BMW M3 S65 53000KM Rod Bearing Replacement

[JankGiovanella]

Hello eyeryone,

I'm from Brazil so I'm gonna ask sorry for my english in advance.

In January of this present year I bought my dream car, a 2008 M3. I could have found one newer but I wanted a manual, so 2008 is the only year available in that setup in Brazil (the car costed me aprox 50k dollars). After one week with it I noticed a tiking noise and immediatly noticed it sounded like bearings (I understand something about engines). Started looking for the noise on the internet and found that it was a commum problem for the S65 engine. Decided to take the bearings ou to take a look at it. After making sure that the problem was the bearings I tried to contact BMW for help, because the car had only 53k KM, or aprox 33k miles, but of course out of warranty I got nothing. So, the place where I bought the car and I paid for the repair, I opted for the BE rod bearings, OEM bolts, also changed the main bearings, surfaced the crankshaft (thank god it was ok inspite the bearings health), and also replaced some gaskets. The repair costed me about 5k dollars. After two months waiting for the parts the car is finally alive again, done just 500km until now, but for now everything is perfect. I still hear a ticking, but I think it's something else because I can't think a bearing will get toasted in 500km. Just posting this to show that this engine obviously has some fault, I'm hopping that it really is about the bearing clearance and that now I solved with the BE bearings, but something in me tells me that the real problem is about the oiling system, let's hope not.

Other than this issue, the car is incredible, I love it and hope I can enjoy it without any troubles from now on.

Thank's for the attention everyone, great motoring for you all

Note: Using 0W40 Castrol Edge (Belgium one) to make sure the bearings are receiving enough oil. Also I use the car daily, so I don't think10W60 would be a better choice.

[squartus]

Yikes! Glad you caught it in time, and grats on getting your dream car sir.

[Doc Oc]

Wow, you don't see too many main bearing pics here, good job! So 7 of your rod bearings were completely wiped....that's incredible it was still running. Those are some of the worst I've seen....your engine was a time bomb.

[JankGiovanella]

Hi guys,

Yes, just like you said Doc, I too don't understand how it was running. I don't think you can notice in the picture, but the 7 that are toasted are actually much more rounded, they were about to spin, really happy we stopped in time. What is taking my sleep away is that I still hear a tiking noise, I'm going to record a video and show to you guys see what you think.

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by JankGiovanella

Hello eyeryone,

I'm from Brazil so I'm gonna ask sorry for my english in advance.

In January of this present year I bought my dream car, a 2008 M3. I could have found one newer but I wanted a manual, so 2008 is the only year available in that setup in Brazil (the car costed me aprox 50k dollars). After one week with it I noticed a tiking noise and immediatly noticed it sounded like bearings (I understand something about engines). Started looking for the noise on the internet and found that it was a commum problem for the S65 engine. Decided to take the bearings ou to take a look at it. After making sure that the problem was the bearings I tried to contact BMW for help, because the car had only 53k KM, or aprox 33k miles, but of course out of warranty I got nothing. So, the place where I bought the car and I paid for the repair, I opted for the BE rod bearings, OEM bolts, also changed the main bearings, surfaced the crankshaft (thank god it was ok inspite the bearings health), and also replaced some gaskets. The repair costed me about 5k dollars. After two months waiting for the parts the car is finally alive again, done just 500km until now, but for now everything is perfect. I still hear a ticking, but I think it's something else because I can't think a bearing will get toasted in 500km. Just posting this to show that this engine obviously has some fault, I'm hopping that it really is about the bearing clearance and that now I solved with the BE bearings, but something in me tells me that the real problem is about the oiling system, let's hope not.

Other than this issue, the car is incredible, I love it and hope I can enjoy it without any troubles from now on.

Thank's for the attention everyone, great motoring for you all

Note: Using 0W40 Castrol Edge (Belgium one) to make sure the bearings are receiving enough oil. Also I use the car daily, so I don't think10W60 would be a better choice.

Indeed , wow ! ..7 are down to the copper and they look like crap and only with 53000 km on it !
I really hope they flushed your entire oil circuit as well because your bearings lost a lot of "COPPER SHAVINGS" into your oil system .
As for your ticking noises I think personal that you hear the S65 injector ticking noises (not sure)

What kind of oil-spec you was running before your bearing replacement ?
And what do you mean by using Castrol-Edge 0W40 the Belgium one ?

[JankGiovanella]

The old owner said he was using 10W60 but you never know, by the state of the bearings I can assume he was lying, but engines failed earlier with 10W60 so...

Yes, we flushed big time (we took the engine out, opened everything), we wanted to make sure nothing stayed inside. Next weekend I will change the oil again just to make sure. Here in Brazil we have two 0-40 Castrol, I use the one imported from Belgium, Castrol Edge. I will post a video today of the noise I'm hearing, hope everything is ok.

[Doc Oc]

Originally Posted by JankGiovanella

Hi guys,

Yes, just like you said Doc, I too don't understand how it was running. I don't think you can notice in the picture, but the 7 that are toasted are actually much more rounded, they were about to spin, really happy we stopped in time. What is taking my sleep away is that I still hear a tiking noise, I'm going to record a video and show to you guys see what you think.

This car makes a lot of noises. Might be nothing. There is a noticeable injector tick at all times....there is also a common intermittent tick that some members have which usually shows up around an oil chsnge. Does it happen at all rpm and idle and is it steady or sporadic?

[JankGiovanella]

Yes, the injectors I also noticed, but it's something else. What scares me is that it's a lot similar to the noise that made me open the engine and replace the bearings. You can hear at idle and seems to follow at all rpm, but impossible to hear at higher rpms because of engine noise. As soon as I arrive home today I'm posting a video, not driving her today, bad weather :S.

Thank's for the attention guys.

[IIAp3x]

Wow that's a big job! Great work!

[Mr. Liu]

So your the guy that commented on my youtube post right? That ticking was NOT bearing related in my situation. You will find MANY posts about that here. Since you still have it you should relax about the bearings. But, you are SUPER lucky to have had changed these out, crazy that it only had 33k miles on it. The previous owner must of beat the shit out of it lol

[Doc Oc]

How ironic would it be if the op tore down his engine due to a ticking noise that wasn't bearings, only to find his bearings were totally shot anyway? Life can be funny like that.

[JankGiovanella]

Yes Liu, that was me. I agree, I think or the previous owner beat a lot on her or didn't take care of it properly. Either way, she's in good hands now. I'm a little more relieved that some guys around here have the tiking noise and it's not related to the bearings. Thank you all for your input.

[JankGiovanella]

Yes, that is the funny part Doc, the noise led me to the bearigns, saved the engine, but looks like it's from something else. Well, will try to keep my mind out of it and enjoy it how it deserves.

[aus]

Good to see you saved your engine!!

Just an alternative for the oil, I've been using Mobil 1 0W40 mixed with Mobil 1 15W50 and my Blackstone was clean with 9,000 miles on the oil and a couple track days. I did add about 1 quart back about 1,500 mile before the Blackstone.

[JankGiovanella]

Hmm interesting input Aus, but is it ok to put two different oil together? It's a shame we don't have something like blaskstone around here to take a look at the oil.

[Doc Oc]

I'm running a similar mix of red line's 0w40 and 5w50. As long as the only difference is the weight it is OK to mix. I spoke to red line about it before doing it.

Aus, is your report up in the uoa section? I'd like to compare your m1 vs the RL since we are running the same mix.

[Doc Oc]

Originally Posted by JankGiovanella

Yes, that is the funny part Doc, the noise led me to the bearigns, saved the engine, but looks like it's from something else. Well, will try to keep my mind out of it and enjoy it how it deserves.

It was a great catch regardless!

I once spent a week pulling the turbos off a supra because I thought it had smoked one. Turns out it'd just popped an intercooler end cap. It was a 30 min fix and I felt like a moron, but shit happens.

Interested to hear your vid.

[aus]

Originally Posted by JankGiovanella

Hmm interesting input Aus, but is it ok to put two different oil together? It's a shame we don't have something like blaskstone around here to take a look at the oil.

It's fine since the base stock is similar. See below for Red Line too.

Originally Posted by Doc Oc

I'm running a similar mix of red line's 0w40 and 5w50. As long as the only difference is the weight it is OK to mix. I spoke to red line about it before doing it.

Aus, is your report up in the uoa section? I'd like to compare your m1 vs the RL since we are running the same mix.

I haven't been able to edit the PDF file (yeah, I suck at PDF) to white out my personal info.
.

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by JankGiovanella

Hmm interesting input Aus, but is it ok to put two different oil together? It's a shame we don't have something like blaskstone around here to take a look at the oil.

Here you go => http://www.blackstone-labs.com/

[Doc Oc]

Aus, if you get time, think you could post up the numbers? I'm really just interested in the viscosity numbers and the moly, cal and phos and zinc.

[T!m3]

Changed my rb at 104000km. Got lucky