Buying a NEW M20 Cylinder Head

[agisthos]

I'm having trouble finding a good 731 head for my M20 rebuild. Maybe its due to my location, or popularity with the 2.7 stroker conversion, but there is nothing around right now.

I am considering buying a new one. ECS/Turner have them all. Who here has purchased a new M20 head, 885 or 731, in recent years? What is the quality of them like?

I don't want to buy a genuine head and find -despite the BMW logo- they are now manufactured by AMC, as this would be a step down from original quality.

I did find some new-old stock with build dates in the 80's, but they seem to have been sitting on a warehouse shelf exposed to moisture corrosion for the last 30 years, with pitting in the combustion pockets e.t.c

[digger]

885 BMW heads are NLA

though 731 genuine seem to be available about $1400 USD

p/n 11121277753

schmeidmann will be your best bet or try email blunttech

[e30davie]

I see m20b23s come up fairly often for sale, people wreck 323i cars all the time.

Where in Aus are you?

[digger]

depends how desperate you are. if you have time to wait then i agree gumtree and the like will turn up something. Theres an engine on there that apparently comes with a 731 for $1500 which i'm sure could be low balled adequately (been listed for a while) and pieced out, there's always the risk of it being cracked though.

[agisthos]

I saw on Turner/ECS they had the 731 head for $1330. That's what prompted this post.

I'm in Adelaide and we just found one today.... will see how it goes.
I did find a bunch of reconditioned heads but the engine builder says they usually have the valves cut/ground sloppily.

Rama in QLD could not/would not do a hardness test on any of his available unworked cores, which is strange for someone that has $$$ performance flow testing equipment.

[e30davie]

Theres an m20b23 up near me for $250. Maybe i should go and get it....

[digger]

I saw on Turner/ECS they had the 731 head for $1330. That's what prompted this post.

I'm in Adelaide and we just found one today.... will see how it goes.
I did find a bunch of reconditioned heads but the engine builder says they usually have the valves cut/ground sloppily.

Rama in QLD could not/would not do a hardness test on any of his available unworked cores, which is strange for someone that has $$$ performance flow testing equipment.

get a shipping quote and see how you like it....lol $430 USD

i've never heard of anyone hardness testing cores unless its been hugely weld repaired near the seats which you'd probably steer clear of anyway.

[agisthos]

get a shipping quote and see how you like it....lol $430 USD

i've never heard of anyone hardness testing cores unless its been hugely weld repaired near the seats which you'd probably steer clear of anyway.

Already did. I have shipped many large items from the US and for years use bulk reshipper myus.com and it will be about $210 USD, half that rate.

And if I get it send to my friend in Wisconsin first, he can remove the invoice and I can declare value at will, saving on all taxes. So total cost landed here in OZ is about $2200 AUD.

The head i looked at today was $500, and then all the machine shop labor to get it up to the level of a new head, plus 12 new valve guides.

So its not like $500 vs $2200, more like $1000+ vs $2200. Once I did the math it does not seem so crazy.

[jeffnhiscars]

I'm not alone in the trouble I've had with shipment from ECS that I would never do business with them again. I sure wouldn't trust them to get an expensive and precious part across the pond.

For the budget you're talking about why not get Rama to build you a head and be done with it

[digger]

Already did. I have shipped many large items from the US and for years use bulk reshipper myus.com and it will be about $210 USD, half that rate.

And if I get it send to my friend in Wisconsin first, he can remove the invoice and I can declare value at will, saving on all taxes. So total cost landed here in OZ is about $2200 AUD.

The head i looked at today was $500, and then all the machine shop labor to get it up to the level of a new head, plus 12 new valve guides.

So its not like $500 vs $2200, more like $1000+ vs $2200. Once I did the math it does not seem so crazy.

try email blunttech their shipping may be slightly better again

[AndrewBird]

What about BimmerHeads? Either have them build you a head or maybe they will sell you a reconditioned core.

[turbski]

I have an 885 head casting off of the seta im building. I don't plan on using it or the extra 2.5l intake manifold I have if your interested. The head in question is in visibly good condition (never been to the machine shop) and is complete. drilled for 7 bearing cam. PM me if your interested. id let it go cheap to get some extra money for my build.