Long time BMW owner/BMWCCA member, picking up a '97 2.8 Z3 this week

[Althulas]

Sounds like worn rings.and maybe even piston, hopefully the bores are ok. Do you have one of those borescopes to connect to your phone to inspect the bores? Just thinking maybe a broken ring might have damaged the bore. I doubt it’s the head gasket as I’m sure you would have some mayonnaise by now but a strip down would help diagnose.
Are you going for a rebuild or motor swap? Small block Chevywe are good at spending other members money btw.

 

[e30cabrio]

The bores look good, which is odd.

My preference is to rebuild this motor. I'm working on getting a clearer picture of the damage. I sent the oil out for a determination of what is in it.


I just began trying to do the leak down test yesterday & my 12 year old compressor died.

Picked this up today.

Tucked away.

 

[e30cabrio]

It's official, motor is toast. I'm soooo thrilled.

Extraction has begun, I'll disassemble it once it is out.

 

[e30cabrio]

On the way out.

 

[e30cabrio]

It's out, I'm freaking dead.

The clutch, flywheel & pressure plate look very good. I'll be getting a new clutch & pressureplate.

 

[e30cabrio]

Except the Viktor R (they are crap) gasket I see no issues.

Here are a few more, WD 40 in the head to see if it's not sealed.

 

[e30cabrio]

Mystery solved. Piston #3 has a crack.

Looking for M54B30 pistons, rods & a crank, going 3 litre stroker.

 

[e30cabrio]

It begins! Tear it down this weekend!

 

[e30cabrio]

Ready to pressure wash.

And clean!

And a bonus!

 

[e30cabrio]

Delivery day....

 

[Jam03]

Geez, you don’t mess around! Good luck.

 

[e30cabrio]

Front coil overs in, sway will go in tomorrow, rear next week when I refresh the rear body bushings & rear lower control arm bushings/rear shocks & springs.

 

[e30cabrio]

Motor disassembled, ready to go be cleaned/hot tanked/honed/whatever else needs to be done to make it new adjacent!

Donor, '98 M3

 

[Althulas]

Do you think too much boost contributed to the piston failure?

 

[e30cabrio]

Nope, never got above 5.5, never redlined. I think the motor was badly rebuilt after the previous owner broke the oil pan.

Less than 2 months before I bought it, I called the shop, the previous owner had it towed in with a broken oil pan. I bought the car 10/13/23

 

[e30cabrio]

Lots of things happened today.

Front suspension done.

Whole lot of misc parts.

 

[e30cabrio]

The headers are like jewelry.

 

[e30cabrio]

I got my ECU back.

 

[e30cabrio]

Parts picked up from the machine shop, build happens this weekend!!!

 

[Althulas]

Hope it all goes smoothly for you.