I have a "strange" question for you Jimmy C. (m) (archive)

: My Bmw E39(528i ,Yr 1996) overheated again after an engine top overhaul was done,on investigating,found that coolant was seeping between block & head.After removing the head,found that thread from most of the holes has been stripped,However,tightning sequence & torque/angle we set to specification on installation of the head. The question on my mind is.....could the first experience of overheating cause the aluminum alloy block to have weaken thus causing the thread to loose it's form & strenght (ie as aluminum has a lower melting poit than cast iron).....Hope you guys out there are able to throw some light on this & tell me the best cost of action..... to rethread the block or change a new blockthat will cost lots of $$$$. Thanks

There was something strange in your message, it could be just me though. Alfa V6 have aluminum block and heads. Head bolts are torqued into the block and heads are secured in place by nuts. It seems very strange to me that BMW would do something differently given the possibility of the problem described by you.

I have never seen BMW engine with valve covers off and I am not exactly in the mood to take mines off right now.

Any comments ?

Stepan.

Follow Ups:

[ Follow Ups ] [ 5-series (E39) Message Board ] [ Msg. Board FAQ ]

Questions, comments, or problems, please visit the Roadfly help desk.