I think my head gasket is blown (318ti)

I'm thinking the head gasket is blown on my m44. I'm just looking for confirmation before I pull it apart. It's using coolant (needs filling every few days). I don't see it leaking anywhere, but I haven't looked really carefully. When I try to bleed the coolant system, little bubbles will keep coming out even after 30 min of idling. If the bleeder screw is out and I rev the engine, coolant sprays out in a fountain. The temp gauge stays in the middle all the time, but its been cold out lately.

Does this sound like a blown head gasket?

Edit: did compression test and all cylinders were between 180-190

Yep

if it's cold out.. how is the steam coming out of the exhaust. When the gasket went on my old saab, it was like a bug sprayer for the first mile or so.

BTW.. how is the oil?

The exhaust is more white than usual. The oil isn't milky or frothy.

I guess that means having the head machined and pressure tested too...

I just had the same thing happen on the 320. On a realtively new motor. Losing coolant, didn't see steam coming out the back, but mine would generally over heat.

I think the geyser from the bleed screw is another inicator.

If the rest of the cooling system is up to par, that's all that's left.

When I pulled the head on mine and checked the gasket, you could see where the combustion chamber was bleading in to the cooling jacket.

I suspect a HG leak, but check the plastic block connectors just in case - one is under the intake (you can probably get eyes on it with a flashlight and mirror). The other connector is on the back side of the head.

A quick compression/leakdown will confirm what you already know.

That's pretty much what mine did when it went.

Now I'm really confused. I did a compression test and all the cylinders were between 180-190 psi? a few months ago I replaced the rad, thermostat and housing, water pump, and hoses.

I'm a little at a loss right now. I'm going to put it on the hoist and run it for a while to see if I can find a leak.

In other frustrating news the drivers window that I replaced the regulator a month ago fell off its track and is now wide open!!!

Mike,

Go to Canadian Tire and pick up a cooling system pressure tester from their loan a tool program. Once you've got some pressure in the system put it up on the lift and look for leaks.

put in a bottle of blue devil sealant and call it good. It was magic on our e36 chumpcar....

rcutclif wrote: put in a bottle of blue devil sealant and call it good. It was magic on our e36 chumpcar....

Will that stuff block off passages in the heater core like bars leaks? I can't really like without heat.

For some reason I read 318ti as 13b and went... "There's no headgaskets in a rotary...."

mw wrote:

rcutclif wrote: put in a bottle of blue devil sealant and call it good. It was magic on our e36 chumpcar....

Will that stuff block off passages in the heater core like bars leaks? I can't really like without heat.

Only if those passages are leaking.... I dont know first hand actually, our chumpcar still technically had a heater core but it was not connected to coolant.

If its worth anything, after the treatment we ran like 17 hrs at full throttle and redline (racing), with zero issues. We then rented the car to another team (full disclosure of said hg and blue devil issues) who raced it at least one weekend with no issues, and then they bought it and told us it was good for another weekend. havent heard anything about it since. but that blue devil fixed the e36s headgasket good'nuff for 5+ full days of racing.... I was damn impressed.

so impressed in fact that I reached out to the blue devil people and they gave us a small sponsorship for the next race.

I might try that if I decide that the head gasket is actually blown. I'll try the cooling system pressure test first and see if there's a leak.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: A quick compression/leakdown will confirm what you already know.

This is exactly what I would do.

mw wrote: Now I'm really confused. I did a compression test and all the cylinders were between 180-190 psi? a few months ago I replaced the rad, thermostat and housing, water pump, and hoses. I'm a little at a loss right now. I'm going to put it on the hoist and run it for a while to see if I can find a leak. In other frustrating news the drivers window that I replaced the regulator a month ago fell off its track and is now wide open!!!

easiest fix in the world.. one I told everyone about on bimmerforums and got ignored. Scrape and clean out all the old gunk out of the track and drop some bearing grease in there. the old grease is all full of crap and is more sticky than slippery, this breaks the plastic blocks off of the scissor arm