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    #1

    Cracked Head?

    This past weekend I discovered milky/coffee colored sludge on my oilcap.
    I checked the dipstick and the oil there still looked good, so I decided to pull my valve cover to see how much was there. There was a little more of the milky sludge, but I immediately noticed some bright green coolant around the headbolt on the intake side between 4 & 5, and below the exhaust rocker(small puddle). Is this a classic example of a cracked head, or is this symptom simply the result of a blown headgasket. I've had this car for 8 months and it seemed to have a miss at idle/low RPM, but still drove OK for a high milage E30. I'm gonna have the head checked out but I wanted to hear what others thought or experienced.
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    #2
    regardless it needs to be pulled. You can get it checked to make sure its just the gasket. Or locate another head.
    sigpic

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      #3
      ^^^^^^
      What he said.

      But seriously, don't fret about it being a head. M20 heads are a dime a dozen. They can be had in good shape for like 150-200 or rebuilt for something like 350. And if its the head gasket then you are in an ok position but either way you gotta pull that head off.







      Taylor
      Need a performance chip for you BMW? Shoot me a PM and I'll get you taken care of!!
      Taylor- Follow me on Instagram @e30_fiend

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        #4
        I think I found the source!

        I started to take the head off yesterday and when I got to the headbolt that I had seen the coolant around, it was loose! So, I started removing headbolts in the proper sequence, and when I got to it, it bound up for a moment. So I applied a little more torque and the damn thing snapped half way in the thread area! Anybody ever seen anything like this before?
        I sprayed the remaining(3) exhaust nuts with penetrant and let them sit over night. Hopefully I'll get them off today and pull the head to see what condition it looks like inside.

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          #5
          the head's probably warped and is putting uneven pressure on the bolts. You may want to go ahead and source another head casting! Remember to replace ALL of the bolts, tho!
          1989 cirrisblau-metallic 325i

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            #6
            Any more news on this?

            Well, posterity, you will never know what it cost us to preserve your freedom. I only hope that you will make a good use of it. If you do not, I shall repent in heaven that I ever took half the pains to preserve it.
            ~ John Adams ~

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              #7
              The PO was a dumbass!

              I finally got the head off, and to my surprise...

              Here's what I've found, the previous owner apparently replaced his timing belt, in the process loosing or ditching the pin & spring for the tensioner.
              The tensioner slipped, delaying his timing enough that all the exhaust valves spanked the pistons. Every piston had divits around the valve relief for the exhaust side only. He then swapped in a new(used) head re-using the original hex head style headbolts, thus the broken headbolt, and still did not replace the pin & spring for the tensioner. This thing was a disaster waiting to happen. But, I'm also keeping in mind that when I examined the head and the headgasket there was no sign of damage and it never ran hot in the eight months I drove it. So, I'm gonna check the head for warpage and if its still good, I'm gonna slap on a new headgasket, some NEW headbolts, and a new timing belt and tensioner WITH a new pin & spring. Wish me luck.

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