M30 head gasket swap**Update,the block is scrap !**

[Andy335Touring]

I wasn't sure where to post this or if any one would be interested or not but here go's.....

The head gaskets leaking oil into my water but thats the only symptom ?!

It's bloody annoying as that head gasket isn't that old, about a year or so when the bottom end decided it only wanted five con rods ?

I didn't start till after three but i managed to get the head off.

One of the manifold to exhaust studs sheared off

Loads of creamy gunge !





block drain plug



start stripping



cylinder head ready to lift, i lifted the head on my own which isn't too much bother but the bloody head gasket caught on the two head bolts that i had to leave in so i had to sort of hold the head one handed to free the gasket



one headless block, the timing chain sprocket was cable tied and an old car wash sponge was wedged under it to stop the chain slipping off. Draining the water from the block helped keep things a bit cleaner.



and one oily head



and after a quick clean



even three or four head bolts were gunged up



The head and the pistons showed no signs of dis-colouration due to oil or water getting into the combustion chambers but one of the exhaust manifolds looked creamy white and the other was soot coloured like you would expect ?



Part two tomorrow if the weathers OK

[gcorky]

nightmare m8......did you see where gskt went/cause?

[Andy335Touring]

I couldn't see any thing obvious

[Toby_Unna]

hope that head ain't cracked after what happened with the con rod mate

hopefully just the gasket. did you skim the head last time it was off?


i have no doubt i'll be blowing my HG too sometime soon

don't loose faith, once it goes together right it'll do 200k without a blip like most other m30s

[Andy335Touring]

I couldn't see any thing obvious

Now i can

I think i've found the reason why i thought it was the head gasket that was gone, i was cleaning up the block face and i spotted some cracks by three cylinder head bolt holes.

The last time the head was off those bolt holes were perfectly clean and free of any liquid so i can't under stand why they have cracked and/or started leaking one year after the head was last off ?

To say i'm p!ssed off is an understatment

http://img284.imageshack.us/img284/5060/a2gq.jpg

http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/1052/b5yz.jpg

http://img110.imageshack.us/img110/1261/c6zg.jpg

[Ant]

Gutted for you Andy !

what a nightmare dude

[Jon_Bmw]

So gutted for you! so i guess you are trying to source another head then?

What a kick in the balls, oh well it will come back bigger and better hopefully

[Andy335Touring]

Cheers guys, Jon it's the block thats got the cracks in it.

Lots of options are running through my mind, i haven't got the space or equipment to change engines around here so that means i'll have to pay to get it done, lots of $$$ all in with a second hand engine.

Or scrap the E30 and put my head/cam/ECU into an E34 535, the E30 parts would pay for the E34 plus may be a little left over ?

E30 parts

335 engine mounts 60
LSD 250
Spax suspension 100
Scorpion M3 exhaust 200

????????????????????????????

[glenn]

oh no!!!
gutted for you andy.

[Jon_Bmw]

Sorry andy i think i must be on drugs, i even looked at the pictures, realised it was the block and then wrote head

Can we not get a zone meet at andys house to help get it back to its best. Imagine 30 zoners trying to change an engine, carnage!

This was one of the original e30 m30b35 cars, it must be saved.

[Dan318-is]

Just to echo what jon said. I remember reading the article in Tbmw. this car has to be svaed. Maybe you could install my mk2 servo while your at it andy ?

[DanThe]

Just to echo what jon said. I remember reading the article in Tbmw. this car has to be saved

So do I, you cant let this one go Andy! Theres loads of M30 engined cars about for a donor, the only other things you need is 2 trolley jacks, a few bits of wood and a bag of spanners and jobs a gooden

[Toby_Unna]

Think we can borrow a hoist and do it at yours mate. get another bottom end from somewhere which can be lifted into a hatchback with a couple of people, put your head on it then we can get a hoist and put it in on a weekend.

don't forget i changed engines by the roadside last time

an e34 will feel rubbish after that touring mate!

what the fuks going on with that block i have no idea, never seen that before.

[Andy335Touring]

Thanks for the support guys

Toby, if you are sure i'll take you up on that offer of help thanks mate !

I'll see if i can get an engine delivered to my house if posible, saves a drive out.

[Toby_Unna]

there's a 3.0 block in that breaker but i think it's smaller bore as well as stroke.

we can go get one in my pug easily Andy, i got the last one in there ok. i'll have a look round for one.

and yes it's serious offer dude

[ant2]

i got an engine crane you can borrow, only bought it to put my 3.5 in, if i can swap engines on my own on my drive i am sure you can get it sorted, bugger paying someone to do it, let me know if i can help

[Andy335Touring]

Thanks a lot mate

[Andy335Touring]

Ant, Where abouts are you ?

[ant2]

rugby

[Andy335Touring]

Thanks a lot for the offer of the engine hoist , i'm going to see if i can get one locally but if i can't can i borrow yours ?

[bigdek]

HSS hire m8 if you are really stuck.

Not too expensive for a weekend hire iirc

[ant2]

yeh sure, i only used it a couple of times to put my 3.5 in

[Turbo-Brown]

Oh freakin' weak!

How weird is that cracking too?!

Dude, you definately can't scrap the E30!

You know it's only a minor set back, and anyhoo, the grass is never greener on the other side

[Brianmoooore]

Or scrap the E30 and put my head/cam/ECU into an E34 535, the E30 parts would pay for the E34 plus may be a little left over ?

E34's no substitute for an E30. Completely different animal.
It's only one single component that's failed on your car after all.
Find another engine complete and drop it in with other zoners' help, and swap your head and other stuff in at a later date when you're sure it's a good bottom end.

[Gwynleym10]

If you need a volvo to transport anything let me know like... It *should* make it

Gutted bought the bottom end though..

[Andy335Touring]

Find another engine complete and drop it in with other zoners' help, and swap your head and other stuff in at a later date when you're sure it's a good bottom end.

It's a good idea but unfortunately my ECU would over fuel on a standard lump.

I've got the head bolts/gasket set already so it's not going to cost me any extra to put my ported head/cam on just a bit of extra time.

I'd also like to sell the spare head that comes with the new engine to get some money back.

What do you think i could get for an M30 head ? 50 quid ?

[Andy335Touring]

If you need a volvo to transport anything let me know like... It *should* make it

Gutted bought the bottom end though..

Thanks for the offer dude,the engine i've found is up by the Scottish border so it's a fair old treck !

[bigdek]

so u got it then

[Andy335Touring]

oh yes

Cheers buddy

[Jhonno]

gutted for ya dude..

sure there was no fluid in the holes last time you had the head off? you can crack the block that way..

do not even think of scrapping the touring!!

[m10man]

Thats terrible luck Andy! I feel for you. I have had 2 M10 blocks do that to me. Now you got me worried. I thought I would never see another cracked block again going to the M30. Good to see you have support over their, if I was there I would help out too. Your car is too much of a good thing not to fix it.

Those pics show you have the stock exhaust manifold on, what happened to those great looking 6 branch ones?

[Andy335Touring]

Thats terrible luck Andy! I feel for you. I have had 2 M10 blocks do that to me. Now you got me worried. I thought I would never see another cracked block again going to the M30. Good to see you have support over their, if I was there I would help out too. Your car is too much of a good thing not to fix it.

Those pics show you have the stock exhaust manifold on, what happened to those great looking 6 branch ones?

I souldn't worry about your M30 as this is the first time i've heard of this happening to an M30, mind saying that an M10 is more or less a sawn off M30 ?

The Alpina B10 manifolds wouldn't fit with out butchering them unfortunately so i sold them.

[Gwynleym10]

Thats terrible luck Andy! I feel for you. I have had 2 M10 blocks do that to me. Now you got me worried. I thought I would never see another cracked block again going to the M30. Good to see you have support over their, if I was there I would help out too. Your car is too much of a good thing not to fix it.

Those pics show you have the stock exhaust manifold on, what happened to those great looking 6 branch ones?

I souldn't worry about your M30 as this is the first time i've heard of this happening to an M30, mind saying that an M10 is more or less a sawn off M30 ?

The Alpina B10 manifolds wouldn't fit with out butchering them unfortunately so i sold them.

Thinking about it this is exactly what happened to my original m10 engine, head was fine but the block cracked, very similar to yours Andy.

[Geeman]

Andy... I'm only an hour away from Nottingham, so I can come over and give you and Toby a hand if you would like... first hand knowledge of fitting an M30 is just what I need! You got a date when you wanna do it?

Bummer to see that though... never heard of that happening!

Giles.

[Toby_Unna]

i'm sure your help would be welcome Giles