My e36 blew a headgasket....

[Turf1600]

So, heather was driving to work yesterday in her e36 when it apparently blew a headgasket. The red light turned on and she took her time driving it to safety. I'm not sure what all led up to this - as her description of the events was pretty vague. Either way I had to miss all my classes and spend the remainder of my evening trying to find her a car to drive around in while we got it sorted out. Lucky her - it's a 93 cutlass supreme vert. lol.

Anyways - I have a few options here - but let me tell you about the car first. It's a green 93 325i 4 door. The interior is really nice, the paint is just fair, and the suspension is good. It has 180k miles and an auto tranny. Time is an obvious factor with the repair - so I don't want to dick around with it forever. We can buy her another car, replace the headgasket, replace the motor, or rebuild the motor. I don't want to buy her another car because every car has it's issues. I don't really want to replace the gasket - because dropping in a fresh non 180k longblock is just as easy. I also don't want to spend more than the cost of the car on a new motor. What say you guys?

Also - I found a non vanos m50 here locally for a fair price. Is swapping from a vanos to NV just the same as swapping a motor? Are the harness' the same? I wouldn't mind doing this and then maybe slowly rebuilding the m50 for my e30.

[Erick]

Call me if you decide to replace your headgasket and I'll help as I can on that one.

Rob leads the poll already :p

[Turf1600]

Call me if you decide to replace your headgasket and I'll help as I can on that one.

Rob leads the poll already :p

I'm reluctant to just replace the HG on a near 190k car. Also, considering the amount of time she drove it hot i wouldn't be surprised if the head was gone.

[Turf1600]

I knew it was a mistake to put rob as an option.

[blunttech]

IF IT WERE ME ID THROW ANOTHER VANOS MOTOR IN IT. pulling the head without cam tools and vanos tool can be done but its a fucking pain in the ass if youve never done it. i dont know for certain but if you went non vanos you may have ecu issues. unless you got the harness,ecu and everything with the new motor. maybe you can get rob to do the labor. who the fuck is rob anyway and why is he in all the polls?

[scott_is]

I say used M50 vanos don't bother with the other options...

[Turf1600]

IF IT WERE ME ID THROW ANOTHER VANOS MOTOR IN IT. pulling the head without cam tools and vanos tool can be done but its a fucking pain in the ass if youve never done it. i dont know for certain but if you went non vanos you may have ecu issues. unless you got the harness,ecu and everything with the new motor. maybe you can get rob to do the labor. who the fuck is rob anyway and why is he in all the polls?

I found a non vanos motor for really cheap - comes with the ECU and wiring harness. I'm an x50 noob bigtime - so it's really a motor i don't want to crack open.

I wish i could put an m10 into it...

[FredK]

Rob = Rob Maybach or some shit. He rarely posts these days. He used to have an Integra. I bought THR CABs from him a while back.

Harnesses are different. DMEs are different. TPS is different. No knock sensors. If you do decide to swap, just drop in the NV engine whole. Or wait around for a Vanos engine to show up.

I'd pull all the electronics, accessories, and intake from your 180k mile engine and throw the rest in the garbage.

[Turf1600]

If anyone has a good m50 ill take it off their hands.

[blunttech]

Rob = Rob Maybach or some shit. He rarely posts these days. He used to have an Integra. I bought THR CABs from him a while back.

Harnesses are different. DMEs are different. TPS is different. No knock sensors. If you do decide to swap, just drop in the NV engine whole. Or wait around for a Vanos engine to show up.

I'd pull all the electronics, accessories, and intake from your 180k mile engine and throw the rest in the garbage.

oh i remember that tool. didnt he have an m3 with a home entertainment center in it with ps2,xbox and pinball machines in the back too>???

[FredK]

um, I don't think he had an M3, that might be Rob89M3 that you're thinking of.

[Massive Lee]

As Mister Blunt suggested, swap to another M50 with Vanos. While you are there, install a new waterpump so that you don't risk overheating this one too. M50 motors are dirt cheap as they are very strong, rarely break, and stack-up at dismantlers...

If you intend to keep that new motor, don't hesitate to flush oil on short intervals initially, with highly detergent lubricants to clean up the gunk left by the previous owner. By short intervals, I mean every 2k miles.

[blunttech]

um, I don't think he had an M3, that might be Rob89M3 that you're thinking of.

yes thats the guy im thinking of

[Erick]

yes thats the guy im thinking of

Wrong Rob. The one in question has(had?) a 318iS. Likes long walks on the beach with cases of Pabst Blue Ribbon. :p

[Turf1600]

Wrong Rob. The one in question has(had?) a 318iS. Likes long walks on the beach with cases of Pabst Blue Ribbon. :p

sounds like someone knows this from experience.