I remember lots of cars with that sludge. Non synthetic older oils would break down very quickly. I remember removing valve covers and not even seeing the rockers due to sludge.
Hello George! First thing, congratulations on your recent video clips about the BMW E12! All I want to tell you is that you can try to replace the few parts of the engine that must be replaced, try to give a nice clean-up to other mechanical parts, reassemble the engine, add the fluids, and try to make it run. I think this car is still in good conditions and worth to come back to life. I am sure you are going to get some good results despite the issues you have found. This kind of engine can be fixed with a few replacements and work again for a long time with the due maintenance and love. Please, do not give up the good work done till now! I am looking forward to seeing this engine run again. Nothing is lost yet. See you in your next video! 😉
Awesome work, I think your right on just getting it running. It’s not worth a complete rebuild at this point for the cost you may as well do an engine swap if that was the case.
Engine out and a full strip. Sort the head and cam properly. Check rings (and probably rebore with new pistons and rings) It will be easier than the Mini engine was. Surprised it used torque to yield bolts at that age. At least put some assembly lube on the crank bearings while the caps are off. Honestly, bodging the head and putting it back on to just get it running is probably money down the drain as it will need sorting properly.
@@GeorgeAusters, it might well be, and personally a full rebuild of this car would be more interesting than the Mini. But if you just lob the head back together you are throwing away a gasket set, and depending on the rest of the engine possibly trashing the crank (given how dry the bearings are when you looked at the bottom end). Plus cam bearing clearance is generally 2~3 thou, and the scores in the cam dwarf that. If you just get rid of the scores and put the cam in the clearance will be massive with potentially a load more damaged caused if you run it .
Hey George, keep going as you plan to get it running as cheaply as possible. The treacle looks awful. Get a couple of gallons of diesel to wash it off plus the bottom of the engine. That’s what I did on a L-Jetronic 520i E28 that was full of that treacle. Took me hours, but worked in the end,
I'd be looking for another engine. An E30 320i unit will fit - run it on injection with the E30 loom and ECU. Or, use the 520 carb with a low pressure electric pump (there's nowhere for the mechanical pump on injection engines), distributor etc. The 520 has the awful Solex 4A1 'four headed monster' which is a disaster. That cam is scrap. That will not go again and if you machine the journals down it will lose a LOT of oil pressure and won't have enough to feed the cam spray bar. An M20 cam is cheap enough as are twelve rockers. See if you can just find a good later cylinder head (731 casting). The E12 uses the small port 200 head. The crank should clean up with some 800 grit and new shells. You'll need new rod bolts as well.
At this point pull the pistons and clean them, rings are probably seized. After cleaning the pistons you'll get compression back. Reusing the conrod bolds is no problem, torque them as were they new. Biggest concert is the camshaft and head ofcource.
@@GeorgeAusters why?? You have the head and sump already off, so pulling the pistons is a minute job. Clogged and seized piston rings is probably the cause of this mess.
@@robsijben5707 Because then i'm basically doing a full rebuild and would need to replace all the bearings. It's sometimes not always the easiest to install the pistons back in without damaging the piston rings. I will do a full rebuild later on if enough people want to see it!
But there are not half the little expensive bits and paces there were in your mini engine...meaning those nasty plastic pipes and things, bet there probably is a BMW club just for that car, older cars have keener enthusiasts that are more hands on and they will have a stash of new old stock stuff at good prices. ...having said that ..i would be worried about that rust in the lower parts of the car , get a boroscope down the sills etc ..to make sure everything is as sound as you think it is...have a look inside the petrol tank ..that could be another expense ...before you do any spending ....find out if that cars club has the parts and cheap....another good thing its ULEZ complaint ..no stupid complex electronics to drive you bonkers. strait forward and easy to work on . and will keep its price far better than any modern stuff. BTW - what happened to the garage you were going to build. sludge --- lots short trips and no oil changes, last owner could have been using it for 2 miles round trips to the news agent for years.
Yes you can clean it all off if you use baking soda, but if you use any type of grit it won't wash out and will eventually come loose with the expansion and contraction of the engine
Just because you have always done something a certain way, it doesnt make it right! you say you've never had any issues, so i assume you've stripped the engines down to check for any grit embedment in the bearings? @@GeorgeAusters
That cam and bearings will wear out in no time. you can buy a new camshaft and replace the cam bearings to match at a low cost, probably the cost of replacing all the gaskets and oil when the old set fail.
It’s low ish milage mate while your there, replace bottom end bearing, at least, the head needs attention, your almost there with a rebuild, u had a camera in the cylinders? But a 3.5 in there 😂
You can weld more material onto the camshaft and grind it down to the correct size. I’m sure there are companies that can do this. personally would like to see the engine back to 100% or somewhere near or engine swap it for a v12 😂 not sure if you’ve been looking for parts, but surely there are some out there try owners clubs
All the work needed just to get it just running is pointless. A replacement engine is the only way to go. No matter what it's a money pit or a massive money pit!
CAN WE GET 500 LIKES ON THIS VID?!
Agree , you have to see it moving as well , and then decide what is best
I remember lots of cars with that sludge. Non synthetic older oils would break down very quickly.
I remember removing valve covers and not even seeing the rockers due to sludge.
IN THE BIN!
Not sure why anybody bothers commenting, all this guy does is shut your comment down as he clearly knows it all already guys!
9:39 oil pump still looks happy
Yep I’ve completed stripped it down and the gears look fine👍🏻
Hello George! First thing, congratulations on your recent video clips about the BMW E12! All I want to tell you is that you can try to replace the few parts of the engine that must be replaced, try to give a nice clean-up to other mechanical parts, reassemble the engine, add the fluids, and try to make it run. I think this car is still in good conditions and worth to come back to life. I am sure you are going to get some good results despite the issues you have found. This kind of engine can be fixed with a few replacements and work again for a long time with the due maintenance and love. Please, do not give up the good work done till now! I am looking forward to seeing this engine run again. Nothing is lost yet. See you in your next video! 😉
Thanks Jonni.. appreciate it! Should have another video on it next week hopefully!
Awesome work, I think your right on just getting it running.
It’s not worth a complete rebuild at this point for the cost you may as well do an engine swap if that was the case.
Engine out and a full strip. Sort the head and cam properly. Check rings (and probably rebore with new pistons and rings)
It will be easier than the Mini engine was.
Surprised it used torque to yield bolts at that age. At least put some assembly lube on the crank bearings while the caps are off.
Honestly, bodging the head and putting it back on to just get it running is probably money down the drain as it will need sorting properly.
I will only be doing a full rebuild if enough people want to see it as you'd be looking at around £2k in just parts alone
@@GeorgeAusters, it might well be, and personally a full rebuild of this car would be more interesting than the Mini.
But if you just lob the head back together you are throwing away a gasket set, and depending on the rest of the engine possibly trashing the crank (given how dry the bearings are when you looked at the bottom end). Plus cam bearing clearance is generally 2~3 thou, and the scores in the cam dwarf that. If you just get rid of the scores and put the cam in the clearance will be massive with potentially a load more damaged caused if you run it .
“Slightly more oil clearance” 🤣😂
😂🥲
I think your doing the right thing just getting it running, without throwing a heap of money at it
Appreciate it Michael!
Hey George, keep going as you plan to get it running as cheaply as possible. The treacle looks awful. Get a couple of gallons of diesel to wash it off plus the bottom of the engine. That’s what I did on a L-Jetronic 520i E28 that was full of that treacle. Took me hours, but worked in the end,
Thanks mate. To be honest I have already cleaned the sump and oil pump up enough ready to go on!
@@GeorgeAusters ok, good stuff
How’s the chassis when it comes to rust as coming from mart Armstrong restore videos, these are very rusty underneath
Underneath is not bad.. mainly surface rust!
I'd be looking for another engine. An E30 320i unit will fit - run it on injection with the E30 loom and ECU. Or, use the 520 carb with a low pressure electric pump (there's nowhere for the mechanical pump on injection engines), distributor etc. The 520 has the awful Solex 4A1 'four headed monster' which is a disaster. That cam is scrap. That will not go again and if you machine the journals down it will lose a LOT of oil pressure and won't have enough to feed the cam spray bar. An M20 cam is cheap enough as are twelve rockers. See if you can just find a good later cylinder head (731 casting). The E12 uses the small port 200 head.
The crank should clean up with some 800 grit and new shells. You'll need new rod bolts as well.
I’d quite like to keep things as original as possible as it’s a low mileage car with so much history!
We will get there. If it runs ok then we will go from there 👍
At this point pull the pistons and clean them, rings are probably seized.
After cleaning the pistons you'll get compression back.
Reusing the conrod bolds is no problem, torque them as were they new. Biggest concert is the camshaft and head ofcource.
Way more work than it’s worth I think, I’ll do all that if I decide to do a full rebuild👍🏻
@@GeorgeAusters why?? You have the head and sump already off, so pulling the pistons is a minute job.
Clogged and seized piston rings is probably the cause of this mess.
@@robsijben5707 Because then i'm basically doing a full rebuild and would need to replace all the bearings. It's sometimes not always the easiest to install the pistons back in without damaging the piston rings. I will do a full rebuild later on if enough people want to see it!
But there are not half the little expensive bits and paces there were in your mini engine...meaning those nasty plastic pipes and things, bet there probably is a BMW club just for that car, older cars have keener enthusiasts that are more hands on and they will have a stash of new old stock stuff at good prices. ...having said that ..i would be worried about that rust in the lower parts of the car , get a boroscope down the sills etc ..to make sure everything is as sound as you think it is...have a look inside the petrol tank ..that could be another expense ...before you do any spending ....find out if that cars club has the parts and cheap....another good thing its ULEZ complaint ..no stupid complex electronics to drive you bonkers. strait forward and easy to work on . and will keep its price far better than any modern stuff. BTW - what happened to the garage you were going to build. sludge --- lots short trips and no oil changes, last owner could have been using it for 2 miles round trips to the news agent for years.
Stick a tin of Wynn's treacle in it, that should take a bit of slack up..
Never sand blast any engine parts, as the grit embeds itself into the part and eventually comes loose and ends up in the oil
I make sure to clean everything off before reassembling👍🏻
Yes you can clean it all off if you use baking soda, but if you use any type of grit it won't wash out and will eventually come loose with the expansion and contraction of the engine
@@RW-bi2rp I've always used shot blasters for my engine parts to be honest, never had an issue
Just because you have always done something a certain way, it doesnt make it right! you say you've never had any issues, so i assume you've stripped the engines down to check for any grit embedment in the bearings? @@GeorgeAusters
That cam and bearings will wear out in no time. you can buy a new camshaft and replace the cam bearings to match at a low cost, probably the cost of replacing all the gaskets and oil when the old set fail.
Definitely not… new camshafts are about £500 and I’m not aware of any bearing inserts for the camshafts
I have seen used ones on Ebay for around £100 if they do not have scoring around the journals they would be worth a considering.@@GeorgeAusters
Oil wasn’t as good back then George.
It was mainly mineral based and oxidised badly
Yes that's what I was thinking!
It’s low ish milage mate while your there, replace bottom end bearing, at least, the head needs attention, your almost there with a rebuild, u had a camera in the cylinders? But a 3.5 in there 😂
It’s sacrilege to put it back together like that 😢
Pointless putting new big end bearings in when the main bearings will be similar!
@@GeorgeAusters bottom end rebuild, find a new head? I get u want to get it running but do it once not twice? Love the Chanel tho keep it up 👍🏻
You can weld more material onto the camshaft and grind it down to the correct size. I’m sure there are companies that can do this. personally would like to see the engine back to 100% or somewhere near or engine swap it for a v12 😂 not sure if you’ve been looking for parts, but surely there are some out there try owners clubs
Yes, camshafts can be repaired but then there is still the problem with the head, the rest of the engine and the rest of the car lol
All the work needed just to get it just running is pointless. A replacement engine is the only way to go. No matter what it's a money pit or a massive money pit!
A replacement engine is not cheap and even then that engine may be worse than this one
To me it looks like the engine has been running with a mix of SEA 30 and water. The engine has passed point of no return.
We shall see!
what about piston rings,probably leaks oil too much.
I can imagine they are not perfect by any means!
I think it’s a dead duck tbh
We shall see!
big boy thing. ulez free classics !
Can't wait to drive this oil burner through London haha!
so close to being the 323i .
enjoy that drive through london feeling like your in the 1970's lol@@GeorgeAusters
collaboration with brown car guy when/if 320 gets on the road@@GeorgeAusters