Head Gasket... Part 2, the Fix! edit: Running again!

[clipper]

The only thing I'm currently still wondering, and the reason i've not gone any further today, when i've set TDC, removed the head, and re-fit, how do I then set the top pulley (camshaft) back to TDC correctly? As all the tutorials i've read suggest that you should never touch the pulleys after TDC has been set? This is obviously impossible with head removal for rebuilding?

There's lots of information on this in the thread I started after thinking I may have bent a valve putting my head back on:

http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... bent+valve

Basically if you leave the bottom end untouched, when you rebuild the head you mark up the pulley and refit. No problem.

I can't actually confirm that I haven't bent a valve yet however as I tried to do a compression test at the weekend but the battery went flat on the second piston..........

[Oggy]

you can do what you want with the head once its off (turning)
there is 2 timing marks,one on the crank(visible when you take the toothed pulley off)
theres one on the cam pulley
line these up when puting the head back on,but turn the crank back a fraction to take the piston down a touch so the valves dont hit the piston
once the head is on line both marks up then put the cam belt back on
turn the engine over "by hand" and see if the marks continue to line up,
remember though 2 full turns of the crank equals one turn of the cam!
if you get stuck,just post up

Thats what I wanted to know, Cheers.

I'll have my manual later on, so i'll have a good read up, and get it off tomorrow.


Clipper, Thankyou for that link also, as you say, there's some interesting and useful facts on there. Brilliant.

Now I have another question; after i've rebuillt the head, and re-adjusted the valves, how far should I run it for before I re-adjust the valves again? I've read about them tightening under running conditions?

I have to say, you're a useful bunch of people to have contact with!

[Oggy]

Just a quick update

Right, the head's off, finally! I've got a few pictures to follow tomorrow as my camera battery died and I can't place my hand on the charger right now

I'll be sticking a new timing belt and tensioner on obviously; is there any specific brand I should be looking for, or are they all pretty much the same?

Cheers,

Oggy

[Oggy]

I could also do with ideas on the best way to clean my engine bay, the block and such, where the leaking oil/water mix has made a bit of a mess?

Any suggestions?

[leeparkes]

I could also do with ideas on the best way to clean my engine bay, the block and such, where the leaking oil/water mix has made a bit of a mess?

Any suggestions?

may sound daft but ive used flash (kitchen degreaser) wipes and it worked a treat!
to this day the missis still wonders where they went

[Oggy]

I've just dropped my head off with a very friendly chap named Pete, at a machine shop near me, called SJ Translift to be pressure tested, and if that is successful, he'll be cleaning it, stripping it, cleaning again, skimming, rebuilding, grinding valves and cleaning again for me!

I went along on recommendation from a friend of mine who'd just dropped his head off there, and I have to say, what a genuine bloke Pete is. In the business 30+ years, with his own shop, all he enjoys doing is engineering!

He invited me through into his workshop, and showed me all the machinery and tools, and explained the procedure he'd be going through whilst working my head.

He also showed me my friends head, which he'd only dropped off a few hours prior, and it'd already been stripped, cleaned twice and was ready to be skimmed!

Impressive stuff.

Should be ready tomorrow, or day after hopefully!


Here's to hoping the pressure test comes out right



Lee, that doesn't sound daft at all, I've heard that one before now you mention it! I reckon a combination of Gunk spray, Flash wipes, and some brushes, when combined with elbow grease, should do the trick then

[Oggy]

Result!

I've got my head back, all cleaned and freshly rebuilt, having passed the pressure test

I'm just trying to do the end seals on the head, as I forgot to supply them for rebuilding, however, I can't find anything in the Haynes manual that gives me torque values, and I'm guessing as the bolts in question are holding the cam wheel in place, it's pretty important they're torqued spot on! And the cam wheel bolt itself, is a funny star shaped jobby, where would I be able to pick one of these up from?

Anybody know?

Much appreciated

[stonesie]

Halfords, it will be a torx bit. From memory it's about a T50 or 55.

Halfords Professional tools are just about as good as Snap-On or MAC and if you break one then they replace it for free

[Oggy]

Oh, is it just a big Torx bit, I've never seen one so big, thus wasn't sure, it looked a lot less defined shape than I was expecting for a Torx bit.

I'll get down there then.

Cheers fella

[stonesie]

Take it with you

The sales chimps that float about may be confused by it, but at least you will get the exact one that you need.

Most of them in my local halfords couldn't tell a camshaft from a cup holder, the older ones sometimes know thier stuff though.

[Oggy]

I know the standard of monkeys in my local Helfrauds, as I had a job there about 6 years ago when I left school

My plan is to take it down there, find out what size I need, and if it's a T50, buy the spray paint I want and go borrow the tool off my friend!

If it's bigger, I can get it there and then.

Bingo.

I just wish the weather was a bit nicer to get the job done, its hard with the nights being so dark and so early.

[Oggy]

New problem

Whats the best way to hold the camshaft pulley wheel still, in order to tighten it to the correct torque?

It's getting just so tight, then turning the camshaft, and holding it by hand isn't working.

I'll be happy when it's all finished!

[stonesie]

Put the old cambelt around it and clamp it with mole-grips, that should help you to hold it

[Oggy]

Thought as much... I'll have to get the old cambelt off first

Its still on the car, I just wanted the head off as soon as possible to get it sorted, so I didn't take the crankshaft pulley wheels off, thus I have all that fun to come.

Cheers mate

[Oggy]

I've got a couple more questions now.

How do I remove the toothed sprocket from the camshaft in order to remove the bottom part of the cambelt? There's nothing in my Haynes manual, and I can't figure it out?

Also, as I couldn't remove that, I decided to have a go at prepping and painting the kidney grill again, as it was flaking, but that encountered problems also, in that I can't get each individual grill off, seemingly, without breaking the plastic tabs.

I've got 2 grills to play with, and with one broken now, I'm a bit unsure as to what to do?

How have you guys done it? Paint the whole thing in situe? Break the tabs and superglue them back on once painted? I'm lost for ideas.

Any help, as previously, is much appreciated.

[daimlerman]

Do you mean the crankshaft? The toothed wheel that signals the crank sensor? IF so,unbolt the six 14 or 15mm(cannot remember the size,and I was there last weekend!)bolts that retain the bottom pulley,lift the pulley off and give the back of the toothed wheel a smart tap with your Birmingham spanner,it is held on a taper and a dowel,so may need gentle help do not attempt to remove the 22mm crank bolt.

[leeparkes]

Do you mean the crankshaft? The toothed wheel that signals the crank sensor? IF so,unbolt the six 14 or 15mm(cannot remember the size,and I was there last weekend!)bolts that retain the bottom pulley,lift the pulley off and give the back of the toothed wheel a smart tap with your Birmingham spanner,it is held on a taper and a dowel,so may need gentle help do not attempt to remove the 22mm crank bolt.

+1
the bolts holding the pulley are 13mm
then the toothed pulley only needs a bit of a wiggle to come off

[Oggy]

Yeah, 13mm, I removed those today to try and get it off, but I didn't want to resort to violence until I knew for sure that it was on a taper. I thought that was the case, but it'd be just my luck to do some damage slowing the progress even further!

Thanks guys

[Oggy]

Today saw everything cleaned up and ready to go back in place, so I'll be getting the cambelt and tensioner from my friend tonight, and tomorrow, I shall begin re-assembly!

Now I've just remembered that I didn't enquire about my clutch problem.

Upon depressing the clutch pedal, one of two things happens; It either fully and completely engages, or just totally doesn't and goes to the floor.

I haven't noticed any leaks, and it usually works fine, what's the problem?

Cheers in advance

Oggy

[Brianmoooore]

Must be a duff master cylinder.

[Oggy]

Easy enough job to do whilst I have everything apart?

Also, the cap being cracked wouldn't make any odds would it?

[Brianmoooore]

It would if dirt and grit has been getting in! The BMW clutch resevoir cap is about the worst quality bit of kit you will find on an E30. You get a better quality cap on a can of cooking oil!
Better ones are available if you keep your eyes open in scrapyards. The one's from early BL Metros with hydraulic clutches were a perfect fit, but they're a bit thin on the ground now.

[Oggy]

I can't imagine there's been much dirt or grit getting in to be honest, the crack is through over tightening at a guess, as it's around the threaded part and thus almost sealed.

Or can the smallest amounts make a difference?

I'll get another master cylinder ordered up, £27 posted isn't bad is it.

More money I'm spending that I don't have!


Cheers for the speedy replies fella

[Brianmoooore]

One particle of grit can score the seal and ruin it!
If you're buying from GSF or ECP, don't buy the cheaper versions. Go for the most expensive they do.

[Oggy]

Would you be willing to suggest one please? I have no idea what to look for, you say most expensive? Why's that?

This is the one i'd found...

Click Here.

[Brianmoooore]

GSF and ECP sell three different qualities of many things, which can be identified by the last digit of their part numbers. These basically translate as 'cheap rubbish', 'decent quality', and 'made by the same manufacturer that makes the part from BMW, but without the BMW stamp or box'.
Never buy the first, and always buy the last if you can.
I've no experience of the ebay one, so can't comment.

[Oggy]

Right! Thanks for that, I'll have a look and see what the price differences are.

[Oggy]

ATE 136110050 CLUTCH MASTER CYLINDER E30,E28,E24 £59.95

PEX 136110051 E30 C.M.CYLINDER E30 SAL,TOUR,CONV £33.95


That's quite a hike, I think for now i'll have to find a job again so I have the pennies for the better quality part!

[Oggy]

Ok, I know this has dragged on a little, but with no space in the garage to work, working on the driveway isn't all that fun!

All thats left is the radiator, hoses, and airbox.

I've managed to forget which way round the fuel lines go, and which way round the hoses from the block and thermostat housing go into the throttle body, presuming that's where they came from... I should have used my head and noted which went where really

Then there's the electrical plugs. There seems to be more than there are sockets?

Sorry for the blatent stupidity

Thanks in advance.

[geoffrey]

Oh dear, lesson for the future. If you're not confident you will remember where things go when they're going back on mark them up. A simple paint pen can be a saviour. With reference to the throttle body. That's water heating. I didnt run mine through the throttle body when i was putting mine back together. As soon as the engine is hot, it heats the throttle body. You want inlet gasses to be as cold as possible for maximum power. You wont notice a difference but being a track day car I try to squeeze as much as I can out of what I've got and there's no power like free power!!

[Brianmoooore]

Fuel lines: the one from the fuel filter doesn't go to the fuel pressure regulator.
Electrical plugs: There aren't many that can be fitted wrongly, but any that you aren't sure of, turn back the rubber boot, check the wire colours, and refer them to the wiring diagrams: http://www.autolib.diakom.ru/CAR/BMW/
Throttle body: doesn't matter, but best bypassed anyway.

[Oggy]

I managed to get it all back together afterall, thanks anyway

[bodger]

oggy, didnt realise you were in south manchester, i would of come and helped. hows it running

[Oggy]

Ha, cheers bodger!

It runs, started first time infact!

However, I've still got to do engine oil/filter change again and coolant flushes to make sure it's all totally cleaned out, and get the exhaust manifold-to-downpipe bolt in (stud came out rather than nut off one of them), and buy some HT leads as the new plugs are a different fitment, they're wider at the pin so don't connect properly. I may aswell do leads anyway, then i've fully completed the replacement of all major service parts.

I've got an E36 steering rack to put on, some 16" wheels, a front lip, decat and bucket seat and harness to go in too

[geoffrey]

For what it's worth i'd throw a stat in it too. When I did my head gasket I completely rebuilt the top end starting with a brand new head casting and a brand new schrick cam. Fired it up and got it warm, bled it through and it seemed fine. Took it for a run and it got hot. Stat was fooked which is probably what caused it to cook itself when the guy that used to own it had it.