76 530i..CYL Head is off due to blown gasket.Have questions.

[canada karl]

Finally got the head off. Had to battle with rusted EX Man nuts...the ones that are at the rear of the manifold tucked under the casting. Soaked them overnight,Couldnt get a wrench,socket,cutting wheel , dremel to do the job. Finally dropped the exhaust system and removed head with manifolds on. Anyway the head I removed had been replaced from orignal,it was an "86". (I've got the original papers from the PO and head was replaced on the factory warranty back in the day,probably thermal reactors caused overheating). I couldn't find any evidence of cracks in the places mentioned in the Faq! There was no choc milk in the combustion chambers. Is it possible for the head to warp and blow the gasket with no cracks in the head? The head I'm going to install is from an 87 535i and is marked "85" 1277358. I'm wondering about the timing cover height in case the head has been skimmed before? I plan on taking this head to a shop to have it cleaned and the new valve seals installed. Should I get them to check the head height and get them to match the timing cover to fit? Anything else they should do while it's there? What's a ballpark price to get that done? Also...I need to replace some exhaust studs on the head. Am I going to be able to double nut them after I soak the sh*t out of them with PB blaster and get them out without any issues? CK

[GripGreg]

It's interesting that it took ten years to 'factory replace' the head. If you're using another head, let's not be concerned with the other one.
If there's no milk on the underside of the oil filler cap, you got good & lucky.
Yes, it can be just a head gasket by itself. But, you're not using the old head, right? So, never mind.
Have the 'new' head pressure tested before anything else. The re-grind needs to be done with the timing cover attached. You already know this.
There are markers strategically located around the head. If the next re-grind brings the head down to their height, it might be too close. Check with the big dogs on this.
I just like poppin' in to show what this website has taught me!
I think someone in Canada will give you a more realistic price than someone in Long Beach, Cal. Good luck,,,,Greg
Okay Big Dawgs, your turn

[Mike W.]

Finally got the head off. Had to battle with rusted EX Man nuts...the ones that are at the rear of the manifold tucked under the casting. Soaked them overnight,Couldnt get a wrench,socket,cutting wheel , dremel to do the job. Finally dropped the exhaust system and removed head with manifolds on. Anyway the head I removed had been replaced from orignal,it was an "86". (I've got the original papers from the PO and head was replaced on the factory warranty back in the day,probably thermal reactors caused overheating). I couldn't find any evidence of cracks in the places mentioned in the Faq! There was no choc milk in the combustion chambers. Is it possible for the head to warp and blow the gasket with no cracks in the head?

6 point socket/wrench on exhaust manifold nuts. Although in salt country it might not make much difference. Anyway, an emphatic yes on warping without cracking. I would go so far as to say most warp without cracking. An overheat can do it, but mostly it's just thermal cycling. I've cracked several without ever overheating and no blown HG. But later, ~82+ heads don't usually crack.

The head I'm going to install is from an 87 535i and is marked "85" 1277358.

Fine, that's the standard mid 84+ thru about 86/87 head.

I'm wondering about the timing cover height in case the head has been skimmed before? I plan on taking this head to a shop to have it cleaned and the new valve seals installed. Should I get them to check the head height and get them to match the timing cover to fit? Anything else they should do while it's there? What's a ballpark price to get that done?

Very good idea, it can get ugly if the upper timing cover is thicker than the head. Don't worry much about thickness, I've taken them down ~.025" or more. It's not as big a deal as they claim.

Also...I need to replace some exhaust studs on the head. Am I going to be able to double nut them after I soak the sh*t out of them with PB blaster and get them out without any issues? CK

Probably. Don't forget you can just clamp a vice grips on the stud by the head and not even risk screwing up where the nut would go. Or use a double nut and a vice grips to get leverage at two different points. But I don't think it will be a problem, usually 3 or 4 come out as I try and unscrew the nuts.

[Odometergears]

No question. Bring the upper timing cover with the new head to the machine shop. Have them worked on in pairs. Get the proper thickness for the head gasket. When test fitting the head gasket, try it on BOTH the head and the block. Check VERY carefully for the coolant and oil passages. I was doing the opposite of you. I had an '80 block and a '79 head. Even the dealership had the part number for the head gasket wrong. I don't think you should have a problem going the reverse.

Jeff

[GripGreg]

AHA! To put it in other words, what Jeff @ Odometergears means, is to make sure the gasket clears the coolant & oil passages for good flow. It's important!
Whenever you need your odometer gears rebuilt, Jeff's the guy.
He's another big dawg ,,,,Greg