Hey,

I’m new to BMW's, but not to general car maintenance... I just got a 1990ish(not sure exact year, but that same model) 525i from a friend with a blown head gasket and cracked radiator.

I've heard BMWs can be a pain to work on yourself, that it’s hard to do everything, and that you often need special tools... how true is this? What is it going to take for me to replace the head gasket and radiator?

I think BMWs are in many ways an easy car to work on. I'll move this to the 5-series forum though in case there are specifics most of the rest of us may not know about ...

For good tech info, check out:

http://www.bimmer.info/forum/

Also, you need to find out which 525i motor you have. If it's the M50, things are a bit more complex and expensive than if you have the M20.

M20 - 2.5l from 89-90, also used in E30 325i.
M50 - 2.5l from late '90-91ish to '95

Either way, make sure you have the head checked out by a good machine shop before you put things back together. BMW heads warp easily due to the long casting, and a warped head is obviously not good. Often by that point it's cheaper to buy a good used motor. Find out what you're in for before you spend much $$ on the current engine.

speaking of a new engine, how much cash would a used engine cost? im used to hondas were i can pick up an old civic engine for a few hundred, but i have a feeling its not quite that easy in this case.

ohh, and is the only way to ID the engine by the year? or is there a marking on the engine or car somewere i could look for? (im really not sure the exact year)

here you go:bmwe34.net (http://www.bmwe34.net/e34main/maintenance/engine/headgasket_M30.htm)

darron

whats the likelyhood that the heads warped? seems like its common with these engines

It's actually pretty likely, depending on how badly it was overheated. That's why I'd recommend taking it off and taking it to a competent machine shop before spending any money on parts or anything. Used engines can run anywhere from $500-1500, depending on what motor and what kind of a deal you can find.

The M20 and M50 look totally different.

http://www.unixnerd.demon.co.uk/m20.jpg
M20

http://www.unixnerd.demon.co.uk/m50tu.jpg
M50