1990 750iL Head Gasket Blown?

[caribeso]

We have been pumping bucks into my wife's 750 for the past four years. She refused to sell it - she loved the creature comforts. Last time she took it to the shop, they said that the head gasket (s?) were blown, and the eml light kept going on. It had at times upon startup blown a lot of white smoke out the exhaust, which to me is a possible sign of head gasket. Is there a way to check this? Compression check? Is it worth it at all? The head gaskets seem to be 40 each, and 200 for the set. Is this something I can do myself or am I crazy and should sell this thing to the steel recycler? I have done head gaskets on other cars, but this thing is a bear, esp 12 cyl and all. Before this it still had that great get up and go, tho it drank oil. Now it barley makes it home. HELP!

[exploded99]

Originally Posted by caribeso

We have been pumping bucks into my wife's 750 for the past four years. She refused to sell it - she loved the creature comforts. Last time she took it to the shop, they said that the head gasket (s?) were blown, and the eml light kept going on. It had at times upon startup blown a lot of white smoke out the exhaust, which to me is a possible sign of head gasket. Is there a way to check this? Compression check? Is it worth it at all? The head gaskets seem to be 40 each, and 200 for the set. Is this something I can do myself or am I crazy and should sell this thing to the steel recycler? I have done head gaskets on other cars, but this thing is a bear, esp 12 cyl and all. Before this it still had that great get up and go, tho it drank oil. Now it barley makes it home. HELP!

If the auto trans has well under 100k on it, the a/c has been converted from r-12 to r-135 and is in excellent working order, the exterior and interior are in very good to excellent shape, and the climate control works flawlessly, it may be woth attempting a fix. Unless you are very confident of the other major mechanial items, time to play taps.

Assuming the above items are ok, you could take a compression test, but unless all cylinders are above minimum compression, junk it. The compression test checks rings and valves, if the test is not good you are looking at at least a full valve job - pricey on a v-12. Even if the compression tests ok, you probably need a full set of valve stem seals to make it quit drinking oil.

In Denver we have a section in the want ads called rebuildable cars and trucks. You might find someone who wants it for the parts given you have done a lot of work.

[caribeso]

Originally Posted by exploded99

If the auto trans has well under 100k on it, the a/c has been converted from r-12 to r-135 and is in excellent working order, the exterior and interior are in very good to excellent shape, and the climate control works flawlessly, it may be woth attempting a fix. Unless you are very confident of the other major mechanial items, time to play taps.

Assuming the above items are ok, you could take a compression test, but unless all cylinders are above minimum compression, junk it. The compression test checks rings and valves, if the test is not good you are looking at at least a full valve job - pricey on a v-12. Even if the compression tests ok, you probably need a full set of valve stem seals to make it quit drinking oil.

In Denver we have a section in the want ads called rebuildable cars and trucks. You might find someone who wants it for the parts given you have done a lot of work.

yes, we have converted to 135, and have put a lot of stuff into this car, and just had all the body work done and painted it. after i posted my first message, a couple of ads popped up below it trying to sell me products that supposedly fix blown head gaskets, with a money back guarantee. for a hundred bucks, if there guarantee isn't bogus, this might be worth a try, what would we have to lose but an already bad engine? (some tell me to find another engine, but i bet those 12 bangers are a little rare and a real bear to install). thanks

[exploded99]

Originally Posted by caribeso

yes, we have converted to 135, and have put a lot of stuff into this car, and just had all the body work done and painted it. after i posted my first message, a couple of ads popped up below it trying to sell me products that supposedly fix blown head gaskets, with a money back guarantee. for a hundred bucks, if there guarantee isn't bogus, this might be worth a try, what would we have to lose but an already bad engine? (some tell me to find another engine, but i bet those 12 bangers are a little rare and a real bear to install). thanks

I would say 100 to 150k on that transmission would be an average life, and it is very expensive to fix.

If the tranny is young, you may want to hunt around for a set of heads and just swap heads assuming the compression tests ok. There are 750's out there that were junked cause the tranny went...

[BAVARIANM]

V-12s are readily available used. Much cheaper than reparing that one.

[BAVARIANM]

PS. no way can you do that job by yourself. Head gaskets are cheap, intake gaskets are $400.00 themselves