Wtb: M50

[iamsam]

So my M42 is toast, I think the head is warped, or something. I did the head gasket, and it still belches coolant. My first clue should have been the fact that the old head gasket looked perfect, and the oil looked like this:




So, anyone know of a good running nv M50 with decently low miles?

Thanks!

[Roland H]

Did you deck the head and have it checked by a machine shop to make sure there were no cracks?

[iamsam]

Did you deck the head and have it checked by a machine shop to make sure there were no cracks?

No, I did not do any of that. I do not have the time nor money. To pay a machine shop to do that, I may as well buy a new motor, and I don't want to put that much money into an old M42 w/ 237k miles.

Also, time is short, as I literally only had last Saturday to do the hg, since the rally is this weekend (which i will still run my car in).

[Roland H]

Also, AR design has a non-vanos M50, probably with all of the stuff you need except maybe the oil pan and such. Not sure why you'd want an NV M50 though... :loco:

[iamsam]

Also, AR design has a non-vanos M50, probably with all of the stuff you need except maybe the oil pan and such. Not sure why you'd want an NV M50 though... :loco:

i see a nv M50 as just a replacement for the M42. Same price, another 60ish hp, i see no reason why not.

[Roland H]

No, I did not do any of that. I do not have the time nor money. To pay a machine shop to do that, I may as well buy a new motor, and I don't want to put that much money into an old M42 w/ 237k miles.

I'm sorry, what?

Getting a head decked is $40. Most shops will do a pressure check and head deck for $100 if you shop around.

Doing a headgasket without getting the head checked/decked is like putting on an oil pan without a gasket.

[iamsam]

I'm sorry, what?

Getting a head decked is $40. Most shops will do a pressure check and head deck for $100 if you shop around.

Doing a headgasket without getting the head checked/decked is like putting on an oil pan without a gasket.

hmm, I didn't think it would be that cheap. Even so, I have no time before the rally event to do that.

[Roland H]

Even so, I have no time before the rally event to do that.

That's really no excuse.

[kellie]

I like doing every job twice. The first time is the dress rehearsal and the second time is fer realz.

[iamsam]

That's really no excuse.

Oh my goodness Roland, let's maybe help with the M50 search instead of telling me what I should and should not have done, because you obviously know better than I do about how much time I do and don't have, and what is going on in my life.

yeesh...

[fsmtnbiker]

What we've learned in this thread:

Never, ever, under any circumstance, try to reinstall a head without getting it machined flat. EVER. It's usually $40 for a head resurface and another $40 to have it hot tanked. $80 to have it pressure tested if you think it's cracked but can't see an obvious spot.

I dunno how an NV M50 will be cheaper than a Vanos one, but if you find a NV M50 I have a NV M50 ECU laying around. Really, though, if you're going through the trouble and time to swap the motor, at least get a vanos M50. What's the point in wasting your (precious, it sounds like) time doing a swap that doesn't benefit the car.

[Roland H]

Oh my goodness Roland, let's maybe help with the M50 search instead of telling me what I should and should not have done, because you obviously know better than I do about how much time I do and don't have, and what is going on in my life.

yeesh...

Just saying man, if you don't have time to do it right, wait until you do. That's why my M5 hasn't moved in 2 months.

U pull and pay has a plethora of M50s, AR should have one...

[Bimmerman325i]

If you dont have time to do it right so that the car can rally for $10, you dont rally for $10. Now you get to spend even more time and much more money to swap an m50 vs getting the head fixed the first time. Turnaround time is fast for shops too, week tops. If you dont have time or money for $80 head repair, where are you going to find the needed $1200+ for a full motor swap plus the labor and troubleshooting time?

Chalk it up as a learning experience, cancel your rally want, pull the head and redo the job with a head rebuild. It will be cheaper than a motor swap in both time and labor.

Also...when you reinstalled the head, did you torque the head bolts to spec with brand new bolts?

[BMWchubbs]

Do not has...

Block is going in my M3, and head is probably going on an S50 that's in need of a head

[iamsam]

Yep, new bolts, correct torque spec. Oh and I finally bought myself a torque wrench which is good.

I concur on all points of "doing it right the first time", and yes, time is precious when you are in school full time plus job plus family.

I honestly was under the (wrong) impression that it would cost more to do the head work, or I would have tried to get it done, seriously. I based my assumption on the fact that I paid $300 (in DE) to clean, pressure check, bore .030 over, and install new freeze plugs and cam bearings in a SBC 350 bare block.

Oh and I can still rally the car, the thing runs great, just burns some coolant.

And on the M50 issue: I have nothing against vanos, if a vanos motor pops up, I will most definitely entertain it. I know there is a raging debate between vanos and non-vanos, which makes me think it is much like any raging debate, there is no truly "better" motor, they are both fine, and everyone is just opinionated. If anyone has real knowledge to back up their opinion, by all means feel free to divulge, I am all ears, and I will always be learning.

Someone had mentioned to me that a nv M50 is easier to boost later on, which seemed reasonable, and based on other threads, the nv has more high end grunt apparently (yaa i dunno)...

And David, I did chalk it up as a learning experience, it was my first head gasket swap ever, but I will go rally it, and THEN pull the head back off, and look into "doing it right". But then the question arises as to whether to dump another $100 or so into the old tired M42.