What do i do ?

[pacerpete]

Buy peters engine

Put it in your car

Sort out your engine slowly and carefully

That's a very good price Pete especially with a warentee , a total bargain

Hot chocolate and a kiss for Jim !

The hot chocolates on me, Carl can give you a kiss !

[jimbom30cab]

Well it is, a good m20b25 is becoming harder to find these days

[maggspower]

Well it is, a good m20b25 is becoming harder to find these days

I agree with that.

[beemerbird]

If you spend £350 or £3500 on an engine it won't fit itself for free, and the cost of removing an engine from a car and THEN fitting it to yours will cost more in man hours.

I agree that you should get your car away from this 'mate' ASAP. He's doing nobody any favours, apart from himself.

[polsta]

I may have missed it but:

Was the cambelt not replaced while it was laid up?
Did it not run fine before it was laid up?
It was only laid up for how long?

This sound to me like somethings happened between it being laid up and now.

I've left my car unstarted for a year and nothing has stuck in that time. Things do get sticky (valves / rings) after a significant number of years but not like 18 months.

My money here, is on valve issues. Was the cam timing right when they did the belt. Was it started after they did it to check it?

40 PSI????? thats very low and points to something very serious like a bent valve. The fact it's on a few cylinders as well?

If it was 140 PSI compared to 170PSI it would run with no issues. It may smoke a bit or burn a bit of oil but it would run!

My advice to carl is the following.

Get the car out of there ASAP and let someone who knows M20s to look at it.

cambelt replaced 2 weeks ago brand new contitech

davidt heard the car running a few days ago, it wasnt bad as such, but that low compression is the cause, il get the exact compression figures and post them up, im going to pop round there in a minute on way to work quick


"My money here, is on valve issues. Was the cam timing right when they did the belt. Was it started after they did it to check it?"

its possible, he said that to me, he did the cambelt at my garage with water pump etc, we then put it back together (see my thread) the next day, as it needed a few bits connected up and then the fluids and brakes and clutch bleeding and stuff, then we started it up for that 1st time

it ran nice- no missfire or anything like that, bit lumpy, wasnt much fuel in the car, let it heat up, thermostat etc kicked it and all that sort of thing, then it started to missfire slightly , but fuel was like low low low and was getting late, he said right that l do us for the day, wel get fresh fuel in it and finish it off

then read the thread in the m20 section for what happened next, just wouldnt seem to start for a bit, but then battery was low etc, then got it going , then it went there to check what the missfire was as he couldnt seem to pin it down, and comp test etc

[jonny323i]

From everything I read in this thread I think he's in over his head id buy Pete's engine and keep the old one to one side and rebuild when you feel like it.
M20s don't run well on knackered batteries is worth thinking about, have you cleaned all the fuel system through after it being stood for so long my car had been stood for nearly 2 years when I bought it and didn't run very well. Failed emissions at the mot fresh fuel and a good run, new battery then passed with flying colours and runs lovely with 145,000 on the clock

[ross_jsy]

Sounds like your bloke is shit and charging you extortionate rates for sub par work

[beemerbird]

Sounds like your bloke is shit and charging you extortionate rates for sub par work

+1

[Duke137]

Bad luck Polsta, all will come good I hope

[beemerbird]

Take the duff engine to Pete.

I don't have any faith in Polsta's 'mate' mechanic, so wouldn't label his engine as 'duff' at this stage.

Polsta "look Mate, I've just spent £37 on all these tiny plastic things from BMW which will make my car lovely"

'Mate' (under his breath) "I'm going to make a shed load of money of this lovely customer"

[jonny323i]

Just read your m20 thread he's having to compare one car to another to see how they should run
How much is he charging you per hour

[ajay]

I would buy Pete's engine, drop it in and rebuild yours at a later date ( only if the engine number matches your log book) have you checked! You will then have a chance to enjoy your car after all your hard work and ££ this summer and you will be inspired to rebuild the original engine: albeit at your own pace. I am the 3rd owner of my Tech1 and its done 83k, the previous owner (good friend) had a full head job done after the gasket failed ( the car was un used for years). I had it about 5 years with little use and decided to do a 24v swop, the engine was sweet and even the misses who knows naff all about cars used to say it sounded and drove lovely. I sold the engine to a friend and told him to fit it and then pay me when your happy because you will be. He fitted it and was a happy bunny (phoned a few times for me to collect my cash) but i was too busy. About a month after fitting it, it failed, the engine was tested they diagnosed 1x oil ring failure. Don,t risk refurbing your head and hoping the bottom end will be ok for years to come. Don't be too depressed either engine failure is not uncommon, my 1st S50 blew up after 7k outlay and 2 weeks on the road, a mate laughed and said welcome to the club, most of us have experienced it and its never convenient. GL

[hennabm]

Just my thoughts;

Seems like he stripped the engine before finishing his diagnostics. To have 40psi on 3 cyls due to piston rings seems abit far fetched so soon after a cambelt change. Did the cambelt jump a tooth, causing the now low comps?

My car sits for up to 6mths at a time without starting and suffers no ill effects.

Whatever the problem, having spent all that money on getting it right, why spoil it now with a none original engine. Rebuild that one - whatever it takes - but find someone who knows about BMW engines first.

[B7]

Just my thoughts;

Seems like he stripped the engine before finishing his diagnostics. To have 40psi on 3 cyls due to piston rings seems abit far fetched so soon after a cambelt change. Did the cambelt jump a tooth, causing the now low comps?

My car sits for up to 6mths at a time without starting and suffers no ill effects.

Whatever the problem, having spent all that money on getting it right, why spoil it now with a none original engine. Rebuild that one - whatever it takes - but find someone who knows about BMW engines first.

Thats my thoughts exactly.

I think he's done a compression check and thought "oh shit!!! It's had collision" and is now trying to fob you off.

For the last time, take someone who knows to see the head / valves and piston crowns.

And take photos.

[jonny323i]

+1

[lyricalnut02]

hard luck polsta gutted for you mate after all that work, I think petes route would be the best option for you. Good luck

[polsta]

Just my thoughts;

Seems like he stripped the engine before finishing his diagnostics. To have 40psi on 3 cyls due to piston rings seems abit far fetched so soon after a cambelt change. Did the cambelt jump a tooth, causing the now low comps?

My car sits for up to 6mths at a time without starting and suffers no ill effects.

Whatever the problem, having spent all that money on getting it right, why spoil it now with a none original engine. Rebuild that one - whatever it takes - but find someone who knows about BMW engines first.

Thats my thoughts exactly.

I think he's done a compression check and thought "oh shit!!! It's had collision" and is now trying to fob you off.

For the last time, take someone who knows to see the head / valves and piston crowns.

And take photos.

firstly, thanks (to all) guys for the replies, ive got a bit of ahead ache with it all, and spoke to a few people, this thread, a few on phone and pm etc, trying to make sense of it all and the best way to go

hes not just a make i know/bit of a mate, etc, hes one of my closest friends ive known for 20 years and spend a lot of time with, hes certainly not out to make money from me and often does things helps me out for nothing, i do same for him, hes a good friend

i do not know if its jumped a tooth or anything ? spose its too late to know now, but if it had, that would cause what ? not any bottom end damage i presume ?

ok- so if like this, i take someone to see the head and have a look, look at the block etc, thats not a problem, but who ? its got to be someone who 100% can look and properly knows these engines/problems, likley things, and 100% can spot things, not someone who sort of has a bit of an idea etc , got to be right on the ball

so who ?? they can come there have a good look at it all, have chat with them etc , and come up with some sort of plan of action, and/or i can go take some photos etc

but- looking at it, theres not a great deal you can tell about the bottom end is there ?

[Speedtouch]

How did the car drive just prior to you laying it up for 18 months?

Fitting the cambelt one tooth out would be unlikely to cause any significant engine damage, it would just knock the performance off.

What state are the valves and valve seats in, as they are critical to the compression.

[polsta]

Sounds like your bloke is shit and charging you extortionate rates for sub par work

Sounds like your bloke is shit and charging you extortionate rates for sub par work

+1

extortionate rates ? hes done a cambelt,waterpump etc, spend a fair few hours on it at my garage a coupe of times to and thro and trying on the missfire, hes recovered it on a truck took it there, spent a few hours trying to diagnose it there ,taken it all apart there trying to sort it, taken the head off etc, a few hours work there, had a head ache himself, which he didnt and doesnt need, its there taking up space now when they are busy with the bits layed out

and im £150 , extortion ?

its easy to say that, you dont know him and im maybe not relaying it all 100% , ive got a head ache myself here and had various convos with various people , people say different things and everyone has an opinion, but theres still no definitive

[jimbom30cab]

get drunk

then fit an M30, easy swap into a B25 donor

[polsta]

How did the car drive just prior to you laying it up for 18 months?

Fitting the cambelt one tooth out would be unlikely to cause any significant engine damage, it would just knock the performance off.

What state are the valves and valve seats in, as they are critical to the compression.

i bought the car, ask gaszman dave he drove it, saw it when i bought it, it drove great ,service and drove it aroud that summer for 5/6 months or whatever, it never skipped a beat, put it in the garage say november (without looking at the thread for dates it will all be in there to confirm) ,the car drove fine no issues at all any of the time it was on the road

started stripping it january i think it was, then it was sat for a couple of months waiting for the space, i got a few bits done when i got the rear panel done i drove it down the road a mile stripped out,it started drove fine then after being sat a while, then when it went to the body shop- it started and drove - drove it on to the truck that day and then it was sat in the body shop about 8/9 months

got it back, did all the work as per the thread

the valve seats- he showed me them this morning, i dont know anything about it and he tried to explain- they are there sat in front of the corresponding bit on the head- he said right look at these- these are the valve seats, this one here, is from here- which was a low compression one, this one here from there a normal compression, they look the same, if this was a cause, they would look different obviously, but they dont, which is pointing to the rings/bottom end, not the valves ?

i just had a chat with next door i caught out the front as i was comming in, hes a mechanic, explained it all to him, he said sounds like stuck rings ? re do the head, put it back on, bang it will probably be fine

but -as b7 says, take someone to look at it, can they look and tell whats what , like rings etc by looking? surely if so, then they would of been able to tell there, hence my mate not quite knowing and this nightmare really nothings conclusive it seems

[Rav335uk]

get drunk

then fit an M30, easy swap into a B25 donor

LOL, he wouldn't know what to do Jimbo.

Karl, If he's a "Mate", what's stopping you from going over in your spare time and Learning on how to put an engine "Right"???
I would still put the £300 or so towards parts for the origional engine rather than getting another.
My opinion though.

[jimbom30cab]

he wouldn't know what to do Jimbo.

i'm the leader of that club mate

[polsta]

get drunk

then fit an M30, easy swap into a B25 donor

LOL, he wouldn't know what to do Jimbo.

Karl, If he's a "Mate", what's stopping you from going over in your spare time and Learning on how to put an engine "Right"???
I would still put the £300 or so towards parts for the origional engine rather than getting another.
My opinion though.

me too rav, of course my ideal is to keep my engine, but if you get in to "rings" /bottom end stuff, its not 300 or so

i need some conclusive word really, but is there really a way to get that without taking the bottom end out and looking at the rings ?

im just going to upload some pics of the cirrus blue

[Rav335uk]

Ha ha , agreed there mate

[Rav335uk]

My M30 Piston Rings, crank shells cost £280 on my build Karl, so your's won't be any more.

[polsta]

My M30 Piston Rings, crank shells cost £280 on my build Karl, so your's won't be any more.

with the labour ? i spoke to next door, he said rings and glaze isnt much really, and as its all apart anyway and you have a sump gasket, which is always worth doing anyway- you could get the bottom end out, take the pistons and rings out, and have a good and a the barrels and then go from there ?

is that a worthy way to go ? if they are ok ? can you just put them back in, or do you then have to put new rings in ?

[Rav335uk]

That's no Labour Karl, but it's not difficult to carry out the job.
I've done mine so far, and it's al timed up , waiting for i seal and sump to go on.

[magpie]

HKF knows his m20's inside out .

[polsta]

HKF knows his m20's inside out .

cheers, il send him a message, or davidt possibly ? they wont mind me getting a second opinion to help me decide, its not a problem, but then its looking at the head and valves, the bottom end as it sits , and really being able to tell ? can that really be done ?

like my mate said,and people have said to me- if something for a head to cause 40s psi- then thats bent valves and something youd see , which is what my mate was saying when showing me-when you look at it, its not looking like that, thus indicating bottom end maybe , althoug the vavle seats and stem seals need doing

[ross_jsy]

Sounds like your bloke is shit and charging you extortionate rates for sub par work

Sounds like your bloke is shit and charging you extortionate rates for sub par work

+1

extortionate rates ? hes done a cambelt,waterpump etc, spend a fair few hours on it at my garage a coupe of times to and thro and trying on the missfire, hes recovered it on a truck took it there, spent a few hours trying to diagnose it there ,taken it all apart there trying to sort it, taken the head off etc, a few hours work there, had a head ache himself, which he didnt and doesnt need, its there taking up space now when they are busy with the bits layed out

and im £150 , extortion ?

its easy to say that, you dont know him and im maybe not relaying it all 100% , ive got a head ache myself here and had various convos with various people , people say different things and everyone has an opinion, but theres still no definitive

To be fair I just "charged" one of my closest mates a crate of corona and a few packs of bensons finest for an engine swap on his e36 (and that compensation was his suggestion, not mine) but hey, if you are willing to pay a "close" mate near on garage prices for a shoddy diagnosis/early strip down without an actual diagnosis then that's your prerogative. All I'm saying is bring it to Jersey and we can work out a deal benefiting both parties

[Kos]

He may be a mate but that doesn't stop him being shit at his trade

Buy the engine off pete, get pete to fit a new cam belt, tensioner & pump and fit it to your turd. Simple

[B7]

My M30 Piston Rings, crank shells cost £280 on my build Karl, so your's won't be any more.

with the labour ? i spoke to next door, he said rings and glaze isnt much really, and as its all apart anyway and you have a sump gasket, which is always worth doing anyway- you could get the bottom end out, take the pistons and rings out, and have a good and a the barrels and then go from there ?

is that a worthy way to go ? if they are ok ? can you just put them back in, or do you then have to put new rings in ?

It's not been stood long enough for it to stick a ring. I may just be possible on one cylinder. JUST!

BUT ON THREE?????????

If all the valve seats look the same then either they are all fooked or they are all good. Again:

IT WOULD NOT EXPLAIN WHY 3 CYLINDERS ARE DOWN ON COMPRESSION.

If you want to stick with him then ask him to do the following:

"Dear bestest friend. Please take all 12 valves out of the head and can I watch you as I want to learn. Then can we put each valve in a pillar drill and check for trueness / that they are all straight. Thanks"

While you ask him that, watch his expression / body language. Carefully. I bet he goes a bit twitchy, especially around the arse end.

I may be wrong but I spoke to a seasoned old w4nker..... Sorry, Zoner, last night and he is of the same opionion. This things, kissed it's valves.

[Andyboy]

I would lap the valves in and petrol test them. Refit the head with new stretch bolts (do NOT reuse the old 17mm ones!!), get the cam timing right and see how you go. Low compression on 3 sounds like a belt a tooth out. It could very possibly be stuck top compression rings but is unlikely.