The BMW is Alive!

[evan_flatt69]

Sorry Ranchero, I forgot that you suggested to check for bent valves and piston wobble. I'll be sure to check it out tomorrow.

[67 Camper Special]

For a valve to bend it would have to hit the piston. Look for a mark.

I disagree with Ranchero on the BMW specific shop thing. A good shop will have the specs for that motor, and they are no different than any other motor inside. I have rebuilt several 2.0 motors, basically the same motor with a couple less cylinders and they are straight forward. BMW specific shops want to rape you, and for no good reason.

Larry

[evan_flatt69]

Do you see what I see?

[fbomb100]

its the light at the end of the tunnel.. man that does not look good,, you be losing power with that

[Ranchero50]

So why? Bent or hanging up in the guide?

[evan_flatt69]

its the light at the end of the tunnel.. man that does not look good,, you be losing power with that

Big time.

[evan_flatt69]

So why? Bent or hanging up in the guide?

I can only see about 1/4 of an inch of the valve so it's hard to say if It's bent. I'd have to take it out to really see (that's my next move- taking it apart to get yet another closer look)

[evan_flatt69]

I got the head rebuilt and there was a slightly bent valve. I went back and took another look at the piston and it definitely made contact. I have also pulled the engine to clean it up and paint it. Here are some more pics.

[67 Camper Special]

I was wondering how this project was going.....

Tell me those are not the head bolts you are lifting that motor with......

Larry

[evan_flatt69]

They are.. I'm cheap and often times ignorant. Should I not have done that?

[67 Camper Special]

No, too much chance that they will bend from a stress that they are not designed for. Pull is sideways on them as they are being used to lift the motor.

Make damn sure they are not bent even a little bit or it will throw off your actual torque on reintall. If they are bent there will have more friction to over come, and the reading will not be real. Think of a headbolt as a big spring, which it actually is. What is holding the head down is the stretch in the bolt. Anything that interferes with the stretching of the spring, be it a bend or a bit of dirt throws off the actual amount of holding the head down.

Larry

[michael69]

I would definitely buy new head bolts when I put the head back on. Or you may be pulling head again for blown gasket. The way the engine is tilted in that picture and that much bolt sticking out of block, they have to be bent. Just my

[averagef250]

I bought a 318 for a GF a long time ago. I bought it knowing it had a blown headgasket. Pulled the head to find someone already tried to fix it by overtorqueing the head bolts. They didn't fix the leaking gasket, but they did split the block down every single headbolt hole. It was almost mindblowing that anybody could be that stupid. I already had the gasket set, figured nothing to lose, so I put it back together with the headbolts only holding about 75% of their proper torque.

That car was fun. I didn't drive it much, but when I did I drove it like I was fleeing pursuit. That engine had the most amazing powerband- Good down low grunt and pulled great all the way to scatter speed. Stuck in the corners like it was on rails. The GF was an awful driver, learned to drive stick in the car. She plowed into a tow truck on the freeway shoulder at a decent clip. Tore the engine and tranny out of their mounts, just the transmission shifter hitting the body kept the whole shebang from shooting right out the front of the car. I sledge hammered out the front frame and straightened the radiator. Called the dealer on mounts. Like $1000 for three mounts and months out from Germany. I put 3 industrial size zip ties on each mount and sent it back out to the front lines (her driving).

She called me a few years after we broke it off to ask me if I could fix the car again. I declined, but it sounded like the fuel pump had given out. It just blew my mind how well that car took beating after beating and always drove GREAT! I know she never popped the hood after we split up. Hell, I don't even think I did besides zip tying the engine back in place. It probably went 5 years or so on the same oil I put in it when I did the headgasket.

The Beamer crowd ain't for me, but I sure appreciate the engineering that goes into them. I drove a new special edition M3 a couple years ago. What a rush! That thing could probably put down a 12 second quarter and you'd never know it in million years. Not to mention handle windy backroads like a 2 wheeler.

[67 Camper Special]

If the bolts are bent you should replace the whole set. They are not hardware store bolts and will be expensive at the dealer. I would switch to ARP studs, a better way to do the job and probably less money than the BMW bolts. Studs provide a better torque average. Read up on how to set studs if you go that way. Do not screw them in till they bottom out.

I use Cometic head gaskets, nothing else. I have run 36 pounds of boost on Miata motors with no failures using Cometic head gaskets.

I am due for a toy, and reading this makes me want another hot rod 2002 model

. But I have a nice 240 Volvo 5 speed with a bad motor, and a 289 Ford engine on the stand all ready to go, and the two keep trying to get together. love sleepers.....

Larry

[Ranchero50]

You should have used much shorter bolts or a stack of washers to keep the chain at the deck height. The tall angle of the chain to the hook is what saved them. Your lifting chain shouldn't be less than 45` from horizontal unless the chain is way overrated for the lift weight.

4 points on a 300lb short block isn't a terrible load. You should have noticed if they flexed when you lifted the engine. As long as they didn't flex and you didn't hang up in the car you should be fine. for this application.