Official S65 Rod Bearing Condition Example Thread

[IamFODI]

Originally Posted by Richbot

Apropos of nothing at all, I happened to tear down a racecar Ford 1.9l that had about 100 hours of flat-out sprint racing time on it last week. The rod bearings looked brand new, and are significantly larger than the ones in the S65 rods. An oversquare motor that only revs to 6000rpm, but still, surprisingly hilarious to put them side-by-side - on one side you have a POS commodity-spec Escort lowest-bidder-supplier engine and the other a high compression high rpm high specific output single-application engine designed from scratch to be a racecar engine platform that costs an order of magnitude and half again more besides to make...wow nice work bmw

IIRC Honda B-series rod bearings are like 1 mm wider than the S65's, and LS rod bearings are around 50% wider.

I've also heard from people I trust that the wider rod bearings available for S54s cause small but measurable power loss.

I've recently wondered if BMW M was pushing the (lower) limit on rod bearing width in pursuit of compactness/weight/low friction, and maybe the reason for the extraordinarily tight clearances is to help keep the rod stable despite the relatively narrow bearings or something.

But then again, the B7 RS4 has a worse rod/stroke ratio with a comparable redline and output, though it also has slightly lighter rods. Net-net, shouldn't that mean comparable load on the rod bearings? Yet that engine uses slightly narrower rod bearings than the S65....

Of course I don't know jack about this stuff, so I'd love to hear some informed commentary.

[Kelse92]

Well, a little late to post these. But here’s my set that got swapped with a set of ACL’s at Mporium a few weeks back
I’m in the camp of replacing rod bearings as cheap insurance compared to a new motor so I told myself I would get them done at close to 50k, and stuck to it. Went with ACL’s because BE’s were out of stock at the time and I have a crazy work schedule that doesn’t always allow me to drop off my daily-driver for several days at a time without planning in advance.
Anyway, looking at the results were they the worst I’ve seen in this thread, no, but they’re not good either, so I’m glad I did

[iAjking]

Originally Posted by Solo_M_Tech

Customer didn't want to pay me to do the bearings for him. Decided he would DIY. Engine seized 2 days later. Fast forward a year and I get the engine from him removed, to diagnose why..... these rod bolts are strong as fuck....

1. all of the rod bolts were finger tight

2. this.....v

It honestly hurt to see this picture.

[bruinj26]

2009 E92 M3 purchased at 74,000 mi. I'm the second owner. Car felt like it was running perfectly, but I'm very glad I spent the money to get the job done.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/cgu9F55QZERnGExx9

https://photos.app.goo.gl/VenxUGEa4w31mAjH8

[kevin @ eas]

Removed from a 2011 E90 with 58k on the odometer. Oil changed regularly around 3-4k per intervals. Minor wear but overall nothing terrible.

[Helmsman]

Originally Posted by kevin @ eas

Removed from a 2011 E90 with 58k on the odometer. Oil changed regularly around 3-4k per intervals. Minor wear but overall nothing terrible.

Looks like a nice example Kevin!

[SSR Performance]

Rod bearings from 4/26/19!

Contact us to today to schedule your appointment!
(800) 438-2808 or info@SSR-Performance.com

[Atamborski]

2008 78k miles

[Frozen]

Originally Posted by SSR Performance

Rod bearings from 4/26/19!

Contact us to today to schedule your appointment!
(800) 438-2808 or info@SSR-Performance.com

These look horrendous

[deansbimmer]

More from this week. One engine locked up with seized mains/rods.

[IamFODI]

Originally Posted by deansbimmer

More from this week. One engine locked up with seized mains/rods.

Wow. Any idea how that engine wore those bearings so bad that it seized?

[deansbimmer]

Originally Posted by IamFODI

Wow. Any idea how that engine wore those bearings so bad that it seized?

No way to know.

[NeverL8]

Originally Posted by deansbimmer

No way to know.

With all the main bearing failures you see...are most of them on stock rod bearings or extra clearance like BE or VAC? Any more or less of specific year?

Thank you.

[Helmsman]

Originally Posted by SSR Performance

Rod bearings from 4/26/19!

Contact us to today to schedule your appointment!
(800) 438-2808 or info@SSR-Performance.com

Lubricated with beach sand..?

[xwilkinx]

Just replaced my second M3's rod bearings at 115,000 kilometers (71,000 miles) with BE bearings and BE-ARP bolts.

Always 10w60, tracked, driven year round.

[drrust]

Originally Posted by deansbimmer

No way to know.

The set just above the mains seemed to have two rod bearings with considerably more wear than the others. Was that the case or is it just lighting? Sorry I took another look and that was the set that seized. Must have been a busy week!

[SSR Performance]

Some more examples from this week!

Contact us to today to schedule your appointment!
(800) 438-2808 or info@SSR-Performance.com

5/3/19


5/10/19

[SSR Performance]

Contact us to today to schedule your appointment!
(800) 438-2808 or info@SSR-Performance.com

5/14/19

[SSR Performance]

The 5/16/19 ones are crazy looking! Who knows how much longer that engine may have lasted. We saved this one and have saved hundreds of others. Don't let that one that doesn't make it be you. Give us a call to discuss your rod bearings plans today!

(800) 438-2808 or info@SSR-Performance.com

5/16/19


5/17/19

[wfdeacon88]

Originally Posted by SSR Performance

The 5/16/19 ones are crazy looking! Who knows how much longer that engine may have lasted. We saved this one and have saved hundreds of others. Don't let that one that doesn't make it be you. Give us a call to discuss your rod bearings plans today!

(800) 438-2808 or info@SSR-Performance.com

5/16/19
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5/17/19
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bottom bearings are the best I've seen... but who knows with these things... better safe than sorry.

[FeraeM3]

Anyone know what is the status on the rod bearings class action lawsuit? AFZAL v. BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC et al, Docket No. 2:15-cv-08009 (D.N.J. Nov 10, 2015).

[Siajoon]

Originally Posted by FeraeM3

Anyone know what is the status on the rod bearings class action lawsuit? AFZAL v. BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC et al, Docket No. 2:15-cv-08009 (D.N.J. Nov 10, 2015).

Probably sitting under a stack of papers on a lawyers desk somewhere.