///M Rod Bearings, Vanos Bolts & Motor Mounts

The car in question on Zpost was mine.

The S54 has two weakness's. Rod bearings and the Vano's. BMW never really got the rod bearing issue fixed satisfactorily. Several non-tracked cars have had their rod bearings go out over here in the US. It seems the biggest wear happens at 7K rpm and above. Also, 10W60 contributes a little to this. The engineers and mechanics at Bimmerworld have found that going to a 50w oil significantly reduces bearing wear on the S54. James Clay, owner and driver for Bimmerworld specifically told me this at a track event in May. I have since changed my oil from 10W60 to 15W50. I did this when I changed the oil and performed the oil analysis where I caught this issue. I had 43PPM of lead. Historical averages for this motor should be around 8-14ppm. So I had the bearings replaced with non-OEM bearings (much longer lasting) and since I knew my motor mounts were trashed, I had it all done at once. The Vibra-Technic mounts are just a cut above the OEM mounts. Between that horrendous analysis and changing the bearings, I did one track day and about 2000miles. The PPM for lead on this analysis with the 15W50 was now down to 15ppm. That is a significant drop in just over 2000 miles.

FCAB's and RTAB's are just a BMW issue and not a Z4M issue. They are wear items.

I saw where someone said that they have issues getting a straight or stable launch on the track with this suspension. Your RTABS are shot. Their real primary function is to to control rear end toe under heavy acceleration. Replace them with a upgraded part and the issue goes away.

A little off topic, you CAN recode your non-facelift (03-05) cars so the car will natively open and close the softtop with your remote key.... I've done it on my wife's 2003 (build date 10/02)... no need for an aftermarket module.
 
Shipkiller said:
The car in question on Zpost was mine.

The S54 has two weakness's. Rod bearings and the Vano's. BMW never really got the rod bearing issue fixed satisfactorily. Several non-tracked cars have had their rod bearings go out over here in the US. It seems the biggest wear happens at 7K rpm and above. Also, 10W60 contributes a little to this. The engineers and mechanics at Bimmerworld have found that going to a 50w oil significantly reduces bearing wear on the S54. James Clay, owner and driver for Bimmerworld specifically told me this at a track event in May. I have since changed my oil from 10W60 to 15W50. I did this when I changed the oil and performed the oil analysis where I caught this issue. I had 43PPM of lead. Historical averages for this motor should be around 8-14ppm. So I had the bearings replaced with non-OEM bearings (much longer lasting) and since I knew my motor mounts were trashed, I had it all done at once. The Vibra-Technic mounts are just a cut above the OEM mounts. Between that horrendous analysis and changing the bearings, I did one track day and about 2000miles. The PPM for lead on this analysis with the 15W50 was now down to 25ppm. That is a significant drop in just over 2000 miles.
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Shipkiller,

Thanks for your input. :thumbsup:

You say that oil analysis showed a drop to 25ppm lead after swapping to 15W50 oil which you ran for just 2,000miles: if this is a direct comparison with the results from running 10W60 oil previously, from which you were getting 43ppm lead, I'm wondering in that sample had you also used the 10E60 oil for just 2,000miles also? As I understand, the level of contaminants shown in an oil analysis progressively increase with mileage driven with the same oil: i.e. oil used for 10,000 miles will show 5x the contaminant levels of oil used for 2,000 miles assuming the wear rate of parts has been the same throughout.
 
I am sorry, I made a typo. I had 15ppm not 25ppm. I fixed this in the original post

Total mileage on the first sample was 4462 miles.

This last sample may not be significant due to the low miles and the bearings were progressively sacrificing themselves. :!: I also changed my driving style in between. I never went above 6K rpm. The one track day was not a high speed track but a 'vehicle dynamics' track so I kept the car under 6K rpm.
I will have a much better handle on this on the next oil change/sample.

What a lot of people forget, the S54 was originally released using 5W30 and only changed when the bearing issue started. Most of the bearing issue engines were manufactured in a three month period. 10W60 was a bandaid fix... Just my opinion....
 
Interesting that they changed to the heavyweight oil; recently I have been trying to find out if many had success running the S54 on the more modern formulations in a lighter weight such as 5-40 millers nanodrive. It takes ages to come up to temp in winter and there are potential benefits in reducing internal drag and pumping losses (perhaps more mpg).

M3 cutters didn't yield much information.
 
Interesting discussion - lets be clear though, ANY engine making more than 100hp per litre is going to have to have tight main bearing clearances - fact of life to make that specific output without the oil pump being WAY oversized for the job at hand.

Intriguing to see that a 15W50 oil would be 'better' than a 10W60 oil? After all, the 10W60 will be more viscous at higher temps than the 50 grade - this would imply that bearing leakage at high RPM is a problem as well as at low temps as well. I am assuming we are comparing like for like in terms of brand between the 10W60 and the 15W50? The viscosity grade is just the start of the oil, remember that the additive pack is EVERYTHING in a modern multigrade...
 
Shipkiller said:
The car in question on Zpost was mine.

BMW never really got the rod bearing issue fixed satisfactorily. Several non-tracked cars have had their rod bearings go out over here in the US. It seems the biggest wear happens at 7K rpm and above.
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Isn't this really saying what we already know I guess - that cars that have lived a hard life (tracked regularly or driven 'spiritedly' on a regular basis) are those that are prone to this sort of thing happening?
 
I think the answer would be no. The Z4M is coming into its mileage lifecycle where you will start to see this will repair more regularly, even if you do not track your car. The same happened with the E46M3's and E36M's (S54) and is still happening to this day. If you drive your car the way it was intended, then this will happen to you sooner than later, but in my opinion, it is going to happen to you if you keep the car for a long time. The very short term data (read unreliable) is that if you replace the rod bearings with the upgraded ones from VAC or Bimmerworld, then you are going to triple the bearing life. Common sense says that if you put OEM bearings back in................

Some so called 'car enthusiasts' are going to sell their cars before they have to do this.

This issue is no different than on any other high performance car. Example: the Porsche IMS bearing failure issues, E90 V8 block explosions, etc, etc.....
At least with this issue, if you are doing your oil analysis, you can catch the problem early and get it repaired for a lot less than the cost of a new complete engine, which is around $15000.00.

I am just glad this thread, so far, has not degenerated into a infamous oil thread. Some threads do when you say you are using something other than TWS..... :headbang:
 
Whilst you guys seem to all use blackstone in the states, does anyone have any recommendations for those of us in the uk/Europe?

Can't say I'm particularly thrilled at the thought of having to re-shell an engine such as this simply from giving it the use it should be capable of taking, but seeing as prevention is better than cure it may as well go on the list of things to do.

and there was me thinking how great it would be to fudge an s54 into the old golf one day :lol: Pah, I think I'll stick with what I've got, at least if it goes bang it's only few hundred to sort.
 
Shipkiller said:
The very short term data (read unreliable) is that if you replace the rod bearings with the upgraded ones from VAC or Bimmerworld, then you are going to triple the bearing life. Common sense says that if you put OEM bearings back in................
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Just a thought: if bearing shell wear is caused by occasional lack of oil between the bearing shell and crankshaft surfaces and if you fit bearing shells which last 3x longer, then they must be made from materials which are harder than OEM. Therefore, if harder bearing shells are coming into dry contact with the crankshaft, is this not going to transfer the problem into one of crankshaft wear as well as bearing shell wear? Although having to replace worn bearing shells is an expense and inconvenience, is it not cheaper and easier to do this again rather than have to also do remedial/replacement work on the crankshaft at a later date?

I understand that a proper running in period of <5000rpm for 1200miles (same as a new engine) should be observed when new bearing shells have been fitted.
 
What sort of cost would new bearing shells work out at? Assuming a supply & fit for those less mechanically able than exdos and Shipkiller!
 
original guvnor said:
What sort of cost would new bearing shells work out at? Assuming a supply & fit for those less mechanically able than exdos and Shipkiller!
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This isn't a job I would do myself, because I'd want to make whoever did the job responsible for the work for my guarantee. From my knowledge of this with the Z3MC I would estimate that it would cost around £600-£1000, dependent upon where you have this done, which isn't really that bad.
 
Thanks exdos : thumbsup: I suppose for those of us with the extended BMW Warranty we'd be covered but we'd also have to fit the same type of bearing shell as the originals.
 
original guvnor said:
Thanks exdos :thumbsup: I suppose for those of us with the extended BMW Warranty we'd be covered but we'd also have to fit the same type of bearing shell as the originals.
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If you've got the BMW EW then you'll be covered in the event of a bearing shell failure (you'll hear it if it happens! :o ), but I doubt if they would cover you and do a preventive bearing shell replacement if you just showed them high lead content on an oil analysis.
 
original guvnor said:
Thanks exdos : thumbsup: I suppose for those of us with the extended BMW Warranty we'd be covered but we'd also have to fit the same type of bearing shell as the originals.
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But would BMW own up to it being a problem? Is it ware? Is it abuse? Is it common enough your BMW dealer can diagnose? If its precautionary they wont be interested. Also even with an oil analysis I think it would be hard to convince them there is a problem, regardless of information gathered.

Also the only way you will know is from an oil analysis or if the engine goes. It is preventative and you cant check it unless you look at them and while your there you might as well do them anyway! So... its a catch 22. The only way really is finding someone that has seen the problem before so they can help. I doubt BMW would do this for you, they would just want to get you in and out the door as fast as pos and are trained to read computers unfortunately a computer wont tell you of ware.
 
The VAC bearings are coated, and the Bimmerworld bearings are treated. They are NOT 'harder'. Both the coated and treated processes have their pros and cons, but both aid in oil retention on the bearing and oil retention on the bearing IS the driver here. Think about it, the issue is not the bearings per se, it’s the engine has an oiling issue. If you look at most of the bearings that have been replaced, cylinder two and three normally have the most issues. One other thing, when you do a bearing replacement, you are also replacing the rod bolts too. This is a must. So most who do this repair 'go ugly early' and get the best: ARP Bolts.

I asked James Clay of Bimmerworld if it would be worth it to upgrade the oil pump. His response was unless the engine is a 100% race motor, then NO, you do not need to upgrade the pump, and he sells the pump upgrade kits…. for a nice chunk of change…

Break-in is not like the new car break-in. In a new car engine, the bearings are actually properly setup inside the first 100 miles (or less). It's the piston ring to bore matching that happens in the first 1200 miles that is the major item here, plus the differential…. The 1200 mile break-in is only for ///M cars.

I specifically asked this question. I was told when they do this (bearing replacement) on a racing engine, they just put them in and go…. and they last for years. That’s quite a testament in itself. I personally, did not take the car above 5K for the first 200 miles.

The total cost out the door for me was $1600.00 US…and I had the motor mounts replaced. I did not do the job, although I thought about it. You have to remove too much interference to get the oil pan off.

I dropped the car off on Monday, and it was ready late Thursday. They did a couple of hours work on Monday, then worked eight hours a day on Tuesday-Wednesday and I am not sure when they completed on Thursday. I stopped in every day to look and see.
One other comment to address. As exdos says, if you think your BMW warranty will cover this (before the engine goes) you are mistaken. Many, many individuals have taken their oil testing results to BMW as proof. BMW’s official line is that oil testing means nothing. I think you would have a harder time getting an aftermarket warranty company to proactively replace the bearings since BMW will not.
 
tomscott said:
original guvnor said:
Thanks exdos : thumbsup: I suppose for those of us with the extended BMW Warranty we'd be covered but we'd also have to fit the same type of bearing shell as the originals.
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But would BMW own up to it being a problem? Is it ware? Is it abuse? Is it common enough your BMW dealer can diagnose? If its precautionary they wont be interested. Also even with an oil analysis I think it would be hard to convince them there is a problem, regardless of information gathered.

Also the only way you will know is from an oil analysis or if the engine goes. It is preventative and you cant check it unless you look at them and while your there you might as well do them anyway! So... its a catch 22. The only way really is finding someone that has seen the problem before so they can help. I doubt BMW would do this for you, they would just want to get you in and out the door as fast as pos and are trained to read computers unfortunately a computer wont tell you of ware.
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How easy is it to get an oil analysis? Will you have to request a sample of the oil (to send off to Blackstone) when you get an oil service carried out?
 
I have no idea, as Shipkiller says BMW wont be interested. But surely with the amount of M3s around with high milage this must be a know problem surely. Its just when should you start worrying. No one here knows the full history of their car unless it bought it new, very few people here did and still have the car.
 
The problem of bearing shell failure in the early S54B32 engines seems to be caused by several different issues and not just a single one. Looking back at the history of the BS problem, BMWs Service Bulletin SI B11 02 03 of December 2004 highlights the problem and this is what it states:
SITUATION
Due to contamination of the engine lubricating system during engine assembly in combination with
unfavorable tolerances in the oil pump, the connecting rod bearings can be damaged which may lead to
their overheat and possible engine failure on M3 coupe/convertible vehicles produced from October
2001 through February 2002.

and this is what the recall of the E46 M3 entailed:
A Service Action will be conducted on those vehicles to replace the engine oil pump, and as a
precautionary measure, replacement of the connecting rod bearings. Additionally, the engine control
module will be programmed with the latest software, which includes improved cold start characteristics.

Since that remedial work was done for the E46 M3, I believe that the incidence of bearing shell failure has been considerably reduced, but like any engine, the problem can never be completely eliminated.

In the case of the S54B32 engine used in the Z4M, many of the parts have been revised at least once since the earliest specs, as above, and additionally, including the conrod bolts. Whilst wear on the surface of bearing shells can appear, and preferable if it didn't, how many of these would ordinarily progress to catastrophic bearing shell failure?

Personally, I think that the catastrophic bearing shell failure of the type that I suffered (as shown in my photo earlier in this thread) and cases of conrods flying out of the engine are caused by the conrod bolts stretching at high RPMs. The piston speed of the S54B32 engine is one of the highest in a production car and close to that of an F1 engine. The present OEM conrod bolts seem to have resolved this problem and seem to do the job as well as the ARP bolts.

Personally, I don't spend my life worrying about bearing shell failure. All I would say is: if you hear a sudden regular tapping noise from the front of the car, stop straight away and don't start the engine again until after you've had your bearing shells replaced.
 
tomscott said:
But what is a regular tapping noise? The S54 is tapperty as it is.
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You'll know if you hear it! :o :o You can hear it when you're driving at higher revs whereas the usual tappety sound is just from outside when the engine is idling.
 
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