Another Headgasket Bites the dust!

[cantfind1]

Originally Posted by bromers

Feel for you mate.

I've still got 'people' looking at mine - could be a new engine, they think the piston has hit spark plug so not technically a head gasket failure but maybe a HG failure could of caused it ?

Mine's on 28k and has been used mainly as a commuter.

9 weeks and counting and still no remedy.

There definately seems something with age/mileage causing this to happen. Does the standard M3 suffer from the same ?

Someone correct me if I am wrong but I am not sure that the piston hitting the spark plug is possible on this engine as I think it s non interference ie even if your cam chain went the valves would not hit the piston, so I ve heard never actually checked though? any one know for certain?

HG failure would not cause that any way.

Well perhaps its that you are not driving it hard enough you really need to get these engines hot and rev them occasionally to get rid of the carbon build up, it can be quite severe! maybe enough carbon to soak up some of the fuel mixture on initial start up making it run a little rough? Just a thought. Really depends how rough it is though. keep us informed!

[XKaLiBaR]

Would changing the oil very frequently help the HG from not failing?

[shane@mbtech]

Originally Posted by XKaLiBaR

Would changing the oil very frequently help the HG from not failing?

Any routine maintenance will prevent engine issues Yes.

I change my oil after every track day.

I have done 4k in my CSL and oil changed by me 5 times and murketts have just done it last month FOC. It certainly does no harm and the oil temps the cars see when driven hard I think its needed.

That said its very easy for me to change the oil

[_Nathan_]

I used to just stick to the normal service intervals when I was doing a lot of track days, mainly becuase I couldn't be arsed to do anything more :D

[northernjim]

Originally Posted by lawsy

Any routine maintenance will prevent engine issues Yes.

I change my oil after every track day.

I have done 4k in my CSL and oil changed by me 5 times and murketts have just done it last month FOC. It certainly does no harm and the oil temps the cars see when driven hard I think its needed.

That said its very easy for me to change the oil

? Do you get Mick to do it then or something?

[northernjim]

Originally Posted by shimmy

I think you've got another 20k miles of driving yours half throttle around the Ring before you'll need a new HG Matt

I can vouch for that too

[thegingerninja]

Originally Posted by bromers

Feel for you mate.

I've still got 'people' looking at mine - could be a new engine, they think the piston has hit spark plug so not technically a head gasket failure but maybe a HG failure could of caused it ?

Mine's on 28k and has been used mainly as a commuter.

9 weeks and counting and still no remedy.

There definately seems something with age/mileage causing this to happen. Does the standard M3 suffer from the same ?

I doubt the piston would have hit the spark plug - it is probably detonation on the crown of the piston (which can look like physical contact, but only to the untrained eye - which should make you even more concerned about the people taking your engine apart!)

If the coolant isn't changed on time you can get an accelerated rate of corrosion around the block (as it is cast iron) which can weaken the clamping pressure on the gasket between the cylinders. I'm not entirely convinced that just hot running alone can shorten the life of a head gasket - it is more to do with the rate of change of temperature, not the extremes of temperature. It is very important to let an engine warm up gently and allow the different metals to heatsoak during warm up - but just as important is to allow them to cool down. If you do a lap of the Nerdring on a baking hot day and drive flat out all the way to the gantry with your aircon on full and then park it up, you will probably shorten the life of your head gasket (amoungst other things).

[XKaLiBaR]

You dont like the Nerdring?

Isnt the long straight after the gantry enough to let the car cool down? I do agree with you, as i see so many people pull into a pit lane after hot laps, and just park up.

[NZ_M3]

Originally Posted by thegingerninja

It is very important to let an engine warm up gently and allow the different metals to heatsoak during warm up - but just as important is to allow them to cool down. If you do a lap of the Nerdring on a baking hot day and drive flat out all the way to the gantry with your aircon on full and then park it up, you will probably shorten the life of your head gasket (amoungst other things).

I agree completely ... cool down laps are a must (although I gather harder to do at the ring), if you can't do the cool down laps, at least let it idle with the bonnet up after the hard laps.

And ALWAYS let the thing warm up gradually.

[shane@mbtech]

Originally Posted by NZ_M3

I agree completely ... cool down laps are a must (although I gather harder to do at the ring), if you can't do the cool down laps, at least let it idle with the bonnet up after the hard laps.

And ALWAYS let the thing warm up gradually.

I try to put my heaters on full heat with the windows down to get a bit of heat out the engine on my cool down lap, works a treat and the oil temp drops down far quicker too. Gets you a bit hot though