So I am fairly new to e30's. 3 months ago i saved up and bought a 1986 325es with a bone stock 2.7. I paid 2 grand and got what i believe to be my moneys worth especially with barely any rust at all living in Minnesota. i found out some stuff that the previous owner failed to mention. i started looking throughout the car when i brought her home to discover billy sports all the way around, brand new exhaust with recipt for 850$ and recipt for a brand new clutch for 1200$. all of which were in the past 2 1/2 years. so i was pretty happy with that needless to say. it had a slight vacuum leak that you can feel at idle but purrs beautifully going down the road. i put a new set of nice NGK plugs and a fuel filter and thats about all ive done besides valve adjustment.
so yesterday morning i drove to Minneapolis (75 mi away from home) and right as im getting deep into the city freeways my car starts chugging hard when the gas pedal is pressed, barely to no acceleration but stayed running. I pulled off and into a gas station where it idled fine, just slightly rough from previous stated vacuum leak, but stayed running and i was able to drive at slow speeds through 1st and 2nd and for the most part 3rd but as soon as i need to accelerate in 4th and 5th it loses all power and shakes. i was able to get it up to 55 and made the drive all the way back home. as long as i kept even on the gas and at 55 there was no chugging untill reaching a hill where i needed to step into it more.
just recently i checked the oil and it was at the add-a-quart line and so i did, so far my oil light has not came back on. i tinkered with a few things like cleaning the cap and rotor which are not in great shape, and i was about to run a fuel pressure test as i thought i was having a fuel delivery problem.
Then i pulled the spark plugs to see how she was running. the 1st cylinder plugs was covered in oil and fouled out like ive never seen. the second plug had even more oil but almost no fouling. the other plugs werent in terrible shape. these were brand new plugs and now they look like the champions in my POS lawnmower that doesnt run...
Have i blown the head gasket and have her walking a tightrope before catastrophic failure? the coolant is slightly low. but not bone dry yet. i dont think im gonna drive her home yet this evening/morning. have i burnt up my rings? i have been saving up for an s54 swap but i was hoping this M20 wouldnt die yet.
She turned the clock at 222,222 mi on the drive to minneapolis.
I still got great gas mileage on the way home which is odd for the shape of those plugs.
this is my only (slightly) running daily so if someone can help me determine if i need to pull the head that would be great so i can get it done in the least time possible. i already have a full head gasket kit along with almost every little part to convienently change while im at it (waterpump, gaskets, fan clutch,...) as well as i should do timing belt while im at it since the last was done at 180k.
Thank you!
so yesterday morning i drove to Minneapolis (75 mi away from home) and right as im getting deep into the city freeways my car starts chugging hard when the gas pedal is pressed, barely to no acceleration but stayed running. I pulled off and into a gas station where it idled fine, just slightly rough from previous stated vacuum leak, but stayed running and i was able to drive at slow speeds through 1st and 2nd and for the most part 3rd but as soon as i need to accelerate in 4th and 5th it loses all power and shakes. i was able to get it up to 55 and made the drive all the way back home. as long as i kept even on the gas and at 55 there was no chugging untill reaching a hill where i needed to step into it more.
just recently i checked the oil and it was at the add-a-quart line and so i did, so far my oil light has not came back on. i tinkered with a few things like cleaning the cap and rotor which are not in great shape, and i was about to run a fuel pressure test as i thought i was having a fuel delivery problem.
Then i pulled the spark plugs to see how she was running. the 1st cylinder plugs was covered in oil and fouled out like ive never seen. the second plug had even more oil but almost no fouling. the other plugs werent in terrible shape. these were brand new plugs and now they look like the champions in my POS lawnmower that doesnt run...
Have i blown the head gasket and have her walking a tightrope before catastrophic failure? the coolant is slightly low. but not bone dry yet. i dont think im gonna drive her home yet this evening/morning. have i burnt up my rings? i have been saving up for an s54 swap but i was hoping this M20 wouldnt die yet.
She turned the clock at 222,222 mi on the drive to minneapolis.
I still got great gas mileage on the way home which is odd for the shape of those plugs.
this is my only (slightly) running daily so if someone can help me determine if i need to pull the head that would be great so i can get it done in the least time possible. i already have a full head gasket kit along with almost every little part to convienently change while im at it (waterpump, gaskets, fan clutch,...) as well as i should do timing belt while im at it since the last was done at 180k.
Thank you!
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