NOR-CAL General Chat.

[2mAn]

Not yet, I posted in a thread & sub-forum that he frequents so I hope he will be proactive about it, but if this doesnt fix soon, I will definitely reach out to him.

[CarsonE30]

In for long story

Okay here it goes - I bought the M3 knowing it has misfire in cylinder 3. The PO had changed spark plugs, wires, and pretty much everything I'd be comfortable doing by myself so I brought into Bay Motor Works in Seaside, where my Dad always had his BMW's serviced but having only owning E30's where I DIY everything, and an E34 that has needed nothing, I'd never been there. It's very rare that I take my cars to shops, especially an M3 to a place I've never been but I trusted them and watched them pull it all apart and that's when found the head was cracked so I got one from a friend of mine who pulled his off of a car with 62k, cams, valve train and everything still intact but I knew this head was in perfect working order and assured the shop it was fine. The next day I got a call saying they put the head on and there's still 0 compression in #3 so it has to be something in the bottom end which was hard to believe because that's basically bulletproof. I had a funny feeling so I asked them if they had done anything else and they said they put new spark plugs in, which I was unaware of and the ones in there originally were brand new anyway. I explained that the chances of having the head and block fucked were pretty much 0 and said that I'm very mechanically inclined and that this is why I don't take my cars to shops because they see me, a 20 year kid in a shiny E36 M3 that's just buying parts for it and leaving it to them to do it all, I must not know a whole lot but have money. They soon learned that I actually knew and gave a fuck about cars, BMW's in particular, and that I had no problem putting my old parts back on and driving it back home. They understood so I put a feeler ad up for it because I can't afford to engine swap anything at the moment so I had a guy interested who had set plans to come pick up the car the next morning. I showed up to Bay Motor Works the next morning at 830 to hopefully wash it, pay whatever they felt they needed to charge me, and meet the guy to take the car. When I got there, a tech was just pulling my M3 back into the parking lot! I was so confused, I looked at him and said, "so uh, it's fine?!" His word for word response was "We started it up this morning at it was running on all 6, coolant isn't going where, it's perfect!"
How the actual fuck does that happen?! How does a car go from undriveable to 100% fine in 9 hours? From a fucked bottom end and no compression to perfect working order and totally spot on numbers? I don't like to think badly about any shop but I have to think they were trying to jip me. There's no other logical explanation. So I called the guy who was already on his way to me with his trailer and friend to tell him unless he can come way up on his price, I can't sell the car. After some words, he understood and agreed, I apologized and told him I'd still buy him lunch and give him money for gas but he was too close to home still and decided it wouldn't be worth it so I got in the M3, beat it around town for a bit, no lights came on, let it cool, checked coolant, totally fine, had my dad and his girlfriend come out to drive my 540 back home and now here we are! The M3 passed smog today and got it's first solid canyon carving drive through Laureles Grade and Carmel Valley. This car is unbelievable honestly.

[2mAn]

So you swapped heads and its fixed?

[kronus]

sounds like shop had their wires crossed and wanted to buy a bit more time?

[decay]

Kinda does sound like what Dmitriy is suggesting.

Carson, sorry, but after a bunch of research today, I've decided it's best for me to just find an M50TU donor car.

Reason 1: I want to have everything there to make it run, post-swap; hunting down the little parts can nickle-and-dime you to death.

Reason 2: I looked into everything you need to do an M52 on OBDI; see reason 1.

Reason 3: Having learned some tricks while building my M42; I want to apply them to the next engine, but they only work for the M50TU head.

Reason 4: My gf's FR-S is up for lease return next year; if I build her something to commute with, we eliminate a car payment, and that's what I want to do with the donor car.

So yeah. I'm still on the hunt for a 5spd M50TU vert. Saw one on CL for $1500 two weeks ago but it sold before I could make time to go see it. Disappoint, son :(

[CarsonE30]

No idea but I was baffled and have my M3 back! 2mAn yeah, the shop put the head on and told me it still had no compression, when I showed up in the morning however, it was fine so I don't know.
Decay, no problem, I had a guy PM me earlier today anyway, if he doesn't take it, FS thread is soon to come and it'll be off soon!

[decay]

Decay, no problem, I had a guy PM me earlier today anyway, if he doesn't take it, FS thread is soon to come and it'll be off soon!

cool, man. good luck.

[CarsonE30]

cool, man. good luck.

I'm also on the fence about just saying fuck it and using it. Car guy going broke 101

[Cabriolet]

i want to rebuild my m20. this shit is too slow. a nice 2.9 would do

[CarsonE30]

i want to rebuild my m20. this shit is too slow. a nice 2.9 would do

Orrrrrrrr pick up my M52

[JinormusJ]

You picked the wrong guy to ask to buy your m52

[Wh33lhop]

i want to rebuild my m20. this shit is too slow. a nice 2.9 would do

toooold ya.......

I bet my black car would smoke you :p

[decay]

The M20 is a terrible engine. Interference design with a timing belt? Who the fuck thought that was a good idea?

Real E30s have two cams. Eric, you should buy Carson's M52 if you want more power.

[Wh33lhop]

I like m20s but they are certainly not fast. My M50 is about on par with a mid level M20 build.

[kronus]

i don't think you can get reasonable compression on a non-interference engine design.

also yeah eric it felt surprisingly not peppy when i drove it a bit. maybe a timing issue? seemed to idle smooth..