BMW 330Ci Coupe M54B30 engine rebuild

[LunarOne]

4rephill said:

Some engines were subjected to excessively high revs and red-lining during the break-in period = High oil consumption later on in the cars life.

Some engines were broken in as BMW specified (or close to it) = Minimum oil consumption later on in the car's life.

Some engines were subjected to too low revs during the break-in period = High oil consumption later on in the car's life.

When I spoke to him, and asked about the engine break-in procedure, he said to me: "They were talking complete b0II0cks about breaking the engine in! - Everyone knows you don't exceed 2,000rpm for the first couple of thousand miles!"

I tried to explain to him that that was wrong, and bad for the engine, but he wouldn't have it - He knew more about breaking engine's in than the Ford engineers!

I'm not disputing what you say, but what is the difference between doing no more than 2000rpm for 2000 miles and then adding rpms later, and doing what BMW say? Surely the bedding in just takes longer. Or are you saying it doesn't happen at all? I'm very curious as to what mechanical things are happening during run-in?

I can't remember what I did, but I am one of those freaks who like operating manuals as bedtime reading, and try to follow them to the letter. I don't know exactly when the oil consumption began to increase, but I do remember it coming on quite suddenly. To me, that points to a CCV issue rather than sudden piston ring or cylinder liner wear, in which case perhaps my engine isn't in such bad shape. But during its life I was never shy of revs and would often accelerate as hard as possible - perhaps kicking myself for not having bought an M3 instead. And having lived in Germany for 18 months, I took every opportunity to go much faster than I could in the UK, and would spend a decent amount of time above 130mph. Now you know why only having 5 speeds was annoying!

Edited by LunarOne on Wednesday 17th June 16:34

[BFleming]

4rephill said:

Talking with a few BMW mechanics and service guys over the years, I was told that a major reason for the variation in oil consumption with the M54 engine, was down to how the car was driven when brand new.

I heard that many years ago too, but don't believe it to be true (to clarify, I fully believe you were told it, but I don't believe it's a true statement). Your average service manager will tell the average customer anything plausible to ensure neither they nor BMW admit any liability for an inherent design fault, and your average E46 330i will have been well out of its warranty before the second/third/n+1 owner comes along & discovers the oil use. Officially BMW probably even said a litre between services was to be expected. An E46 328i with the M52TUB28 rarely uses oil, but a M54B30 rarely doesn't.

[anonymous-user]

I would recommend the o2pilot mod which only requres 2 ft of vacuum pipe,this increases the vacuum which makes the piston rings seal better,it has solved the problem on many E46s mine was a heavy oil drinker before,also keep the oil fresh.i change it soon after it gets black to help keep the rings clean.

[LunarOne]

Alan535 said:

I would recommend the o2pilot mod which only requires 2 ft of vacuum pipe

Yes 50sKid (I wish I knew his actual name) has a video about that and thinks it's a worthwhile mod. I think I'll do that in addition to fitting M53TU piston rings. So much for keeping everything original, but those are hardly big changes. As soon as I discovered the exhaust flap after a few weeks of ownership, I pulled off the rubber vacuum hose at the tailpipe actuator and stuck a screw up it. The sound was much nicer and I never noticed any disadvantage to doing that.

By the way, the car is on its original clutch and exhaust. I see no reason replace the exhaust, but I'm definitely looking to replace the clutch. Not because there's anything wrong with it now, but while I have the engine out and transmission out it seems stupid not to. Any other suggestions for things to replace proactively?

Here are a couple of gratuitous photos:

Aged 1 year old in 2002, with mum's E30 318i in the background:


Somewhere in the Alps or Pyrenees in 2003:


Outside my flat in Hamburg in 2009:


And then it snowed, and it snowed. I had to buy a set of alloys with winter tyres, because that winter seemed to go on for 6 months!

[JakeT]

This is a lovely thread. I would say that owners that gave it 'some' beans when new tended to find that oil consumption was low. My dad ran his 330i from new in 2000 to 2011, when it had done 160,000 miles. OIl consumption was good. Not as good as my 328ci, but still more than tolerable.


Were I sorting this, I'd think about buying an engine from a breaker. Someone like Nick Jupp is great for E46 parts. As mentioned, the threads can weaken on the block and pull out when torquing the head down.


But, better the devil you know. If I'd owned if from new I'd put an engine in it. Cheaper than getting yourself into something else.

[anonymous-user]

When the engines out i personally would replace the hard plastic pipes for the heater on the block,some say to also replace a temp sensor near the back,and also the starter as it a difficult job otherwise.
Heres a related thread,this web site is my go to place for any E46 problem.
https://www.e46fanatics.com/threads/under-the-inta...

[BFleming]

LunarOne said:

Any other suggestions for things to replace proactively?

Radiator, expansion tank and water pump! I also had the power steering pump shaft snap, meaning the pulley still rotated, but didn't actually do anything. That was in Germany; on the drive home my car got christened "The Routemaster".

[LunarOne]

BFleming said:

Radiator, expansion tank and water pump! I also had the power steering pump shaft snap, meaning the pulley still rotated, but didn't actually do anything. That was in Germany; on the drive home my car got christened "The Routemaster".

Radiator was changed a few years ago as it was bulging, but by the dealer during a service. So it's not that old and it's easy to do any time later. Expansion tank has just been changed with a new one after the old one cracked. And the water pump is a good shout.

Exact same thing happened to me on the power steering pump just before Christmas in 2015, coming back from Prague. In fact I'd just got to my overnight stop in Nuremberg and had gone to park in the hotel's underground car park when it went. Getting in required some manoeuvring. Getting out required a 1000-point turn! I called local BMW dealers but being December 23rd, nobody had the part or shop time to fit it. So I carried on my merry way back to England without power steering. In fact it made high speed autobahn driving much nicer as the steering was much more meaty without being uncomfortable. It's only when stopping to fill up did I realise just how difficult it was to steer at crawling speed. Didn't prevent me trying to negotiate the Cite d'Europe car park as I wanted to fill the car with continental meats, cheeses and seafood before returning to Blighty, the land of terrible supermarkets.

[LunarOne]

JakeT said:

This is a lovely thread.

I like it too!!

JakeT said:

Were I sorting this, I'd think about buying an engine from a breaker. Someone like Nick Jupp is great for E46 parts. As mentioned, the threads can weaken on the block and pull out when torquing the head down.

The point of this project is not to get the car up and running again, although that would be a fantastic by-product. I really want to learn how to take an engine apart and rebuilt it. I happen to have a car that I love and is just taking up space on my driveway. But I can't bear to scrap it as I've had it from new and I've used it to travel almost all of Europe together over the years - with the exception of Sweden and Norway. Since I won't scrap it, and I can't drive it, and I want to learn how to rebuild an engine, it seems that my path is clear. I may as well have a go. Just doing an engine swap would leave my baby with the heart of another and deny me the reason to do a rebuild. It's not about saving money - it's more an emotional thing. Then if I ever complete this project, I can say I rebuilt the engine myself, and I'll have no fear of taking on another car that needs engine work. Perhaps a 911 or an older 1980s BMW? I already have the Haynes manual for the car, and my first new tool, a Dewalt DCB899HB torque wrench has arrived. I've got some impact sockets on order, and I want to get an electric ratchet too as it seems like it would make things a lot easier. Richt now I consider myself a fairly competent but basic level DIY mechanic. I'd like to develop my skills so that one day, I can give advice rather than just ask for it.

[Touring442]

LunarOne said:

Outside my flat in Hamburg in 2009:

Ha, I lived there in 2002 on Grindelallee downtown from Eppendorf Hoheluft.

[Touring442]

BFleming said:

Radiator, expansion tank and water pump! I also had the power steering pump shaft snap, meaning the pulley still rotated, but didn't actually do anything. That was in Germany; on the drive home my car got christened "The Routemaster".

It's the LF20 pump that does that. E46's have either an LF30 (flat rear plate) that never fails and the LF20 (domed rear plate) that does. Converting to LF30 whilst replacing a broken LF20 is easy as it just needs the fluid line replacing.

[Touring442]

Before you rebuild an engine you have to remove it. The exhaust comes off first and that means a fight to the death with the downpipe nuts - they will be rusty and you will almost certainly require a long thin and sharp chisel. You can replace the studs.
Prop off next and it comes off weather with your without the rubber giubo 'doughnut'. Two 13mm centre bearing bolts and it *should* come down enough in the middle to free it from the box.

Gearbox next. Two 13mm and the clutch slave comes off. Getting the gear change sector arm off the back of the box is a real fiddle. Your smallest sharpest flat blade screwdriver req'd. Then various Torx bolts so a series of long extensions, all 1/2 inch drive stuff as they ******* tight. They've been known to seize in the bell housing with corrosion. Then you are fked.

Disconnect the engine loom from the car but leave everything connected to the engine. Unbolt the PAS and AC pumps from the engine and leave them connected to avoid PAS oil passing out everywhere and having to recharge the AC. Lift the engine up and out with a proper long reach crane.

It's possible (just) to remove the engine and box together but it's very tight. Some even remove the front panel which is ridiculous.

Here's a good video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqqtTdk8v3k

Edited by Touring442 on Friday 19th June 08:25

[LunarOne]

Touring442 said:

Ha, I lived there in 2002 on Grindelallee downtown from Eppendorf Hoheluft.

Lovely - I lived a little way out of town because I was on call and needed to be able to arrive at Lufthansa's base at the airport as quickly as possible. So I lived near Berne U-bahn. Close enough to the airport while still being in a quiet leafy area, and super easy access to the centre either by car or by U-bahn. I didn't have an office to go to - I was on contract with IBM only to be on call. In the end I found that I didn't get called more than a few times a month, so I spent most of my time in the centre attending a language school. I ended up at the school for 25 hours a week for just over a year, and by the time I left I'd attained a fairly decent standard of German. The job I got on my return to the UK in 2011 relied on being able to speak German. WHile I wasn't fluent, I was deemed good enough to be able to do the job so it wasn't time wasted. Now that I've proved to myself that I CAN learn a language, I've redoubled my efforts with improving my GCSE French and also started learning Spanish - because many of the friends I made in Hamburg were either Spanish or from South America and spoke Spanish, and I loved their culture.

[BFleming]

LunarOne said:

Exact same thing happened to me on the power steering pump just before Christmas in 2015, coming back from Prague. In fact I'd just got to my overnight stop in Nuremberg and had gone to park in the hotel's underground car park when it went. Getting in required some manoeuvring. Getting out required a 1000-point turn! I called local BMW dealers but being December 23rd, nobody had the part or shop time to fit it. So I carried on my merry way back to England without power steering. In fact it made high speed autobahn driving much nicer as the steering was much more meaty without being uncomfortable. It's only when stopping to fill up did I realise just how difficult it was to steer at crawling speed. Didn't prevent me trying to negotiate the Cite d'Europe car park as I wanted to fill the car with continental meats, cheeses and seafood before returning to Blighty, the land of terrible supermarkets.

Mine failed half way round the Nurburgring whilst en route to the Frankfurt motor show in 2011. Parking in Koblenz that night was difficult, but as you say, Autobahn runs at 150mph were pretty stable! We did Frankfurt to home with it, then I threw a new pump in it when I got back.

[PaulGT3]

Touring442 said:

It's possible (just) to remove the engine and box together but it's very tight. Some even remove the front panel which is ridiculous.

See I found it really straight forwards to remove the whole front panel and then lift the engine and box out together. Then you can easily see and cleanly remove the torx bolts that hold the bellhousing to the engine. Each to their own but the E46 front end comes off very easily and gives you loads of room to get at everything and you can replace and clean any manky bits whilst its all off.

The only downside was having to release the AC gas but as I wanted to put the lower mileage AC pump from the donor engine on, I was going to do that regardless.

[LunarOne]

PaulGT3 said:

The only downside was having to release the AC gas but as I wanted to put the lower mileage AC pump from the donor engine on, I was going to do that regardless.

If you have a look at the e46fanatics thread I mention in my OP, they do mention taking off the front clip and setting the AC condenser aside, thereby leaving the AC circuit closed and that's what I propose to do. I realise that you had to break the loop to replace the compressor, but I may ask an A/C specialist to discharge the system for me before I begin work. It's easy to do and shouldn't cost much, while it will have me on the right side of the law and my environmental concerns. I know it's not a lot of gas, but it's REALLY bad for the environment.

[PaulGT3]

LunarOne said:

If you have a look at the e46fanatics thread I mention in my OP, they do mention taking off the front clip and setting the AC condenser aside, thereby leaving the AC circuit closed and that's what I propose to do. I realise that you had to break the loop to replace the compressor, but I may ask an A/C specialist to discharge the system for me before I begin work. It's easy to do and shouldn't cost much, while it will have me on the right side of the law and my environmental concerns. I know it's not a lot of gas, but it's REALLY bad for the environment.

That was my initial plan to try and set the condenser aside however in the heat of the moment it just seemed too awkward with the engine crane in the way and the engine removal and refit went very smoothly once it was removed and out the way. I agree I would get someone to capture the gas safely before going ahead, I'm sure they would be more than willing and you could use them for the regas afterwards.

The only issue I ran into while swapping the engine was with the slave cylinder, I removed it and tied it out the way however I think with it being sat without being under pressure from the clutch fork for a couple of days after being in there for 18 years, it damaged the seals. As soon as I put it all back together and inside the gearbox, I put my foot on the clutch and it just went to the floor and all the fluid leaked out. Luckily I managed to remove it and only drop the pin in the bellhousing which i managed to fish out with a flexible grabber through the hole. If I was doing this job again I would either try and keep the slave cylinder under tension whilst its out of the gearbox or I would just replace with a new one. You really don't want to be removing the bellhousing to fish out slave cylinder parts after you've put it all back in the car!

[Boobonman]

Having owned it from new you should DEFINITELY rebuild it. Split the task into different jobs, as has been alluded to removing it from the car is an endeavour all of its own.

I learnt a bit of spannering by fitting a replacement engine in a Mk1 MX5, made loads of mistakes and took ten times longer than an expert would have done, but learnt a lot and really enjoyed it.

[LunarOne]

Boobonman said:

Having owned it from new you should DEFINITELY rebuild it. Split the task into different jobs, as has been alluded to removing it from the car is an endeavour all of its own.

That's what I've been hoping someone might tell me all along. Makes me feel a little bit less mental! I was under the impression that pulling the engine and transmission out should be pretty easy. My best friend has said she's willing to help me with things like that, and she says she's a little bit envious because she'd love to do a project like that. Her Cayenne GTS is always going in for some work, so who knows - we might both learn something and apply it to her car too.

Boobonman said:

I learnt a bit of spannering by fitting a replacement engine in a Mk1 MX5, made loads of mistakes and took ten times longer than an expert would have done, but learnt a lot and really enjoyed it.

Good work! I bet you could do it in less than half the time if you had to do it again. I recently had to take the front off my Boxster to repair one of the radiator grilles that was destroyed by a jaywalking pheasant. I bet I could do that in less than half the time if I had to do it again. If anyone is interested, there's a thread at https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

[g3org3y]

Boobonman said:

Having owned it from new you should DEFINITELY rebuild it. Split the task into different jobs, as has been alluded to removing it from the car is an endeavour all of its own.