Official S65 Rod Bearing Condition Example Thread

[Captain Starbucks]

2011 with 60k.

[akkando]

Saw from this thread. https://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1698983

Main bearing 1 spun and rod bearing 1 got beat up. Seems to be related to an agressive catless tune being run on a car with cats that got melted from the tune and then detonation happened.


BE bearings 25k-ish miles and 120-ish track days. All the bearings look pretty good besides the bearing trashed by the failed main bearing.

[SYT_Shadow]

Originally Posted by Captain Starbucks

2011 with 60k.

Wow... you were lucky you got it done

[EightBit]

Originally Posted by deansbimmer

Here's a set of VAC/CLEVITE bearings (12/2014) removed for inspection from a S65 with about 52,000 hard miles under a VF620 supercharger. They were installed in 2015 at 70k miles, and removed in our shop this month, January 2020 at 122k miles. (The engine was disassembled for rebuild due to water ingestion.)

Hey!

You don’t have a pic of the mains/big end bearings by chance from the tear down?

Sorry to quote a post from Jan forum.. looking at all these (far from acceptable) rod bearing pics has got me worried about the mains, if there’s a thread with main bearings please point me in that direction please, google brings up rod, rod and more rod bearing topics. If BMW dropped the ball that hard with the rod bearings, I hope they got the mains right!

[Captain Starbucks]

Originally Posted by SYT_Shadow

Wow... you were lucky you got it done

They weren't too hammered but in worse shape than I was expecting based on what I've seen with other 2011's with more miles. That being said, I have a late 2010 build, I think I have the older style bearings. That one did have a the groove you can see. Who knows. They're done now and I plan on getting my money's worth.

[LTY1224]

2013 E92 M3 53,886 Miles

[Helmsman]

Originally Posted by Captain Starbucks

They weren't too hammered but in worse shape than I was expecting based on what I've seen with other 2011's with more miles. That being said, I have a late 2010 build, I think I have the older style bearings. That one did have a the groove you can see. Who knows. They're done now and I plan on getting my money's worth.

Yes they look like the old shells (you can check on the back, 088/089). Can't see any copper at all, seen much worse here on the board.

[Captain Starbucks]

Originally Posted by Helmsman

Yes they look like the old shells (you can check on the back, 088/089). Can't see any copper at all, seen much worse here on the board.

Mine are 088/089 version. I'm now extra glad to have them done.

[Helmsman]

Originally Posted by Captain Starbucks

Mine are 088/089 version. I'm now extra glad to have them done.

Got it. Again, from judging pictures not remotely as bad as some of the others we've seen. Still nice to have them done of course.

[Assimilator1]

Originally Posted by LTY1224

2013 E92 M3 53,886 Miles

Thanks for the post , and although your photos are rather dark (& theirs some oil left) they don't seem too bad for S65 shells (the Alu one's do generally seem to fair better, not saying they're good before I get any engine builders jumping on my back! ).
Although has 1 worn through a layer? Bottom row, 3rd from the left. (can you take a brighter pic and with the oil cleaned off?).

[LTY1224]

Originally Posted by Assimilator1

Thanks for the post , and although your photos are rather dark (& theirs some oil left) they don't seem too bad for S65 shells (the Alu one's do generally seem to fair better, not saying they're good before I get any engine builders jumping on my back! ).
Although has 1 worn through a layer? Bottom row, 3rd from the left. (can you take a brighter pic and with the oil cleaned off?).

I will retake some pictures later today

[RE36TRO]

2011 E92 with 78k miles.

[Mhouse]

2007 M6 67k miles

Sorry if this has been answered.

Why is the wear pattern not centered?

[jvictormp]

Because of the inclination of each bank?

[Assimilator1]

Ouch, nasty looking bearings, lots of copper showing, no question there you were on borrowed time!
(Btw, no idea about your question).

[Scharbag]

Originally Posted by Mhouse

2007 M6 67k miles

Sorry if this has been answered.

Why is the wear pattern not centered?

It has to do with the complex stress arrangement in the engine. Same reason why maximum piston speed does not actually happen at exactly 50% of the stroke. It is a function of bore and stroke as to where maximum bearing force is experienced.

My brain is far too small to understand or explain the math.

Cheers,

[Mhouse]

Just an observation. But on some cars it seems like exactly half are wearing on one side and half on the other. Seems symmetrical.

🕵🏻*♂️

[K-M3]

Here are mine ... got them changed a week ago ... 2012 e92 M3, 85K miles, 10W60 all its life every 7-8K miles after the initial 1200 mile service. OEM oil ( castrol initially, then shell when Bmw switched over). Marginally more oil consumption with shell than Castrol ....

As usual ... kudos to deansbimmer for excellent service

One additional point ... switched over to Motul 10W60 for one oil change prior to bearing change (no particular reason) and noticed a significant drop in oil consumption ... don't know what to make of it ... monitoring for now

Edit — deansbimmer has uploaded the photos of my old bearings ... thx man !!!!

[Whitjct]

Got mine done this week....2008 82k miles

[Assimilator1]

Excellent quality photos!
Some worn through to copper, & curiously some wearing to the side (as opposed to Mhouse's shells wearing the middle) & wearing at the parting lines.

To Deansbimmer and other engine builders
Am I right in saying that wear at the parting lines would be due to over torquing (& so crushing)?
And could the wear to the sides be due to normal 'flexing' (of crank, rods, block) not being able to be taken up by the tight clearances? Or could it be due to slightly twisted rods?? (I'm thinking of the King or Clevite sample photos here).

K-M3
Unless I'm going blind, theirs no photos in your post

[Audioslave686]

Originally Posted by K-M3

Here are mine ... got them changed a week ago ... 2012 e92 M3, 85K miles, 10W60 all its life every 7-8K miles after the initial 1200 mile service. OEM oil ( castrol initially, then shell when Bmw switched over). Marginally more oil consumption with shell than Castrol ....

As usual ... kudos to deansbimmer for excellent service

One additional point ... switched over to Motul 10W60 for one oil change prior to bearing change (no particular reason) and noticed a significant drop in oil consumption ... don't know what to make of it ... monitoring for now

i guess you forgot to attach the photos...

what was your oil consumption before moving to Motul?

[K-M3]

Oh crap ... guess they didn't attach ... here u go