head gasket saga...

[innes]

i am really stuck now. have managed to get the rocker cover off and found emulsified oil in the head. the head has sheared of one of the 14 bolts.

how do i actually get the head off?

just want to get to the bottom of this!!!

oh the symptoms by the way were: i literally lost ALL power, i was lucky to reach 5mph! and eventually from start, the ignition fired but never seemed to 'catch', just kept on turning over with key held in place.

Anyone shine any light? sorry if i am repeating myself guys, only i am broke and NOT a mechanic!!!

[Chris-W]

Remove intake manifold + hoses + paraphernalia, remove exhaust manifold, lift off timing belt & undo 14 x head bolts.

Just bear in mind you need to be ready to re-build it, not just re-assemble it.

[innes]

whats the difference?

from what i have told you so far is it worth me carrying on???

[JOSEMI]

whats the difference?

from what i have told you so far is it worth me carrying on???

yup, if you are interested in keeping your E30 !

Jose

[GDBN]

The same happened to me last summer. The old hex head bolts are a known weakness.
Was the car moving when it happened ? The best case is the sheared head fell somewhere "kind" and hasn't done so much damage.
Mine got trapped under a cam shaft lobe and punched a hole clean through the bottom of the head. Resulting in the pressurised coolant very quickly finding its way into the oil.
I ended up with a new head ... and a very sharp learning curve in diy mechanics .... thanks mainly to the people on this forum.
I think all the exhaust valves were bent too ...
If you want further help then just ask

G

[innes]

wow, did u do all the work yourself? if so at wot point diod you realise how much damage was done? i dont know when it happened, i suspect while it was moving.,

cant find the head anywhere, but did find the washer.

[innes]

also, how come i have water in the oil if it hasn't broken through ?

its looking now like i am gonna find a nice little hole somewhere?

[Brianmoooore]

The same happened to me last summer. The old hex head bolts are a known weakness.
Was the car moving when it happened ? The best case is the sheared head fell somewhere "kind" and hasn't done so much damage.
Mine got trapped under a cam shaft lobe and punched a hole clean through the bottom of the head. Resulting in the pressurised coolant very quickly finding its way into the oil.
I ended up with a new head ... and a very sharp learning curve in diy mechanics .... thanks mainly to the people on this forum.
I think all the exhaust valves were bent too ...
If you want further help then just ask

G

Think innes might be doing a re run of the above!

[GDBN]

I found the washer first .... look around and you should see the head. If the water has ended up in the oil sump it's because the head gasket has blown somewhere. The coolant system is under a lot of pressure so it finds the path of least resistance.
And I did learn it mostly from here ... was terrified to start but you soon get the hang of it. People like Brian are an absolute fountain of knowledge and you will always get a reply to questions and a lot of encouragement .. plus you will get the personal satisfaction of doing it yourself.
The head will have to come off for starters. It may be difficult to see anything until the oil is cleaned up. If there's nothing untoward with the head then have it tested at a machine shop.

G

[GDBN]

And see if you can get a Bentleys workshop manual.
Don't bother with Haynes.
Can find them on Amazon etc or see if a fellow zoner lives near you ... they're a friendly bunch !!

G