engine and drivetrain A few questions if you guys could help me out!

[dzlnitro]

So, i've decided to keep my 02 and fix it since its a good example to restore. I'm not doing the best restoration but i just want it to be sturdy on the road.

So far i've had only 1 body shop accept the car. The car itself is in strong condition, but the suspension and brakes, and what not are crap.

Now i have to drive about 11 miles on crappy brakes, and if i hit a pot hole too hard i think a shock could pop out. I'm gonna have my father follow me to the body shop in case something bad does go wrong. (And i'm sticking to local roads no highways!)

So, i've talked to 1 fellow and said if i avoid big pot holes and cruise at a steady 45mph i should be fine to go.

On to the questions. The engine out of my 02 is a m10 1.8l out of a 320i converted to carb. Its rebuilt but and starts and pulls strong but i need a new head gasket i believe. Could someone direct me to where i can get a gasket, and will this be difficult on my own to change?

It's leaking oil right onto the headers after about 5min of use. I want to give it an oil change before i go, what oil should i use?

2nd question is, the fuel injector holes were never plugged. The original owner told me to use ball bearings, but i've been to 3 shops and they couldn't tell me where to get the ball bearings to plug them with. Is there any other method someone could recommend me? He said it could be dangerous to run for a long time since it could cause compression issues.

Thanks for your help guys!

-Mike

[dzlnitro]

40 views, not 1 reply, people tell me this is the place to go for questions regarding the 02!

[cj]

This is pretty difficult to say but, here it goes.

Before spending the money on paint and body, Get it to a shop to address ALL the mechanical issues. Especially the basics. Brakes, cooling system, ignition, and suspension.

Do NOT drive it with questionable safety issues(brakes, suspension).

There's nothing worse than driving a good looking classic, only to be broken down on the side of the road because of something simple being overlooked.

I'd much rather drive a beat looking '02 that is safe and will drive cross-country with NO issues.

As for the injector holes, you can install freeze plugs bought from a local NAPA store. They will have the proper size and will be a long term fix.

BTW, I/we don't know where you're located so I can't say who or where to talk to regarding repair.

Cris

[dzlnitro]

I'm located in LI Ny, i know of a few bmw speciality shops but they're quite expensive, i'm trying to do as much work as possible myself mechanically. I think i should be able to do the suspension myself, as i've done suspension on a few different cars.

[Mike Self]

correctly, and most importantly, stopping properly before you start on the cosmetics. Let's looks at the two problem areas you mentioned: shocks and brakes.

If you have a good basic understanding of things mechanical, you can change the shocks yourself. For the fronts, you'll need besides the normal tools, a spring compressor to dismantle the Macpherson strut to replace the front shocks. If that sounds daunting, try and find a friend who's done the job on another '02, or even another make, as Macpherson struts are similar from car to car. Get a 2002 manual. If you feel too intimidated to try the fronts, have a shop do them, and do the rears yourself. They're simple bolt-ins. Bilsteins are pricy, but they last forever so you'll only do the job once.

You also want to make sure your steering tie rods are good and tight, and your front suspension bushings are good. Mine were still pretty decent after 200+k miles, so they're pretty long lived. Check 'em anyway.

Brakes: so long as you don't have to change the metal lines (unlikely unless the car is a rustbucket), brakes are pretty easy. Check for leaky calipers and wheel cylinders, check front pads for wear, same with rear shoes. Check rotors for bad scoring. Check front brake hoses for condition. Replace what's bad.

Lotsa stuff on the board's archives on all this stuff, and plenty of folks who can answer specific questions as you delve into your car.

You learn by doing. I learned how to do my front suspension by doing my '73, then I did my 69's this winter. I'm getting good at it! You can too...

Happy wrenching

mike

[Pierre]

If it's the oil leak, I suspect a valve cover gasket, or maybe exhaust manifold studs.

I don't recommend you doing a head gasket alone if you don't have strong enough mechanical experience. Head gaskets are not an easy job.

[dzlnitro]

valve cover gasket, ok you guys know more than me, its probably that than.

my brakes, they brake, and dont squeel but it feels like not enough pressure is going to them, because my brake booster is leaking, so i'm assuming there is some air in the lines and well i dont have the proper amount of brake fluid.

What are the rubber gromets that go above the shocks where the bolts are? I need them all around, cause they are rotting as well.

[John_in_VA]

I'd imagine you're speaking of the upper strut bearing (AKA bushing). The rubber containing the bearing will deteriorate over time. A good thing to replace while you're doing everything else. You can use the ones for E21 320i - they have the shorter studs, so you can remove the round aluminium spacers, if your car still has them.

[dzlnitro]

Cool thanks for the replies, can anyone tell me where to get those bushings? and a valve cover gasket?

Is a valve cover gasket different than doing a head gasket, would this be on the basic mechanical knowledge that i have to be able to change it?

[ray_]

Buy a Haynes manual and read it.

Why do u think you need a head gasket?

Buy your stuff here:

http://www.bmw2002faq.com/component/option,com_bookmarks/Itemid,66/mode,0/catid,7/navstart,0/search,*/

GL,

Ray

Cool thanks for the replies, can anyone tell me where to get those bushings? and a valve cover gasket?

Is a valve cover gasket different than doing a head gasket, would this be on the basic mechanical knowledge that i have to be able to change it?

[dzlnitro]

I bought a haynes manual, but its for a 2002 not a 320i, i dont think it covers the m10 1.8l, but they are basically all the same engine correct?

[napa02]

You say your car starts and runs well, but you think the head gasket is leaking? Sounds like we are not troubleshooting, but throwing darts. Sorta like " doctor I don't feel well I think I need open heart surgery " How old are you? is it too late for high school auto shop? do schools still offer shop classes? If not how about a local junior college? You would be surprised a how far some basic automotive repair knowledge and hours of searching the FAQ archives, will go to keeping your 02 alive. Most shop classes will let you work on YOUR own car, with some knowledgable supervision of course. And on top of that, it's fun, you get college credits, saves you money and frustration on your car. just my thoughts. good luck and how about some pix of the motor.

[dzlnitro]

back in highschool my teacher was and still is an 02 nut job, so he got me into 2002s, and well i picked one up. All we did was work on 02's in shop class, and i bought one maybe a year after i got out of highschool and this has been sitting in my garage for about 2 years now. I'm 20, and i'm still learning alot about these cars, but thanks for your help.

[dzlnitro]

so where you would fill the oil, that whole part would be leaking oil onto the headers, so i'm assuming its not the head gasket, it would be the valve cover than?

[napa02]

Yes that would be the valve cover. what is that black canister thing with the hose attached, on top of the brake booster?