Firstfives.org

Hi guys,

This is a long shot but I'm going to ask anyway! I am restoring my 81 E12 528i and have just discovered that it has a head problem, either a blown head gasket or cracked head. Hopefully it is only the gasket. I have a spare head that is in excellent condition but I myself are not as mechanically inclined as I would like to be. I was wondering if there is anyone in the Melbourne, Australia area that would like to spend a few weekend days helping me change my head over?? Any help would be greatly appreciated as it is beyond just my capability!

Cheers

Scott

What symptoms have lead you to diagnose a head problem? I bought my car which had been advertised as having a blown head gasket, but the problem turned out to be a heavily corroded water pump impeller. It had become ineffective at moving the water through the system and manifested itself with mysterious overheating at high speeds/rpm.

Is your oil all milky? Is your coolant oily?

socalfiver is right.
The way to check for oil & coolant in the wrong places is; pull the dipstick & look without wiping it. Motor off, of course. If it's milky; problem. Also check the inside of your oil filler cap. Again, if it's milky/mushy; problem. It will be a headgasket or cracked head.
When you want to check if your coolant has oil in it, you want the car warm, but not hot. Warm enough for the thermostat to open so you can see coolant moving when you open the coolant resevoir cap, but, not so hot that coolant will gush out.
Also never look in the coolant resevoir til you know the coolant won't gush out. Do the coolant check while the motor is running of course.
Warm up the motor for a coupla minutes at idle. Turn it off for one minute, use a bundled up rag or two as a glove to open the cap slowly. Be aware of the radiator fan! Also, buy a repair manual to refer to.
We hope for the easiest solution, of course. Good luck,,,,Greg

Hi guys, yes, it is unfortuantely a head gasket or cracked head. There is milky oil on the dipstick and on the inside of the oil filler cap. YUK, I have been there before with all of my other E12's in the past and unfortunately it has only just happened. The car started showing signs with bubbling (turned out to be exhaust gas) in the coolant bottle. This car has sat for about 6 years and when I got it, it was running on 5 cylinders. That problem turned out to be the no 6 fuel injector not working. The fuel system was contaminated by rusty fuel from the tank. The tank has been cleaned, all fuel lines flushed, pumps and filters replaced and all rubber fuel lines replaced finally a new fuel injector rail and injectors was fitted.

This solved the problem of poor running and the car runs beautifully. Now though the blown head gasket/cracked head has shown itself. The car is not driven at all and after all the above work was carried out, I simply drove it for about 3 km. This head problem has just started, I suspect it was brewing as the car has not ever overheated since I had it. I am guessing that now that the engine is running on all 6 cylinders, added pressure has been placed on an already failing head gasket. Now I have to take it apart again and have a look at the head. I have a spare 1982 head in good condition but will have this head and the one currently on the car, overhauled. I'm hoping it is just the head gasket. No rough running yet or smoky exhaust, just milky oil and that has only just started so I am pretty sure there wont be much other damage yet.

I do have the haynes manual but some help would be great!

I'm too far to offer help, but will offer words of encouragement.

You can do this. BMW engineered these engines to be easy to work on. Swapping the head on my 528i is easier than any other car I've had the pleasure of doing engine work on.

Follow the directions in the haynes manual, it's really straightforward. The hardest part is going to be corroded exhaust bolts. The most important part is making sure the crankshaft, valve train and distributor rotor are lined up with the TDC marks when removed and then again when installed.

You'll likely need a friend (does not need to be mechanically inclined) to help you set the head back in place (I did it by myself), but there's nothing about the procedure that's particularly extra-technical.

Personally, I find the post-installation valve adjustment to be the most tedious, technical part of the whole operation.


It can be re-assembled in an afternoon.


Good luck, friend. You can do it!

Thanks so much for the encouragement!! I will most probably have to give it a go and I have a very well used Haynes manual (I have had 7 E12's over the years!).

I adore these cars and can't wait to get this one finished and running like new.

Cheers

Scott