Rod bearing failure - what to do?

[TomK]

Once I’ve put my ‘new’ engine in (47k on it),

So are you doing the rod bearings on the 'new' engine, given I guess you have no idea on the past 47k usage?
Nothing to say you won't be in the same boat again at potentially some point soon if you don't imo. Whilst it's out of the car why not refresh it?

[mmm-five]

So are you doing the rod bearings on the 'new' engine, given I guess you have no idea on the past 47k usage?
Nothing to say you won't be in the same boat again at potentially some point soon if you don't imo. Whilst it's out of the car why not refresh it?

Bearings and Insp.II planned for the new engine before it goes in. Seemed no point in checking them for wear and not replacing them whilst it's all open

Then keep some of the spare parts, for spares.

[TomK]

Good stuff For sure that's the pragmatic approach. At least you'll have one less thing to worry about

bmw_schlaflos17rlwp.jpg (28.84 KiB) Viewed 817 times

[mmm-five]

Good stuff For sure that's the pragmatic approach. At least you'll have one less thing to worry about

I’ve had Ms for a while, so sleep like a baby...unless it’s in a dealer for a service

Plus the amount I’ve saved in fuel & maintenance since I got the Alfa 147 means it’s not really cost me anything - I’m sure this is the same sort of thinking the UK Government uses too.

[GuidoK]

Same with Porsche I always thought it was internet scaremongering until I bought a car and 2 weeks later had a 12k bill for a rebuild...

Whether something is scaremongering or not is very easy to investigate.

If there are lots of different pictures on the internet of that problem (like there are on these rodbearing shells), then its a problem.
I mean, cross reference that with number pictures of bearingshells on the m54, an engine that is sold probably in tenfold to the s54.
You might find 1 or 2 if you look very hard
It's that difference with similar engines that says it all.

BTW doing rodbearings every 50k miles is only a 2p/mile extra maintenance cost. I think thats very reasonable for driving a sportscar that revs til 8krpm.
I mean if you'd go on a nice holiday trip, say from birmingham to florence italy, and do some driving there, that would only be £60 extra on car maintenance. Thats nothing imho.

[BMWZ4MC]

I should think Florence would prove to be a disappointment for someone lucky enough to live in as magnificent and wonderous a place as Birmingham
I try to be pragmatic about such things - better a definite £1k cost every 50k miles than the potential for a £5-8k cost, huge inconvenience and a sense that the car has somehow betrayed you (a crazy emotional response I know!).

[GuidoK]

I try to be pragmatic about such things - better a definite £1k cost every 50k miles than the potential for a £5-8k cost, huge inconvenience and a sense that the car has somehow betrayed you (a crazy emotional response I know!).

Or having your car blown up in florence, and not have sufficient insurance to get alternative transport covered or the repatriation of your car.
Having had that twice (dont ask...) but with the right coverage, I can say how importatnt that is as I earned back my travelinsurance premium for the next 350 years or so

[Tusk]

Is there a cost synergy to doing this at the same time as an inspection 2? Thought the quote of £1400 early in this thread for both seemed pretty good.

[exdos]

I should think Florence would prove to be a disappointment for someone lucky enough to live in as magnificent and wonderous a place as Birmingham

You're getting mixed up with your Italian cities: Birmingham, with all its canals, is considered to be the Venice of the Midlands.

[BMWZ4MC]

I should think Florence would prove to be a disappointment for someone lucky enough to live in as magnificent and wonderous a place as Birmingham

You're getting mixed up with your Italian cities: Birmingham, with all its canals, is considered to be the Venice of the Midlands.

Except Venice is sinking...then again so is Birmingham!

[BMWZ4MC]

I try to be pragmatic about such things - better a definite £1k cost every 50k miles than the potential for a £5-8k cost, huge inconvenience and a sense that the car has somehow betrayed you (a crazy emotional response I know!).

Or having your car blown up in florence, and not have sufficient insurance to get alternative transport covered or the repatriation of your car.
Having had that twice (dont ask...) but with the right coverage, I can say how importatnt that is as I earned back my travelinsurance premium for the next 350 years or so

I had a car that became terminally ill in Monaco. Fortunately I managed to nurse it back to London. I had no insurance for repatriation, so my strategy if it had failed completely would have been to abandon it, fly home and come back for it in a rented tow truck fitted with a winch!

[Jembo]

I try to be pragmatic about such things - better a definite £1k cost every 50k miles than the potential for a £5-8k cost, huge inconvenience and a sense that the car has somehow betrayed you (a crazy emotional response I know!).

Or having your car blown up in florence, and not have sufficient insurance to get alternative transport covered or the repatriation of your car.
Having had that twice (dont ask...) but with the right coverage, I can say how importatnt that is as I earned back my travelinsurance premium for the next 350 years or so

I had a car that became terminally ill in Monaco. Fortunately I managed to nurse it back to London. I had no insurance for repatriation, so my strategy if it had failed completely would have been to abandon it, fly home and come back for it in a rented tow truck fitted with a winch!

I think now you’d just come back to tyre prints

[Mangozac]

Is there a cost synergy to doing this at the same time as an inspection 2? Thought the quote of £1400 early in this thread for both seemed pretty good.

Not particularly - the jobs are at opposite ends of the engine (valve clearances on top, rod bearings in the bottom). The only thing in common is that you drop the oil for both the inspection service and the rod bearings.

[zmaster007]

An update from me on this.
All my invoices from the same dealer (2 oil, 2 inspection services) state the wrong oil was used. As they are unable to prove otherwise that the right oil was used, they are fixing the car. They offered a contribution to a new car of the retail value of the M in a running condition. I couldn't justify a new car right now, so it looks like LF78184 will be saved after all!

[R60BBA]

An update from me on this.
All my invoices from the same dealer (2 oil, 2 inspection services) state the wrong oil was used. As they are unable to prove otherwise that the right oil was used, they are fixing the car. They offered a contribution to a new car of the retail value of the M in a running condition. I couldn't justify a new car right now, so it looks like LF78184 will be saved after all!

Good to know you’ve got a solution which means you’re not out of pocket.

Might be worth supplying your own oil for future oil changes though...