Head bolt washers

[analogjesus]

Where can I find head bolt washers for an m20, cheap?
Also, I noticed while inspecting my block that there is a small tube protruding from one of the head bolt holes. Seems like it is for lining up the gasket, also seems like there should be another on the other side. Anyone know what this tube is called and how many there should be?

[jlevie]

The "tube" is one of the head index dowel pins. Their purpose is to correctly align the head with the block so that pistons won't hit the head. There are two.

[lateracer]

Check your head for the other one. I had one in the block, the other in the head. DO NOT LOSE THEM. Major PITA to replace.

You can get hardened beefy washers like the ones that come off the head at most industrial hardware stores. Maybe Lowe's has them too. Not hard to find.

[acefinland]

if its a 325 u can get them cheap from the dealers, think i paid like 40cents per washer or something like that...

[analogjesus]

This is discerning. . . I bought a stroker motor and a head to put on it. Since I never disassembled this engine and the head is quite possibly from another car, I am sure I don't have the head alignment pin. Does anyone know where I can find these?

[nando]

www.realoem.com/bmw/ (e30s in the archive section)

look up PNs, order them from your favorite online reseller (blunttech.com, bmaparts.com, pelicanparts.com, etc. etc.)

[lateracer]

This is discerning. . . I bought a stroker motor and a head to put on it. Since I never disassembled this engine and the head is quite possibly from another car, I am sure I don't have the head alignment pin. Does anyone know where I can find these?

I think discerning means to use good judgment. Sounds like some of that got skipped before you got your hands on this project.

Here's my only experience with this: I rebuilt my B25 and unwittingly took the head to the machine shop with one of the alignment dowels in place. The machine shop wound up pulling the alignment dowel from the head, but they had to mangle it a little to get it out. When I got the head back I went to a local BMW specialty shop that knows E30s for a new alignment dowel. They didn't have one, but recommended that I tried to make the old one work since BMW didn't use the exact same size for each motor.

I would think that as long as it seats the head firmly and completely (doesn't keep the head off the block because it's too long), you should probably be good.

[analogjesus]

www.realoem.com/bmw/ (e30s in the archive section)

look up PNs, order them from your favorite online reseller (blunttech.com, bmaparts.com, pelicanparts.com, etc. etc.)

Thank you! I found the dowel and washers.

[custom e30]

go to a junk yard and just get the washers from a motor, wont take long and easy to do, i got alot there

[motozach69]

Oh shit I just put my head on and I didn't have them either I used some all thread to line it up and hand threaded the head bolts and I just got done torqueing tell me the truth is this gonna be a problem

[jlevie]

If you didn't have the dowels...

Maybe, and maybe not. If you lucked out and precisely positioned the head it will be fine. But if it is off just a little bit pistons will hit the head. If it were me I'd get the dowels, head bolts, and gasket and do it right.

[nando]

the washers are designed to spread out the load. the problem with not using them is aluminum is soft and the surface area under the head bolt is small. so you've put a larger amount of force onto a smaller area, and on top of that the material is significantly softer. you risk cracks around the head bolt.

it might be OK, it might not. Personally I'd spend the $30 on a new bolt kit plus washers, and do it over. you can replace the bolts 1 at a time, in the same pattern you used to torque the head bolts. so it's not that big of a deal to fix.

[riceh8r]

yeah...kinda hard to get the correct torque when steel is digging into aluminum...