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Thread: Head gasket help

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    1
    My Cars
    1989 bmw 325ix e30

    Head gasket help

    Hey guys, im newish to working on cars and just got an e30 325ix with a leaking head gasket, i started replacing a head gasket myself but realized halfway through that it probably wasn't a good idea for a novice to try fixing something that complicated. i had gotten all the way to taking off the cylinder head bolts, and i just finished putting it back together but when i started it back up it started spewing white smoke from the exhaust and it idles at 1500 (which im pretty sure is just a crappy idle air control valve). When i started i drained the coolant out of the radiator but forgot to drain the block so when i took off the last cylinder head bolt coolant went everywhere and probablly into the cylinders, is the white smoke thats coming out of the exhaust just the coolant that leaked into the cylinders when i took out the cylinder head bolts? and if so will that go away after running the car a while? or is that the head gasket is leaking much worse? i torqued all the cylinder head bolts to spec or at least close to spec, so it doesnt seem to make sense that the head gasket is much worse. Thanks

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Houston, TX.
    Posts
    21,298
    My Cars
    15 X5, 02 330i, 09 MiniS
    Pure white smoke is indicative of coolant burning off. If it started immediately or near immediate after initial startup it is likely just residual from the work done.

    If it started after while, or it continues to smoke as such for awhile... you've most likely got another problem.

    Did you have the head checked for cracks or warpage when it was off?

    Did you clean, chase, and degrease all the headbolt holes before installing new bolts?

    Did you torque the head to exact specs? Degree angles are a critical measurement you should not approximate on...
    Tenured Automotive Service Professional - Avid BMW Enthusiast

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