BMW M52TU M54 Engine Budget Refresh and Assembly - E46

Today I assemble an M52TU/M54 engine on a budget, in my basement.

[@OLearysBMW]

*The Headbolts I use; their thread pitch is M10x1.5mm, not 1.0 as I said in the video. My honest mistake.

[@klinke17]

what heat bolts are they?

[@keenanbarnard3169]

Dude, when you said “these cars are my life” I just said that to my father the other night. These cars really do mean that much to me aswell smiles per gallon that’s for sure.

[@keenanbarnard3169]

Very much so relate

[@jespervanvliet2969]

Legend!! Very clear camera angles, also great commentary. Love it🙏

[@joeypatrick6170]

I watch this video every couple months because its so informative with almost every single detail known about M52TU/54’s

[@Gangsta06001]

if you're interested, the letter for the camshaft trays mean E: Einlass (Inlet) and A: Auslass (Outlet) otherwise, straight forward explanation, love it!

[@danoolson5983]

also can be einfarht and aubfarht, depends on regions and/or local dialect. Saw both versions on autobahn trip from munchen (munich) to koln (cologne) back in 85

[@chadriddle3517]

Excellent detailed video! Definitely appreciate your time and knowledge of these cars as I also love them as well and can relate

[@budrobadre]

You make great videos! Very easy to follow, super clear, good lighting and camera angles. They give me confidence for tackling the refresh of my own M54, and they're statisfying to watch! Thanks for all the info and entertainment!

[@tweedjohnny8740]

Young man you are headed places. Good luck.

[@burakokumus6040]

Amazing work. watched every second of it with pleasure.

[@HoBuilds]

We are blessed to have such helpful videos. Thank You for this, especially the information regarding cam timing.

[@tommylam3074]

This is the best video out here. Very knowledgeable!

[@fidelmercado6447]

Thank u so much man. Let's keep these on the road ❤❤❤

[@PrinzvonBanat]

Nice job!

[@g.g4816]

great video man

[@dj-konvickmatrixxsupreme1286]

This is very detailed video keep up the good work man. I wish I could send my engin to you to rebuild

[@deltavinceleme3790]

very goog working thankyou for you works

[@keenanbarnard3169]

Yesssirrr good video man

[@andrewthompsonuk1]

Interesting information about the non OEM head bolts. Do you do this to minimise the risk of the block threads stripping? I Years ago with non torque to yield bolts you needed to retorque the headbolts after so many miles. Do you have to do this? I remember re torquing heads as per the service information and finding bolts that would move almost 45 degrees before smoothly landing at the specified torque. I really like the video and I will link it for reference when I need to repair my M54 or my M52...

[@deivis_e46]

Hi , so much good content, i get tired of looking for somebody that make a video like this, very well explained, as im from spain and want to rebuild my m54b30 (and improve possible failures and/or leaks with stock hardware or design) will be nice, if possible, a list of parts that are needed for a rebuilt and torque values, for reseach them here in our country, i mean for example some referencies of the parts, and look for here in local stores if possible, and torque applied in the parts or where to find it because here we use different measure scale, i mean in Newton meter. Did you have any content related for the change of piston rings and valve related maintenance? sorry for that long text and many thx for that great content, you gained new follower !!!

[@nunosimoes4617]

Hey! Great video man! I got a m52tub20 150 hp dual vanos, alloy block, i want to boost it, i know alloy block sucks, but its the budget, i want to make this engine looks fresh, just like new, but i want to know wat upgrades i can do, what cams can i use? s52? m54? for the intake manifold its best to go for the m50?? Thanks for this video man, Bmw community apreciates!

[@danoolson5983]

Thanx dude cuz man I've been searching for a tutorial showing the proper install of the timing and vanos gears at the end of the cams. Had it drawn/written during tear down along w/obama phone photos BBUUTTT....... i broke my damn R leg in a scooter mishap-while totally sober so i gotz no scuses- and lost near 4wks rehabbing. Took two days to find your video- after eliminating countless others- but man the search was worth it. Thanx again for an easy understanding and simple to follow reference video-KUDOS

[@OLearysBMW]

Not a problem man, Thank You for watching.

[@danoolson5983]

So it's now 29 nov thought i was ready but timing was close yet not close enuff. Redid twice gittin er ever so close FKN fuel pump crapped out- order part, wait for part, install part ,anticepate car firing- got good compression, crank er over for about 7-10 secs, crank over second time sounds close, crank 3rd time? Oh HELL NO damn soleniod poops out(and yes battery full charge- no shorts, all conections +&-(ALL body grounds and hots) secure. Order new starter cost only 20$ more than solenois and got 3 yr warranty. So today redid TDC redid double vanos set up after cam recheck etc- took awhile due to temp being a balmy 33 degree F under my carport about a mile inland of lake erie in n.n.e ohio. Lookin forward to manana a.m. Thanx again for your great videos and i recommend them as must watch for BMW owners regardless of their level of experience

[@donnyn.1126]

man, just what i need, currently rebuilding a 328 engine to throw in my 320i

[@SnuggleFits]

Wow. Awesome! Got me totally motivated for a much deeper refresh. I'm knee-deep now (lol), so, might as well pull the engine out of the E39 that's been in the family in what seems like forever, and take it further. LOL. 528i 1999 E39 M52 - 265,000 trouble-free miles; never once overheated, well maintained, but after 24 years finally got the oil leaks from the typical places. That normally aspirated straight six M52 engine that made it this far deserves a good refresh. Thankfully, it's relatively straight-forward to work on. Thanks for the content!

[@OLearysBMW]

I love my E39 528 as well! Ahh, what a car. Thank You for watching, hope to see you in other future comments, 😁

[@SnuggleFits]

@@OLearysBMW BTW, any reason why you skipped replacing or checking the main bearings and journals? Just curious.

[@OLearysBMW]

@@SnuggleFits bottom end was fine. I just didn't show that process.

[@ailo4x4]

I would HIGHLY recommend finding an M56 SULEV valve cover and swap it in. Why? A. It's ali and doesn't warp or leak, B. push in coils, and C through Z, you ditch the whole silly vacuum system under the manifold. The SULEV goes directly into the intake manifold and bada-bing, you're done with all that drama ;-) The swap is well documented by the 50's Kid and other channels.

[@OLearysBMW]

@@ailo4x4 I myself have had 4 SULEV 325 cars through my shop, that I've torn down. The intake manifolds are considerably more dirty on the inside from un-separated oil vapors. It works great for turbo applications and what not, when vented to atmosphere, though.

[@ProducerGio]

Great vid!!!!! I have a 04 330ci.

[@OLearysBMW]

Thank You! I'm very happy with this one; new editing software and phone worked together great. 😁 330, ahh. Great platform 👍 Good ole B30

[@ProducerGio]

@@OLearysBMW Absolutely, you killed it! Maybe next vid can be putting engine back in the car? I'd definitely tune in to that!

[@OLearysBMW]

@@ProducerGio Welp, this engine is for my daily driver. I'll be swapping it out, also at home.. The garage is small and dimly-lit. I however will see what I can do footage wise. I also have a shop, but it's usually full with other cars, lol

[@ThatOneCatNyx]

I so wanted you to clean the block and oil filter housing when you were assembling it XD

[@OLearysBMW]

Ah yes, I wanted to as well. I plan on pressure washing it before it goes into something. 😁

[@dironizareyes596]

Hey Tyler can the rods and pistons from a n54 fit in this m54 platform for maybe a turbo setup

[@ewebbytrailscout]

Good idea to get a DuPont Viton oil filter housing gasket, much more heat resistant.

[@OLearysBMW]

Ahh, viton. Always a good option for seals/gaskets. 👌 That's what I opted for with my VANOS seals, though basically every rebuilt kit now days uses them.

[@NorthWestSamurai]

Great video Tyler 👍. I don't remember if I told you I have a couple of 325ti compacts, one has a 5 speed Getrag and the other is an auto but I also have an m54b30 and a 6 speed manual ZF to go into it once I've extensively built it. I was wondering if you could advise on the feasibility of converting it to AWD I believe the ti compacts are exactly the same as an E46 coupe underneath apart from the rear 10% maybe. I'm thinking of buying an X3 for the running gear but am wondering how hard of a swap would it be? I know I'd probably end up swapping the AWD gearbox with the transfer case still attached so might end up sticking the ZF in the 5 speed car instead. I guess I'm basically asking if you could maybe talk a little on if you were to do an AWD swap to a rear wheel drive car how would you go about it? Cheers dude keep up the great work.

[@OLearysBMW]

An AWD compact? I'm in! May or may not need to massage the trans tunnel to clear the transfer case and front driveshaft, lol. Would be a very unique project. The xi front subframe should bolt right on, as long as compact didn't receive some special front frame bolt layout.

[@NorthWestSamurai]

I have some research to do.

[@jasoncyphers4265]

What’s the vanos ftlbs on the seven front nuts ?

[@Micha_k]

Amazing video. Which head bolts are you using? I tried searching fore these but could not find any.

[@OLearysBMW]

Allen head cap bolt. M10x1.5mm thread. 12.9 grade. No specific brand. Preferably full-thread. If you don't do this often, new OEM headbolts are pretty cheap. I bought my specific bolts in bulk, as I assemble multiple engines a year usually. Be sure to inspect each head bolt upon removal from block, if they come out clean you're usually good to go. If material is clung to the threads, you should re drill and thread your block.

[@Micha_k]

@@OLearysBMW Ahh okay that makes sense. Thanks for the response!

[@jasoncyphers4265]

Life saver today…

[@OLearysBMW]

Glad to hear it. Did you have a project you were working on?

[@jasoncyphers4265]

@@OLearysBMW lol I wish … it’s my Daily e46 330 .. expansion tank burst and over heated.. I’m just replacing the head and going through what ever I can afford at this time.. thanks again … and for the reply.. 🤙

[@OLearysBMW]

@@jasoncyphers4265 wishing you the best of luck, man. 👌

[@jasoncyphers4265]

@@OLearysBMW thanks man .. what state are you in?

[@OLearysBMW]

@@jasoncyphers4265 PA

[@UntouchableDog]

I'm going to replace the main chain tensioner. If I set the motor to TDC will it spin when I pull it out?

[@OLearysBMW]

The one of the side of the timing cover? No, you don't even have to put it at TDC. Just remove and replace.

[@UntouchableDog]

@OLearysBMW Yes the one on the side of the timing cover. Thanks for the information. 👍 Also, can the camshaft tensioner be replaced without locking the camshafts?

[@OLearysBMW]

@@UntouchableDog You can remove it without locking the cams, but for reassembly and timing the cams need locked.

[@UntouchableDog]

@@OLearysBMW Thank you 🙏

[@nickclark515]

CAN ANYONE HELP?? My sprocket (28:30) won’t fit around the cam. No clue why. 03 530i. Thanks!!

[@OLearysBMW]

Are you placing it on the right way? Both sides have an arrow

[@nickclark515]

@@OLearysBMW I tried following your video to a T… I have the store slightly above the deck surface bc I as well don’t have any tensioner components on either. It almost seems the chain is too short however I can turn the crank pulley and both sides of the chain are turning smoothly. I just replaced head gasket yesterday can’t you take off the timing cover without removing the head?

[@OLearysBMW]

@@nickclark515 not advised, as it's hard to reseal without removal of the head.

[@nickclark515]

I’ve never been this far in an engine before, so of course I could be doing something wrong too…

[@OLearysBMW]

@@nickclark515 are the studs out of the camshaft. 12mm

[@acef_performance8416]

Great job on this video, I always use to think my m52b28 was probably the worst engine but you showed me they are the underdog. I did a refresh on my engine few year ago but didn’t open the block. Now I’m more confident to do it, currently supercharged but I don’t think bum getting the most out of it, I need to add the ms43 ecu and m54 TB. Check out my KZbin channel

[@OLearysBMW]

M52TUB28, yep. M52B28 is single VANOS, the predecessor. I myself just performed an MS43 swap, good stuff. I used my swap video as reference, lol.

[@acef_performance8416]

@@OLearysBMW my bad I meant I have the m52tub28

[@OLearysBMW]

@@acef_performance8416 No worries dude, it's a common mix-up. I wish you luck with your projects 😁

[@zacharywiggins3768]

Not a word about checking for flatness on the head or block 🙄

[@OLearysBMW]

This is a video focusing on how to assemble a specific engine type, not a how-to of basic general assembly knowledge..

[@clefchef8121]

Get yourself a decent set of torque wrenches now that you decided to work on aluminum engines - the ones you have are junk.

[@OLearysBMW]

Now that I've decided? It's been 7 years of M52TU/M54 experience and assembly. They work fine for what they are, unless you wanna buy me some ❤️

[@Truthseaaker]

Ever have any problens with stripping the block threads when torquing the head bolts?

[@OLearysBMW]

When the engine has been overheated, this is commom. I personally haven't had it happen during reassembly, but have seen chunks of aluminum stuck to the head bolts during dismantling.