E9x rod bearings question
Discussion
JEA1K said:
SlimJim16v said:
One specialist also uses ARP bolts when doing the bearings.
Its just prudent to do it a the same time ... it adds little to the overall cost in terms of parts and labour, so its a no brainer for most and advised by specialists who work on S65's. E90_M3Ross said:
It adds £150 or so, and offers no tangible benefit for 99% of users, having spoken to the chap who distributes them. Yes, they're better, they're reusable (certainly shouldn't need to do the bearings again!) and won't stretch but how many bolt failures have you heard of? I haven't heard of any. Seems like a waste of £150 to me. Cost for bearings plus engine mounts was £1350, or £1500 with the ARP bolts.
I've personally never seen or had anyone I know had bolt failures. But I've also only seen 1 x S65 with RB failure ... it doesn't mean it doesn't happen ... Its down to personal choice, there is no right or wrong ... for 10% of the overall cost, for me, and many others, its a no brainer. The S65 is pretty robust but with a £8k - £10k for a engine swap, I'm not sure why you wouldn't take any precautions for the sake of £150 ...
fido said:
E90_M3Ross said:
Just because someone owned it for that long and used as a daily driver doesn't mean it was warmed up gently. Even if someone uses it 50 miles a day but thrashes from cold it still will cause significant wear.
True, but conversely they will most likely have been driving the car at lower rpms (whereas take the extreme opposite is someone who mostly uses their car for weekend hoons and track days).In any event, just change the rod bearings and ALWAYS warm it up before driving hard. I stick to 2.5k rpm until oil is up to 75degrees and then only go over 4k rpm when above 90degrees.
Oil change yearly (so about 3k miles) and only 10w60. Not Castrol anymore, as BMW switched to Shell. I'm under warranty still so tend to use the dealer, not much more than the local specialist. Some say to use 5w50 oil or 10w50, but mine only gets used for fun really, so I stick to 10w60.
Don't bother with the oil analysis, wasting your time.
MikeM6 said:
How often do you warm up a daily before driving it hard?
I warm up all my cars before giving them full beans. Even the lowly Jazz! The reason I mention high revs is that i am not convinced its only the cold starts that cause bearing wear, though that does seem to be a big part of it.fido said:
MikeM6 said:
How often do you warm up a daily before driving it hard?
I warm up all my cars before giving them full beans. Even the lowly Jazz! The reason I mention high revs is that i am not convinced its only the cold starts that cause bearing wear, though that does seem to be a big part of it.I do think that cold abuse and waaaaay to long service intervals and are likely the cause of bearing wear, not high revs. The engine is designed to be used hard if properly maintained. But more than 10k miles between oil changes on engines like these is just nuts.
I think the damage is done early in the cars life and many are left just hanging on for years until they fail or are replaced. I also wonder how many engines on replacement bearings fail? Not that many I would wager.
fido said:
I went for 10litres of Mobil 1 5W50 in the end. The engine is out of warranty now and I just want to keep my bearings shiny as possible with cold starts!
With the updated ACL bearings, regular oil changes and generally treating it well from cold I do not believe there should be any cause for concern.My 14-year old, one owner, manual E90 M3 is still on its original rod bearings at 87k miles.
The car is no longer in daily use, but is used in rotation for everyday and weekend driving - from the humdrum to the spirited...
The car is unmodified and still gets serviced in the BMW network. My local dealership supplied the car in 2009, and they are very reasonable when it comes servicing and maintenance.
I still really enjoy owning and driving it. Hopefully it will keep being reliable!
The car is no longer in daily use, but is used in rotation for everyday and weekend driving - from the humdrum to the spirited...
The car is unmodified and still gets serviced in the BMW network. My local dealership supplied the car in 2009, and they are very reasonable when it comes servicing and maintenance.
I still really enjoy owning and driving it. Hopefully it will keep being reliable!
Edited by Stunters on Sunday 16th April 21:07
E90_M3Ross said:
SlimJim16v said:
One specialist also uses ARP bolts when doing the bearings.
ACL bearings are sufficient for most. The only benefit of the ARP bolts, really, is of you're doing a lot of track work, and even then, bolt failure is basically unheard of. Are they better? Yes. Is there any remotely tangible benefit to 99.9% of users? No. Re oil, my S85 ran on 10w50 as per the requirements of my engine builder who has built more S85s and probably S65s than anyone else in the country. I now run 5w50 Motul.
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