Engine rebuilders in central Texas? 47K miles and blown up.

[G_Fern]

Hi everyone. Sorry for another rod bearing post but I need some advice.
I bought an E93 with less that 47k miles about a month ago. My 4 year old daughter loves riding in convertibles, so I took it as an excuse to get an S65 back in my life. Looked like a clean car. Carfax looked good with only 2 owners and regular service noted. Not a leak or noise anywhere. Drove tight ran smooth. No codes. Everything checked out.
Anyway, I bought it in Dallas and figured I’d go through the car and do all the minor freshening up myself first, enjoy it with my daughter and at some point do Rod bearings myself. In a past life, when these cars were new, I was a BMW dealer master tech, so I was comfortable with all the known issues. Maybe too confident and jaded. I owned a coupe years ago, sold it with a 80k miles on original bearings. 47k miles should be nothing.

Today I took it out for some errands and a spirited drive. After several miles on a twisty back road with the top down I turned onto a main road and did a 1-3 gear pull. Red line first, 7k ish rpm in 2nd and upon shifting to 3rd (DCT) I lifted. Noticed the car seems to be engine braking abnormally so I tried the throttle, definitely labored acceleration. Before I could reach for the radio to turn it off, engine shut off. I coasted in neutral to a side street and tried to restart it. Click followed by a labored couple rotations. Didn’t start. No way! Tried it again. Same. S**T! Had it towed home. Sure enough glitter in the oil filter. I can’t believe it’s just bearing wear. Maybe something caused oil starvation. I don’t know. Oil level was normal before I left, temp was normal, never threw a warning or limp mod. Just seized.

Sorry for the novel. Still in disbelief. I’ve owned a Porsche 996 for years and I can’t believe it’s the BMW I’m going to put an engine in first. I have the technical ability to rebuild an engine but not the time, special tools, space or motivation these days.

So what’s the options? Worth rebuilding my engine? Is there anyone even rebuilding these things reliably? eBay engine with more miles and same question marks as what I just blew up? Buy a fully built engine for a $30k car? Cut my loses and light it on fire and forget the whole thing? lol I just want a fun car with a great engine to drive my daughter around. Already accepted that I will be into this car for far more money than it’s worth but trying to be cost effective. Hoping to rebuild a reliable car that I don’t have to worry about this happening to my wife when she’s driving it.
Advice, recommendations, referrals welcome. I’m in Austin, TX if anyone knows a good engine builder in the area. Thank you.

[spammysammich]

Your block is likely scrap with that much bearing damage. It has come to light since your master tech days that these cars can chew up the #1 main and take out the 1&5 cylinder rod bearings. That much heat cracks the block at the main journal oil passage making it a boat anchor. Sorry. If the top end is good maybe you can work out a deal for a rebuilt short block. You might want to check with mporium for options. Tough spot to be in.

[miser]

Sorry this happened to you. I think with e9x m3’s it comes down to the way the previous owner treated it vs mileage as a indicator for rod bearings.

When I bought my e92 m3, it was single owner and he told me about how he does the start up procedure, never revs past 3k until it’s warmed up. It was a 56k mile car when I bought it but the way it was treated with lots of care was more important.

You bought a 47k mile car but it was probably treated like shit it’s whole life, warm up never taken seriously, reving high when it’s cold, and just beat on.

Just LS swap it at that point. It’s challenging but you have the experience.

I saw somebody swap a LT4 into a e92

[Partee Racing LLC]

Please review our build options at ParteeRacing.com. We would be delighted to help.

--Peter

[G_Fern]

Originally Posted by Partee Racing LLC

Please review our build options at ParteeRacing.com. We would be delighted to help.

--Peter

Thank you. I’ll reach out to you directly.

[G_Fern]

So seems like just going to take the plunge. Thanks for the recommendations. Already reached out mporium and partee. Both super helpful. I think in interest of time and cost effectiveness I’m going to trailer the car up to Mportium in a couple of weeks and let them see what’s left of the crank and block (I suspect probably not much.) Then we’ll make a decision of what to do next. All the used engines ln the market seem to be high mileage and would need to be gone through anyway. If the cost to rebuild mine or a used engine gets close enough, probably makes more sense to drop in something already built by the experts. Thanks Partee and Mporium for your time.

[greyspoke]

Good luck. I've had great service at Mporium and drive mine down there to get service when I have time to plan it out. They've done my rod bearings, valve covers, vanos covers.

[Assimilator1]

G_Fern
Sorry to hear about your engine , I hope you get it sorted without it costing you the earth!
I'll add your case to the blown engines list, btw what year is your car?

I wonder, would the 4.4 GTS engine be much more expensive than the regular 4ltr? (If available!).

Originally Posted by miser

Sorry this happened to you. I think with e9x m3’s it comes down to the way the previous owner treated it vs mileage as a indicator for rod bearings.

When I bought my e92 m3, it was single owner and he told me about how he does the start up procedure, never revs past 3k until it’s warmed up. It was a 56k mile car when I bought it but the way it was treated with lots of care was more important.

You bought a 47k mile car but it was probably treated like shit it’s whole life, warm up never taken seriously, reving high when it’s cold, and just beat on.

Just LS swap it at that point. It’s challenging but you have the experience.

I saw somebody swap a LT4 into a e92

I see this option mentioned from time to time, but I've never had an answer as to how much these engines weigh and their effects on handling....

[G_Fern]

Originally Posted by Assimilator1

G_Fern
Sorry to hear about your engine , I hope you get it sorted without it costing you the earth!
I'll add your case to the blown engines list, btw what year is your car?
....

Thanks. Car is a 2012 e93 with 47k miles. Brakes, suspension, interior wear all seem to line up with that mileage but who knows. Could have had a mileage blocker on for the last 5 years for all I know. At this point I trust nothing about this sh**box

[G_Fern]

Originally Posted by miser

Sorry this happened to you. I think with e9x m3’s it comes down to the way the previous owner treated it vs mileage as a indicator for rod bearings.

When I bought my e92 m3, it was single owner and he told me about how he does the start up procedure, never revs past 3k until it’s warmed up. It was a 56k mile car when I bought it but the way it was treated with lots of care was more important.

You bought a 47k mile car but it was probably treated like shit it’s whole life, warm up never taken seriously, reving high when it’s cold, and just beat on.

Just LS swap it at that point. It’s challenging but you have the experience.

I saw somebody swap a LT4 into a e92

I’m afraid you’re exactly right. I figured the chances of a cab having been beat to death were lower than a coupe, but who knows what kind of life this thing lived. LS swap is not an option. If I wanted a Camaro I would have just bought a Camaro. I always missed the S65 since I moved on to other cars and wanted another in the garage. (Didn’t expect to need to buy 2…but here we are lol)

[omgzirra_exe]

Originally Posted by G_Fern

I’m afraid you’re exactly right. I figured the chances of a cab having been beat to death were lower than a coupe, but who knows what kind of life this thing lived. LS swap is not an option. If I wanted a Camaro I would have just bought a Camaro. I always missed the S65 since I moved on to other cars and wanted another in the garage. (Didn’t expect to need to buy 2…but here we are lol)

As an avid lover and hater of this platform...

Logically, an LS3 swap makes more sense overall. The upfront cost can be higher depending on how far you take the build, but in the long run it's cheaper to service and maintain.

On top of that, you can comfortably spin an LS to 8,000-8,300 RPM, make more power than just about any 4.6L S65 at the same / less RPM, and still end up with a lighter engine package.

It's also significantly cheaper than building a proper 4.1L to 4.6L S65. At today's prices you're looking at $30k+ for the engine alone, and then another $5k or more for removal and installation.

Now... a part of me still wants to build another S65 because nothing else really sounds or feels like one. But after building my 4.4L, I'm having a hard time justifying it financially.

But if I did decide, 4.2L 12.5:1, Dailey Dry Sump and call it a day (which is the cheaper route in terms of S65 rebuilds, even cheaper with no dry sump)

These engines aren't going to last forever. Finding a good used S65 is becoming a gamble, and most of the ones I've seen for sale either have known bearing issues or end up needing a rebuild anyway.

I'm not trying to convince you to LS swap it, because I completely understand wanting to keep the character of the car. But if you're already staring down a $25k-35k engine build, the LS/LT route starts making a lot more sense from a purely logical and financial standpoint.

[Bigblockfox]

Whats the resale after an ls swap. Personally not interested in that as I'm sure most s65 owners or potential buyers aren't.

I completed a gen 1 coyote swap in a fox convertible about 10ish years ago. Sure the engine wasn't overly expensive but by the time all the swap parts are bought it starts to add up fast let alone all the time. Still have a fox coupe with a 545ci big block ford swapped. I was into that engine 30k 20 years ago.

Gt350 engines are $20k. Ls7's are just under 20k. Can only imagine what porsche engines are worth. Seems par for the course for an engine like the s65.

[omgzirra_exe]

Originally Posted by Bigblockfox

Whats the resale after an ls swap. Personally not interested in that as I'm sure most s65 owners or potential buyers aren't.

I completed a gen 1 coyote swap in a fox convertible about 10ish years ago. Sure the engine wasn't overly expensive but by the time all the swap parts are bought it starts to add up fast let alone all the time. Still have a fox coupe with a 545ci big block ford swapped. I was into that engine 30k 20 years ago.

Gt350 engines are $20k. Ls7's are just under 20k. Can only imagine what porsche engines are worth. Seems par for the course for an engine like the s65.

not much really, def a specific buyer market. even with a 4.6L stroker the resale is no much more than a clubsport build and those aren't even expensive either.

[bigjae1976]

It might be a long shot BUT...go to your dealer and price a BMW reman. You might be surprised. In 2022, BMWNA had a reman S65 listed for $15k which comes with a 2 year unlimited mile warranty. I very badly wanted to jump on it but I couldn't justify tying up $15k for an engine I might need someday far in the future.

I think your best bet is to buy a used S65. Replace the bearings, seals, and gaskets and send. I wouldn't trust any euro shop in TX to rebuild shit...as someone who has owned a BMW in TX since 2004. The issue will be finding a good machine shop. Absolutely don't come to Houston.

Dealing with rebuilders far away presents another set of challenges.

[Partee Racing LLC]

Originally Posted by bigjae1976

It might be a long shot BUT...go to your dealer and price a BMW reman. You might be surprised. In 2022, BMWNA had a reman S65 listed for $15k which comes with a 2 year unlimited mile warranty. I very badly wanted to jump on it but I couldn't justify tying up $15k for an engine I might need someday far in the future.

I think your best bet is to buy a used S65. Replace the bearings, seals, and gaskets and send. I wouldn't trust any euro shop in TX to rebuild shit...as someone who has owned a BMW in TX since 2004. The issue will be finding a good machine shop. Absolutely don't come to Houston.

Dealing with rebuilders far away presents another set of challenges.

A few points:

First, that reman listed in 2022 almost certainly was not actually available when you ordered it. I know because at that time, I gave S65 clients the same advice. Cheaper and faster to buy a reman. Not better, but cheaper and faster. Moreover, that price is with a core return. Without it, it was over $20k plus shipping.

Second, used S65s worth their salt are few and far between. Hell, I have a hard time finding good rebuildable cores much less well running engines! Moreover, if you're going to replace the rod bearings, do the mains as well and please be sure to maintain proportionately the same clearances andn seriously consider installing the SRD gearset into the oil pump. Otherwise, you run the substantial risk of kissing your No. 1 main bearing goodbye in 5-10k miles or less.

Third, the stock S65 has a number of well-known and some not well-known flaws that are corrected in a proper rebuild (not one of those guys, some in Houston, who claim to do a full rebuild for $9,999!). A reman from BMW, even if one could obtain it or were willing to pay the price, doesn't correct any of those flaws. Not a single one.

Finally, when you buy an S65 from Partee Racing and pay for us to engine dyno it with a tune (Motec or stock, your choice), you receive a 2-year unlimited mile warranty against defects in workmanship. Not a single S65 street we built has come back to us. Not one. Happy to provide references. We very recently had a race S65 come back to us with a piston that had melted the first ringland from detonation stemming from a horrific third-party canned tune that had turned off the knock sensors. We love the customer and so are doing the rebuild for the actual out of pocket cost. Again out of love for the customer, not because we have any legal or moral obligation whatsoever. Partee Racing is NOT the typical motorsport provider or engine builder.

I know you posted something about Partee Racing a year or so ago, saying we didn't have enough of a track record, but that you were "pulling for us." We actually had an extensive track record at that time, we just did not widely publicize it because until 2023, we didn't have the capacity to do more than 5-6 engines a year. This year, with 11 well paid incredibly talented full-time employees and one part-time, we will do 30-40 engines, and a large proportion of those are S65s whose No. 1 main bearings have spun.

Tone in posts can be off, and I don't want this to come across as "the lady doth protest too much." If we had not entered the thread earlier, I wouldn't have even seen the post, much less felt compelled to respond the way I have. I just wanted to provide a counterpoint to your recommendation.

Be well, and go fast.

--Peter

[Partee Racing LLC]

Originally Posted by G_Fern

Thanks. Car is a 2012 e93 with 47k miles. Brakes, suspension, interior wear all seem to line up with that mileage but who knows. Could have had a mileage blocker on for the last 5 years for all I know. At this point I trust nothing about this sh**box

BTW, if you are interested in selling it "as is, where is," Partee Racing would be interested.

--Peter

[G_Fern]

Originally Posted by Partee Racing LLC

BTW, if you are interested in selling it "as is, where is," Partee Racing would be interested.

--Peter

Open to offers. I’ve been so busy with work I haven’t decided what to do with it yet. Cut bait and take the L or marry it forever. Leaning towards just rebuilding it. Although hard to justify putting so much money into an E93 in a boring spec that will never be that desirable anyway, regardless of the powertrain. All the options seem so close to eachother in cost.