VAC Rod bearing?

[BMWE36Mpower]

Thinking of buying an e92 M3, rod bearing have been recently changed. From what I've gathered BE is the way to go, these how ever are VAC and I can't find too much information about them, besides they are coated and provide extra clearance.
Wondering if anyone has experience with this brand?

From what I've read every 60,000 is around the time the rod bearings should be replaced, is that still true once they have been switched out with the BE rod bearings?
Thanks

[jeremyuhh]

Also curious. Sub'd

[Helmsman]

You'll find various opinions reg VAC. Regardless I believe they have a strong track record with well known shops like MRF. Went ACL myself but would be equally happy with VAC.

[SilverSlug]

According to Malek at MRF, BE copied their design after ordering a set from MRF, then went to the exact same manufacture to produce their BE product.

Meanwhile, Malek at MRF has done over a 1,000 rod bearing jobs, and has never had a single warranty claim (they are warrantied for two years). That's good enough for me.

I'll be doing my rod bearings with MRF in the very near future, and have already established a group buy with him, which I will be posting on this forum (I'm just still in talks with moderators to make sure everything is copacetic).

[amrazM]

VAC is the way to go, from the time of order till you receive it will be less than a week.

[Scharbag]

Originally Posted by SilverSlug

According to Malek at MRF, BE copied their design after ordering a set from MRF, then went to the exact same manufacture to produce their BE product.

Meanwhile, Malek at MRF has done over a 1,000 rod bearing jobs, and has never had a single warranty claim (they are warrantied for two years). That's good enough for me.

I'll be doing my rod bearings with MRF in the very near future, and have already established a group buy with him, which I will be posting on this forum (I'm just still in talks with moderators to make sure everything is copacetic).

@greeneggs may want to comment on this.

SYT_Shadow

Perhaps you should read the detailed post about the development of BE? Or at least provide a little proof of your claim that BE copied VAC?

[SYT_Shadow]

Getting into arguments with forum sponsors is a good way to get fired, but there are some common sense questions anyone can ask.

-1000 rod bearing jobs... how many are these per week since the rod bearings became a thing? Defies any logic
-if BE copied VAC, why is it VAC doesn't have any documentation about their bearings?
-if BE copied VAC, which version did they copy? VAC has had at least 4 different versions
-No one should buy anything from VAC, period. The most useless company out there

[Properstyle]

Lets put this to bed VAC NOR BE make bearings the only bearing makers in the market are the follow

Clevite
ACL
KING

Vac use a Clevite bearing but coats them which does slightly decrease the orginal extra clearance.

BE uses the extra clearance Clevite mixed set with no coating added.

Lang uses the extra clearance mixed ACL set.

King are designed for a aftermarket rod not oem.


Arp bolts are not needed but simply put allow for ease of installation. I've in stalled a number of each of these there is nothing wrong with the vac or be set how ever it is imo a waste to spend 600 dollars on bearings that are actually 120 dollars perset. Having used different sets in my personal cars I now recommend the lang set.

[Green-Eggs]

Originally Posted by SYT_Shadow

Getting into arguments with forum sponsors is a good way to get fired, but there are some common sense questions anyone can ask.

-1000 rod bearing jobs... how many are these per week since the rod bearings became a thing? Defies any logic
-if BE copied VAC, why is it VAC doesn't have any documentation about their bearings?
-if BE copied VAC, which version did they copy? VAC has had at least 4 different versions
-No one should buy anything from VAC, period. The most useless company out there

Just last week it was 600 sets. Six months ago, it was 400 sets. At the beginning of the pandemic, it was 350 sets. Now it's 1000 sets since 2015 when the first sets were changed? Wow, that guy's been busy!

[tdott]

Originally Posted by SilverSlug

According to Malek at MRF, BE copied their design after ordering a set from MRF, then went to the exact same manufacture to produce their BE product.

This is a good history on how many times VAC has changed their tune on what their bearings actually are.
https://www.m3post.com/forums/showpo...postcount=3194

Also keep in mind that BE turned down someone asking for exclusive rights to BE bearings, which would have hurt the community and BE had no interest in doing.

As a result, that person is bad talking BE with false info about VAC, apparently he wont even install BE ARP rod bolts if you provided them.

Why would a well regarded shop have sour grapes? $$$

[SYT_Shadow]

Originally Posted by tdott

This is a good history on how many times VAC has changed their tune on what their bearings actually are.
https://www.m3post.com/forums/showpo...postcount=3194

Also keep in mind that BE turned down someone asking for exclusive rights to BE bearings, which would have hurt the community and BE had no interest in doing.

As a result, that person is bad talking BE with false info about VAC, apparently he wont even install BE ARP rod bolts if you provided them.

Why would a well regarded shop have sour grapes? $$$

Thanks for the link! I remember someone went through the work to compile all the VAC revisions

[Green-Eggs]

Originally Posted by tdott

This is a good history on how many times VAC has changed their tune on what their bearings actually are.
https://www.m3post.com/forums/showpo...postcount=3194

Also keep in mind that BE turned down someone asking for exclusive rights to BE bearings, which would have hurt the community and BE had no interest in doing.

I don't know if it was exclusive rights or not, but it was somebody who wanted to be a financial partner, not just reseller. And that shop just happens to be in Orange County CA (SoCal), which now exclusively sells VAC, won't even install BE-ARP rod bolts if a customer purchases them for their VAC bearings, supposedly installed 3x more sets than there has ever been time to install them, and builds race motors with higher whp than a BMW P65 racing engine but won't show a dyno chart when asked to prove it. People believe in unicorns too...in this case, lots of unicorns.

As a result, that person is bad talking BE with false info about VAC, apparently he wont even install BE ARP rod bolts if you provided them.

That is true too. It's mind blowing that somebody is so butt hurt to act that way.

Why would a well regarded shop have sour grapes? $$$

Mind blowing that people don't BS check things so simple as the number of weeks in a year divided by number or rod bearings sets supposedly installed during that time.

[Green-Eggs]

Originally Posted by SilverSlug

According to Malek at MRF, BE copied their design after ordering a set from MRF, then went to the exact same manufacture to produce their BE product.

I don't believe he actually said this. Bert from BE published full bearing specs in multiple public car forums in 2013. They were published on this forum on September 23, 2013. Bert first contacted Clevite about a custom rod bearing design on November 19, 2013. VAC introduced their bearings in 2015. The timeline is public, and couldn't be more simple to see the order of events. If he actually said this, he knows he could get sued and would easily lose, then Bert could turn his shop into a BE installation shop.

Nobody asked where did VAC get their specs? Were they taken from BE's specs published in September 2013?

I'll be doing my rod bearings with MRF in the very near future, and have already established a group buy with him, which I will be posting on this forum (I'm just still in talks with moderators to make sure everything is copacetic).

If you have a product that sells, they don't need group buys. It's really that simple.

[Gossypiboma]

Originally Posted by SilverSlug

According to Malek at MRF, BE copied their design after ordering a set from MRF, then went to the exact same manufacture to produce their BE product.

Meanwhile, Malek at MRF has done over a 1,000 rod bearing jobs, and has never had a single warranty claim (they are warrantied for two years). That's good enough for me.

I'll be doing my rod bearings with MRF in the very near future, and have already established a group buy with him, which I will be posting on this forum (I'm just still in talks with moderators to make sure everything is copacetic).

You really need to learn to do a little basic research on your own.

[tdott]

Also remember when VAC sold out of their "extra clearance" bearings, they started sending people OEM coated bearings without telling them?

While the final product might have been good, I would lack confidence in a vendor due to their bad business practices. Even if they have since gotten their shit together......sorry not worth the risk when there are more trust worthy sources out there.

[NeverL8]

Malek changed mine with VAC couple years back and soo far soo good.

My overall experience was great, he’s very knowledgeable and I trust him.

[SilverSlug]

I didn't meant to stir the pot too abruptly here, just reporting in what I heard.

I've also heard only good things about MRF and their RB service from many people on this forum, and lifetime warranty on labor and 2yr warranty on parts seems promising.

... not to say that I wouldn't put BE bearings into my M, both seem like very legit options.

[Lienrocs]

I have zero trust in VAC. They are an absolutely horrible company. I've never had good experience with them. If you have to do anything with VAC without going through an intermediary or a shop just sell the car. It is quite literally the worst experience I've ever had dealing with them.

However, I 100 percent trust Malek at MRF. I had my bearings done by him and absolutely trust his work. He has a good relationship with VAC (don't quote me on this, not trying to put words in anyone's mouth) so he may get better treatment from them.

As stated in a few posts here, bearings are all made by the same companies with a different twist from different vendors. Are there differences? Maybe but I would find a shop that you can trust and for me, Malek is a extremely trust worthy. I personally know a dozen people who have had their bearings done by Malek and everyone had the same experience, a good one.

[Green-Eggs]

Originally Posted by SilverSlug

I didn't meant to stir the pot too abruptly here, just reporting in what I heard.

Why repeat rumors like that when they are so easily disproven? And where did you hear it?

Here's the link on this forum to the BE research. Look at the dates. This is the most viewed thread on this entire forum.
https://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=892838

Now there's this other guy in another thread repeating these comments as if they are true. He's clearly got a misinformation agenda going on for a long time. He participated in that same thread on October 31, 2013 only 6-weeks after BE published these specs. Now he wants to hide behind these comments -- as if he doesn't know the actual chronology of events -- to claim that BE measured and copied VAC from 2015. This is the type of stuff that makes it difficult for the public to get truthfully and accurately informed before making their own educated decisions.
https://www.m3post.com/forums/showpo...&postcount=519

[DRLane]

Originally Posted by SilverSlug

I didn't meant to stir the pot too abruptly here, just reporting in what I heard.

I've also heard only good things about MRF and their RB service from many people on this forum, and lifetime warranty on labor and 2yr warranty on parts seems promising.

... not to say that I wouldn't put BE bearings into my M, both seem like very legit options.

To be fair, it was just back in December (12/15/20) that you referenced this copying gibberish and the 600 jobs completed to date. So in the last ~100 days Malek has completed another 400 jobs?

People should do what they want with their cars. 100%. But stop with the nonsensical statements. This forum is a resource but only so much as the info is based on facts.

[SilverSlug]

Again, I'm just going on what I hear/see.

Indeed those numbers are contradictory, 600 is what I heard from someone on the forum, 1000 is what I heard directly from Malek.

I don't have an agenda one way or another, I'm searching for anywhere like everyone else.

[Scharbag]

Originally Posted by SilverSlug

Again, I'm just going on what I hear/see.

Indeed those numbers are contradictory, 600 is what I heard from someone on the forum, 1000 is what I heard directly from Malek.

I don't have an agenda one way or another, I'm searching for anywhere like everyone else.

In the future, perhaps you should review the information before posting it in the technical forums. There is an expression we use in engineering: does it pass the smell test? If it seems suspect, then review before sharing it. This is not Facebook/Twitter/Insta. Posts "should" be held to somewhat of a higher standard.

At the very least, ensure that it is clear that you are simply posting rumor/hearsay/gossip.

Happy days...