Eric's Mtech2 Vert

[Cabriolet]

I bought this car Oct 2009. I had to wait years to get one that I could afford, had low miles and in "good" condition (she wasnt in as good condition as I had hoped). She cost me $4300+tax. Shot suspension, broken windshield, holes in exhaust and leaking front main seal, torn seats.
Power top died the day after I got it... and I have had a lot of misc issues with her. So I got fed up with the huge puddle in my garage from the leaking auto trans, power steering, water pump, oil pan and fuel. Time for a budget engine overhaul.
Pic on puddle in garage.


Had got another M20b25 from a friend. And we are gonna rebuild it and drop it in with a manual transmission. (turns out it would have been a better engine but didnt know at the time)




Broke down everything in about an hour and found a lot to worry about…


This is the head I was gonna use. Having issues with how corroded it is and all the carbon and oil glazing.


Mike scraping down the left over gasket from the oil pan.


Cleaning the pistons



Breaking the crank gear off is not easy *lots of PB buster*

Night!

So I have like $800 worth of new stuff on the kitchen table but several items piston ring and such are late so… maybe tomorrow I can start the engine rebuild.

[CabrioPunk]

You folks doing the engine just grew up around cars , tech schools or just trying it out?

[bmwstephen]

very nice eric. subscribed.

perhaps this is a good time to purchase the extrude honed intake manifold too

[Cabriolet]

You folks doing the engine just grew up around cars , tech schools or just trying it out?

just grew up around cars, and the Bently's books helps alot

and the extrude honed intake manifold is way outa my budget atm :(

[freeride53]

Good luck!

[N2MYE30]

Ive got my popcorn out. So whats in store for this car?

[mr.vang]

i was expecting to see a car...i though my leak was bad..lol

[E30AWDAZ]

Looks great. Those cleaned pistons look brand new!

[Cabriolet]

Another stressful day. Forgot to order the piston bearings... F.me... the engine is 100% torn apart now, realized that it had been overheated and that the varnishing was just the surface. All the rockers are slightly pitted. So we are gonna pull the plug on this m20 and use the one that is in my car. Which means a lot of work tomorrow and Christmas day. Borrowing engine hoist from a form member and getting the rest of the misc parts for the swap from him also.
Mike started painting the valve cover, ill post pics of that special paint job after it's done.
i picked up a flywheel today for $90 and had it refinished for $25.
Meanwhile another box of parts showed up.

[bmwstephen]

eric. might i recommend the OEM head gasket? its costly but its more full proof. In my case, I used the other VR gaskets such as the manifold ones no problem

[iwantspeed]

nice work

[Cabriolet]

Today was mostly a prep day. I need to get the engine out of the car and get all the fluids drained. There are so many wires and hoses it takes a ton of time to get them apart. My dad busted the vacuum line that goes to the break booster because it is so brittle. That and we can’t get the fan clutch off the water pump. Kinda SOL on keeping the water pump from spinning as we break it loose.
Here are the pics from the day.

Todd loaned me his engine hoist and a bunch of parts I am missing for the swap.


Draining the coolant.

My dad won this fender protector back in high school.

And he took the oil pan down to the wash tank at work last night and it came out very clean.


Slowly getting stuff apart

Took out the exhaust and drive shaft


Pushed her into the garage for the night. Sucks that there is only 115k on the OD and the car leaks so much.



Good night baby, see you tomorrow.

[rede30]

a refreshed engine is always nice but why not just fix the leaks? that motor is so young. Clean car though.

[Cabriolet]

its leaking oil from the head gasket so thats why the refresh

[reelizmpro]

Pretty common to leak from the head gasket oil return passages, oil filter housing, etc. Good job on the refresh.