The "Basket Case BMW" Project (Page 2/7)
Blacktree AUG 18, 12:33 PM
Unfortunately, I'm back doing rehab work on the engine. It developed a lifter tick, and the tick quickly got worse. I think it has a collapsed lifter. I did a compression check, and cylinder #4 has low compression. So the bad lifter is probably there.

Also, this engine is full of sludge. I got a look at it when I replaced the valve cover gasket, and it wasn't pretty.

https://i.imgur.com/GeWIYFC.mp4

I had to pull the cams to get at the lifters. The cam girdles were caked with black gunk.

https://i.imgur.com/Kd16x7M.mp4

I decided, while I have the top end apart, I'm going to clean out all that crap. It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it...

[This message has been edited by Blacktree (edited 08-18-2020).]

LitebulbwithaFiero AUG 19, 09:47 AM
The cleaner you can get it the better off you will be.

Might want to try using some kind of cleaner in the oil, if you are not against such a thing.
Blacktree AUG 19, 11:24 AM
Yep. I let it idle for awhile with a couple quarts of diesel fuel mixed in the oil, before I started the work. I figured that would soften up the sludge. I'll do the same, after I finish the work, to clean out any left over gunk.

Side note: Cylinder 4 did in fact have a collapsed lifter, on the intake side. So I ordered a new one.
Australian AUG 25, 05:01 AM
My girl friend has one of these and is super low I was changing coils on it a few months ago so stole it for the day as flushed radiator really nice to drive you will probably want to keep it.
Blacktree AUG 25, 05:49 PM
Yeah, I plan to keep this car for a long time. To put things in perspective, I kept the Fiero for over 20 years. And this car replaces the Fiero. IMO, the BMW e46 chassis is a great basis for a fun weekend car. I went into this knowing it's a distressed vehicle. It's a little more distressed than I bargained for, but that's not the car's fault.

That said, the chassis and suspension are in pretty good shape. There's very little rust. All the ball joints and tie rods are good. The transmission shifts fine. The brakes are good. etc.

So basically, the main concern is the engine. It has been neglected, for sure. But I don't see any signs of major internal damage. No rod knock. No metal shavings in the oil. No oil in the coolant, or vice versa. But the amount of sludge in there is concerning. I'm going to drop the oil pan, and see what the bottom end looks like. If it's as disgusting as the top end, I'm just going to pull the engine and overhaul it.

I made a video about the sludge, and the lifter ticks, and stuff:



Part 2 will cover dropping the pan, pulling the timing cover, and finding a nasty surprise. Stay tuned!

[This message has been edited by Blacktree (edited 09-12-2020).]

Monkeyman AUG 25, 06:37 PM
I know nothing about engines but with all that crap in there, wouldn't it make sense to pull it and rebuild it no matter what the oil pan looks like? Spend more now to save more later, maybe? I mean, if you can rebuild it now while most of the parts are still good, it might save you money and a tow bill later if you grenade the motor due to all the crap. Might need a new motor then. Just a thought from someone who doesn't know a cam shaft from a dipstick.
Jake_Dragon AUG 30, 11:48 AM
Wow that's a lot of sludge.
Its never going to get clean without taking it apart. You will always wonder what else is going to happen.
Better to do that now before adding any power bolt-ons.
Blacktree AUG 31, 04:25 PM
The 2 main places for sludge buildup are the cylinder head and oil pan. That's where the oil tends to pool. So that's where deposits form (for the most part). I already cleaned most of the crud out of the cylinder head. And over the weekend, I dropped the oil pan to clean it.

Surprisingly, I didn't find much sludge in the oil pan. What I did find was lots of plastic debris. It looks like pieces of the timing chain guides. And some of that debris got sucked into the oil pump pickup. Good thing I dropped the pan, because that could have caused catastrophic damage.

The good news is, now the oil pan is nice and clean (inside and out).



The bad news is: the timing cover needs to come off, so I can replace the timing chain guides. I already replaced the upper guide. It can be accessed through the valve cover. It was broken too.



It's pretty scary how close this engine was to oblivion.
Blacktree SEP 10, 06:52 PM
My suspicions are confirmed. One of the timing chain guides disintegrated. The debris fell into the oil pan, and clogged the oil pump pickup.

I may have used some PG-13 language...

A couple photos of the carnage.





Those are the two standoffs that hold the one chain guide. When the guide went away, the chain wore into them.

Parts are on order. So now I'm in a holding pattern. In the meantime, lots of stuff had to be removed to get at the timing cover. All of it is covered with grime. So I think I'll take some stuff to the machine shop for a nice hot bath.
Blacktree OCT 10, 09:16 AM
Wow, it's been a month since my last post? How time flies...

Anyway, the engine is back in one piece, and the damage is repaired. That rabbit hole was pretty deep. As mentioned above, the timing chain guides broke apart and created a bunch of debris inside the engine. Also, the standoffs for the one guide were damaged. I replaced all that stuff, and re-installed the timing cover.

While I had all that stuff apart, I also decided to fix some other issues. For example, there were some fluid leaks. So I replaced some of the gaskets and seals. Also, the heater hoses were trash, so I replaced them. Plus, the engine was covered in grease and grime. So I gave it a good wash. And I replaced some rotted vacuum hoses.



That said, there is still some valvetrain noise. I'm not sure if that's because of worn lifters, or low oil pressure. The car doesn't have an oil pressure gauge, so I'll have to install one.