Good to hear and I won’t totally write the engine off yet, especially with the price of comparable used N55’s.

I’m a little stuck because I wasn’t looking for a project car when I bought it (unlike with my E53), and I’m in and out of town for work till mid September. That being said, I can think of how I might be able to sort a leak down test, but can’t think of a way to get a proper compression test done with out taking the time and trouble of re timing it. Which from what I understand is a pretty huge job, even just to get the crank hub tightened again. Luckily I got a good enough deal on the vehicle that I won’t take a total bath if a new engine is indeed in order.

Just trying to best manage my time and money investment in the vehicle