Help! Possible M20 rebuild project

[e30pdee]

alright guy's so here's the deal, i have my eye on an e30 for sale. the body is completely straight, its just that the motor getting up their in terms of mileage (atleast in my opinion.) it has about 265k miles, and its a 325i. the guy said he will throw in some extra parts (LSD, Tranny, etc). the car is priced at 2500 obo. now here is my question.......

for this car i feel like its due for a rebuild, i want to do the rebuild myself for the learning experience. But i have never done a rebuild myself before, i havent really done mechanical work on cars to say the least. do you think it would be possible for me with a little guidance from my buddy Cjdontthink (if he chooses too to help) and you guys on the forums to do it myself? how much would it probably cost to do a rebuild with stock-like internals anyways? and for the price of the car is it worth it?

[Kershaw]

start with changing spark plugs.

then maybe an engine rebuild. :P

[Sagaris]

the risks are too damn high!

[Kershaw]

[e30vert]

Sure! It will require a good set of tools, and engine hoist , an engine stand , and a clean dry place to workat the very minimum. More importantly you will need the Bentley manual. Dont buy any others as they suck. Attack it in phases and plan for the e30 to be out of commission for longer than it seems at first thought. These projects quickly turn into time and money pits. Also, wrong parts are shipped and need to be returned, strange bolts break or shear off due to age or excessive force being used, etc.
Engine rebuilding leads to bay cleaning and sometimes repainting. Engine bay cleaning and repainting leads to steering rack swap , and on and on.

Create a manageable plan and attack it in phases.
Phase 1. Remove engine
Phase 2. Disassemble and inspect
Phase 3. Determine if the bottom end -crankshaft bearings, etc need to be replaced or if refreshing the top end and accessories will suffice.
Phase 4. Replace parts
Phase 5. Reassemble
and so on...

[Cabriolet]

parts for a rebuild to do it cleanly is about 756.75+tax. or a lot more if you want to build up the engine.
if you have never done it before. it will end up like: http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=213055

tl;dr basically a year and no car.

to do it right you will need a lot of tools and knowledge. or you'll just end up wasting money of a half-ass project that never runs right.

i dont want to discourage you, ive done it 4 times myself, and if you want a ride in my car, ill show you want a quality job feels/looks like.

[delatlanta1281]

I would buy the car, give it a good tune up, drive it. While that is going on, source a good bottom end and a good, low mileage replacement head. Refresh the bottom end IE Bearings, rings, seals, ETC. Get the head pressure tested and checked for warping. Put motor together outside the car, then drive the piss out of your original motor until you feel it's time for the swap. Build the motor in 3 months and it shouldn't be a problem.
BE AWARE, other things will need attention IE the guibo, suspension, brakes, electrics. You are buying what is considered a vintage BMW, jumping in may cause you to take on more than you can handle. For 2500 bucks you may be able to find a better quality car if you are patient.
GL!
Rich

[jlevie]

At 265k, my bet is that the head will need new guides, seals, new exhaust valves, new cam, new rockers, valve grind and surfacing. The block will need an overbore and new pistons, probably will need new intermediate shaft bearings, a new oil pump, and OPR. The rods will need to be replaced or rebuilt. Unless mistreated in the past that crank probably only needs polishing and the correct bearings. By now you are well past the cost of a 100'ish K used engine. And that is without considering the tools you'll need to do the job correctly.

If you are doing this for experience and to have a good engine, the cost may be worthwhile. But if you just want to bring the car back to life there are less expensive ways.

[e30pdee]

At 265k, my bet is that the head will need new guides, seals, new exhaust valves, new cam, new rockers, valve grind and surfacing. The block will need an overbore and new pistons, probably will need new intermediate shaft bearings, a new oil pump, and OPR. The rods will need to be replaced or rebuilt. Unless mistreated in the past that crank probably only needs polishing and the correct bearings. By now you are well past the cost of a 100'ish K used engine. And that is without considering the tools you'll need to do the job correctly.

If you are doing this for experience and to have a good engine, the cost may be worthwhile. But if you just want to bring the car back to life there are less expensive ways.

where could i source a lower mileage motor for a good price. i could always put in a better motor and put the more used M20 as a back burner project or something.