The 40k miles gem of a car has coolant in the oil. When I pop off the valve cover, I see that there has been coolant in the oil for a long time....which is probably why the car was parked back in 2003 or 04 sometime.
I pull the head off tonight, and find a perfect condition headgasket, block doesn't appear to be cracked anywhere (head bolt holes), pistons look fine and are holding water (ring pack isn't blown up or missing that I can tell).
The head looks to be fine as well, headgasket left soem marks on the head, and based upon the HG looking like it should (not burned up, melted, or otherwise out of order) and the carbon on the head around the chambers, it's safe to say (IMHO) that the HG wasn't the problem.
The motor is/was full of water, timing chain adjuster was holding plenty of it where the chain guide is.
My first concern is there is a crack or other major failure somewhere in the motor (cracked head perhaps?)
Even if the head is cracked, based upon the amount of water/milkshake I can see, I'm wondering if the bottom end/bearings are any good.
The guy I bought the car from did change the oil, drain the fuel/replace filters, and get it to run (not well), but there was water in the oil he said when I bought the car. My intentions were to replace the HG, and drive it :)
Now I'm having second thoughts about putting any money in the current motor at all. Seems like a M30 swap could be done for 1k or less (as I can find them for $100 all day long nearby). I hate to start modding a minty/cherry e30, and that wasn't the point of the purchase either.....but at this point I'm not sure dropping 1K into rebuilding a M10 is worth it.
Ideas, thoughts, and ramblings are all welcome, especially if there is a common problem that I'm overlooking with the water in oil situation....
-Theo
I pull the head off tonight, and find a perfect condition headgasket, block doesn't appear to be cracked anywhere (head bolt holes), pistons look fine and are holding water (ring pack isn't blown up or missing that I can tell).
The head looks to be fine as well, headgasket left soem marks on the head, and based upon the HG looking like it should (not burned up, melted, or otherwise out of order) and the carbon on the head around the chambers, it's safe to say (IMHO) that the HG wasn't the problem.
The motor is/was full of water, timing chain adjuster was holding plenty of it where the chain guide is.
My first concern is there is a crack or other major failure somewhere in the motor (cracked head perhaps?)
Even if the head is cracked, based upon the amount of water/milkshake I can see, I'm wondering if the bottom end/bearings are any good.
The guy I bought the car from did change the oil, drain the fuel/replace filters, and get it to run (not well), but there was water in the oil he said when I bought the car. My intentions were to replace the HG, and drive it :)
Now I'm having second thoughts about putting any money in the current motor at all. Seems like a M30 swap could be done for 1k or less (as I can find them for $100 all day long nearby). I hate to start modding a minty/cherry e30, and that wasn't the point of the purchase either.....but at this point I'm not sure dropping 1K into rebuilding a M10 is worth it.
Ideas, thoughts, and ramblings are all welcome, especially if there is a common problem that I'm overlooking with the water in oil situation....
-Theo
Comment