Pita to Rep on this phone. So ill pretend I did… +Rep to boxersix… seems like a stand up Guy.
Build and boost said e36
I’m out in Gloversville. I figured it out. Its a broken oil drain plug. Someone must have over tightened it and broke it off in the past.
I’d love to, but don’t have the extra cash on hand to do it right now 
That M3 is lucky to have found you when it did. lol
I know…lol
Adam , it got it set to TDC without the cam locks. Thanks you so much for offering their use to me. I really appreciate it.
I confirmed the broken bolt as the remnants a drain plug:
I keep running into unknown past issues with this vehicle. It has UCC pulleys installed. The power steering pulley has some wear on the outside of it, as if something were grinding on it. See photo:
It just seems strange to me, because I can’t think of anything that would cause this. Other than that everything else is coming together so far…except putting the vanos back together ( major pain in the ass).
I just got in running and now I have misfire codes, P0300 (random misfire) and P0303 (cylinder 3 misfire). I did the usual, swap coils, swap fuel injectors, new plugs…I then did a compression test. As soon as I cranked it over, testing cylinder #1, (fuel shut off and all that good stuff), cylinder #3 looked like a geyser. Antifreeze shot about 3 feet in the air. I guess the problem is diagnosed. I’ll have the head back off in a few hours, I’m taking a break now. Would a warped head cause this? I never overheated the vehicle. Cylinder #3 is the one that previously failed. If the head is warped could it be resurfaced?
A severely warped head yes, but more likely a crack in the water jacket. Not uncommon with these heads when they get hot. We’ve welded many of these heads before because of this.
Also possibly the HG was damaged before installation. I’ve had a few of the VR gaskets cracked right out of the packaging.
Also, did you use NEW OEM headbolts and follow the proper OEM torque and yield sequence? IIRC, it’s a torque @ 20nm, back off, torque 20nm, then a double 90 yield. Each done through a complete sequence. Headbolt threads lightly oiled w/ 5w30
Either way it sucks as you know, stupid head’s coming off again
The head is out and it is cracked on the 3rd cylinder. There is a crack between the water jacket and the valve chamber. Yes, the bolts were brand new, I did torque them properly. I even had to buy a new torque wrench 
I bet the crack was there before. Torquing down the new bolts just opened it up. On cold days I would get a misfire on cylinder 3. Do you think this is something you could repair for me? I’d be willing to drop it of to you tomorrow if it’s possible to fix.
I suspected as such, common again. Usually happens when people fail to bleed the coolant system properly and get localized boiling in one area. The casting is thin and doesn’t take much deflection to crack.
It can be repaired and we can certainly take a look at it for you. I will not be at the machine shop until later in the afternoon but Scott will be there in the AM and will be able to look at it and give you an idea of the work required. Being that it’s near a seat though, the seat will likely have to come out and be installed after the work is complete, which leads into a valve job. Scott can go over the details with you. Can’t E-diag this without seeing it.
Typically the head would be repaired and rough machined, then pressure tested thereafter. Zyglo’ing the head will also show any other cracks that may not be visible to the eye and that may not be causing a current issue, but would eventually lead to a future failure. We can do this as well.
I do have another S50 head I picked up for measurements but it’s going to required a few valves and a seat or two with a valve job, but is not cracked. S50/S52 heads are all the same casting anyway.
How much would you want to sell the other head for? Where is your shop located? I suspect this head probably has more cracks. I may just be better off getting another one.
You often are better off buying a good core to work with, but it’s difficult to actually get one that’s good from people online who don’t know WTF they’re talking about.
I paid $70 for the head, but it’s got a couple bent valves and one seat is nicked. I’d have to get my $70 back, plus whatever work was needed to make it new again(valve job, cleaning, pressure testing, surfacing, etc)
Machine shop information here: www.huntsmachine.com
That sounds fair. I’d probably be better off getting this cylinder head form you. You could scavenge the parts off my S52 head if need be. I’ll try to swing out to your shop tomorrow afternoon.
Damn that sucks!!! I might grab this set of E-Torx…does this have all I would need?
http://www.amazon.com/Lisle-26280-Master-Torx-Socket/dp/B0002NYBVO/ref=sr_1_2?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1296285553&sr=1-2
I don’t have to do anything to my E46 325i yet ( I just changed the vc gasket not long ago) but would like to have a set.
I also need to change the OFH gasket soon as it leaks pretty good.
If you’re yanking the head on an E46 there are some other special tools and cam jigs needed to time the cams as well.
Repairing the oil filter base gasket is easier with the vanos out, but it’s not completely necessary and if the vanos isn’t leaking I wouldn’t touch it. You’d just have some snaking around to do to get everything out and cleaned up.
As far as the torx socket set there it all depends on the OD of the body to get at the headstud. A thinwall design like Snapon will fit, some others do as well. But some of the heavier built ones do not fit in the machined pockets between the cam trays and it requires you to remove the cams and crap from the head to get to the OE studs, which can be a royal pain in the ass and risky with large lift cams. With the proper tool this is not necessary and the cams and trays just stay put. All the other bolts that require this type of socket are relatively open and most sockets should fit them.