Z3 Suspected Head Gasket Failure
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- Joined: Sun 08 Feb, 2015 12:02
- Posts: 70
Z3 Suspected Head Gasket Failure
Morning!
I've got my eye on a Z3 as a donor car for mine. It has a suspected head gasket failure although it drives and runs. What is the easiest way for me to diagnose that?
Might just end up breaking it when I get it anyway once I've took the parts I need but just wondered if I can diagnose the head gasket issue before I do decide to break it.
Cheers
I've got my eye on a Z3 as a donor car for mine. It has a suspected head gasket failure although it drives and runs. What is the easiest way for me to diagnose that?
Might just end up breaking it when I get it anyway once I've took the parts I need but just wondered if I can diagnose the head gasket issue before I do decide to break it.
Cheers
Re: Z3 Suspected Head Gasket Failure
A quick check would be a cylinder compression test in each plug and look for oil in the cooling water.
Regards.
Regards.
Re: Z3 Suspected Head Gasket Failure
Emulsion in expansion bottle and on oil filler cap?
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- Joined: Thu 16 Apr, 2015 12:08
- Posts: 69
Re: Z3 Suspected Head Gasket Failure
What symptoms does it show?
How does the current owner know it has head gasket failure?
How does the current owner know it has head gasket failure?
Re: Z3 Suspected Head Gasket Failure
best way I have found is from a stone cold engine, remove the expansion bottle cap to get rid of any residual pressure then refit.
Start the engine and run for about 30 seconds then switch off.
Remove the cap again and if there is any hint of pressure the gasket is likely to have blown.
Also when at 'normal' temperature the radiator hoses become rigid and not squishy, The heater blows cold, but the temperature goes off the scale.
you can get milky oil on the dipstick and a rise in oil level.. I have never had white steam or drips from the exhaust though.
See my wife's journal below for how I know....
Start the engine and run for about 30 seconds then switch off.
Remove the cap again and if there is any hint of pressure the gasket is likely to have blown.
Also when at 'normal' temperature the radiator hoses become rigid and not squishy, The heater blows cold, but the temperature goes off the scale.
you can get milky oil on the dipstick and a rise in oil level.. I have never had white steam or drips from the exhaust though.
See my wife's journal below for how I know....
Z3 2.8 Progress Journal (Mine)
Z3 1.9 Sport Progress Journal (Wifey's)
I have an element of 'M-styling' on my car, If that's a good enough reason for the manufacturers to adorn a 320 with the M badge, then its certainly a good enough reason for me..
Re: Z3 Suspected Head Gasket Failure
There could be also coolant leak inside the head. Different symptoms.
- Southernboy
- Joined: Thu 07 Oct, 2010 12:39
- Posts: 6436
- Location: Johannesburg
Re: Z3 Suspected Head Gasket Failure
if you have a cylinder head gasket blown there will be oil contamination in the cooling system which can be seen immediately by removing the radiator cap - there'll be oil in the water.
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- Joined: Tue 25 Jun, 2013 21:47
- Posts: 263
Re: Z3 Suspected Head Gasket Failure
The best way to be sure is the compression test as the other symptoms (oil in the water, white smoke from the exhaust) are dependant on where the breach in the gasket lies.
Does the owner report high oil or water consumption with no obvious leaks onto the floor?
You say the engine runs but how well does it run?
If it runs and drives anything like it should then a blown head gasket is unlikely.
As I say get a compression test done and if all cylinders are balanced an in the original specification ball park (don't expect to match the specification now it has miles on the clock!) then the head gasket is ok.
Does the owner report high oil or water consumption with no obvious leaks onto the floor?
You say the engine runs but how well does it run?
If it runs and drives anything like it should then a blown head gasket is unlikely.
As I say get a compression test done and if all cylinders are balanced an in the original specification ball park (don't expect to match the specification now it has miles on the clock!) then the head gasket is ok.
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- Joined: Tue 25 Jun, 2013 21:47
- Posts: 263
Re: Z3 Suspected Head Gasket Failure
It could, of course, be leaking between cylinders and may not be showing any oil / water symptoms but then I suspect it would run like a pig if it started at all.
A compression check could spot this eventuality also.
A compression check could spot this eventuality also.
Re: Z3 Suspected Head Gasket Failure
I agree had some thing like that on my range rover ,gasket had gone between 2 cylinders only showed when I used a pressure tooltherealdb1 wrote:The best way to be sure is the compression test as the other symptoms (oil in the water, white smoke from the exhaust) are dependant on where the breach in the gasket lies.
Does the owner report high oil or water consumption with no obvious leaks onto the floor?
You say the engine runs but how well does it run?
If it runs and drives anything like it should then a blown head gasket is unlikely.
As I say get a compression test done and if all cylinders are balanced an in the original specification ball park (don't expect to match the specification now it has miles on the clock!) then the head gasket is ok.
Peter2b
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- Joined: Thu 16 Apr, 2015 12:08
- Posts: 69
Re: Z3 Suspected Head Gasket Failure
On engine with siamese bores it's not uncommon to find a weak engine is actually pumping between adjacent cylinders.
Although the bores are not quite siamese (casting walls touching each other inside the water jacket) on the BMW engines they are still very close and blowing gaskets between the bores is not unheard of.
Although the bores are not quite siamese (casting walls touching each other inside the water jacket) on the BMW engines they are still very close and blowing gaskets between the bores is not unheard of.
Re: Z3 Suspected Head Gasket Failure
Tell me about it. My Sprite had a new engine just before I got it for that very reason. It drove fine, but stalled rather easily. Turned out to be a crack in the head and a crack in the block.Hairyscreech wrote:On engine with siamese bores it's not uncommon to find a weak engine is actually pumping between adjacent cylinders.
Cheers R.
Arctic Silver '99 Z3 1.9 & Black '59 Frogeye 1275cc
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- Joined: Thu 16 Apr, 2015 12:08
- Posts: 69
Re: Z3 Suspected Head Gasket Failure
Argh, don't mention cracked heads, I think I might need to pull my E30s M20 apart for just this, I'm hopping its something else....Robert T wrote:Tell me about it. My Sprite had a new engine just before I got it for that very reason. It drove fine, but stalled rather easily. Turned out to be a crack in the head and a crack in the block.Hairyscreech wrote:On engine with siamese bores it's not uncommon to find a weak engine is actually pumping between adjacent cylinders.
Cheers R.