Not blow yet, but whats wrong with her?
 

Ok so my engine is a 100% stock M50tu. I'd ask on the BMW forums if I was not banned on 10+ accounts from all of them.
A replacement engine is going to run me ~500, to change HG is going to be ~100$ to borrow bmw tools, 215$ arp studs, ~250$ MLS HG.
I can't decide if the ringlands are blow or if the HG is blown... still drives normal, still makes full boost no problem, MPG is down about 10%.
Coolant in rad looks good. Oil in VC looks good, maybe like a tiny bit of cloudiness, but 90% fine to the eye. After some racing to the mid 100's with the fags from 3si VR4 forums it shut down, i restarted and it fired right up but has been SHOOTING what looked like smoke and oil from the valve cover. I ran a clear tube from the VC to the outside of the car (see below) and it appears to actually be shooting steam?? It looks like water, feels a tad oily and does not leave residue on glass. After diriving for a few miles there is something almost foamy in there like you would see with a blown HG, but its straight water and disappears. No oil residue left inside, no coolant smell.



So, the symptoms:
shooting "steam" from valve cover
clean coolant
LOSING A LOT OF OIL like 1qt every hundred miles


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...FILE0005-8.jpg

I figured if it was oil and smoke shooting from the VC = cracked ringlands but perhaps its just HG? if thats the case I'll do the studs/gasket, and if the fucker blows anyways I can swap studs/gasket to a new motor.

Opinions? thoughts? where is my oil going? car does not smoke. =/ No obvious leaks when parked overnight, unless its leaking only when driving, because I did notice a lot of oil on the undercarriege.


In the meantime, I've been making sure to turn her out to the nog setting of boost every time I drive the 1.5miles to school.

Re: Not blow yet, but whats wrong with her?
 

Do a comp/ leak down test. It will tell you everything you want to know. BTW I like you lip. Post some pic's of the car/ setup.

Re: Not blow yet, but whats wrong with her?
 

didn't we forget a clamp on the return line when we first installed the kit?

Re: Not blow yet, but whats wrong with her?
 

about 3 flanges, 2 drain lines, and 12 clamps ago... drains dont need clamps btw.... those paper gaskets worked kinda mint.

Re: Not blow yet, but whats wrong with her?
 

youre throwing oil out your tailpipe or possibly turbo is eating it. hard to say, but oil doesn't always smoke. my toyota drank oil when the hg was blown, but only had a little startup smoke. take a cold startup vid of your car (from tailpipe), and post here.

Re: Not blow yet, but whats wrong with her?
 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N98X624KkAw
=)

ill get a cold startup vid tommorow

Re: Not blow yet, but whats wrong with her?
 

youve got water in your oil. cracked a sleeve low, leaking water from below the rings perhaps?

Re: Not blow yet, but whats wrong with her?
 

That looks like blow-by to me dude. Something is fucked.

Re: Not blow yet, but whats wrong with her?
 

Quit being lazy and just pull your head off and investigate. Your going to have to do it regardless of everyone's thoughts here anyways. Might as well jump in head first and fing out what the ---- is going on.

Re: Not blow yet, but whats wrong with her?
 

Can't or else I would have. Simple as that. If the head comes off its going to be when the 2bar of boost blows it off. I am ACTIVELY shopping around for a spare motor in the mean time. It sucks filling up the DD with as much oil as gas like I drive a ------- rotary.