Head Seeping. What Would You Do?

[ACHTUNG]

I'm at a crossroads with my S52 swap and I'm not sure what to do. The motor has 96K on it and the head gasket seems to be seeping (see pic.) I'm on a budget and of course I've already spent much more than I thought I would on this swap. I was just going to clean the engine up and drop it in but now I'm not sure.

Judging from the picture, would you do all the gaskets and seals to refresh the head? Would you do a complete head rebuild? Or do you think this a minor issue and I should not worry about it and slam the motor in as is?

(I was already planning on replacing the rear crank seal, valve cover gasket and Oil pan gasket.)

[e46s54dr]

If it were me, I would go ahead and just replace the head gasket along with new head bolts and other misc. gasket on the top end while the engine is out. But if you are really on a tight budget, get a compression tester and check out the numbers and you get a definite answer on whether you need to or not. The compression numbers should be fairly close to each other (+ or - 10% I believe).

[ACHTUNG]

But if you are really on a tight budget, get a compression tester and check out the numbers and you get a definite answer on whether you need to or not.

Compression numbers are good. I'm going to not worry about it right now. If I need to do head work down the road, I'll do it then.

I guess it's slam-bam-thank you-ma'am for now.

[matt]

I wouldn't do anything. It's been like that for tens of thousands of miles, it will keep being like that for tens of thousands more.

[ACHTUNG]

I wouldn't do anything. It's been like that for tens of thousands of miles, it will keep being like that for tens of thousands more.

thank you. this is what I needed to hear.

[Gooch]

My motor looked exactly the same way when I pulled it from my donor. FWIW, it has ~95k and I am also not planning on doing the HG.

[Wanganstyle]

been at both crossroads, do you know the car it came out of or random?

IF I knew the car and had driven it, I'd run as is.

Otherwise, pull head and drop at machine shop. You are not really doing a cheap swap sir@!!!

Better to know than not to know, S52 has grumpy oil consumption problems with rings if its been overheated prior- cost enough for me to go S54 swap on my last e36m...