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Thread: pb was cylinder head WTB M50 non vanos head.

  1. #1
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    Default pb was cylinder head WTB M50 non vanos head.

    Well the 525it overheating problem was the cylinder head, it took me 2.5 hours to take the head off the car and realizing that the problem was a cracked from the intake valve to the cooling passage.

    I will see if my machine shop can fix it, else I will need a new head.

    I like the M50 non vanos engine with the aggressive cams and no vanos rattle noise so I do not really want to start a swap. And a turbo M50 will be good down the road.

    Anyone has a cheap M50 head non vanos kicking around???
    '85 Euro 635csi Race Turbo, megasquirt, Group A
    '92 525i Touring 5 speed, 3.46 diff, UUC 8.5lb flywheel, soon to be turbo.
    '02 Subaru WRX Wagon with STI springs, bigger sway bars

  2. #2
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    if you can't find a cheap one i can probably dig one up but i get $600+ for a good complete head, a potentially better flowing maybe longer lasting head would be a vanos head, dress it with your cams and it's good ta go, maybe even better would be a m52 (not tu, only single vanos) it would have fresher less worn lifters and cool beehive looking springs but you'd need to drill and tap the hole for the 2nd coolant sensor (some had a plug screwed into the hole) vanos m50 and m52 heads have smaller valve stems and much longer lasting guides, a NV m50 can suck oil past the guides like it's a design feature and amazingly not emit one poof of smoke
    all america wants is cold beer warm cat and a place to take a poop with a door on it

  3. #3
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    Going through the same thing for an e36...Looked around for a head...But gotta deal on a whole M50 for $300, so I'll be lazy and swap it out.


    Vee ave vays of dealing vid your kind...........

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Blitzkrieg Bob View Post
    Going through the same thing for an e36...Looked around for a head...But gotta deal on a whole M50 for $300, so I'll be lazy and swap it out.
    Even if I find another engine, I will have to pull the head and redo it and knowing myself I am going to rebuild the engine and start fresh. I just want to get that touring on the road and sell my Jeep.

    Soooo, I will try to get a cheap head somewhere or get mine repaired if that is possible.
    '85 Euro 635csi Race Turbo, megasquirt, Group A
    '92 525i Touring 5 speed, 3.46 diff, UUC 8.5lb flywheel, soon to be turbo.
    '02 Subaru WRX Wagon with STI springs, bigger sway bars

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by winfred View Post
    if you can't find a cheap one i can probably dig one up but i get $600+ for a good complete head, a potentially better flowing maybe longer lasting head would be a vanos head, dress it with your cams and it's good ta go, maybe even better would be a m52 (not tu, only single vanos) it would have fresher less worn lifters and cool beehive looking springs but you'd need to drill and tap the hole for the 2nd coolant sensor (some had a plug screwed into the hole) vanos m50 and m52 heads have smaller valve stems and much longer lasting guides, a NV m50 can suck oil past the guides like it's a design feature and amazingly not emit one poof of smoke
    Thanks, but I read that some coolant or oil passage holes were different on the two cylinder heads...
    '85 Euro 635csi Race Turbo, megasquirt, Group A
    '92 525i Touring 5 speed, 3.46 diff, UUC 8.5lb flywheel, soon to be turbo.
    '02 Subaru WRX Wagon with STI springs, bigger sway bars

  6. #6
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    Keep it pure Bruno... if i ever swap engines I'm keeping my simple and higher revving NV head. Vanos head swap means harness rewire, ecu swap, etc.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by attack eagle View Post
    Keep it pure Bruno... if i ever swap engines I'm keeping my simple and higher revving NV head. Vanos head swap means harness rewire, ecu swap, etc.
    I have done it on the race car when I swapped my 2.8l 270hp engine instead of my failed M50 NV.

    But I like the M50 NV engine, so I want to try to find a head to fix it. (and the AC is super cold so I don't want to touch it hehehe.
    '85 Euro 635csi Race Turbo, megasquirt, Group A
    '92 525i Touring 5 speed, 3.46 diff, UUC 8.5lb flywheel, soon to be turbo.
    '02 Subaru WRX Wagon with STI springs, bigger sway bars

  8. #8
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    i never said to convert it to vanos just use the vanos head without the vanos cams and servo, i've done it many times back and forth, use the NV cams and cover plate and as a bonus the smaller diameter valve stems may flow better besides being less wear prone

    just another option for a head so you aren't stuck looking for a two year only head, heads up to 98 bolt right up with the same gasket
    all america wants is cold beer warm cat and a place to take a poop with a door on it

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by winfred View Post
    i never said to convert it to vanos just use the vanos head without the vanos cams and servo, i've done it many times back and forth, use the NV cams and cover plate and as a bonus the smaller diameter valve stems may flow better besides being less wear prone

    just another option for a head so you aren't stuck looking for a two year only head, heads up to 98 bolt right up with the same gasket
    I didn't know that the non vanos head could be installed also... that is definitively an option. So I do use the M50 NV gasket right?

    Thanks.
    '85 Euro 635csi Race Turbo, megasquirt, Group A
    '92 525i Touring 5 speed, 3.46 diff, UUC 8.5lb flywheel, soon to be turbo.
    '02 Subaru WRX Wagon with STI springs, bigger sway bars

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bruno View Post
    I didn't know that the non vanos head could be installed also... that is definitively an option. So I do use the M50 NV gasket right?

    Thanks.
    Hah, if you want manic compression you could always use the M50B20 head on the M50B25 block, though you have to use the oversized head gasket and make sure your big ends are in good condition!

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