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S54 rod bearing

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FD3S
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S54 rod bearing

Post by FD3S » Wed Feb 01, 2017 12:10 pm

Before some days I had meeting in person with ga41. Great guy and car. We were talking about the rod bearing issue and he brought to the surface that after the rod bearing change for 3-4000 miles you should be careful and not going over 4-5000 rpm. Please ga41 if I remember something wrong correct me. Due to the fact that I'm planning to put a carbon airbox and a make a tune, the tuning should be done before the change of the rod bearings? Also how many miles do you have to do with caution after replacing the rod bearings and what you should look after?

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Post by ga41 » Wed Feb 01, 2017 12:16 pm

Hello again! Yes that's correct, my mechanic advised me to take it easy for the first 3-4k kilometres not miles. If I said miles it was in error. But anyway it won't cause harm to take it easy for more.

Without having personal experience with the tune/airbox it would indeed make sense to have it installed and tuned after the rod-bearings have been replaced and have had an oil change. If the tune is a ready-made one (του κουτιού που λέμε) and not a custom tune, then I don't think it makes much difference if done before or after the bearings.

I am sure others with more experience will come along shortly to correct me if i'm wrong! :thumbsup:
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S54 rod bearing

Post by FD3S » Wed Feb 01, 2017 1:49 pm

ga41 wrote:Hello again! Yes that's correct, my mechanic advised me to take it easy for the first 3-4k kilometres not miles. If I said miles it was in error. But anyway it won't cause harm to take it easy for more.

Without having personal experience with the tune/airbox it would indeed make sense to have it installed and tuned after the rod-bearings have been replaced and have had an oil change. If the tune is a ready-made one (του κουτιού που λέμε) and not a custom tune, then I don't think it makes much difference if done before or after the bearings.

I am sure others with more experience will come along shortly to correct me if i'm wrong! :thumbsup:
Man it was a pleasure to meet you. Thanks again for the ride. :) Those RPI's were crazy...
The tuner told me that the procedure of the tuning is the following:
I use the their software to read my ECU Memory and I provide them with the results. The tune it is provided with 2 revisions that they are not live but they send you the new tune within 24 hours. I asked how the revisions are made and the answer was:
You can run it on the dyno or use a tool to log data from it and send it in. It isn’t necessary but is an option.

So I guess the best thing is to run it on a dyno or in straight line and log the data. No matter what the method I guess the engine have to run at high rpm's and for all the gears. So my thought is that this have to be done before you change the rod bearing I guess or leave it after you make those 3.000 km which will be after 6 months or some :headbang:
Last edited by FD3S on Wed Feb 01, 2017 2:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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S54 rod bearing

Post by JAD » Wed Feb 01, 2017 2:09 pm

I need to read this thoroughly at some point, as part of my ongoing preventative maintenance.

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Post by Z4M-2006 » Wed Feb 01, 2017 7:05 pm

The cost of getting them done isnt restrictive now....

However the cost of not doing them is....

Get them done and have peace of mind.

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S54 rod bearing

Post by Spaniarduk » Sat Feb 04, 2017 1:06 am

I am truly shocked at reading this! Potentially a bottom end rebuild every 30,000 miles?? At at least £2K parts and labour?!? This is enough to put a petrol head like me off the S54 engine!! :-o :-o
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Post by ChrisT70 » Sat Feb 04, 2017 1:09 am

Worrying if so!

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Post by LostBoy_84 » Sat Feb 04, 2017 1:23 am

Spaniarduk wrote:I am truly shocked at reading this! Potentially a bottom end rebuild every 30,000 miles?? At at least £2K parts and labour?!? This is enough to put a petrol head like me off the S54 engine!! :-o :-o
There's cars out there that have done 100k plus on the original bearings and have been fine.
The issue with buying a second+ hand car is you never know exactly how the previous owner(s) have treated it.
Personally I'd be looking to change them around 80k and I believe the cost is more like £1k than £2k.
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Post by GuidoK » Sat Feb 04, 2017 2:26 am

LostBoy_84 wrote: There's cars out there that have done 100k plus on the original bearings and have been fine.
Show me 1 set of bearings that has done that mileage and hasnt got the telltale wearspots in it and I believe you....
That an engine is running doesnt mean its fine. Once it's seizing you can buy a new engine if you're unlucky, so there is no real option to wait until the problem emerges. You cant say 'lets wait until it starts and then quickly change the bearings', by then its way to late.
Look at this like a cambelt. Many cars will run far longer after its recommended change (might even do twice or 3 times as long), but the potential risk of breaking will be very costly.
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S54 rod bearing

Post by Spaniarduk » Sat Feb 04, 2017 10:29 am

I just quickly though... If the 6 pairs of rod bearings need replacing one would asume that the 4 pairs of crankshaft bearings would need replacing, too??

Is this kind of job something that can be done with the engine 'in situ', or is this and 'engine out' kind of job??
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Post by BMWZ4MC » Sat Feb 04, 2017 10:37 am

I had my bearing shells replaced at 50k miles as 'preventative maintenance'. They were spotless despite my frequent track days.
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Post by mr wilks » Sat Feb 04, 2017 10:39 am

BMWZ4MC wrote:I had my bearing shells replaced at 50k miles as 'preventative maintenance'. They were spotless despite my frequent track days.
Always good to hear both sides of a story :wink:
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Post by BMWZ4MC » Sat Feb 04, 2017 11:00 am

mr wilks wrote:
BMWZ4MC wrote:I had my bearing shells replaced at 50k miles as 'preventative maintenance'. They were spotless despite my frequent track days.
Always good to hear both sides of a story :wink:
Indeed, but despite that, I'll be changing them again at 100k miles.
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Post by mr wilks » Sat Feb 04, 2017 11:04 am

BMWZ4MC wrote:
mr wilks wrote:
BMWZ4MC wrote:I had my bearing shells replaced at 50k miles as 'preventative maintenance'. They were spotless despite my frequent track days.
Always good to hear both sides of a story :wink:
Indeed, but despite that, I'll be changing them again at 100k miles.
Be interesting to hear the outcome , how far off in time ?
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Post by BMWZ4MC » Sat Feb 04, 2017 11:25 am

Could be a while - my car's in the UK and I'm in Sydney. I doubt I've covered even 1500 miles in the last year during my trips back!
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