

Goes in between the two halves of the rear part of the timing case. It's not the HG but it's a head off job to replace.

Did you replace this when you did the HG?

If you didn't, and it's still on the original one, then this is your problem.

Sat Apr 04, 2009 2:32 pm

We did replace that, but I think it must have twisted slightly when putting it back together. Ok, I'llg et that sorted ASAP.

To get a replacement, do I just order a 'profile gasket'? GSF don't appear to do them, and I'm suspecting they only come in the HG set don't they?

Thanks guys, nice to know what the problem is! I'll get the oil drained and changed today to keep it going till I can get to my mates and sort it out properly

Sat Apr 04, 2009 2:42 pm

Timing Case profile gasket.

Mine was about £3.50 direct from BMW.