Cylinder Head Stripdown & possible 2.8 Stroker Build.

[Simon13]

yes

[gooner1]

Ta Si.
If i transfer my H/C Piston heads over to 32O con rods do i need to renew
the pin No 2 in the diagram below, only as you can see it is no longer listed on Realoem.

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do ... g=11&fg=20

Found the Pins on a different diagram.

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do ... g=11&fg=20

[CHR1S1990]

no. 2 on the first diagram is the piston pin and is machined to the piston AFAIK, hence why they dont list it seperately.

no. 2 on the second diagram is the con rod bush which the piston pin in picture 1 runs through. Ideally yes you would change them (not a DIY job), but most don't bother.

[gooner1]

Thanks for that Chris. It's little things, like how to swap Piston Heads on to
different rods, that us much less mechanically minded types have trouble with and are
omitted from Engine build threads.

That's not a complaint, just an observation and i fully understand that the reasoning probably goes something along the lines of
" well if you don't know something that simple, perhaps you better leave well alone"
But we all have to start somewhere.

[B7]

We'll speak later mate but the bearing you are referring to is the "small end" in which runs the "Gugeon Pin". If you have any doubt in the condition, you should change them. Any machine shop can deal.

I may have this a bit too much at the front of my mind at the mo though as a guy I sold a head to last year has just come back now needing a bottom end rebuilt as his "small ends have gone". At $7 a piece, seems a bit silly to miss them. I checked mine on my rebuild and mine were perfect, looking like the guy who built the engine 20k ago had in fact changed them. So I didn't bother checking the price. Had I seen they were that cheap, I'd have swapped them out for piece of mind.

[CHR1S1990]

Thanks for that Chris. It's little things, like how to swap Piston Heads on to
different rods, that us much less mechanically minded types have trouble with and are
omitted from Engine build threads.

That's not a complaint, just an observation and i fully understand that the reasoning probably goes something along the lines of
" well if you don't know something that simple, perhaps you better leave well alone"
But we all have to start somewhere.

Totally agreed, Im far from a well established engine builder, but had I never even tried (and made mistakes along the way) Id know nothing now. Were quite lucky to have something such as the zone, a pool of readily available information and experience to help you along the way.

[gooner1]

The Tight Arse Method.

[gooner1]

Well not too much progress this weekend. Felt sick as a dog Saturday after cleaning
some bits in Paraffin, probably unrelated. Bit better now, so decided to prime and
paint the block.





Trev, will bell you tomorrow mate, made a list of questions
and left them in the works van Friday night. Will retrieve
it tonight.

Managed to separate a Piston a 325i conrod using
a pair of long nosed pliers and reconnect it to the 320i
rod but i'm not sure i've got the circlip back in properly.
Not a big deal for most i know but a giant leap forward for me.

Rang the Machine shop earlier re my cylinder head and they've promised to ring back today. I'm not holding my breath.

[CHR1S1990]

Circlips can be a right bugger to get back in. Two flat blade screw drivers "notched" with a triangular file should see you with some useful tools Circlips should be replaced BTW, and IIRC are about 20p each

[gooner1]

Will definitely be replaced ,Chris, put it back in to trial fit it to the M52 crankshaft.

That's a point actually, is there just the single circlip on a piston
Also, as there is no way of telling which cylinder the 320i rods came from, can i assume it doesn't
matter, as long as the original piston returns to it's original cylinder

[gooner1]

Finally, almost two calendar months to the day i took it to them, the machine shop
have just rung to tell me they have carried out the pressure test on the cylinder head.
All good, but still have'nt skimmed /refaced it, should be ready to pick up next weekend.
Inlet valve seats spot on, exhaust side being renewed.
Looks like i'll be in the Touring for the Pod, oh well won't need a tent then.

[gooner1]

Right, i'm at the stage now where i need to fit the M52 2.8 Crank and trial fit
a H/C Piston connected to a 320i conrod. Obviously i will fit all the bottom crankcase shells/bearings, but do i need to fit all the main caps, or will just a couple suffice to
hold the crank in situ. Also what ,or where, exactly should i be looking for re the Piston
skirts, or will it all be obvious when it's fitted I assume i don't need the Piston rings on
the piston, right

[CHR1S1990]

Will definitely be replaced ,Chris, put it back in to trial fit it to the M52 crankshaft.

That's a point actually, is there just the single circlip on a piston
Also, as there is no way of telling which cylinder the 320i rods came from, can i assume it doesn't
matter, as long as the original piston returns to it's original cylinder

Circlip on each side of the piston pin mate. And as you're changing the small end bushes, doesnt really matter which way the rods go round AFAIK, but put them all facing the same direction for good measure (theres a little BMW sign on them and some casting numbers)

[gooner1]

A little more progress this evening.
Trial fitted the 328 crank, fitted the original Endcaps and then one of my
H/C Pistons with it's 320i con rod.
Set piston to what i think is TDC.





Turned Crank very slowly..... and no interference


Think i've got the video working now.



.

Not counting my Eggs just yet, as this was only a trial fit, with nothing Torqued up to spec and
i/m also not sure if there is a set minimal measurement between the Crank and
piston skirt but any material that would need removing can only be minimal , surely.
Bugger, just previewed the pics and they're crap.
Will take some better ones before i strip it down again.

Forgot the video.

http://s75.photobucket.com/albums/i298/ ... DC2001.mp4

[B7]

Excellent. Sounds like its a goer then. Good job that man.

Good to chat the other night. Hope it was useful.

[gooner1]

Useful Trev Bloody Gold dust.

Don't stray too far from your phone mate, yeah was good to chat for me too.

[johnt0709]

Rob - your a hero - I have a 2.5 engine with a reconditioned head on it, spare 2.0 rods and a 2.8 crank - been staring at it for a few months now - might give it a go - youve put me in the mood.

[gooner1]

Go for it john, the one thing i would say is take pics of ever thing pre and post removal
and installation. Nothing better for reference purposes.
Also, even with your Head already re conned, it's still a bloody expensive lark but a great way
to get a better understanding of how things work. My only regret, so far, is not having stuff like
Bore Gauge, Dial gauge, Verniers etc to be able to do this the right way.

[gooner1]

Engine shop have just called, Head is ready for collection......... and as the job
has taken so long to complete they have carried out extra work for free.
I like free.

[gooner1]

Seems a shame to take it out of the wrapping....



......but i couldn't resist.



















All new Exhausts valve seats, and the free stuff included Aqua cleaning with Glass beads , then baked in oven to remove the glass and all the valves cleaned and lapped in.

Finally, for those who like pics of packages, new Main bearings, Piston bearings and Piston rings.

.

Now i may well be mistaken about this, but i swear he said something about 3 angle cuts
being carried out too.

[Rav335uk]

MMM Shiney

[daimlerman]

Quality is remembered long after the wait(or expense)is forgotten!

Looks like a good job too me.

A 'three angle valve cut' is extra work on the valves/seats,cutting them at three different angles to ease the radius of the port mouth,allowing the gases to flow better,I think! Only seen this once,myself,on a very worked over head that Iain Temple showed me when I was collecting a cylinder block from him some years back.

[gooner1]

Just been to collect some parts from ECP that i ordered earlier this week.
Among which was a Spray bar for the Cylinder Head.

Some fecking twa* has only bent it over 3 times, so it would fit into a plastic lockable bag.
Does Sir still want it No, Sir fecking doesn't

[B7]

Just been to collect some parts from ECP that i ordered earlier this week.
Among which was a Spray bar for the Cylinder Head.

Some fecking twa* has only bent it over 3 times, so it would fit into a plastic lockable bag.
Does Sir still want it No, Sir fecking doesn't

I rarely entertain ECP. More often than not they supply the wrong part and when you complain, they couldn't give a flying f***!

[gooner1]

That seems to be the norm at most places now , Trev, apart from my local main dealers, some good lads there. Luckily for me one of the blokes serving at ECP has apparently built a 2.7 with an Eta bottom end. Anyway, he took over serving me and managed to source another Spray bar
from their Leeds branch..

While I'm here, I've got a bit of paint over run on both the top and bottom engine mating
surfaces, am i ok using a Scotch brite pad to clean this up
Have stripped out the Crankshaft and Main bearings ready for a final clean up. In our
phone chat, you did say 10/50 Oil didn't you

[B7]

it's an iron block so scotch brite will be fine. if your careful, a blade to remove the worse will be fine also.

Assembly? I use a thick oil for reassembly. Some use the pukka gear but I have used EP80 to assemble as it clings for the initial start up. Or 20/50 at a push. Remember, the oils gonna / should be changed very soon after running it up in any case.

I've built several engines this way with no issues. It's all in the "changing the oil after it's been warm a couple of times" and again after 500 miles. I then do it again at 1500 and then go to regular service intervals.

You can never have enough fresh oil in a sump mate

[DanThe]

Rob that head looks the tits mate

Scraper blade is my weapon of choice to clean the gasket faces, Asda sell some great oil for chucking in fresh engines

[B7]

Rob that head looks the tits mate

Scraper blade is my weapon of choice to clean the gasket faces, Asda sell some great oil for chucking in fresh engines

Tesco also have a deal on at the mo. half price by the look of it!

[gooner1]

Cheers chaps.

Dan, the Head is a work of art mate, seems a shame to stick it in an Engine bay
Under pressure now to get every part i've removed anywhere as clean as that, especially as
i'm cleaning al parts myself by hand.

For anyone that's interested, this is the place that did the Head.

http://www.knightengineservices.co.uk/ Dave 318 recommended them and I'm
more than happy with them. Fook know's how but i see to have mislaid the No 1 Main
bearing cap, so today is going to be spent turning the whole house over till i find it.

[gooner1]

Well I've searched the whole house, shed and both cars and the missing Main bearing cap
is exactly that, missing. Have stuck a wanted ad up for one but in the meantime have done a search on Realoem and can;t seem to locate them on there.
Could someone kindly point out the relevant section for me, ta.

[e301988325i]

Machined as an assembly so no individual part number so you won't find one loose, nor is it likely to be perfect if you get one elsewhere, it must be there somewhere.

[gooner1]

FOUND THE FECKER

When i returned home after picking up the Cylinder head last week, my Mrs
kindly came out to the car to help me carry the new Bearing shells, Piston Rings
and other stuff i had taken to the Machine shop. Well in a vain attempt to keep the house
relatively free of car parts, she had put the End Cap in between a pack of Main bearings
and a pack of Rod bearings, then put the package into a plastic freezer bag.
Wasn't until i moved the package that it dawned on me that the weight of it was wrong.

Can now begin to install the new shells, crank and the End caps. Happy days indeed.

[gooner1]

Started putting things back together this evening,



Crankcase Main bearings in.

Then Crankshaft.



Spun the Crank, all fine, so started fitting Main end caps, turning the crank as i installed each one.

All ok until No 6, Main thrust bearing I then found i couldn't
turn the crank, well not without forcing it, which i wasn't daft
enough to do.
Had a good look and it seems to be the outer edges of the bearing catching on the Crank webs. Took No6 cap off , refited the original top bearing to it, stuck the cap back on and the crank turns ok.



Anyone else had this problem, and is it possible to get the bearings outer edges reduced in width? Don't really want to
refit the original bearings on No6 top and bottom.

[gooner1]

Also, as i have left the bottom part of the new Bearing in the Crankcase, and
it being the same dimensions as the Top part, why is that not catching on the Crank

[gooner1]

Really need your help here chaps.