Picked up a 328 E46 saloon earlier in the week hoping it just needed a water pump but looks a bit worse than that... Noticed a load of oil down the o/s underneath the car so thought the rocker gasket was broken but seems fine. Noticed it was oily in by the front coilpack and the plastic gasket I think(?) is gone, see pictured. It's only creamy right up the front by the timing chain, tiny bit in the oil cap recess too - didn't show anything when you opened it though (not visible from above looking in) Anyone had similar on an E46 before? Not expecting good news
Oil leak was probably from the rocker cover gasket, common for leaking. As for the creamy shit that can be caused from other things not just head gasket. I'd just clean it up, Do an oil change and keep an eye on it.
That bit that's broken wouldn't cause a leak, technically you don't actually need the bits between the circular bits.
Ahh, so where would the oil have been leaking from? Just that coilpack 1 was very oily, right where that gasket had broken
Ye even if they look ok they can still be leaking, it doesn't need to be physically broken to leak. Just buy a new rocker cover gasket and job done.
Sound job, I'll get that done. Got into work this morning, my manager is mates with the mechanic who's worked on it in the past and he said he reckons the hg was gone. I'm gonna go see him later, show him the internals and see what he thinks. I don't know what made him determine it was a hg fail in his opinion. For the time being I think a new rocker cover gasket set and fresh oil, see how it goes then. Got a water pump and thermostat too in case. Just don't want to go wasting money on it for it to be the hg after all!
I doubt the HG is gone I had the same gunk under there, its most likely the ccv is blocked (the oil separator ) clean her out under the rocker cover new oil separator and clean all the hoses that cone with it .. Change engine out and itl slowly go away you'd get some that crap from it sitting stand still and cold weather ... Have you even compression tested her? Andrew
No, not got a compression tester, just about to go see this mechanic now as I can only assume his blunt 'it's fucked' answer could come from a compression test to confirm it.
Still waiting on a fucking gasket, did the water pump and thermostat earlier and the thermostat had completely broken apart! Hoping to have it all sorted tomorrow.
I compression tested it, told my manager that I had and that the readings were fine, his mate still reckons its fucked. I want to get it fixed now and go leave some 11s outside his garage to prove him wrong hah
