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Way back when (2002-'03?) an '01 M Rdstr owner was able to prove a trend in deteriorating connecting rod bearings to his BMW dealer's service manager__a notoriously hard to please bunch when it comes to telling THEM what is wrong with your new/under warranty car__and they did the job of replacing his rod bearings and associated work. That should back up at least one claim of someone doing something about it. He went by the screen name phrider (Paint Horse Rider) and the forum of choice would've either been roadfly's Z3 category or Bimmerfest's.Originally Posted by ntinkle
I've seen/done and documented possibly as many as fifty (50+) rod bearing changes on the S-54 engine, while there have been__only__a handful of ones that exhibited bearings in near-perfect condition, most were a ticking, counting down time-bomb. BMW went through several iterations of bearings for the early cars fitted with this engine__ALL of the ones fitted to '01-'02 M Coupes/Rdstrs fall into that category__and for the E-46 M3 owner, there were a total of three (3) separate recalls (an original owner could've been called back three__3__times if they responded immediately to the notices) and honestly, the final version was an inferior design; a bi-metal aluminum/tin (on a steel shell) compared to the original tri-metal lead/copper/tin (on a steel shell). Only recently has an improved tri-metal, factory polymer coated bearing become available, with an added .0005" (per shell, .001" total) increase in running clearance, which is much more suitable to the 10/60 oil spec'd for that engine.
That's for cars, I have no exposure whatsoever with airplanes, but I stand by what I said about preventive maintenance in an industrial environment, of which I've had plenty of exposure (at least 33 years worth).
For me on my own cars, it's a reflex action, been doing it since the mid '80s when Quaker State gave me a year's worth of oil and free analysis (how I got started with Titan Laboratories). Quaker State is terrible oil by the way, and I wouldn't recommend their fossil oil under any circumstances, at least for a car engine, but all the sludge build up was subsequently washed away with accelerated changes of Castrol, of which I have been a fan of since it was spec'd for the new MGB I bought in 1973.
You can do what you want ntinkle, and likewise, we'll do the same. Incidentally, I don't know what your issue with the posts were, perhaps your own browser, because I'm seeing them, even in duplicate (hence the suspected browser comment) and if you DO stick around here long enough, you'll find this to be one of the least censored forums you're likely to experience, mostly because there's rarely a call for it. Get some time in here and you'll soon find that to be true; we don't haze the newbies
Last edited by Randy Forbes; 12-15-2017 at 07:35 PM.
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Excellent comments, as always... but one take away, and correct me if I'm wrong is: if one has a s54 motor: have the oil analyzed frequently, and even if you already have 100k on the clock... because the rod bearings are going to fail; or: if you have time, get the bearings replaced, with those with the extra .0005 x 2, then you can sleep more comfortably.
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Yes, and I think there's already a high percentage of S-54 owners doing that, but it hadn't occurred to me until now to wonder how big Blackstone's database of S-54 engines really is (I do understand they they're getting quite a database of S-65 owners now too__their bearing issues make the I-6 engines look pale in comparison).
It's like the rear-end thing; when asked, usually by a new owner, I tell them there are two (2) courses of action. One, they're already away of it, so periodically monitor the condition, and IF you start to see spot welds failing, then plan your action BEFORE it gets all out of shape and requires additional money to fix BEFORE it can be reinforced. Or two, and that it is, if it bothers you, and you're either losing sleep over it or you don't feel like you can enjoy the car, utilizing the performance it has to offer, then you should have the work done NOW and then get on with your life. I have both__or all three really, if you've ever seen pictures of some of the tortured cars I've fixed__types of customers
The same could be said of the rod bearings, except that buying a remanufactured S-54 across your dealer's parts counter__last time I checked__was about $18K (I do the bearings for considerably less than 1/10th of that). At $18k, you'd still have to R&R the engines, swap accessories, etc. Faced with that dilemma, I'd recommend finding a salvage engine__low of mileage as possible__then servicing the rod bearings and VANOS and install; probably cost $5k or so.
I'm currently__put the cyl head on today__building up an all polymer coated (dry-film lubricant, thermal barriers, thermal dispersants, etc.) S-54 right now; that ain't going to be cheap!
[/hijack]
Ralph
What's amazing to me is that our cars have these HUGE issues--rod bearings--subframe--oil pump nut--issues we wouldn't tolerate in any other marque, and we're steadfastly devoted to them anyway. I mean bad rod bearings!?! That's like saying the steering wheel comes off in your hands at speed. Beyond unacceptable--crazy bad in any other car. And here we are calmly discussing the best way of monitoring and fixing it. We are a devoted bunch.
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For that era: they got the driving right ("ultimate driving machine")... but also why they depreciate so much - can't think of any other brand that takes such a hit.
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I guess having grown up with sportscars whose BODIES dissolved out from under us while we were driving them makes anything like mechanical ailments the equivalent of chump-change. I know that I won't feel short-changed if I never change out another (your choice of British marque, in my case) rusted through floor, sill or rocker again.
I'll take a mechanical repair over a tetanus-threatening rusty panel any day
Ralph
I'm totally with you there Randy, rust is the little-death that brings total obliteration, but I don't let my sports cars see salt (or even rain), and my daily drivers don't rust (Volvo's). That a car doesn't rust out from under you while you drive it is not satisfactory recompense for its engine blowing up on a regular basis. Also, our little subframe problem is very like a rust problem in the sense of how much work and expense is involved in fixing it so it won't come back.I'll take a mechanical repair over a tetanus-threatening rusty panel any day
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No judgement on my part - someone asked me specifically about my opinion, based on an earlier post.
I think the issue was because I had less than 15 posts. It had a message that it was "under review." But it took, it seems like, over 12 hours to actually post.
And I'm not opposed to a bit of censure when needed.
Member
I've been getting the Blackstone reports on my 2006 Subaru Legacy GT since I replaced the turbo at 169k miles. I think there are two reasons these are common on Subarus is the boxer's engines prone to head gasket failure and the relative ease of boosting performance on the turbo models. I caught the turbo before it blew up, most times if the turbo goes it takes the engine out too, therefore it is good to know what is going on inside the engine. My analysis also shows high lead levels at 6 ppm. I bought the car with 160k miles and headers, up-pipe, downpipe, cat-back, sway bars, etc. I added a bigger turbo and tune and half throttle acceleration puts a smile on my face. I have noticed that the more throttle I give it over time the more fuel in the oil, and the more oil it uses. I change the oil twice a year in the spring and fall, and have a sample here ready to send to Blackstone. Here is the summary from the last analysis:
JOHN: Steady wear is a pretty good indication of a healthy engine, and we do have steady trends here.
Lead is still technically high enough to mark, but with the benefit of trends we can see this amount is normal
for your engine, so we removed the highlight this time. There's still some fuel, but we can live with 0.8%.
The oil's physical properties are fine otherwise. The viscosity is well within the target range for 10W/40, and
there's no sign of dirt or water in the sample. Try 9,000 miles next time.
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Been using Blackstone labs for about 15 years for my diesel powered boat. You are correct, an actual person reads and supplies results. You will need multiple samples to establish a benchmark and trends. When I first started using them they were concerned with high zinc levels. The boat was not used much, and as usage increased the levels fell into normal ranges. I think its an excellent service, and worth the money.
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