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Tech Forum : Changing Head

- BMW E21 Community
   - Tech Forum
      - Changing Head
g323   Posted Friday, May 16th 6:21pm [Edit] [Quote] [IMS] [View car]
Member
Post nr. 269
   
California
323i 1982
How easy is it to change out the head? lets say i just bought a new rebuilt head, how many hours to take out the old and put in the new? how easy? I have the manuals but Im asking about simple steps and ease

For more info, the idea would be to take out my stock 323i 1982 head and put in an 885, leaving the K-jet, would i have any problems with this? any gains? losses?

this is really 3 questions then

1) gains or losses or problems of 885 head on 323i 1982 stock block with K-jet?

2) Ease of install (simple breakdown of steps)?

3) time of install?

MayanArch   Posted Saturday, May 17th 3:18pm [Edit] [Quote] [IMS] [View car]
Member
Post nr. 1555
   
Florida, USA
Baur E21 2.7 1982, Baur E30 318i 1985, 323i 1978
It will change the feel of your car, but probably not have any significant gains for what is very expensive and time intensive job....in my opinion.

You would need to change the headers and the intake for you to take advantage of the better flowing head........probably including the intake manifold.

The better flowing head only makes sense if it is braketed by better flowing components.


g323   Posted Saturday, May 17th 7:36pm [Edit] [Quote] [IMS] [View car]
Member
Post nr. 270
   
California
323i 1982
agreed it would be a lot of work, but its in response to the valve seal problem.

http://e21.tricord.be/forum/view.php?view=28486&highlight=valve+seals

Any idea what a mechanic would charge to fix the valve seals?

Spare head for sale anyone?

MayanArch   Posted Saturday, May 17th 8:59pm [Edit] [Quote] [IMS] [View car]
Member
Post nr. 1556
   
Florida, USA
Baur E21 2.7 1982, Baur E30 318i 1985, 323i 1978
I inquired a little bit back, and I was told that the actual valve seal is between $125 and $225. The problem is that the total bill is over $1000 because of the dissasembly.

Those are Miami prices. California prices may be higher depending on the city.

If you are good with mechanics, and can go without the car for a while.....its something that you can do.

The tricky part is unbolting the head from the block. You can damage the head by warping it by either taking the bolts off or put on in the wrong order. They have to be torqued in a right order to the right specs.

Putting it back together you need to be careful to make sure the intake manifold, throttle body, and headers have a good new seal against the head.

Any mechanic will most likely send the head off to a machine shop anyway. Very few of them will do the job themselves. What you are paying for is knowing what machine shop can do a multi-angle valve adjustment........and knowing how to pull the head off and put it back on the right way.


TJ   Posted Sunday, May 18th 10:57am [Edit] [Quote] [IMS] [View car]
Member
Post nr. 61

NY, USA
82 528e2i 84 320i/4 80 320i
I got my 885 head from a junkyard car and pulled out everything but the valves and springs myself. I took it to a machine shop to be checked for straightness and get the valves done, and it was pretty inexpensive (don't remember exactly but it couldn't have been much more than $100)

Another issue though with the 885 on a 2.3 block might be the larger combustion chamber volume

MayanArch   Posted Sunday, May 18th 3:24pm [Edit] [Quote] [IMS] [View car]
Member
Post nr. 1557
   
Florida, USA
Baur E21 2.7 1982, Baur E30 318i 1985, 323i 1978
If all you need is a valve seal job, then it sounds like you have a good working head. All you need to do is find a machine shop that does multi-angle valve jobs for German cars and take it to them.

The time your car will be down has to do with the assembly and disassembly...not necessarily the actual valve job.

I guess you could save a bit of time by having a spare head remanufactured while you pull the car apart.......but you also need a spare head 323i head.

If you can go without the car for a while, just refurbish your current head once it is pulled.


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