325i touring PYF, a new little pic i found!

[Theo]

A spare gear linkage is now in my 'Ring Spares' box! 250 miles in 4th is not something I want to do again

[oguz327]

Simon, ill pop up sunday to help out and cause trouble

[pacerpete]

iS it true this engines demise was caused by a 60mm slammed council chariot hitting a speedbump or is that just an educated guess ?

[Simon13]

iS it true this engines demise was caused by a 60mm slammed council chariot hitting a speedbump or is that just an educated guess ?

maybe! it's probably 80% the reason but i won't know until i strip it. Thing is the sump is intact and it isn't leaking any oil

[bmwe30mtech]

Glad you seem to have taken this bit of news quite well considering!

I know its a workhorse but i really like this car. Just promise me you wont be using the alpina interior as a builders caff also!

[Simon13]

alpina isn't and won't be for work use, just a weekend/evening toy

I towed it back last night and the engine is ready to pull out on the weekend everything is diconnected and and un plugged.

Drained the oil and it was full of swarf almost some quite large shiney "bits" floating about in there, poor thing

[oguz327]

At least it didnt shit it self at the ring!

[Jesus325iTouring]

Well Si,you beat me in the end,my engine had enough circa 233,000 miles,it was still running mind,I just could no longer warrant putting a litre of oil a day in it!

I love your interior,reminds me of someone elses

[Karan]

shit sorry to hear this give us a shout if you want a hand swapping dude.... sure it wont take long

Karan

[fuzzy]

At least it didnt shit it self at the ring!

that would be a nightmare scenario. hundreds of miles from home in a foreign country.

[Simon13]

Got the engine out today had a bit of a poke around once it was out but i'll know a bit more tomorrow



Chav i know before anyone says!



It's out!


fubared clutch


Do i clean in here this week?!

So hopefully i'll have my lightened flywheel of Temple30 and i can get my replacement engine in and fitted with a new clutch and some other bits and see how long the next engine lasts! lol

[oguz327]

I would give the engine bay a good clean Simon, will make it a nicer place to work and its easy with the engine out init!
Dont stop there though, if you open the door you will find the driving control area which could also do with a damn good clean and general cess removal
cue mattg dissing the state of my van

[Simon13]

but it's just a milege whore! i might* do that

[bss325i]

Do it you scumbag!

[B7]

Looks like you had a succesful day Si. At least the wather held out. Keep the photos coming. When you pulling the Auto lump out?

[Karan]

good stuff!..yeh may aswell giove bay a clean, makes it a much nicer place to work

[andyp]

only just seen this post, only read this page so far, cant believe you killed a perfect good engine.

[Simon13]

i didnt kill it. The sump was intact as i said. I drained 4 litres of oil out. Clearly a pump issue, it looks like now. I'm about to go out and strip it right down. My only concern now is to see whats worn out, mainly on the top end. Cam lobes look good but i want to get the cam out to check the main ends and pray that a pukka head isnt scrap

[B7]

As you say Si. at 230k the pumps probably f*cked. Did you manage to get a new one for the auto lump? Money well spent I reckon as their similar mileage.

[Simon13]

i have a new pump yes and soon a light flywheel, should spice up this standard lump a touch!

[B7]

Just spotted this. Look like your about to start crying in this shot

[Jesus325iTouring]

Proper heroness going on here Si Great to see another E30 being saved rather than sent to China to made into Coke cans and airplanes,why let major engine failure be an issue

PS Good to see you've got windscreen wipers to,do they actually work or just for show?!

[Simon13]

Stripped her down tonight and found the "problem" lol




Shells look like they were getting hot! would of seized quickly i recon



Pistons coming out usual wear on the thrust side, bores look pukka with honing marks clearly seen down all of the bores but nothing obviously wrong yet........

Hmmm bits of red plastic in the sump


Time to look at the oil pump


Ouch that'll be why the oil light came on! The bloody spindle had snapped but why?



broken spindle next to a good one

Also i couldn't spin the pump gears round by hand, so i took that apart



Pictures are sh!te but basically the gears were jammed by a small piece of metal. You can see in the bottom pic where theres a big groove in the casing and then the pump or spindle had had enough. It nearly worked it's way right round though. Who knows what would of happened if it had been passed else where through the lump. What gets me is how did it get through the filter? i doesn't really look small enough

Also it doesn't prove to me that wacking the sump on a speed hump caused this to happen either and it could of been a coincidence?

Top end was mint and had no wear on the cam lobes or rockers. Light scores on the main ends of the cam but don't they all? So overall i'm pleased that the engine looked to be in good health, and lots of parts can still be re used. So i think as i quite like this engine it shall have to be rebuilt into a 2.7 of some sort.

[oguz327]

Interesting stuff Simon.
Looks like an oil pump change would be wise at 200k or sooner for anyone else reading this.

Good to hear the cam and head are ok to re-use, any more thoughts on what spec 2.7 your going for?
I take it the cam and alpina pistons?

[bss325i]

Nice one, at least the top end parts are ok.

[stonesie]

Pictures are sh!te but basically the gears were jammed by a small piece of metal. You can see in the bottom pic where theres a big groove in the casing and then the pump or spindle had had enough. It nearly worked it's way right round though. Who knows what would of happened if it had been passed else where through the lump. What gets me is how did it get through the filter? i doesn't really look small enough

Well the filter is after the pump, you need to see if the strainer has any holes in gauze before you re-use that, to be honest that piece of metal could have been sat in the sump in a quiet corner out of the main flow of oil for weeks, months eaven years. Then it got disturbed and somhow got past the strainer, only the tight tolerances of the pump gears stopped it makeing its way into the bowells of the engine and saved your top end.

[Bewdley320T]

[quote]Hmmm bits of red plastic in the sump

Did I miss it or did you find out what the red plastic bits were??

[B7]

Si you lucky git! one saved top end but I reckon only by your fast reaction to shut it down.

Excellent write up to mate.

[mattG]

I would give the engine bay a good clean Simon, will make it a nicer place to work and its easy with the engine out init!
Dont stop there though, if you open the door you will find the driving control area which could also do with a damn good clean and general cess removal
cue mattg dissing the state of my van

the stink is beyond words



Si did you get finished on Sunday or did that S50 turd distract you

[Simon13]

i won't be re using the oil pump! Thing is i cleaned out the sump when i changed the gasket last year.

The red plastic bits are off the broken spindle, Matt i only got the old engine out on sunday i'm getting the new one in this weekend i hope!

[d6dph]

"Missing member of Goldie looking chain found"

Guns don't kill people, M20's do!

[gooner1]

Good write up Simon.

[bobafett]

Now that's a write-up ! Great work mate!!!!

[Karan]

something u left in there Si last time u had the sump off???

good to hear the top end is ok, she was a screamer!

[tomtomiS]

you will all be pleased to know that a healthy dose of tfr has been let loose on the engine bay, it kinda looks reasonable in there now!!