More rod bearings

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by Nugget

Tough luck mate, looks similar to what happened to mine.
Not supercharged and I had done a preventative RB replacement 6 months earlier.
I got a second hand engine from a wreck installed and sold the car.

Do you have more information ?
Build year ? Miles ?

[Duk996]

Originally Posted by Nugget

Tough luck mate, looks similar to what happened to mine.
Not supercharged and I had done a preventative RB replacement 6 months earlier.
I got a second hand engine from a wreck installed and sold the car.

Sorry to hear nugget, I guess misery loves company. Sounds like you got fed up and hocked it when you could, I still think of that as an option... it's a terrible situation.

Did you approach Bmw about it at all and if so what was their response? Thanks for posting btw.

[byroncheung]

Originally Posted by Nugget

Tough luck mate, looks similar to what happened to mine.
Not supercharged and I had done a preventative RB replacement 6 months earlier.
I got a second hand engine from a wreck installed and sold the car.

Man so now just replacing RB is not enough we gotta think about the main bearing too? I love the car but the cost of these "preventive maintenance" hardly makes sense anymore...

[Doc Oc]

Originally Posted by byroncheung

Man so now just replacing RB is not enough we gotta think about the main bearing too? I love the car but the cost of these "preventive maintenance" hardly makes sense anymore...

As shitty as it is, keep in mind that only a small percentage of engines are actually affected. Everyone comes here to share their horror stores but for every one of these poor guys, there are 40-50 people unaffected. Not that that makes op feel any better.

[byroncheung]

Originally Posted by Doc Oc

As shitty as it is, keep in mind that only a small percentage of engines are actually affected. Everyone comes here to share their horror stores but for every one of these poor guys, there are 40-50 people unaffected. Not that that makes op feel any better.

would actually makes me feel better if we had some sort of % chance number... but i guess there is no where to get that number...

can we create a poll just ask everyone to vote if they had / had not got a RB / MB problem? everyone try to get it out with word of mouth and persuade fellow e9x m3 owner to participate? just having a estimation of the % is doing all owners a service...

[pbonsalb]

Probably the person with the best number estimate us M3 Belgium but he won’t say what the number is because his source is confidential. I wish we knew. Maybe it will come out in the class action lawsuit.

[Duk996]

Originally Posted by byroncheung

would actually makes me feel better if we had some sort of % chance number... but i guess there is no where to get that number...

can we create a poll just ask everyone to vote if they had / had not got a RB / MB problem? everyone try to get it out with word of mouth and persuade fellow e9x m3 owner to participate? just having a estimation of the % is doing all owners a service...

Phillipe has the best # but it really doesn't matter. There is an issue and if you own the car it's a crapshoot.

The best thing to do is call these people if you have had an issue and let them know you exist.

https://www.lawgsp.com/important-update/



You can reach Paul Scarlato by email at scarlato@lawgsp.com or by phone at 484-342-0700. You can reach Ben Siminou by email at siminou@tbmlawyers.com or by phone at 619-236-9363, and you can reach Matt Schelkopf by email at mds@mccunewright.com.

[BOOF-M3]

Originally Posted by Doc Oc

As shitty as it is, keep in mind that only a small percentage of engines are actually affected. Everyone comes here to share their horror stores but for every one of these poor guys, there are 40-50 people unaffected. Not that that makes op feel any better.

The problem with that Doc is, that now that the miles are getting up there we don't know if we can expect 90% failure rate over 150,000 miles. Since it's a wear issue, the older the cars get and the higher the mileage we could be looking at much higher numbers, "could be" being the key phrase.

[deansbimmer]

Originally Posted by Duk996

The plan is to get either a bmw supplied short block or a low mileage used engine. If I go used I am going to replace main and rod bearings and add clearance. If a BMW supplied short block I need to know from them they added clearance (I know, tough, I doubt they divulge any details).

I like your plan to supercharge some day. No fear!

But...Don't hold your breath if that's your hopes for a new engine from BMW. When I last checked with my dealer parts guy he only saw one in North America and last I heard there weren't any more being made. Maybe that will change or already has. If you find an OEM rebuild, it will with zero doubt be built to OEM spec which is the same bearings, clearances, and assembly practices that got us here in the first place. And they certainly don't supply a "blueprint" with final dimensions either.

Your best bet will be to find a used engine and put in the new bearings that you choose. I sell one or two every month that I've gone through with new parts like that so let me know if that day comes.

[Duk996]

Originally Posted by deansbimmer

I like your plan to supercharge some day. No fear!

But...Don't hold your breath if that's your hopes for a new engine from BMW. When I last checked with my dealer parts guy he only saw one in North America and last I heard there weren't any more being made. Maybe that will change or already has. If you find an OEM rebuild, it will with zero doubt be built to OEM spec which is the same bearings, clearances, and assembly practices that got us here in the first place. And they certainly don't supply a "blueprint" with final dimensions either.

Your best bet will be to find a used engine and put in the new bearings that you choose. I sell one or two every month that I've gone through with new parts like that so let me know if that day comes.

Yeah, forget new, it's a bmw reman. I called a couple dealerships and they supposedly could get a short block for 8500. That's why I'm hopeful they opened up the clearances. They are definitely shady about it though, one guy yesed me to death that they "fixed" the clearances but I don't know if he was just blowing me off. I kinda wanna go used and do the bearings just so I know what F is going on.

[pbonsalb]

BMW has not yet admitted there is a problem with the bearings. There is a lawsuit going on. No way has BMW changed the clearances on whatever block it has in stock.

[Duk996]

Originally Posted by pbonsalb

BMW has not yet admitted there is a problem with the bearings. There is a lawsuit going on. No way has BMW changed the clearances on whatever block it has in stock.

Why are those things mutually inclusive? They could have specified new clearances and not admitted it. Shit, if they had to show records they could claim increased clearances are do to cranks being resurfaced and not even admit they f'ed up. It's not like they published clearances and you could call them out.

If they think the clearances are a problem and they keep using them they are bigger jerks than I thought.

[pbonsalb]

Because the new specification would eventually come out — in the lawsuit or from someone changing bearings in an engine -/ and it would kill BMWs defense.

[OzCraig]

Hey Nugget,

So you changed the RB's out 6 months before? What shells did you use?

Thanks mate,
Craig

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by pbonsalb

BMW has not yet admitted there is a problem with the bearings. There is a lawsuit going on. No way has BMW changed the clearances on whatever block it has in stock.

I agree with your statement.

According BMW...

BMW replaced *under warranty* every blown S65 over the world .
In some cases even twice..

If the car and the S65 is out of warranty it's no longer the problem from BMW . And it is no longer recognized/accepted as a problem for BMW ,because like it is described the BMW warranty is expired !
That was in the last 10 years BMW's solution for the S65/85 bearings and blown engines .
The solution/fix (*replacing engines*) was not cheap for BMW !

Seen from BMW's side , we/you/I and our S65/85 are history

Case closed .

[Nugget]

Originally Posted by ///M Power-Belgium

Do you have more information ?
Build year ? Miles ?

2010 with just over 90,000kms.

I was second owner, first owner serviced according to standard BMW intervals until ~88,000kms.
I bought it, did preventative RB replacement, test pipes and a BPM tune.
Six months later while I had a Harrop kit waiting at the workshop I heard a knock.
Sump off and found rod bearing 1 trashed. We assumed the workshop off had stuffed up RB replacement so they were going to build me an engine with aftermarket rods at their cost.
Further tear down found that RB 1 was only trashed because it is immediately downstream from main bearing 1 which had spun.
Sold supercharger, put in second hand motor and sold car.
Still have a set of Carillo rods if anyone needs them.

Originally Posted by Duk996

Sorry to hear nugget, I guess misery loves company. Sounds like you got fed up and hocked it when you could, I still think of that as an option... it's a terrible situation.

Did you approach Bmw about it at all and if so what was their response? Thanks for posting btw.

Didn’t bother, I had heard that BMW Australia is trying it’s best to pretend this issue doesn’t exist.
And the car had Rod bearings changed, test pipes and a tune so I didn’t like my chances.

Originally Posted by OzCraig

Hey Nugget,

So you changed the RB's out 6 months before? What shells did you use?

Thanks mate,
Craig

Vac coated bearings and ARP bolts.

[OzCraig]

Sorry to hear mate, not good
So the proximate cause in this case was the main giving up. Scary :s

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by Nugget

2010 with just over 90,000kms.

I was second owner, first owner serviced according to standard BMW intervals until ~88,000kms.
I bought it, did preventative RB replacement, test pipes and a BPM tune.
Six months later while I had a Harrop kit waiting at the workshop I heard a knock.
Sump off and found rod bearing 1 trashed. We assumed the workshop off had stuffed up RB replacement so they were going to build me an engine with aftermarket rods at their cost.
Further tear down found that RB 1 was only trashed because it is immediately downstream from main bearing 1 which had spun.
Sold supercharger, put in second hand motor and sold car.
Still have a set of Carillo rods if anyone needs them.



Didn’t bother, I had heard that BMW Australia is trying it’s best to pretend this issue doesn’t exist.
And the car had Rod bearings changed, test pipes and a tune so I didn’t like my chances.




Vac coated bearings and ARP bolts.

#s@cks ! From what I hear , more and more owners just dump the car after bearing failure..
Feel your pain ! Thank you Sir , for the information .

[leisey]

Even though my oil analysis was good and no rattles. I had the bearings changed. I have owned the car since 24,000 miles. So I added a 103,000 miles with 2 track weekends.While there is some normal discoloration on the upper bearings, just like 2 M30 motors I have pulled apart, the bearing are fine. I measured them with calipers and can find no measurable wear. Which means it is in the tenths of .001". After all the horror stories and my plans to keep it, I needed piece of mind. I have personally instructed one student at a HPDE event in a E92 and his locked up. He had just bought the car used with about 50K on it. Go figure.

[pbonsalb]

I think that is more than normal discoloration.

[Duk996]

Originally Posted by pbonsalb

I think that is more than normal discoloration.

Agreed, I don't think your supposed to wear through the various layers...still, hardly bad by m3 standards.

[admranger]

Originally Posted by deansbimmer

I like your plan to supercharge some day. No fear!

But...Don't hold your breath if that's your hopes for a new engine from BMW. When I last checked with my dealer parts guy he only saw one in North America and last I heard there weren't any more being made. Maybe that will change or already has. If you find an OEM rebuild, it will with zero doubt be built to OEM spec which is the same bearings, clearances, and assembly practices that got us here in the first place. And they certainly don't supply a "blueprint" with final dimensions either.

Your best bet will be to find a used engine and put in the new bearings that you choose. I sell one or two every month that I've gone through with new parts like that so let me know if that day comes.

What's the mechanism for the cracks in the block? Just heat?

Is there any value in getting a higher mileage used motor than a low mile unit? From the few older M20, S50, and M52 motors I've torn down, the cross hatching was still there in the bores. Perhaps just re-ring the higher mileage motor is a better value than buying a low mile unit?

Hopefully I never have to face this issue, especially now that I'm out of my Vegas house that had the lift in it and had room to pull engines, etc.

Sorry to those affected by this situation. I replaced the RB's on mine and 2 other S65's last year with bebearings. Not a lot of fun to do the work, but way more straightforward than replacing the mains.