engine and head problem

[grms]

Hi every one i have a problem i have 98 318ti with a blown head gasket took the head out and i was told is was bad. so i went ahead and bought one from craigslist well to find out the block or engine i have is from, not sure but i was told from a 95-96 maybe, well i put it together i had to replaced a few parts like timing cover and cam sensor.

the problem

i got the car running but i have a miss in cyl one, i was told the head was in good shape. no compresion dead cyl..
im thinking of taking the head off and send it inn to get it check. but what are the chances of the block been bad.

i remember the guy telling me that the reason why he was saling was cuz engine was cracked in cyl 1.. maybe the head is bad?

is the head a 98 compadable with the 94-95-96-97?



thanks for your time im lost. what to do?

[dave45056]

heads from 94 and 95 not compatible with your engine (m42).
Everything from 96 up is compatible (m44).
But the heads look completely different. M42 heads have hydraulic valves, and the M44 heads have roller rockers which are hydraulically adjusted.
Also the Camshaft position sensor is on the opposite cam between these engines.

Bottom line with your problem is this: I think the cause of the lack of compression in cylinder #1 is a crack in the head. It seems too coincidental that the guy selling the head happened to have the block fail on the same cylinder.

This is what I would do. Take the head off and have it checked out at a shop that does engine machining. If its bad, they will tell you what's wrong with it. Then you cn see if you want to repair it or ???

Lastly, I would be surprised if you get your money back from a CL seller. Caveat Emptor is the rule on CL.

[grms]

can i still use the same head if good well if fixeble? or would i have to get the right head for the motor? thanks for all the information very helpfull.

[dave45056]

Take a picture of the front of the engine and of the head with the valve cover off and post it here. It's easy to see the difference between an M42 and M44 head if you know what you are looking for.

[grms]

i know the head is not for the block the cam sensor is in the opposite side and the crank or knock sensor are different the engine harnes is different.
can i swap the m44 head in a 95 block?

[blowin 4]

i have a 98 block with 94 m42 head i also have a 94 block with 96 head all you need is a cam cover sensor and change the timing gears and you'll be fine you have a miss cuz your cam sensor trigger is not firing at tdc at cylinder 1 . also youll need to wire yr temp sensor and cold start sensor m42 has 2 sensors m44 has a single 2 stage sensor i have done it all. also you can use your same harness. you will have cold start problems cuz the sensors have deferent readings but its no big deal .