My 1988 e30 325ix - Garage'd

[jeenyus]

That does look very nice and great price aswell.

+ I told ya so ;)

Haha! You sure did! The shop did a great job. I'm really happy with the work and to be honest, I've had so many bad experiences with independent shops, it's really really nice to have a good experience for a change.

[jeenyus]

I think I may have a leaky head gasket... I'm wondering if I can get a more experienced eye to give me some advice though.

This is how it looked before I leaked it.



Then I cleaned it and drove it and this is how it looked.


To me, it's either the cam seal or the head gasket. So I checked the other side of the exhaust manifold cause I saw oil there too.



Is this the head gasket? I'd like to not have to replace that... but if it has to be done it will be a new experience for me.

[nando]

I would try the cam seal & valve cover plugs before the head gasket.

[jeenyus]

I would try the cam seal & valve cover plugs before the head gasket.

Thank you.

[jeenyus]

Mandatory, "My car was towed" flatbed picture.

Connector on my fuel pump didn't connect properly when I put it back in. Removed the clip housing and just plugged the wires in directly to my fuel pump. Problem fixed.

[jeenyus]

I have a quick question. Can anyone tell me what the grounding point for the fuel pump is? I get some voltage drop on cold starts and it's annoying af. It's not a large drop so I'm thinking it might be the grounding point.

[jeenyus]

This weekend I removed my 'IS' spoiler. I like the trunk without it and I was never able to get it to fit right because it was missing some studs that have rusted off. It caused water to get into my trunk when I washed the car and was a point of rust. Since it provides nothing beyond aesthetics, I decided to get rid of it.

This was the worst spot.


Some weren't terrible.


Then I used POR15 and fiberglass cloth to create a solid backing.

Then POR15'd some other spots.

Then put filler in the holes the next day.

Hand sanded that shit down.

Used some self etching primer.

Sanded the high spots. Put high build #5 primer on the self etching primer.

Then I sanded that down to even out the surface.

And this is where I am now at the end of the day.


I also painted this thing.

Before.

After.


Next weekend I'll paint it white. It will look great at that point. Till then, I'll just keep driving it, cause this car is my daily. Good weekend.

[jeenyus]

And a side shot.

[Kershaw]

Your head gasket is leaking. You can see the oil on the block above the oil filter. That's not cam seal oil.

[jeenyus]

Your head gasket is leaking. You can see the oil on the block above the oil filter. That's not cam seal oil.

I appreciate your knowledge. From what I've read, it's a pretty normal place to see a leak. I'll do the timing belt and then replace the gasket. When I install the new HG, should I do more than just clean the surface? do i need more than that?

[nando]

Your head gasket is leaking. You can see the oil on the block above the oil filter. That's not cam seal oil.

The cam seal is above the block, as are the plugs for the valve cover. They can definitely cause oil on the front of the engine like that.

also, if it were me - I wouldn't bother replacing the whole head gasket for that little oil leak (if it turns out not to be the cam seal or valve cover gasket plugs). Not unless you're going to rebuild the head etc. Most likely, it's just going to leak again from the same place anyway.

[jeenyus]

The cam seal is above the block, as are the plugs for the valve cover. They can definitely cause oil on the front of the engine like that.

also, if it were me - I wouldn't bother replacing the whole head gasket for that little oil leak (if it turns out not to be the cam seal or valve cover gasket plugs). Not unless you're going to rebuild the head etc. Most likely, it's just going to leak again from the same place anyway.

I haven't taken any pictures of it yet, but the back side of the engine is probably leaking worse than the front. The front isn't too bad, doesn't even smoke. The rear though, leaves a silver dollar size oil spot on the cardboard under the car.

I have ordered the timing belt kit, just waiting for it to show up. I did decide to also order a new head gasket. This is a "just in case" for me. If it isn't the head gasket (which i'm hoping), I can just send it back, but if it is (i really hope it's not the case) then i'll have the head gasket in my possession to hopefully fix the issue.

I hate when my cars leak oil... seriously hate it. Makes working on them a dirty pain and figuring out other potential leaks just as difficult.

Maybe today after work i'll go get some dye.

[jeenyus]

Found the leak...

Coming from the cam seal and rocket plug in the front and back.

I managed to change my timing belt this weekend. Did some cleanup. Pulled the AC compressor and condenser out since they aren't working anyway. I am not planning on figuring them out for a while so no reason to keep them in the engine bay when they weigh almost 40lbs.


New belt in, lots of space in front.


I pressure washed the radiator to make sure air flows through without issue. Then I painted it black with Eastwood Radiator Black paint. The paint acts as another layer of heatsink according to the paint can. It also looks much better in my opinion.

Car is running well. Gonna replace the master clutch cylinder probably tonight since it's fairly straightforward.

[jeenyus]

Replaced this piece of shit.


I'm really not a fan of working under the dash.

[jeenyus]

Replaced my O2 Sensor. That was also a pain in the ass to replace. Took it to the mechanic again and had to have him remove it after trying my best at home to no avail.

I also saw some cool cars driving on Saturday.