M10 Blown Head Gasket

[Ccoleman]

Hey everyone,

Forgive me if I'm double posting. I'm new to the forum as well as the E30/Automotive game.

About a year ago I purchased a 1984 318i.

It sat for about 4 years before I purchased. I decided to go with this one when I was looking because the body was straight, rust free, and the engine didn't run but at least cranked over.

I did whatever mechanics told me it needed which seems to be basic. New plugs, cap and roter, injectors, water pump, new fuel tank, temp sending unit, power steering pulley, ECU, AFM, and I think a few other items.

According to the mechanic I've been using now since September who does a lot of BMW restorations the car was finally running this weekend and now has a blown head gasket.

My initial thought was to finally just say screw it and swap it out for a M50 or M52. But now considering just fixing the head gasket.

If anyone can point me in the right direction for where I can find out how to do, and how much each option might cost that would be great! I sort of feel like I'm shooting in the dark because I really dont know much about these cars or cars in general.

Thanks!

Clint

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[TobyB]

Well, you're pretty far into the M10, so yank the head!

The M10 is relatively robust, but if it's overheated badly, it won't be worth fixing.
And there won't be any way to tell until you get the head off.

If the head or pistons are damaged, your best bet will be to find a whole
running engine- the cost to fix yours will be high, but good engines aren't
worth much.

As to the overall project, again, since you've bought quite a few M10- specific parts,
I'd say get it going, drive it, and make sure you love it. Get the bugs out of it, blow
out the cobwebs, and have some fun.
Then think about direction- the M10 cars had smaller front struts and drum brakes
in back, so while they're nice and light, they're a bit more expensive to engine swap,
as you'll want the M20 suspension and brake components.

As to resources, the www.2002faq. com is a good place to browse for engine pictures
and blogs of others who've taken M10's apart. They won't be as much help for
the fuel injection (although some do use it on 2002's) but the basic mechanicals of
the engine are very similar.
If you DO decide to build an M10, the crank and pistons from either a 2002 or earlier
E21 give you a true 2 liter engine.

hope that gets you started,
t