ChrisFix asked me to build him a cheap and reliable M54 engine as a backup for his endurance E46 car

[@JamiesGarage1]

See part 2 here! (if you liked this video, consider a thumbs up. Thank you! ) kzbin.info/www/bejne/gYeoZGVoqZKip9k

[@mat5667]

What she sees: 15:28

[@chrisfix]

I hope this engine never gets used :P.... But at least if it does I know we will be good to go!

[@JamiesGarage1]

Better to have it and not need it then to need it and not have it 🤘

[@jajex6071]

I hope it gets turbocharged :)

[@adventureoflinkmk2]

Chris be like: Hey guy, ChrisFix here!! And today I need an engine for my lemons BMW and then I'm gonna show YOU all at home how to swap your engines!!!

[@filipbuleski1944]

Imagane if Aron blows the new engine agan.Hahahahaha It wasent arons fault i saw your video i was not a human mistake.👍

[@Zulfi0198]

@@jajex6071 nope

[@Sf_Mason]

Having just gone through the pain of a rebuild on one of these engines, me and my engine builder found out something during the rebuild that is worthy of note. Check the rods and piston weights, the rods in mine were found to be within 1g of each other, but the pistons were massively different, the biggest difference found was 7grams between the heaviest and lightest stock piston. At 7k rpms, i dug around to check online for G loads, a piston sees around 3500g, this works out to around 240N, or 24kg (nearly 50lbs!) of unbalanced mass thrashing around on the crank.

[@charged5387]

Thx for the warning

[@JamiesGarage1]

😳

[@Sf_Mason]

We did get it rebuilt, made 261bhp / 333Nm with a 7k RPM limit :) Mostly stock parts but some choice bearings and ARP components and a Achillies oil pump. DM me if you want the full spec list, but we did do a full dynamic balancing on the engine, and it makes quite the difference

[@HnK_Alex]

Do you know the reason behind these differences in weight?

[@Sf_Mason]

@@HnK_Alex Given the M54 was built by computer and it was the first generation of BMW's where the engineers were pushed to build to a price rather to a specification, I'd hazard a guess they increased the weight tolerance to reduce costs and this was the result. (Mechanical engineer here by trade, working for a well known engine supplier if anyone asks)

[@ShopLifeTV]

Love the tear down! Throw some ZHP/Shrick cams in there while you are it! Chris won’t know….until the 1st drive lol

[@JamiesGarage1]

🤫 😂

[@chrisfix]

If we dont know... no body will know ;)

[@pokwa906]

Nobody's Gonna Know... They're Gonna Know... How Would They Know...

[@dtmfool789]

Yeah all we need is the 50sKid in here and we have all the e46 KZbinrs. Much love to you all. And a thousand thank yous!

[@E46M54]

@@dtmfool789 @50skid deserves all the shoutouts he has ever got. man has thoroughly taught the proper repair procedures for literally almost everything e46. helped me immensely over the years w his knowledge

[@nikoskotro4959]

It’s not the crossover we expected but it’s the crossover we deserve!!! Love it

[@TheTaskurapu]

Vanos: variable Nockenwellensteuerung in German. Nockenwellen = camshaft, Steuerung = control, regulation. Excellent video, Chrisfix brought me here. Also subscribed!

[@tass2001]

Germans: how can we turn a sentence into a single word?

[@evas36avus]

Also about the cams E= Einlass (Intake) A=Auslass (Exhaust) 😀

[@barmetler]

@@tass2001 I'm just gonna say "PDK" lol

[@cooliebaiv]

This engine is so well built now chris should swap in this one and keep the other one as an emergency 😭😂

[@poplaurentiu4148]

Yeah.. this collaboration is great.. "i know a friend who knows a friend but he calls a different friend, but each can do certain stuff".. just prove to be true.. ! 😂😅😄

[@hksp]

chris rodknock ?

[@wollen908]

When is episode 2 coming up?

[@afaxx3304]

exhaust value

[@tenhoandersson]

chris said that having this engine installed at the start would require it to be added to the total price of the car, but having it as a backup was okay

[@michael-wx2mk]

Even if your content was shit, which it’s not at all I love every moment of it I would still watch just to stare at how clean neat and extremely organized your shop is!

[@BTB_Works]

Im at Aero Engineering, and for parts that experience sterss, we are told to round up to the higher number. For example, if a shaft will experience shear stress and break at 92 [N] , we round it up to 100 [N] because safety. due to the ammount of times i have heard FAIL, i think BMW rounds the number down :)

[@dreadpenguinlord340]

Then makes it out of plastic for good measure ;)

[@BTB_Works]

@@dreadpenguinlord340 ahahaha true

[@sc5015]

Subscribed!! How you explain every step, every component, and what the issue is with every part is very comprehensive! These are the videos advanced shade tree mechanics love!

[@JamiesGarage1]

Awesome, thank you!

[@user-ve5ei2xe8h]

Thats definitely the cleanest workshop i've seen in my lifetime.

[@SI0AX]

You imagine they clean it all up before the video? They probably do...

[@oidoubleu]

Thanks Jamie for the quality video, as an e46/m54b30 owner, it’s often times hard to find full depth videos that are explanatory and useful. You were able to tear this complex motor apart with ease and demonstrated how we can too. Thank you for your time, I’ll be tuned in for part 2.

[@tomthompson7400]

one of the best engine videos ive seen ,, ive been building engines for nearly 40 years and this has just the right level of detail , looking forwards to the follow up videos.

[@chadriddle3517]

I have 2 - m54b25 have done all this same maintenance stuff . But Jamie taught me something today ! I did not know about the coolant drain on the block . Appreciate that Jamie ..

[@antonism9479]

Shout out to the person(s) filming and editing, really good job. Not to mention the memes 😁

[@100PercentJake]

This is one of the best M54 teardown videos on youtube. Clear, concise, great for figuring out what the greasy lump I'm staring at in my engine bay actually is and how it's meant to come out.

[@Fastball115]

"This pin will fall out and get sucked into the engine".... I swear, every time I see a BMW getting worked on I learn another new way they've engineered their owner engines to murder themselves. I've never heard of so many catastrophic issues with one manufacturer!

[@niq872]

yea that a surprising amount of plastic

[@afaxx3304]

exhaust value

[@brianmcintyre14]

I bet they are great when they are working right, but I'd have anxiety owning a BMW, Merc, Audi, VW etc My 12 year old Honda might not be as pretty but I can floor it everywhere if I desire and I've never felt like it's going to break in anyway. I had colleagues with similarly aged 3 series and an A3 which looked really shiny and had loads of tech but they were falling apart mechanically and were costing them both fortunes in repairs. Funnily enough the Audi owner was also a Devereaux! :)

[@Weissenschenkel]

@@brianmcintyre14 yeah, and between us here: japanese cars may not be sexiest beasts around (with some exceptions like NSX, R34, RX7, and my favorite 240Z Fairlady) but they're for sure very reliable. You can beat the crap out of them and you won't have as many issues as with modern European cars. No wonder why Aussies and Ruskies sometimes buy even used JDM cars in bulk.

[@MisterT.2962]

We Germans are geniuses at building cars but also are geniuses at killing them 😂😂

[@WillemVerb]

Im so glad you're making youtube videos

[@Elaba_]

Hij kan het goed uitleggen.

[@JakeTheBear1]

Eiii you that film guy!

[@ssaafur]

I love these reviews. Reminds me of watching my dad rebuild a 67 Malibu and a 69 L88. I would just sit in awe as shelves filled with parts and he hummed country songs. Watching the video and just reading some of these comments is a realization of how skillful and knowledgeable you all are. Thank you for sharing!

[@tjflynn1014]

I wish everyone made videos like this, great commentary and explanations during the teardown and awesome camera angles. Great job, I am definitely subscribing to your channel.

[@chadriddle3517]

Jamie has been collaborating with a lot of KZbinrs lately! Pretty cool Jamie love to see your growing so fast like you are you certainly deserve it !!

[@wahaha6961]

18:57 E most likely "Einlass" (inlet/intake), and A most certainly "Auslass" (outlet/"exit")

[@SirenaWF1]

Yep. Was gonna say the same thing.

[@JJ-zg1hh]

This guy is a very good mechanic. Perfect job.

[@injin5557]

I feel guilty seeing ChrisFix's face.

[@RizwanY37]

Some things are just not meant to be seen 😉

[@Jdogg4089]

First time a saw his full face was in one of SK04's videos 6-7 years ago. might've been deleted or edited out though. Or maybe it was on another channel.

[@eXX0n]

You can see his whole face in a few of the earlier videos. It's in the reflection of a car if I remember correctly.

[@nicholasdalton2149]

@@eXX0n in his oil change video U can see the reflection from the car

[@dahoo-needledrop]

Then he is a mandalorian no more.

[@marqueeviveiros8412]

Thanks to ChrzisFix I found your KZbin channel. Bro you make amazing BMW content. I’m now subscribed to your channel. Can’t wait to see the build of Chris’s engine.

[@MJCGames]

Sorry to say this, but this is the absolute best part about ChrisFix‘ endurance race series 😅

[@e36s50b30]

It's really lovely watching you work on BMWs. Love the hidden humour, too! On a note, M52TU were already dual vanos.

[@adrianreyno1]

I can't wait for part two. Your channel is always entertaining, and I learn a lot from minor details to actual builds. Excellent work.

[@brainkill7034]

Actually the first iteration of VANOS was the m50b25tu (technical update) for the e34 with the single VANOS. The m52 was the first iteration in the 3-series e46 followed soon after by the superior and much easier to service m54 dual VANOS version. Also, loved that quick relief valve skit! Hahaha!

[@brainkill7034]

I’ve also used the cardboard schematic technique to ensure I don’t lose or misplace any bolts on some more technically difficult portions of jobs like that timing cover you tackled. Great technique, I recommend! Thank you for sharing.

[@bogdandabrowski2837]

There is one major issue with this teardown. Since those engines tend to warp cylinder heads by raising the middle part, it's advised to remove the head bolts in reversed order to the installation, so starting from the outside to the centre of the head. Not following that procedure may cause additional warpage, which will be resurfaced but will still translate to worse camshaft journals alignment. Other than that excellent work.

[@koleknight]

You explained your video so well like all of us have a BMW at home, its really pleasure to watching your work.

[@InCountry6970]

I absolutely love these videos. No BS and well photographed. Great job.

[@rogerhinman5427]

Many years ago I was the Parts Manager at a dealership which specialized in used BMWs. This is bringing back some memories.

[@uploadsnstuff8902]

Love the teardown and the video, really interesting and well done! On a side note, not sure if you guys are doing the editing, but I feel like some of the sound effects are too loud when compared to the voice. Maybe consider exporting the video with loudness normalization applied (BS.1770-3, -14 LUFS, 0 LU, -1 dBTP) so there's no sudden change of sound when using sound effects (which are great btw). This maybe requires to bump the voice track by a few dB in case it's too quiet after the export, but I think it'd definitely improve the sound so it matches the quality of the rest of the video.

[@JamiesGarage1]

Thanks for the feedback, we will work on that. 👊

[@BlacktulipSF]

Excellent vid! Greetings from Europe.

[@802Garage]

Awesome collaboration! It's always surprising to me how many common failure and wear points BMW engines have. Looks like you'll get this on tip top for Chris. The TikTok troll was hilarious.

[@JohnSmith-qj8bo]

That was an amazing teardown video. Most instructional vids are boring af. Good instruction and not at all boring. Well done!!👍👍

[@jdamore44]

The oil pick up tube was different for the XI motors too because of the oil pan. I had to swap mine over when I dropped a b30 into my wagon. If you already mentioned that and I missed it, my bad!

[@FZERO20]

I'm watching this vid only bc I'm not super experienced with BMW. I specialise in Mercedes vehicles. And knowing me I get a bit scared when trying something new or different.But watching the teardown of this makes me really appreciate this engine and just how they put it together. Very German but actually really simple and many important components were put in very accessible places.

[@MrJamesshipman]

There is nothing more expensive than taking your BMW to a non BMW shop. It's the little things like any other mechanic would pull out the disa valve see the plastic thing flopping around go "hey it broke" and not think about pulling the metal pin out of the air intake before it gets sucked into the rest of the engine.

[@nickschmitz7044]

Man OH MAN!!! The cardboard template you made is absolutely genius!!! I can't believe I've never seen this before or thought of it myself but I will most definitely be using it starting TODAY I have an engine to pull out of a Chevy truck

[@G30Doza]

loved the teardown, especially the explanation of the entire engine components and there purpose, you’d make a good instructor Jamie, is it possible to get a insight to your toolcart, im an hourly tech starting and specializing in BMW, i would like to know what tools you recommend. thanks

[@JamiesGarage1]

Humble Mechanic actually has a great video he recently posted. It’s the same tool cart I use. Check out his video. You’re definitely going to need Torx, inverted torx sockets. I also use Snap-On 1/4” shallow wobble sockets a lot!

[@cohall46]

Very interesting and informative. Great camera placements during tear down. One take away that I got is the sizeable amount of "plastic" on the engine.

[@buenoskater555]

You should do the m56 aluminum valve cover upgrade too. It's so worth it and you already have the ms43 ignition style too so it's a stupid easy and worthwhile upgrade. Great video!

[@JoshWharehinga]

Hey man! I came here from ChrisFix. I've always been a DIYer for my family cars ever since my kids were young. Now they've grown up I no longer have to have family cars so I bought a Z3 and have fixed her up, have been thinking of giving her engine an overhaul. Stoked to find a BMW specific overhaul. I subbed!

[@LB2023_]

I swear to god I’d leave my job and move country to work for you 😂🙌🏼

[@Steve444]

In case anyone is wondering, for the camshafts, the E probably stands for "Einlass", which, who thought it, means "Intake", and the A stands for "Abgas", or "Auslass" (not sure), which both mean "Exhaust"! By the way, love your videos :)

[@bencappello5324]

I love watching bmw guys work on stuff. It’s basically a montage of “this is super common issue, and this, and that” lol. They are such lovely cars but man can they ever bite you.

[@mohamed87adam]

This is the best video I’ve ever seen on KZbin so far great job guys and 🤞

[@hf7188]

I feel if the video focused on what DOESN'T fail on these engines, it would fit in tiktok

[@roxanneabbott8424]

Nice tip on marking the rod to find the other tdc quickly!!

[@martinB4203]

I'm really looking forward to the reassembly. I'd consider myself quite experienced but I'm allways looking for new things to learn. Like M52s are prone to throw out the threads when the head bolts are tightened, whats your workaround?

[@DannysGarage]

Aluminum block M52's and M54's frequently have the head stud issue, so what you do in that case is install Timeserts. That ends up making the threads stronger than stock and bulletproofs that part of the engine.

[@beamerfan8982]

@@DannysGarage thank you For this Tip, those time-serts Look amazing

[@LetsGetTechy]

I know this is off topic, but you got my attention with your sponsor spot in the video. I buy from Turner and FCP, and I had absolutely no idea FCU offered a lifetime warranty on consumables. I flat out didn’t believe you they would do it for oil/filter, but I looked it up on their site, and sure enough- you pay return shipping and and they refund you for the new oil change kit you purchased. Mind is blown. 🤯

[@rm0234]

This will be good

[@FZERO20]

Bro it feels so good to have a whole workshop of your own dude. It looks so good too and professional

[@derekyam1805]

came from ChrisFix, and as a fellow mechanic, I love your style. Instant sub!

[@chrisfished]

Do you do boat engines too?

[@JamiesGarage1]

Only for BMW boats

[@gapplebeestv9280]

I love the relationship between y’all

[@SkashTheKitsune]

planned to fail means that they designed in bolt holes to replace parts when they fail, most manufacturers back in the old days didn't really need that because half your engine could be missing but it would still chug along for 10 years only needing oil changes. Can't wait for them to start doing sealed gas tanks

[@Arnerse]

Jamie this was awesome. I could watch your content all day no matter how long!! Shorts are great on KZbin.. but Longs are where it’s at! Cheers

[@reinhardvanastrea9954]

Reliable is a relative term

[@davishahn3101]

19:00 Hi Jamie, a german viewer here. E stands for Einlass (intake) and A for Auslass (exhaust).

[@fransb8543]

Yeah, that disa pin will ruin your day. Luckily, mine 'only' bent 2 valves on cylinder 5 and flattened my spark plug before it bounced back into the intake and got lodged there. Not great... On the plus side, it was as good an excuse as any to freshen up my 20 year old engine.

[@spicysnowman8886]

I'll definitely be addressing that if I get the 330ci I'm looking at

[@fransb8543]

@@spicysnowman8886be careful when removing and reinstalling the DISA unit, that's when my pin dropped out. I ended up replacing the pin with a long wood screw that goed all the way into the valve. 3rd car I've done this on and they hold up perfectly.

[@shepshepson]

We need part 2 man I can't wait to see how the engine will do!

[@StarATL]

After watching this video, I’m left wondering about German engineering. Has BMW improved on parts quality since this engine?

[@Turshin]

Unlike the rest of the automotive industry, BMW and Porsche never figured out how to make a rod bearings.

[@SI0AX]

The opposite actually. They use cheaper quality parts in order to sell at same price but earn more profit. But all manufactures are doing this, even normal products like an electric razor are reducing quality to lower cost to manufacture.

[@Saltly]

No it's gotten worse.... way worse

[@XloMotion]

As a person who's been wrenching on VW I can tell you that it's getting worse. And German engineering it's about making sure that a simple process turns into an oddessy.

[@rwinstanley8668]

Kudos FCP sponsorship. I have a Mercedes’ R170/M112 disguised as a Chrysler Crossfire and they are the go to for parts that are Chrysler unattainable and less than Mercedes’ dealer costs. Excellent customer service both ways.

[@dillanmistry]

The m54 engine is by far the most reliable engine bmw has made only if it’s been maintained well, but now it’s going to be even more reliable than a new🤯

[@Vaino_Hotti]

M57 is really good too, but I guess americans got shafted with that one :D

[@Turshin]

This is what you call reliable?

[@Vaino_Hotti]

@@Turshin Older BMWs can be super reliable if they are MAINTAINED. You dont change the water pump when it breaks, you change it before it breaks. It's a sophisticated engine, so oil changes are actually important. German engines are made to be maintained, not run until they explode. The DISA valve is one of very few actual problems of the M54.

[@Turshin]

@@Vaino_Hotti Last I checked oil changed were important for any engine you're not trying to kill. The engine isn't sophisticated it's plain junk. I've seen a Toyota V6 run with no oil pan. These things blow up with oil in them. Plastic water pumps and water plastic water lines.... REALLY? And why can't BMW design a proper rod bearing? My 2002 suburban with a 5.3 ls has over 300k on the motor. Im not racing the truck but it does tow my 4000 lbs t-bird from Michigan to Ga regularly. No smoked bearing at all. Matter a fact it still pulls like a freight train up the mountains with a load. When racing you don't want "sophisticated" you want RELIABLE. I would've definitely LS swapped this car.

[@Vaino_Hotti]

@@Turshin Frequent oil changes keep the inside clean, and that's important for things like variable valve timing (VANOS). The simple, basic hunks of iron keep going longer with old dirty oil, like your 5.3 LS. And even those have lifter tick issues, cam phaser issues and DOD issues mostly due to old oil. I bet your cam bearings aren't exactly the healthiest after 300k. Only the S65 and S85 engines have an actual rod bearing issue, and that's mostly due to hard use and the engines revving over 8k. As if GM never made shit engines... Almost all manufacturers have used plastic & composite water pumps and plastic coolant pipes at some point. And if the water pumps and coolant pipes are changed when they should be, they rarely are an issue. Like the M54, the LS is a good engine, but they have their issues, no engine is perfect.

[@richardschofield2201]

My m52 has dual Vanos. But then it is the TU version. I really like the 2.8. Once you sort the intake you basically have a shorter stroke M54 that you can rev that little bit higher. Also, here in the UK nobody seems to want the M52 TU. People either want the bigger M54 or they want to avoid additional Vanos so go for the 52 or 50 so you can pick them up really cheap. It's the unloved yet perfect child.

[@CaptainFalcon92]

Looks like bmw engine aren't that cleverly designed. There is not a single part you haven't say "they tend to fail/leak" about.

[@100PercentJake]

Every plastic or rubber part in every engine ever made will fail or leak over time.

[@rj6110]

Welcome to working on 20 year old engines

[@nathanadcock2153]

Honestly, super informative and helpful video. As a mechanic, I find it difficult to explain. and visually show what I am doing, quite impressed, AND now I am ready for my e30 m54b30 swap knowing my stock maintenance and refresh will be mint condition!

[@Ehrengarde]

9:20 it would have been smarter of bmw to not put plastic parts in every critical engine component. That way they dont break in 4 different ways, destroying the engine. They make all these high performance engines and somewhere inbetween you have these shitty plastic parts...

[@guys234]

I love how Jamie explains the details. His very thorough. That's look like a lot of work and replacing many parts, not sure how all the labour and parts are "cheap"

[@tobiasdye7007]

Came for Chrisfix and staying for Jamie. Great channel with expert work

[@NoCompM2]

Dude, I'm really loving your channel. Way to go. I remember seeing your video on how you wanted to make videos and such and now your doing it. Fun combination of knowledge and humor. I actually stumbled on your KZbin shorts and watched the ramen emblem fix. I was so annoyed thinking wtf is this man doing lol then proceed to watch all of your videos from start

[@ethantroberts9150]

This is exceedingly helpful for me, I just took in a 01 325i and this helps me know what I should be looking out for

[@zip1916]

Don't know what is better, the comedy or the knowledge!

[@9Greyskies]

This is awesome. Bravo. My engine is getting old and this is helping me learn about an engine so I can figure what my engine’s problems are.

[@doom3380]

ChrisFix viewer here. You just earned my sub 👍Awesome Video 😃

[@matthewnicholas6365]

I've had 3 BMWs a 330 and m3 on the e46 and an F25 X3 By far the best engine of the 3 is the N57 diesel. Epic 400lb of torque. 30-50mpg and never goes wrong Sure the S54 sings its heart out at 8k but you won't hear it over the rod bearing, vanos and head gasket anxiety

[@sonwabo1000]

Love this guy Garage & workstation very clean

[@OhCrapItsJimmy]

Timing that dual VANOS system is so much better than timing the single VANOS one. The M54 was truly an evolutionary step forward.

[@dazeboy79]

nice video i'm here from Chrisfix! thanks for your time!

[@reallyhappenings5597]

This is the best close look I've gotten at the M54. It seems similar to later iterations of the Volvo white block. Except with more plastic parts that break and gaskets that go bad. It seems less reliable, higher maintenance.

[@KamotoSam]

Aw man part 2!? That's definitely gonna be the part I'm most interested about. First one of your videos I've watched but super interesting learn a lot slight "how it works" vibes and i like how it's also kinda structured like a TV show, definitely gonna keep an eye out for part 2

[@Zairn12345]

Hey man. Thanks for this video. I literally have a m54b30 sitting on a stand in my garage and I’ve never torn one down fully. Im scared to start! But this video made it much easier for me to get the motivation to do it because you made it so simple. Also, The M52TU had dual intake and exhaust cam timing control with the Vanos. TU for technical update. So not all m52s are single cam control.

[@TRMartin]

really like the call outs on the possible weak points. very informative!!!

[@jerickangeloclemente9754]

A wholesome youtube collab. Nice to have.

[@AndrewPenner]

Came for the ChrisFix engine, subbed because it looks like a great channel.

[@yousufkothawala270]

I love the quick relieve valve thats an awesome idea!!

[@VCR1117]

Great video can’t wait for the rebuild series. If my ZHP engine ever blows I was considering doing an LS swap but for balancing purposes I think I would just rebuild it properly keeping in mind to get as much power with the OEM+ build with room for a blower. Possible thicker gasket to decrease compression slightly for boost purposes since the m54 is not a powerhouse to begin with it can use all the help it can.

[@poohbear4130]

Great sense of humour! New fan!

[@raphaelsanchez4797]

I subscribed! Why? Very clear, very informative, and I learned a lot in such a short time. No fluff. All relevant and practical information. Great job!!

[@LeZturbo]

What a great informative disassembly !!! 👍👍👍

[@dougwilliams8602]

Nice to watch a master mechanic

[@warrenalexis]

Sent here because of the Chris collab. good stuff

[@junkdubious]

This where those Viton gaskets in garden hose relief valves shine!

[@Dirtyz1234]

I'm doing a refresh on a M54b30 before I slap a turbo on it. A lot of good info in this video.

[@andrewcurtin7003]

I love how every part you point out its litterly "x is really common to leak" gotta love bmw

[@liftedcj7on44s]

A little tip, if you have the cylinder you want to leak down test at true TDC you can use as much air pressure as you want and the engine will not rotate.

[@Freakwhencee]

E46 yes !! Great work !!