Official S65 Rod Bearing Condition Example Thread

[Kelse92]

Originally Posted by us722

Is this the next best thing to BE?
How much additional labor is with bmw bolts back ARP?
https://store.langracing.com/rod-bea...65-e90-e92-m3/

I have a mixed set of ACL bearings in my car thanks to deansbimmer. Going well still at 30k miles later.

[TX]

DRLane,
Those bearings are ***NOT***sorted or binned. I would also buy the arp bolts. The torque procedure on stock bolts is a torture test.

[_X]

Just had the rod bearings replaced.

Car info:
Year: 2008
Mileage: 98k

Looks like 7 was about to fail and 8 wasn't too far behind.

[NeverL8]

Originally Posted by _X

Just had the rod bearings replaced.

Car info:
Year: 2008
Mileage: 98k

Looks like 7 was about to fail and 8 wasn't too far behind.

Number 7 has very distinctive markings, I’ve read somewhere that it’s due to pre-failure of main bearings

Can anyone confirm that? Deansbeamer?

[Assimilator1]

Could be material from the mains, but more likely just the big ends themselves (only say that because mains failure is rarer).

Yea number 7's in a very bad state!
Changed in time!

[_X]

Is there a way to check the main bearings?

Yea, I am really happy I got the rod bearings done when I did. Have a few track and track cross events in the next month or two and I am not sure that would have held up through them.

[Assimilator1]

Yea, take the engine out and strip it right down, a ton of work!

[MikeYQM]

RBs and engine mounts done at 104000KM.

Just bad enough to justify changing them, not bad enough to have done any damage. Life is balance! (RBs in no particular order.. scratches were from transport after removal). Engine mounts weren't too bad....

[_X]

Originally Posted by Assimilator1

Yea, take the engine out and strip it right down, a ton of work!

Well then lol. Let’s hope the engine is fine and just some extreme wearing on number seven.

[atopa2002]

Year : 2011
Oil : 10w60 with about 5,000 oil change intervals since 12,000 miles
Mileage : 57,000
Use : DD and about 9 track days

[stefan_e36]

Can you give me such an advice:
should I have to change my OEM rod Bearings right now, or I can do this later for example at near 30k miles.

M3 e92 2011 ZCP near 24k miles (38500 kilometers), the car from the "first hand" and had 4 official dealer approved oil changes each 6000 miles (original 10w60 oil), and the last one in my owning (fifth change) 1000 miles ago (motul 10w60 8100 oil).

I'm planing to use this car at track days (3-4 times during the season).
no winter driving, no cold starts)

Is anyone have the experience, tell me please, if it is critical to change the rod bearings at the nearest future?

[DRLane]

Originally Posted by stefan_e36

Can you give me such an advice:
should I have to change my OEM rod Bearings right now, or I can do this later for example at near 30k miles.

M3 e92 2011 ZCP near 24k miles (38500 kilometers), the car from the "first hand" and had 4 official dealer approved oil changes each 6000 miles (original 10w60 oil), and the last one in my owning (fifth change) 1000 miles ago (motul 10w60 8100 oil).

I'm planing to use this car at track days (3-4 times during the season).
no winter driving, no cold starts)

Is anyone have the experience, tell me please, if it is critical to change the rod bearings at the nearest future?

If you're tracking the car, I'd do it immediately. Zero downside and you'll be able to focus on driving vs worrying about all the high RPMs. I changed mine at 28k miles.

[stefan_e36]

Originally Posted by DRLane

If you're tracking the car, I'd do it immediately. Zero downside and you'll be able to focus on driving vs worrying about all the high RPMs. I changed mine at 28k miles.

I also think so!
wili be trying to get BE, because in Ukraine only OEM available


- https://shop.redline360.com/products...17000152072305

[DRLane]

Originally Posted by stefan_e36

I also think so!
wili be trying to get BE, because in Ukraine only OEM available


- https://shop.redline360.com/products...17000152072305

BE is great but constantly sold out. I think you'll be happy to any options that are properly binned. Lang Racing could put together some options. Wouldn't order more than the bearings/ARP bolts given shipping. Best of luck!

[Assimilator1]

But Lang racing don't properly bin (measure) them, they just give you a mixed set.

Mpower is the only one I know who does measure them (ACL bearings), I'm in the process of trying to sort out a set with him but he is very slow to respond .

[stefan_e36]

Originally Posted by DRLane

BE is great but constantly sold out. I think you'll be happy to any options that are properly binned. Lang Racing could put together some options. Wouldn't order more than the bearings/ARP bolts given shipping. Best of luck!

thanks,
is the ARP bolts must have? or I can use the OEM ones with the BE bearings?

[DRLane]

Originally Posted by stefan_e36

thanks,
is the ARP bolts must have? or I can use the OEM ones with the BE bearings?

Nope you can buy OEM. Just the torque process with ARP is much simpler and thus less opportunity for error.

[TX]

Originally Posted by Assimilator1

But Lang racing don't properly bin (measure) them, they just give you a mixed set.

Mpower is the only one I know who does measure them (ACL bearings), I'm in the process of trying to sort out a set with him but he is very slow to respond .

How do you know Mpower measures them? There is some question surrounding this statement as fact.

[Scharbag]

Originally Posted by TX

How do you know Mpower measures them? There is some question surrounding this statement as fact.

Exactly.

And you need hundreds of shells to create a proper distribution of sizes to allow for proper selection. It would be better to have thousands of shells. And you better be willing to throw a few shells away.

What measuring tools are being used?

What environment are the measurements being taken in? (temperature matters)

What is the target clearance? (this should be clearly published)

IIRC, any method that measures shell thickness will leave a visible mark on the shell. Is this present with Mpower shells?

Given the past (mis)information posted about Mpower here, it would be great if he could clarify his process etc. Until he does this, than I will assume he is simply re-selling factory sealed ACL shells.

Cheers,

[TX]

Originally Posted by Scharbag

Exactly.

And you need hundreds of shells to create a proper distribution of sizes to allow for proper selection. It would be better to have thousands of shells. And you better be willing to throw a few shells away.

What measuring tools are being used?

What environment are the measurements being taken in? (temperature matters)

What is the target clearance? (this should be clearly published)

IIRC, any method that measures shell thickness will leave a visible mark on the shell. Is this present with Mpower shells?

Given the past (mis)information posted about Mpower here, it would be great if he could clarify his process etc. Until he does this, than I will assume he is simply re-selling factory sealed ACL shells.

Cheers,

Scharbag, bingo!
You wrote a very detailed reply to what I was hinting at. I’m glad someone did. Thank you for that. There is essentially zero evidence provided that any of the points you made are being met by said vendor and perhaps even evidence that points to nothing more than splitting and boxing factory sealed sets.
Regards,

[Helmsman]

Originally Posted by TX

Scharbag, bingo!
You wrote a very detailed reply to what I was hinting at. I’m glad someone did. Thank you for that. There is essentially zero evidence provided that any of the points you made are being met by said vendor and perhaps even evidence that points to nothing more than splitting and boxing factory sealed sets.
Regards,

I agee with Scharbag on his comments regarding (possible) non existing measurement. However worth keeping in mind that ACL's quote a 0.008mm shell production tolerance - and folks that have measured apparently end up with an even tigher span.
Measured and pair shells obviously still very elegant and clearly tightening the clearance spec, but we're no talking night and day and the "risk" of getting the maximun 0.016mm clearance difference must be negligible.
The BE folks quote a wider production tolerance of I believe 0.013mm (due to the coating) hence increased reason to go through the process.

[deansbimmer]

Originally Posted by Helmsman

However worth keeping in mind that ACL's quote a 0.008mm shell production tolerance - and folks that have measured apparently end up with an even tigher span.
Measured and pair shells obviously still very elegant and clearly tightening the clearance spec, but we're no talking night and day and the "risk" of getting the maximun 0.016mm clearance difference must be negligible.

That's not really the problem. There's no problem with shell variation within each ACL pack. The problem is that in each ACL kit (and King/etc) there are two packs. This is where the variation will creep in. To produce a bearing set providing the correct bore diameter they combine a "thin" pack of shells with a "fat" pack to create the set. This has been the case with every one of the hundreds of ACL sets I've meaured.

As I've mentioned before...I have measured packs of ACL HX shells that measure thicker than some H shells from other sets. You MUST measure when mixing sets if you presume to create an "extra clearance" set. A blindly "mixed" set isn't good enough and can create problems.

It has also been brought up previously that if the ACL heat shrunk packs have not been opened, and there are no visible measuring marks from a seller measuring them and re-packaging them as mixed/extra clearance/etc sets, then they have not been properly prepared. Certain vendors have already been caught over dishonest representations. Caveat Emptor.

We have been mixing and measuring ACL sets for years now and supplement our BE inventory when their supply wanes.