E90 M3 engines and their chocolate bearings
Discussion
DVandrews said:
Those in the know consider the big end bearings a consumable service item, change every 20,000 miles.
Dave
Absolute Dave
Welshbeef said:
Is the E92 M3 as fragile as the E60 M5? Engine wise?
Yes. The S65 is based on the S85.MikeGoodwin said:
Ex owner here but the rod bearing thing does my nut in. So much BS in this thread.
How is it there are some US cars with 200K+ on original bearings??
Luck of the draw.How is it there are some US cars with 200K+ on original bearings??
MikeGoodwin said:
He had the benefit of owning the car from new. If looked after from new then there is no reason for them to not last a good while. Not many people get theirs from new and therefore have no guarantee over how the engine was warmed up / used by any previous owners.MikeGoodwin said:
Failure rate supposedly 1%, ment to be down to abuse of the car as in the OP's link particularly from cold.
My bearings were about f
ked. I cannot account for previous owners, but my car never went over 3k when cold (tried to keep it under 2k) and even when warm rarely saw over 7k. MikeGoodwin said:
They don't just melt away like a piece of chocolate. Just dick heads come online and moan because their car's engine shat itself through no fault of their own, just that the rod bearings disintegrated in thin air. Was nothing to do with the cold engine abuse or the fact they went to tesco car park and did donuts for 30 mins straight.
The bearing gaps are too small. They're half the size they should be. The white metal will wear away over time.TheAngryDog said:
DVandrews said:
Those in the know consider the big end bearings a consumable service item, change every 20,000 miles.
Dave
Absolute Dave
Welshbeef said:
Is the E92 M3 as fragile as the E60 M5? Engine wise?
Yes. The S65 is based on the S85.MikeGoodwin said:
Ex owner here but the rod bearing thing does my nut in. So much BS in this thread.
How is it there are some US cars with 200K+ on original bearings??
Luck of the draw.How is it there are some US cars with 200K+ on original bearings??
MikeGoodwin said:
He had the benefit of owning the car from new. If looked after from new then there is no reason for them to not last a good while. Not many people get theirs from new and therefore have no guarantee over how the engine was warmed up / used by any previous owners.MikeGoodwin said:
Failure rate supposedly 1%, ment to be down to abuse of the car as in the OP's link particularly from cold.
My bearings were about fked. I cannot account for previous owners, but my car never went over 3k when cold (tried to keep it under 2k) and even when warm rarely saw over 7k. MikeGoodwin said:
They don't just melt away like a piece of chocolate. Just dick heads come online and moan because their car's engine shat itself through no fault of their own, just that the rod bearings disintegrated in thin air. Was nothing to do with the cold engine abuse or the fact they went to tesco car park and did donuts for 30 mins straight.
The bearing gaps are too small. They're half the size they should be. The white metal will wear away over time.I don't think anyone in the know considers the rod bearings a 20k service item but that being said it probably is worth having them changed if you don't know / trust the previous owner(s).
Welshbeef said:
Are these bid end bearings or main bearings?
Is the ones connected to Conrad’s or the ones connected to he block?
The conrod has 2 connection points, small end at gudgeon pin, big end at crank. Mains hold the crank in. I’ll assume as they are referred to as ‘rod’ bearings, it’s the big ends they mean.Is the ones connected to Conrad’s or the ones connected to he block?
Eddieslofart said:
The conrod has 2 connection points, small end at gudgeon pin, big end at crank. Mains hold the crank in. I’ll assume as they are referred to as ‘rod’ bearings, it’s the big ends they mean.
If that’s the case they are pretty easy to change (well they were on a Maestro 1.6 in situ on axle stands.)Remove sump take off one at a time sliding the new one in to push the upper side out - you have enough play if you loosen the whole lot.
Then torque up
Sump on
New oil
Done.
I’m guessing it’s mega £ at a garage ?
Welshbeef said:
If that’s the case they are pretty easy to change (well they were on a Maestro 1.6 in situ on axle stands.)
Remove sump take off one at a time sliding the new one in to push the upper side out - you have enough play if you loosen the whole lot.
Then torque up
Sump on
New oil
Done.
I’m guessing it’s mega £ at a garage ?
It would probably take longer to get the sump off than it would to do Maestro bearings. And once i’d gone to all that trouble, i’d wanting to be getting the micrometer on the journals and checking the float.Remove sump take off one at a time sliding the new one in to push the upper side out - you have enough play if you loosen the whole lot.
Then torque up
Sump on
New oil
Done.
I’m guessing it’s mega £ at a garage ?
Leon R said:
TheAngryDog said:
DVandrews said:
Those in the know consider the big end bearings a consumable service item, change every 20,000 miles.
Dave
Absolute Dave
Welshbeef said:
Is the E92 M3 as fragile as the E60 M5? Engine wise?
Yes. The S65 is based on the S85.MikeGoodwin said:
Ex owner here but the rod bearing thing does my nut in. So much BS in this thread.
How is it there are some US cars with 200K+ on original bearings??
Luck of the draw.How is it there are some US cars with 200K+ on original bearings??
MikeGoodwin said:
He had the benefit of owning the car from new. If looked after from new then there is no reason for them to not last a good while. Not many people get theirs from new and therefore have no guarantee over how the engine was warmed up / used by any previous owners.MikeGoodwin said:
Failure rate supposedly 1%, ment to be down to abuse of the car as in the OP's link particularly from cold.
My bearings were about fked. I cannot account for previous owners, but my car never went over 3k when cold (tried to keep it under 2k) and even when warm rarely saw over 7k. MikeGoodwin said:
They don't just melt away like a piece of chocolate. Just dick heads come online and moan because their car's engine shat itself through no fault of their own, just that the rod bearings disintegrated in thin air. Was nothing to do with the cold engine abuse or the fact they went to tesco car park and did donuts for 30 mins straight.
The bearing gaps are too small. They're half the size they should be. The white metal will wear away over time.I don't think anyone in the know considers the rod bearings a 20k service item but that being said it probably is worth having them changed if you don't know / trust the previous owner(s).
ks, but I forgot to add that bit. 20k service item is simply not true as you know, but everyone who has never owned one is an expert on them, right? 
Welshbeef said:
Eddieslofart said:
The conrod has 2 connection points, small end at gudgeon pin, big end at crank. Mains hold the crank in. I’ll assume as they are referred to as ‘rod’ bearings, it’s the big ends they mean.
If that’s the case they are pretty easy to change (well they were on a Maestro 1.6 in situ on axle stands.)Remove sump take off one at a time sliding the new one in to push the upper side out - you have enough play if you loosen the whole lot.
Then torque up
Sump on
New oil
Done.
I’m guessing it’s mega £ at a garage ?
TheAngryDog said:
Some builders take the engine out. The ones who do not have to also take a lot off to get at the bearings. Subframe has to come out.
Yes significantly more complex than said old Maestro. I guess my point was it’s possible for anyone to change them - not easy but achievable. (I doubt many if any DIY the shells though).
Welshbeef said:
TheAngryDog said:
Some builders take the engine out. The ones who do not have to also take a lot off to get at the bearings. Subframe has to come out.
Yes significantly more complex than said old Maestro. I guess my point was it’s possible for anyone to change them - not easy but achievable. (I doubt many if any DIY the shells though).
Eddieslofart said:
TheAngryDog said:
Oh definitely. It's just an engine. If you have the specs etc then there is no reason why they cannot be changed by anyone.
Welshbeef said:
Tiff Needle drives cars like that on TV
Goodwood FOS Hill Climb all those big burnouts
How are they different from what this Facebook chap did?
Tiff and the FOS bods always have the sense to let the car cool occasionally. And those cars are properly maintained.Goodwood FOS Hill Climb all those big burnouts
How are they different from what this Facebook chap did?
The twuntard here was revving the nuts off, with zero forward speed, so no airflow into the oil cooler, (and maybe hadn't serviced the car recently or, if he had, probably used cheap oil).
I have driven E92 M3s around the Ring all day long, as hard as they will go and in ambient temperatures above 30c, but they are at least moving with airflow through oil and water radiators and so able to keep the oil at some sort of reasonable temperature.
I have also had several 3 hour drifting sessions, but the instructors do have some mechanical sympathy (unlike the twuntard) and allow time for cooling by driving around at moderate revs.
On maybe 2 or 3 occasions, high oil temperature has triggered the DCT boxes to change up, to reduce engine speeds and enforce some opportunity for the oil to cool down.
Maybe the car in the video was manual and so no such control can be exerted.
And the driver was a mechanically insensitive twuntard.
Tony B2 said:
Tiff and the FOS bods always have the sense to let the car cool occasionally. And those cars are properly maintained.
The twuntard here was revving the nuts off, with zero forward speed, so no airflow into the oil cooler, (and maybe hadn't serviced the car recently or, if he had, probably used cheap oil).
I have driven E92 M3s around the Ring all day long, as hard as they will go and in ambient temperatures above 30c, but they are at least moving with airflow through oil and water radiators and so able to keep the oil at some sort of reasonable temperature.
I have also had several 3 hour drifting sessions, but the instructors do have some mechanical sympathy (unlike the twuntard) and allow time for cooling by driving around at moderate revs.
On maybe 2 or 3 occasions, high oil temperature has triggered the DCT boxes to change up, to reduce engine speeds and enforce some opportunity for the oil to cool down.
Maybe the car in the video was manual and so no such control can be exerted.
And the driver was a mechanically insensitive twuntard.
8 hours non stop BMW Guinness world record for drifting with moving refills. The twuntard here was revving the nuts off, with zero forward speed, so no airflow into the oil cooler, (and maybe hadn't serviced the car recently or, if he had, probably used cheap oil).
I have driven E92 M3s around the Ring all day long, as hard as they will go and in ambient temperatures above 30c, but they are at least moving with airflow through oil and water radiators and so able to keep the oil at some sort of reasonable temperature.
I have also had several 3 hour drifting sessions, but the instructors do have some mechanical sympathy (unlike the twuntard) and allow time for cooling by driving around at moderate revs.
On maybe 2 or 3 occasions, high oil temperature has triggered the DCT boxes to change up, to reduce engine speeds and enforce some opportunity for the oil to cool down.
Maybe the car in the video was manual and so no such control can be exerted.
And the driver was a mechanically insensitive twuntard.
This is utterly nailing the car in a totally different league of stress to the mummy’s boy in the original post.
Welshbeef said:
Tony B2 said:
Tiff and the FOS bods always have the sense to let the car cool occasionally. And those cars are properly maintained.
The twuntard here was revving the nuts off, with zero forward speed, so no airflow into the oil cooler, (and maybe hadn't serviced the car recently or, if he had, probably used cheap oil).
I have driven E92 M3s around the Ring all day long, as hard as they will go and in ambient temperatures above 30c, but they are at least moving with airflow through oil and water radiators and so able to keep the oil at some sort of reasonable temperature.
I have also had several 3 hour drifting sessions, but the instructors do have some mechanical sympathy (unlike the twuntard) and allow time for cooling by driving around at moderate revs.
On maybe 2 or 3 occasions, high oil temperature has triggered the DCT boxes to change up, to reduce engine speeds and enforce some opportunity for the oil to cool down.
Maybe the car in the video was manual and so no such control can be exerted.
And the driver was a mechanically insensitive twuntard.
8 hours non stop BMW Guinness world record for drifting with moving refills. The twuntard here was revving the nuts off, with zero forward speed, so no airflow into the oil cooler, (and maybe hadn't serviced the car recently or, if he had, probably used cheap oil).
I have driven E92 M3s around the Ring all day long, as hard as they will go and in ambient temperatures above 30c, but they are at least moving with airflow through oil and water radiators and so able to keep the oil at some sort of reasonable temperature.
I have also had several 3 hour drifting sessions, but the instructors do have some mechanical sympathy (unlike the twuntard) and allow time for cooling by driving around at moderate revs.
On maybe 2 or 3 occasions, high oil temperature has triggered the DCT boxes to change up, to reduce engine speeds and enforce some opportunity for the oil to cool down.
Maybe the car in the video was manual and so no such control can be exerted.
And the driver was a mechanically insensitive twuntard.
This is utterly nailing the car in a totally different league of stress to the mummy’s boy in the original post.
Plus, the driver in the record attempt is not "utterly nailing" it. Any decent drifter does not have to nail it constantly once the car is sliding, so long as the surface is wet/low friction.
Tony B2 said:
And the car in that record attempt is constantly moving, so the oil cooler works as it is designed to.
Plus, the driver in the record attempt is not "utterly nailing" it. Any decent drifter does not have to nail it constantly once the car is sliding, so long as the surface is wet/low friction.
https://youtu.be/sV5WbcPONx8Plus, the driver in the record attempt is not "utterly nailing" it. Any decent drifter does not have to nail it constantly once the car is sliding, so long as the surface is wet/low friction.
This owner starts the video treating his P&J with respect..... not so much by the end. Can imagine a lot of engine troubles are awaiting the next owner of this M5
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