Just to clarify for your viewers, you mentioned twice the rod bolt stretch was "seventy five thousandths to eighty thousandths." That's 0.075" - 0.080", which would spin your dial indicator 3/4 of the way around the dial! The rod bolt stretch is actually seven & one half thousandths to eight thousandths (0.0075" - 0.0080"). It's impossible to stretch a rod bolt 0.075" (it would break) but I thought it important for your viewers to know the correct measurement. Also, record the original length of each individual rod bolt and remeasure after removing the bolts. If they stretch permanently 0.001" longer they must be replaced, otherwise they may be reused. I think it's also important to note that you should have checked the bearing oil clearance with Plasti-gauge. I saw in a comment where you said the oil clearance should not have changed, but I can't emphasize strongly enough the importance of verifying that oil clearance. For $3.00 worth of Plasti-gauge and an extra 20 minutes, you eliminate the remote possibility of installing a mis-marked bearing or some other clearance problem. It's cheap insurance. Also as others have mentioned the oil pump nut is known to come loose at high RPM (drift much? ;) ) and I would also recommend using a safety wired nut. You need to drill and chamfer two 1/16" - 3/32" holes about 1/4" apart on the drive sprocket for the safety wire. Also cheap insurance. Enjoying the build series and looking forward to seeing it in action!
Hey guys, did you read step #6 on the ARP instructions. The big end of the rod needs to be resized due to the extra clamp the ARP bolts provide. I have ran into this when changing the main studs and rod bolts with ARP fasteners. Look into this further before reinstalling everything. Cheers!
ARP might be stronger bolts but if the clamping force doesn't change and the rod end cap to rod face is closed, there shouldn't be any distortion. ARP might just have this step to cover their ass.
@@magnetic0314 They're still aiming for 70 ft lbs so where's the extra clamping force? ARP bolts are stronger and make the engine better able to withstand high piston acceleration at higher revs. There's no reason to make them tighter to do that.
Agreed, I went arp and had to get my 2j rods align honed. Not only did the clearances changed but I dropped them off due this exact reason. The extra torque used to clamp them down is what causes this.
A neat cleaning tip I learned from jafromobile is to use coffee filters. They're cheap, don't have fibers, and being white, they show if you have everything spotless or not. On a side note, I've wondered if using diesel oil might help to clean the junk out of a motor like this. You wouldn't use diesel oil in a typical motor because of the added detergents, but it might be able to clean the tarnished oil from a motor like this. I'm sure someone has done it either with success or failure, but I've always wondered if it would work. I've heard of "old timers" using automatic transmission fluid to clean motors, but never diesel oil.
I would like to add that the ARP bolts used in this video BMW S54 /E46 M3 build is the "older model engine " which uses M11 bolts with the ARP bolt stretch specs per Speed Academy shows. If your engine is the 2003+, don't confuse this stretch spec as BMW had a revision in the connecting rods using smaller, M10 bolts which results in a lower ARP stretch spec (0.0065-0070"). This stretch (ie yield) with the M10 bolt is typically achieved in the low 50 ft/lb range. In addition, ARP bolt method makes this installation much easier than the OEM bolt procedure.
I don’t know if s54 has the same problems as the m50/52/54, but I think it would be a good idea to safety wire the oil pump nut. They are prone to coming loose and no oil pressure will kill the engine.
ok i was in tool and die years ago and the term is 7 and a Half Thousands ! not 75 thousands ! Very important about 2 hairs in thickness . Good job Guys !!!
ARP states that their bolts are re-usable only if they have'nt stretched, when taking them out after they been used they should be precisely measured prior to re-install, the tolerances they are subject to are very narrow.
2:53 My understanding is that the OE bolts are re-usable if they're the pre-13 Dec 2002 M11 bolts. The post-13 Dec 2002 M10 bolts are one-use. That's according to the BMW technical bulletin here: australiancar.reviews/_pdfs/BMW_E46_M3_ServiceBulletin-110404.pdf
I did a thumbs down because it just to risky to have a motor out with that many miles on it and not go ahead and rebuild it, I did not even see them plastigage those rods. the whole time they are drifting that car in the back of there minds they will be wondering if the motor will blow or not--its just to risky
nice work fellas, super informative video. I know it was probably a nerve racking experience - reminds me of using a dial gauge to set the endplay for a rotary. props! 👍👍
12:13 that's 7.5 and 8.0 thousandths, not 75 or 80. Procedure is done right in the video, but if someone tries to go to 75 thou, they will snap the bolt.
Question, when you were replacing the lower half of the bearings around 7:42 could you also just rotate the whole thing so that you work from the top instead of having to put your hand in that tight space. Or is there a specific reason you did it that way?
Hello, I know this is old, but I'm hoping I can still get an answer. I have the exact stretch gauge you guys have, but could you elaborate on how you modified yours? Thanks for your meticulous documentation, helps give a lot of confidence.
What did you guys end up doing when re-assembling the oil pump disk and nut? Did you simply retorque to spec and use threadlocker? Tempted to get VAC's modded oil pump disk/shaft, but don't have a press to convert over with existing oil pump disk parts, maybe the safety wire mod is the way to go ontop of threadlocker on the nut.. also tempted to get the expensive ATI's super damper, especially due to using poly engine mounts and a single mass flywheel (albeit iron not lightweight alum, near same weight as OE). The engine harmonics, although being inline 6, are still destructive to backing out the oil pump disk nut, and even rod and main bearing cap bolts, especially if the OE balancer is defective...
Dude idk but based on all that black gunk in the oil pan and rods , probably neglected! I’m impressed how well the S54 held up and bearings definitely hanged in there
Aren't you supposed to incrementally tighten down each rod bolt while going back and forth between the two? It seems you put on the bolts finger tight on both sides, then went all out and torqued one side all the way. That seems like it would put way to much clamping force on one side vs doing it incrementally and varying the bolts.
The stretch bolt guage I bought is also a Lunati and it seemed that the height of the bracket holding the gauge was not tall enough to reach over and around my end caps and rod bolts. How did you guys modify your stretch bolt gauge
i had to pause my tv and get a closer look at that stretch reading...i was like how is that 0.75?...but i see the increments on the gauge, then i counted and was like *whew* the gauge reads in 10k😅
? You can touch your teflon frying pan after putting it on the heat? Don't try this one at home kids. Teflon is non stick but transmits heat very well.
Why are stretch gauges so expensive? It's basically a dial micrometer (which can be had for less than $20) with a special attachment. I guess that's a case of "because people are willing to pay that much".
Are ARP studs on the main line able to be done with the engine still in the car? Curious on your thoughts concerning the clearance when performing the torque spec if, say, using a QuickJack system & engine support brace after dropping the subframe. Thanks!
@@speedacademy ended up pulling the motor entirely like you guys.. the only way to really go when doing a full rebuild with the crank out and working on the main line.. thanks again for everything, love your guys content :)
Wait... so these bearings pickup... and HOLD... bits of debris?? Between the rotational surfaces?... and this is a protective feature? I would have thought you wanted that crap to be flushed AWAY as soon as possible, not kept where it can do damage to the crank.
You always reset the timing at reassembly in the correct order with the correct position of the VANOS hub & sprockets, the crank hub/damper, and the cams using the timing position kit.
What you said about the arp bolts is simply wrong. The ones from the cars before 03 are reusable and must be reused. They can be identified by the 12 point heads. The ones only have 6 tooth and have to be replaced but in the video you could clearly see the 12 point heads. These bolts are matched to your con rods. If you replace them you have to replace your rod too and match them.
Because they are an OE replacement and the crank has never been machined. Yes, if you want to be overly careful then a plasti-gauge is definitely the best way to go.
Well I'm officially not buying an e46 m3 unless its already had this job done in the recall. Vanos I think I can manage, but this is too nuts without a lift
Why do all the write ups say that the bearings are only $200?? I can't find a set of bearrings ANYWHERE for less than $500 for the complete set. Also, many of the main places are on backorder and apparently BMW doesn't even have them anymore.
King Racing XP series bearings are less than competition WPC coated, BE, etc. I got my rods and mains for about $200 each set. They are Tri-Metal clevite material, same as the VAC bearings recommended here.
No, the whole point of replacing the bearings with VAC ones is that you dont have to measure everything since the crank and rods are still within spec. If we spun a bearing and the crank was machined it would be another story.
I think the Engine Block itself is the last place where weight savings should be implemented. An aluminium block just cannot compete with a Cast Iron Block with regards to Durability, and longevity. And this car has an Iron Block( strong foundation).
Ok I'm going to go touch my Teflon frying pans over heat now.....oh and I'll need a reference point so I'll be touching a normal pan over heat first........I'll text the outcome.......
you are not even checking bearing clearances? I thought a little more highly of you guys... that's very scary to assemble an engine and not even know if its correct.
I know it’s a drift build and all but for the money spent on the car and the rebuild you could probably almost get a well maintained Coupe E46 ///M lmaooo
Just to clarify for your viewers, you mentioned twice the rod bolt stretch was "seventy five thousandths to eighty thousandths." That's 0.075" - 0.080", which would spin your dial indicator 3/4 of the way around the dial! The rod bolt stretch is actually seven & one half thousandths to eight thousandths (0.0075" - 0.0080"). It's impossible to stretch a rod bolt 0.075" (it would break) but I thought it important for your viewers to know the correct measurement. Also, record the original length of each individual rod bolt and remeasure after removing the bolts. If they stretch permanently 0.001" longer they must be replaced, otherwise they may be reused.
I think it's also important to note that you should have checked the bearing oil clearance with Plasti-gauge. I saw in a comment where you said the oil clearance should not have changed, but I can't emphasize strongly enough the importance of verifying that oil clearance. For $3.00 worth of Plasti-gauge and an extra 20 minutes, you eliminate the remote possibility of installing a mis-marked bearing or some other clearance problem. It's cheap insurance. Also as others have mentioned the oil pump nut is known to come loose at high RPM (drift much? ;) ) and I would also recommend using a safety wired nut. You need to drill and chamfer two 1/16" - 3/32" holes about 1/4" apart on the drive sprocket for the safety wire. Also cheap insurance. Enjoying the build series and looking forward to seeing it in action!
so might as-well get new bolts cause if you plastig-gauge it, you will need to reuse the bolts again and that might stretch it...
Hey guys, did you read step #6 on the ARP instructions. The big end of the rod needs to be resized due to the extra clamp the ARP bolts provide. I have ran into this when changing the main studs and rod bolts with ARP fasteners. Look into this further before reinstalling everything. Cheers!
yes they need to be rehoned with the arp bolts or they pinch it oval
ARP might be stronger bolts but if the clamping force doesn't change and the rod end cap to rod face is closed, there shouldn't be any distortion. ARP might just have this step to cover their ass.
@@magnetic0314 They're still aiming for 70 ft lbs so where's the extra clamping force? ARP bolts are stronger and make the engine better able to withstand high piston acceleration at higher revs. There's no reason to make them tighter to do that.
Agreed, I went arp and had to get my 2j rods align honed. Not only did the clearances changed but I dropped them off due this exact reason. The extra torque used to clamp them down is what causes this.
This doesnt mean it'll be the case for everyone... but unless you check you wont know.
A neat cleaning tip I learned from jafromobile is to use coffee filters. They're cheap, don't have fibers, and being white, they show if you have everything spotless or not.
On a side note, I've wondered if using diesel oil might help to clean the junk out of a motor like this. You wouldn't use diesel oil in a typical motor because of the added detergents, but it might be able to clean the tarnished oil from a motor like this. I'm sure someone has done it either with success or failure, but I've always wondered if it would work. I've heard of "old timers" using automatic transmission fluid to clean motors, but never diesel oil.
Thanks for the info!
I would like to add that the ARP bolts used in this video BMW S54 /E46 M3 build is the "older model engine " which uses M11 bolts with the ARP bolt stretch specs per Speed Academy shows. If your engine is the 2003+, don't confuse this stretch spec as BMW had a revision in the connecting rods using smaller, M10 bolts which results in a lower ARP stretch spec (0.0065-0070"). This stretch (ie yield) with the M10 bolt is typically achieved in the low 50 ft/lb range.
In addition, ARP bolt method makes this installation much easier than the OEM bolt procedure.
I don’t know if s54 has the same problems as the m50/52/54, but I think it would be a good idea to safety wire the oil pump nut. They are prone to coming loose and no oil pressure will kill the engine.
They certainly do!
Rod bolt is reuseable for pre dec 2002 production (bolts are different after). Since your is 2001, you can reuse them.
Learn something new today. Never heard of a stretch gauge, cool tool
Get you a matco torque wrench. It has an angle setting. Definitely glad i got mine!
ok i was in tool and die years ago and the term is 7 and a Half Thousands ! not 75 thousands ! Very important about 2 hairs in thickness . Good job Guys !!!
Good information, I wasn't aware of the Stretch Method, looks like I'll be looking into this if I need to do rod bearings on my spec e30
ARP states that their bolts are re-usable only if they have'nt stretched, when taking them out after they been used they should be precisely measured prior to re-install, the tolerances they are subject to are very narrow.
2:53 My understanding is that the OE bolts are re-usable if they're the pre-13 Dec 2002 M11 bolts. The post-13 Dec 2002 M10 bolts are one-use. That's according to the BMW technical bulletin here: australiancar.reviews/_pdfs/BMW_E46_M3_ServiceBulletin-110404.pdf
Man I hope this thing doesn't blow when they put it back in. This is some scary rebuild work!
I did a thumbs down because it just to risky to have a motor out with that many miles on it and not go ahead and rebuild it, I did not even see them plastigage those rods. the whole time they are drifting that car in the back of there minds they will be wondering if the motor will blow or not--its just to risky
It's not really, the procedure is pretty straight forward. The rod bearing is the only job that could backfire on us, if we didnt torque it properly.
Great episode, still not a job I want to DIY but it was very informative!
nice work fellas, super informative video. I know it was probably a nerve racking experience - reminds me of using a dial gauge to set the endplay for a rotary. props! 👍👍
12:13 that's 7.5 and 8.0 thousandths, not 75 or 80. Procedure is done right in the video, but if someone tries to go to 75 thou, they will snap the bolt.
Learnt something else today...Oh yeah, Moose still making it happen.
Question, when you were replacing the lower half of the bearings around 7:42 could you also just rotate the whole thing so that you work from the top instead of having to put your hand in that tight space. Or is there a specific reason you did it that way?
Hello, I know this is old, but I'm hoping I can still get an answer.
I have the exact stretch gauge you guys have, but could you elaborate on how you modified yours? Thanks for your meticulous documentation, helps give a lot of confidence.
Great episode learned a lot, thanks!!!
What did you guys end up doing when re-assembling the oil pump disk and nut? Did you simply retorque to spec and use threadlocker?
Tempted to get VAC's modded oil pump disk/shaft, but don't have a press to convert over with existing oil pump disk parts, maybe the safety wire mod is the way to go ontop of threadlocker on the nut.. also tempted to get the expensive ATI's super damper, especially due to using poly engine mounts and a single mass flywheel (albeit iron not lightweight alum, near same weight as OE). The engine harmonics, although being inline 6, are still destructive to backing out the oil pump disk nut, and even rod and main bearing cap bolts, especially if the OE balancer is defective...
Great video
Aren't treated WPC bearings the way to go vs adding a coating? Just decreases the tolerance.
what did you find?
Yes wpc are the best
Coatings actually make the problem worse
Note never blow anything off over your open block
Amazing video. I learned a lot.
Great!
What mileage was on the car and what was the service history like?
Dude idk but based on all that black gunk in the oil pan and rods , probably neglected!
I’m impressed how well the S54 held up and bearings definitely hanged in there
@@darrend2035 that's from the 10w60 Castrol its horrible on the s54 liqui molly is preferred or mobil 10w50
Rebuilding my old B18C Honda Type R motor, i found out I had to do the stretch method as well, you guys give me the courage to work on my S54
I'm also rebuilding my b18C type r and found that the stretch gauge bolt would not fit over the endcap and rod bolt head. What gauge did you use?
Please do more ASMR segments as seen at 4:25
I'll give you $1000 to touch a teflon frying pan when it's on the heat. :)
i do it every day. lmk how you wanna send me my money.
done and done. I touch mine everytime I cook, to see if it's ready
yah paypal ready
Aren't you supposed to incrementally tighten down each rod bolt while going back and forth between the two? It seems you put on the bolts finger tight on both sides, then went all out and torqued one side all the way. That seems like it would put way to much clamping force on one side vs doing it incrementally and varying the bolts.
No, you tighten one side at a time. Once you've installed the stretch gauge you cant remove it, that could mess with the readings.
I couldn't imagine doing this with the engine in the car
With the engine at 30º tilt as well
The stretch bolt guage I bought is also a Lunati and it seemed that the height of the bracket holding the gauge was not tall enough to reach over and around my end caps and rod bolts. How did you guys modify your stretch bolt gauge
Shortened the spring by about 1/2
i had to pause my tv and get a closer look at that stretch reading...i was like how is that 0.75?...but i see the increments on the gauge, then i counted and was like *whew* the gauge reads in 10k😅
i think he ment 7.5 thousands of an Inch ! I was a tool and die guy and it is easy for a Mechanic to make this mistake ! LOL
Thanks for this video.
Informative for sure!! You guys dont have to plasti gauge the bearings??
No, unless the engine spun a bearing then the tolerances should be within spec.
@@speedacademy ahh ok gotcha!
@@speedacademy so, all STD specs. Great video, very informative, specially on the left thread oil pump bolt!
Weld the nut on the oil pump
? You can touch your teflon frying pan after putting it on the heat?
Don't try this one at home kids. Teflon is non stick but transmits heat very well.
Right? That is why you can use it for cooking lol.
If teflon was a bad heat conductor then they wouldn't put it on frying pans which rely purely on heat transfer. I think he meant something else there.
Change the oilpiping O-ring. On other cars it causes oil starvation.
Do you have the torque spec on the main cap bolts?
Why are stretch gauges so expensive? It's basically a dial micrometer (which can be had for less than $20) with a special attachment. I guess that's a case of "because people are willing to pay that much".
I think its the perception that they are built to exact tolerances.
That oil pump bolt is notorious for coming lose, you should weld it on while you're in there. Wait you've already filmed this it's too late!
It’s easier to safety wire the nut, no one is going to want to deal with things being welded together when it’s time to service the bottom end again.
Do you need to use rtv with the pan gasket with an s54?
Only on the areas where the block mates with another metal part so the front case and rear.
Are these bearings same “upper” and “lower”?? I thought they were different sizes??
Are ARP studs on the main line able to be done with the engine still in the car? Curious on your thoughts concerning the clearance when performing the torque spec if, say, using a QuickJack system & engine support brace after dropping the subframe. Thanks!
I'd say you can do them in car but just need to use the torque wrench sequence. Otherwise might but very hard to accomplish
@@speedacademy ended up pulling the motor entirely like you guys.. the only way to really go when doing a full rebuild with the crank out and working on the main line.. thanks again for everything, love your guys content :)
I would have definitely dropped the bearing down into the cylinder. both the old one and new one...
Need to make a rod bearing replacement on the v10 m5
there is a replacement upgrade kit from Be bearings
@@Realtime1501 I think he means video haha
There is!! Buy another car.lol
Wait... so these bearings pickup... and HOLD... bits of debris?? Between the rotational surfaces?... and this is a protective feature? I would have thought you wanted that crap to be flushed AWAY as soon as possible, not kept where it can do damage to the crank.
Wait a second, isn't the timing chain off? How are you cranking it without messing up the timing and hitting valves?
You always reset the timing at reassembly in the correct order with the correct position of the VANOS hub & sprockets, the crank hub/damper, and the cams using the timing position kit.
What you said about the arp bolts is simply wrong. The ones from the cars before 03 are reusable and must be reused. They can be identified by the 12 point heads. The ones only have 6 tooth and have to be replaced but in the video you could clearly see the 12 point heads. These bolts are matched to your con rods. If you replace them you have to replace your rod too and match them.
Question correct me but i did not see any plastic Gauge testing ! How do you know you have the right clearance ?
Because they are an OE replacement and the crank has never been machined. Yes, if you want to be overly careful then a plasti-gauge is definitely the best way to go.
Speed Academy I understand that but even from the factory you check just to be on the safe side just saying I would
" If you don't have air you don't have to worry about that becase you'd be dead" LOL
Of the stretch part that’s read as 7.5 thousandth not 70 thousandth.
Thanks for the clarification.
Speed Academy yeah man
Well I'm officially not buying an e46 m3 unless its already had this job done in the recall. Vanos I think I can manage, but this is too nuts without a lift
If the price is right you can always have a shop replace them for you.
Why do all the write ups say that the bearings are only $200??
I can't find a set of bearrings ANYWHERE for less than $500 for the complete set. Also, many of the main places are on backorder and apparently BMW doesn't even have them anymore.
King Racing XP series bearings are less than competition WPC coated, BE, etc. I got my rods and mains for about $200 each set. They are Tri-Metal clevite material, same as the VAC bearings recommended here.
not going to measure clearances?
No, the whole point of replacing the bearings with VAC ones is that you dont have to measure everything since the crank and rods are still within spec. If we spun a bearing and the crank was machined it would be another story.
Great video! One question though. It looked like you only stretched the bolt .015"
gona spin them them bearings
Thanks for the vote of confidence!
Is that a crest hoodie in grey?
Yes! Will have it on the site in the coming 2-3 weeks.
Speed Academy I’ve waited lol
I think the Engine Block itself is the last place where weight savings should be implemented. An aluminium block just cannot compete with a Cast Iron Block with regards to Durability, and longevity. And this car has an Iron Block( strong foundation).
that's 7 and a half to 8 thousandsth of an inch
10w-60 has to be a contributing factor to the wear on these things.
Two
Ok I'm going to go touch my Teflon frying pans over heat now.....oh and I'll need a reference point so I'll be touching a normal pan over heat first........I'll text the outcome.......
I knew a Thai girl named Tang, there was some lube used but I never said where's my Tang...
you are not even checking bearing clearances? I thought a little more highly of you guys... that's very scary to assemble an engine and not even know if its correct.
Can anyone drop a new engine in my e46 m3
Don't you need to size the bearings?
Did somebody say oil pump bolt!!!!!!!!!! Weld it now or suffer the consequences.
Used Loctite on it.
Great video, But I don't know how you can work with gloves on.
I hate them but for a job like this they are worth it.
nice harbor freight tools. not
Lots of bold claims on those bearings without any science or data. I call BS.
Look up VAC or better yet do a bit of research on their racing history and your doubts will turn into the science you so desperately seek.
ZzzzzzZzzzzzzZzzzzzz......................
I know it’s a drift build and all but for the money spent on the car and the rebuild you could probably almost get a well maintained Coupe E46 ///M lmaooo
Definitely not, a well maintained coupe with service records and the bearings done is easily over 15-20K.
Speed Academy oh ok. No disrespect just seems like a lot of $ spent on this project so far!
ASS BMW. Buy a BMw they said ..