Some good news for a change!

[Adammcf]

As some of you know my replacement head which had only been on the car two months fecked up when a valve seat came loose and got smashed by the piston and bent the valve.
I sent the head off last week and last night came home to find another replacement head and a new gasket set including 8 valves.

This head looks in better shape than the last one as the only trace of welding I can find on this one is where one of the manifold studs was tightened too much and broke through. The rest seems ok.

I measured the pistons on my current block as I need a new piston and they are the standard 83.98mm and stroke of 75mm.

Question is though - should I fit a new piston on my current block or just get another bottom end?
Should I call the head supplier and ask for money towards the costs of the piston or be happy enough that Ive got another head plus a gasket set + valves.

And finally - anyone know of any good 2.5 blocks for sale? lol
Hopefully I'll get the bitch back on the road soon.

[E30BeemerLad]

Hi Adam

I don't know what your best solution is concerning the block and internals but if you are thinking about putting a different bottom end in...

I know that Dave Cabrio327i has a complete bottom end from an 89 sport in his gargage doing nothing, but I don't know if he is planning on selling it or not and he is on holiday until mid next week.

As far as I am aware it is in mint condition too with no excessive wear on the bores etc.

Worth sending him a PM though. The engine is in York though.

[320Touring]

nice one-however i'd chance my luck for a free piston as afterall, it was their head that caused the damage

[Gwynleym10]

Yes if it was their head that caused the damage...

It was Linwar wasn't it? Seam to be pretty resonable why I had loads of rear suspension stuff done with them 3 years ago....

[Zayyan]

Some good news at last

Not still planning on selling it when you've done the work are you?

[Adammcf]

Thanks Beemerlad I'll give him a shout.
It was with Linwar, they have been pretty decent about it all so I might call and ask that they request off the suppliers money towards cost of piston or bottom end as it was the suppliers fault and not Linwars directly.

As for keeping the car Im still undecided. Part of me hates it because of what has happened and I really do not want any more engine problems but another part of me still loves the car and every time I see it I end up standing there looking at it thinking how much I love it.

Life is never easy! lol

[E30BeemerLad]

know how you feel mate, i've not had any total disasters with mine yet, just a few niggles, but every time something does crop up I do think to myself, is it worth the grief? Should I just buy something newer, japanese and force fed

[dazleeds]

know how you feel mate, i've not had any total disasters with mine yet, just a few niggles, but every time something does crop up I do think to myself, is it worth the grief? Should I just buy something newer, japanese and force fed

nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

[E30BeemerLad]

Jap stuff can't be knocked IMO, OK so maybe this ain't the most appropriate forum to make such a statement m'lords but the power gains and wealth of goodies out there make them difficult to ignore.

I'm sorry but in a contest between buying an E30 M3 for example and say an R33 Skyline, the skyline would end up on my driveway every time, hopefully Paul's when I win this raffle

[Adammcf]

Jap stuff can't be knocked IMO, OK so maybe this ain't the most appropriate forum to make such a statement m'lords but the power gains and wealth of goodies out there make them difficult to ignore.

I'm sorry but in a contest between buying an E30 M3 for example and say an R33 Skyline, the skyline would end up on my driveway every time, hopefully Paul's when I win this raffle

This is exactly what Im thinking at the mo. Either 3.0 M3 or a TT Supra.

[dazleeds]

i know what ur saying but it just aint got that bmw feel to it

twin turbo a 35 mate thatll get ya grinnin

[E30BeemerLad]

Jap stuff can't be knocked IMO, OK so maybe this ain't the most appropriate forum to make such a statement m'lords but the power gains and wealth of goodies out there make them difficult to ignore.

I'm sorry but in a contest between buying an E30 M3 for example and say an R33 Skyline, the skyline would end up on my driveway every time, hopefully Paul's when I win this raffle

This is exactly what Im thinking at the mo. Either 3.0 M3 or a TT Supra.

Supra I'm afraid, just for the sheer grunt, the car was originally designed to have a 600bhp V8, so the chassis is well up for it and some yanks are getting 1000bhp on standard blocks, OK so those figures cost fairytale amounts of cash but how little would a 100bhp gain cost you in a TT supra, not as much as getting anything near that out of the M3. If you're in any doubt, just look at the Toyota videos on www.streetfire.net

For a big old cruiser, I quite like the Soarer 2.5TT, Ԛ£4K gets you a decent jobbie

[Fushion_Julz]

If you're thinking Jap turbos I can recommend the Nissan 200sx...the S13 (droop nose/pop-up headlights version) with 1800cc and light pressure makes 170bhp as standard...

It can easily and fairly cheaply be made to produce 250bhp+

The cars are simple mechanically (easy to work on) and generally survive british weather fairly well...

You can get a decent example for <Ԛ£1500

The s14 (the wide-body version) with 2lt and turbo makes around 200bhp stock...these can easily produce 300bhp+

(check out http://www.norrisdesigns.com/)

Both versions are RWD and handle superbly (specially good for drifting)

[pacerpete]

It is a shame they are made of plastic and look like they have been left in the oven to long . Old rice wrongness, especially square plated dangly fog lighted imports are seriously council and nearly always piloted by sportswear clad tommed up government sponsored vermin. If you want to go fast there are lots of more tasteful and socially acceptable ways of doing it.

[E30BeemerLad]

Pete - I love this "council" expression you use

so how would you go faster then?

[Adammcf]

If you're thinking Jap turbos I can recommend the Nissan 200sx...the S13 (droop nose/pop-up headlights version) with 1800cc and light pressure makes 170bhp as standard...

The S13 isnt a bad car but the bottom ends are rubbish and most go when you start driving them hard or tuning them. Ive a friend with one that has over 300bhp and he's just about to rebuild it to cope with even more as the bottom end has gone.

The S14a would be my choice and I still havent ruled this out as an option. 300bhp isnt too bad but it takes alot of money to get anything over 350bhp.

[Fushion_Julz]

Yer right, of course...the standard bottom end is a bit unforgiving of poor maintenence or crap driving technique!

However, tuning parts to make em better are realistically priced.

Of course, nearly doubling the power of a standard motor isn't cheap (without changing the block)...
But if you think that the 200bhp S14 200sx does 148mph and 0-60 in 6.5s (can't recall the 50-70 time, but it is suitably impressive), then 350+bhp will make the car blindingly fast!

What E30 can you get 350+bhp out of without changing the block?

Only the S14 motors have the potential to get that high and it is a horribly expensive job to get even 300bhp out of a 2.3 version (ain't a lot cheaper on a 2.5!).
Then consider that a standard s14 isn't much different in weight to a similarly equipped E30 and you realise this is a decent sports car!

The 300ZX Twin Turbo is also not harf bad! You can get slightly scruffy, but reliable examples for Ԛ£2-Ԛ£3K...not bad for a supercar!

The achilles heal of the Nissans is the interior...It wers badly and bits fall off at random intervals!

[320Touring]

Yer right, of course...the standard bottom end is a bit unforgiving of poor maintenence or crap driving technique!

However, tuning parts to make em better are realistically priced.

Of course, nearly doubling the power of a standard motor isn't cheap (without changing the block)...
But if you think that the 200bhp S14 200sx does 148mph and 0-60 in 6.5s (can't recall the 50-70 time, but it is suitably impressive), then 350+bhp will make the car blindingly fast!

What E30 can you get 350+bhp out of without changing the block?

Only the S14 motors have the potential to get that high and it is a horribly expensive job to get even 300bhp out of a 2.3 version (ain't a lot cheaper on a 2.5!).
Then consider that a standard s14 isn't much different in weight to a similarly equipped E30 and you realise this is a decent sports car!

The 300ZX Twin Turbo is also not harf bad! You can get slightly scruffy, but reliable examples for Ԛ£2-Ԛ£3K...not bad for a supercar!

have to say 300ZX twin turbo in black with targa roof and NO spoilers

japcrap is all wll and good to knock it-just look at the JD power surveys for an indication of their reliability and service.

k so they're less soulful than the edirty, but if you make them your own-i'd bet you'd warm to them

[Fushion_Julz]

I used to have a K-reg (post face-lift) 200sx S13...

It was super reliable until, at 140K miles, the rings on No 4 piston decided to say "enough" and it lost most of the compression in that cylinder making it idle badly..

Overall fuel consumption was about the same as my 325i (about 23-24mpg).

I had issues with the interior design: the boot/tailgate area was ridiculously small with the steep rear window rake and there was sod all oddments space in the front. The rear seats were next to useless and the trim quality was rubbish.

However, the bonus was that the indicator stalk was on the correct (right) side and the car was fast and comfortable with air-con that really worked!

[Adammcf]

Yer right, of course...the standard bottom end is a bit unforgiving of poor maintenence or crap driving technique!

Just going from what Ive been told by many people I know who have had them. Some of those are top competitors in the UK and Ireland D1 series.
Theyre not a bad engine but that is their weak point.

[Adammcf]

Back on topic - what would be best - New Piston or source another bottom end?

[Adammcf]

Anyone?