Copart Laguna Seca E46 M3 Update! Rod Bearings & Vanos Rebuild, Was I Seconds From Disaster?

If you haven't caught the series of videos over the last 2 years rebuilding this Laguna Seca Blue E46 M3, check it out here! • Copart Totaled Laguna ...
First, I would like to apologize for the lack of light in this video at times. My garage is not ideal for shooting video under a car, however I'm working on a solution for the future.
In this video I jump right into conquering the remaining parts of the "Big 3" maintenance/repair items that should be done to all E46 M3's. This car was already reinforced which left the connecting rod bearings and the vanos as the unknowns.
The rod bearings seemingly needed attention first as I see so many bearing failures in my teardowns. Then I moved onto the vanos, which I did not record as I was in a time crunch. I almost didn't do the vanos, but a strange noise led to some late night googling, which led to express shipping on tools and parts to get the job done in just a few days.
Hopefully you enjoy this video, I intend on two videos a week throughout the rest of summer, a teardown, and then an update or something different mid-week.
As always, I appreciate all of the comments, feedback and even the criticism.
See you all Saturday night!
-Eric

[@jp2246]

absolutely pumped to know I can pick up an engine hoist at Walgreens

[@shawnflegel2857]

I love when I get home from work and there’s another video that I can watch from I do cars. This is by far an amazing youtube channel. I love learning about malice in the combustion palace and old blue and his ever growing collection of bmw’s. Love your videos man.

[@liver.flush.maestro]

And not forgetting about the "piston mc-nuggets"! 🙂 And it is "old blue to the rescue", "...this timing chain, will keep for later"...

[@s3vR3x]

i agree! love this channel! i actually found a post about this m3 on reddit when you had like 100 followers and subb'd then and kept coming back

[@michaelthorne1347]

@@liver.flush.maestro ...this timing guide, absolutely perfect! *yeet* (garbage bin sounds)

[@liver.flush.maestro]

@@michaelthorne1347 🤣

[@johnburgess4941]

Couldn’t have said it any better

[@richardnadeau8932]

I was in the automotive industry for 43 years, starting with mechanical repair and engine rebuilding and including 15 years of full collision repair and restoration. I finished with 28 years of insurance appraising before retiring. I stumbled upon your videos and love everything about them! It brings me back to the great times I had being in the auto industry. Thank you for an enjoyable and educational channel. Since I was active on the older, simpler designed engines etc, your videos show me the difference between those older cars and the newer ones of today. Keep up the great work you’re doing creating your videos.

[@nicholasvinen]

It takes a lot of engineering talent to build so many fatal flaws into a single engine. Rod bearings! Multiple catastrophic Vanos failures! Disintegrating chain guides! This engine has it all.

[@JimBronson]

Reminds me of the 5.4 3V, of which I own one. In that engine's case add oil pump, they are all aluminum and tend to get high clearance inside after a good amount of miles. The Melling replacement has a steel backing plate instead of being all aluminum. At least the 5.4 3V easier to work on. Couldn't believe the stuff that was pulled under the car on the M3, completely removing the steering box and folding all that stuff out of the way. Yikes.

[@michaelblacktree]

Also the cooling system, and the CCV system. And on the non-M engines, you have to worry about the oil pump self-disassembling.

[@dodimolina]

Don’t forget the oil pump failure

[@harrywalker5836]

cant beat ford cleveland, last forever, never stop..

[@chrisbradley3224]

The Vanos and chain guides are stupid, but the bearings aren't really an issue on this engine until very high miles. It's not like S65 and S85. This engine is NA 3.2L and makes 333 hp without direct injection. It revs to 8k and it's oversquare. It's a highly stressed design so some bearing wear is to be expected. To me, it's worth the trade-off. It's an amazing engine that requires some preventative maintenance.

[@caladur2092]

You know, I'm not sure how your channel was recommended to me, but I'm absolutely digging it! The bits of humor you inject into each video are, in my opinion, perfect. Glad your car didn't blow up on you!

[@johncoops6897]

Go back and watch his older content, it is awesome. Note the "in joke" about always (wiping) from "front to back".

[@AE111TRD]

All through the rod bearing segment I was going "Seconds from disaster? come on, those bearings are worn, but seconds from disaster? nahhhh" Then I saw the cam gear bolts and instantly I was eating my words, good lord that was a close shave! bet you felt good not putting it off for another tank of gas!

[@I_Do_Cars]

Yeah. I don’t gamble but I accidentally did here. Coulda been terrible. 😬

[@oldtanker4860]

That circular plate on the bottom of the oil pan that you had to remove to reinstall the pan looks amazingly like the oil screen plate on an old VW aircooled engine.

[@Hdogdog7]

That's what I saw!

[@Elementaliti]

When I got to the part of the video where you show what was going on with those bolts, my jaw dropped. It's a miracle that engine didn't grenade it's self. I've owned too many BMW's, I am used to them totaling themselves without ever being in a crash.

[@liver.flush.maestro]

Yeah, they commit suicide looks like🙂

[@yamaha226]

Good reason to keep purchasing them.

[@Elementaliti]

@@yamaha226 Before everything started inflating, it made more sense to buy one at such a low price if it was in decent shape and then take a gamble on getting a year or two out of them before scrapping it, not so much anymore.

[@yamaha226]

@@Elementaliti I understand now.

[@acewingdabson3139]

Used to totally themselves without being in a crash? Tf that even mean? That just sounds like a bad owner? Ive owned many too but never lost my faith in a single BMW.

[@martinw89]

Holy cow that was close!

[@junkmangeorge6363]

I am convinced that BMW ownership is a love - hate relationship that I can do without.

[@dustcommander100]

I knew it!!!! I knew you could put things back together!!!!!

[@mphilleo]

This reminds me of when I replaced all the rocker arms and lifters on my Wrangler's Pentastar V6 as preventative maintenance. Jobs like that are always daunting, but if you're meticulous and follow the steps, it's definitely achievable. A $4,000 estimate was all the incentive I needed to tackle the job.

[@life_of_riley88]

That's such a great engine, but like this bmw, I can't understand what happened with the rocker arm and valve train issues on those things? Was Chrysler just cheap? Bad metallurgy?

[@mphilleo]

@@life_of_riley88 that's a fair question. I think every drivetrain has its Achilles Heels, some are more problematic than others. I can't speak specifically in the case of Chrysler, but it could have been a supplier issue (like the valvetrain issue on a specific batch of Ford Bronco 2.7s), possibly a specification issue, or something else. What I do know is that when I did the job, the part numbers were revised at least once, possibly twice. In my case, I could tell the rollers on the rocker arms were starting to tighten up, but it would've done me no favors to wait on it. Luckily the cam lobes weren't wiped, but I'm sure if I did nothing until the bearings started to seize, I'd have been looking at a much more expensive repair. After the fix, though, the engine runs wonderfully. So that's something. :)

[@ericthimot]

@@mphilleo 4.0L TJ guy here. I know those motors are pretty powerful...but man do i ever love my straight 6. Not the most powerful or efficient..... but always reliable. Congrats on a job well done sir. o7

[@mphilleo]

@@ericthimot the 4.0 was/is wonderful. I'd have loved to own a 4.0 TJ (having had a number of XJs and ZJs). Great engine. I've seen the 3.6 Pentastar go 350-600,000 miles, so I know my effort was well-spent at 86,000 miles. And thank you for the kind words.

[@Drmcclung]

Chrysler had absolutely no excuses for screwing up their valvetrains as bad as they did.. Then just like their German owners at the time denied it was ever a problem.

[@mdavidhandler]

local drug stores carry engine supports, wow, I should be checking out drug stores for major car parts!

[@Duken4evr29]

Wow! Close call on the intake cam bolts. Ya almost had "malice in the combustion palace". Glad you caught it in time.

[@sc5015]

This is legit the first time I have actually gasped watching a gear head video. Amazing it didnt blow sooner.

[@gearhead996]

You are the best thing to happen to your collection of cars. Thanks for the videos.

[@yeahitskimmel]

This channel reminds me of when I found Vice Grip Garage at about as many subs but all the videos were so good I just knew it was gonna blow up. I look forward to your O'Reillys commercial

[@matthewb8229]

We're in the same boat. Started watching VGG when he was around 100K, and that channel went to the moon. This one is of that caliber.

[@f688xt6]

That would be crazy if an O'Reilly rep was sent to his shop right? Imagine if that happened...

[@johnwardale6010]

You and VGG both appeal to me too. You’re more relevant. VGG didn’t really explode until the “independence chevelle”

[@matthewb8229]

Dude...that engine support looks sktech AF! I don't think I'll ever believe someone when they brag about the quality of a BMW.

[@anthonysgarage]

My damn.. You were very blessed to dig into that noise when you did. 🙏🏼 Love E46's!

[@martinarmstrong3233]

One word, PRIDE, simple thing but not many people take real pride in their work, this guy does. Man that Vanos thing was CLOSE to going BOOM.

[@nickvinten7803]

Holy mackerel, backing out cam gear bolts 😮 Looks like BMW built in ‘special’ failure points just as a sort of “surprise” for unwary owners. Good video series, very enjoyable to watch 👌

[@joeschuster7872]

Wow. Great catch. Goes to show why people should have those noises investigated asap! Glad you caught it before anything major.

[@jayfojtik5262]

Holy cow! I was so shocked when you started pulling bolts out of that timing gear. Just blew my mind. Major bullet dodging there! Glad you were able to save the engine from sure disaster.

[@jimamizzi1]

Absolutely lucky 🍀

[@liver.flush.maestro]

@@jimamizzi1 The "timing" was just amazing... 🙂

[@cmcb7230]

Wow that sump screen on the bottom of the oil pan looks exactly like the oil screen cover from an air cooled VW engine.

[@wesgreen2812]

Wow that was super close 🫣

[@benaldredge2671]

Absolutely love that blue color. Definitely my all time favorite!

[@WarriorsPhoto]

Congratulations 🎉 🎉🎉! I mean it. Hearing that your S54 blow wouldn’t have been fun. I’m excited to see more about your journey with this car.

[@moosenbeans903]

Best dinner n movie ever. Thank you.

[@ronsloan7662]

All i can say is Wow! You did get your amoking gun at the end of it all with your backed out and broken bolts. Good thing you decided to fix your Vanos. Cheers!

[@chucky2682]

Love your videos not only engine tear downs but maintenance as well and explained so well

[@metalted6128]

Love your passion for complicated vehicles!! And or engines, I’m a 2004 6.0 power stroke non deleted, owner, for last 12 years, for the exact same reason, Yes it’s not simply, it’s not easy, to own and drive every day, and keep it reliable. I do all my own repairs, and maintenance. But nor am I, my wife tells me!! Lol Love your channel! Love your passion!!! Keep up the good work!!!

[@garycarter4297]

Enjoy watching you tear down these engines more then you'll ever know. See if you can find some small engines like Kubota's and other little diesels....Thanks G!!

[@life_of_riley88]

I love these cars. I'm convinced that the people who buy them secretly hate themselves. I mean seriously, rod bearings? Hell no. I ain't doin that just for the sake of knowing they're "okay". Keep your German engineering, thank you very much.

[@LegionHeartMoto]

Love watching your videos, your camera angles are good i can see most of what your talking about. Usually voice is clear and i learn something each post. Keep doing what you do.

[@abluecar5375]

I can't wait to see more videos on this car

[@dimitripereira2552]

I’m a the end now, great video man ! So bad that you didn’t catch on video the vanos system. But still, so impressive to see, all those bolts broken and the 2 remaining soon to be ! If the guy who drove it wasn’t a mechanic, this car could be destroyed by now. Such a faint noise, weard but discret ! Sorry for my english speaking, I’m french ^^ Keep going man, so cool to see videos about a guy that just focuses on mechanical stuff. So much learning. Thanks man

[@danielcgomez]

Wow Eric! ...that's quite a close one! Glad you were persistent in finding the source of the noise and solving it! Wow! ...that was close!

[@509brown]

Really enjoyed this, Eric! Thanks for the "extra credit" vid.

[@pkt1213]

It's a little crazy that rod bearing are a maintenance item. Great video and glad you saved her.

[@fitfogey]

You are a really skilled mechanic man. Thanks for sharing all of your knowledge.

[@30920Crash]

Love your videos one of the few longer format videos that always keeps my attention

[@liver.flush.maestro]

Great luck with the vanos!!!

[@ericthimot]

When you go on a first date with someone you've just met and the first thing they do is introduce you to their kids as their new parent......and than you get the chance to high tail it out of there..... that is dodging a bullet. This is on par with bullets being dodged. So much car-nage would have ensued from those last two savoir bolts failing, but they held true. They deserve a place of high regard my dear sir. Do not simply throw them out. Mount them high on a mantel to be admired and have stories told of their heroic feat. All hail the Hercules fasteners.

[@carloberetta6305]

This is a perfect example of why you do not ignore unusual noises in your car. You saved an awesome car from disaster & for that I salute you. 👍

[@joeblowe7545]

What? You mean people shouldn't turn up the radio volume when unusual noises occur? Haha

[@jdeltoro518]

Wow your lucky you caught that when you did. Great video repair

[@badasssamurai4954]

I have always been the type of guy who is pretty handy with a wrench. I've always been ready to tackle a job no matter how much work it takes to get it done. One thing I have always wondered is using an extension while using a torque wrench? I've seen you use one W/extension and I guess my apprehension is unfounded? Best channel on KZbin by far!!!

[@drewmurray2583]

Good catch. If there is a sound or noise, I always investigate.

[@shawncohen3082]

You lucky rascal. 2 bolts away from doom. Nice find and fix!

[@mathuetax]

That was a fortunate discovery!

[@oldschoolmotorsickle]

BMW M Series: The M stands for Maintenance. As in don’t defer on Maintenance. At least an alert owner knows what he’s in for and the jobs are straightforward. And this generation of M3s will never go out of style.

[@qx4n9e1xp]

I have an e82. I was considering an e46, but I'm glad I went with my choice. Thing rips, although both cars would have been a great journey. I've done so much to the car myself in 2 years of owning it. Oil pan gasket, Valve cover and gasket, belt and pulleys, motor & trans mounts, full m-control arms, lsd, axles, & solid subframe bushings (warped a 6-ton hydra press!) There's much more to be done, like an m3 rack, better turbos, fuel pumps, m-fender flares, sunroof delete, a better sound system, & an Android head unit, but it's been a lovely (& extremely painful) experience, because when I drive the car, oh man, it drives amazing, feels intense, and the slow progression I feel as I turn it into a better car is satisfying. I feel like I can tackle almost anything, because of what working on this car has taught me. Oh and it's KZbinrs like you and many others that upload helpful content for those looking to start work on their car!

[@raulbermudez893]

You’ve got the best mechanic videos and the best KZbin fans. You are the Leonardo decaprio of KZbin auto! I have an 87 corvette with a late 90s iroc block, it’s been sitting awhile because of blow by and my cash sitch right now. you give me the motivation to break it down myself and rebuild it I just need breaker bar, 10 mm socket amd a pry bar lol

[@dennisgoans701]

Blue

[@JuveZavala]

Tightened VANOS to infinity and beyond

[@maxcactus7]

Damn, GREAT catch!! Glad you were able to address that before it went kablooey!

[@EDMclassics]

Time to buy a lotto ticket and hope your luck continues 😉

[@diquanwatts5961]

Yea finally a car rebuild on your channel I been waiting for this ….💯

[@kendallkent2804]

My Man Adam Sandler Mixed wit Edward Norton. Good videos.

[@picax8398]

thank you for keeping a launa seca alive a little longer!

[@drcrash788]

"Doesn't look like a bad job at all". As an E46 M3 owner, said no E46 M3 owner ever.

[@grippgoat]

The project update vids are a great variety interlude to the teardowns. TBH I don't watch your channel for the teardown engine gore. I watch it because you're entertaining and educational. You could be telling us how to change diapers or clean a grill and I'd still be here for it. 😂

[@ddddsd20]

Great video, that was a close call, (very close) I’m glad you didn’t have an engine to replace.

[@chadriddle3517]

Absolutely love the e46 content! This is my dream car I would love to drive a e46 m3 never drove one ! I have 325i e46 I can only imagine how awesome m3 is ! Good for you man you deserve it !

[@sapphir8]

I am always amazed when people can do this kind of work. I would never be able to do this. Sure I can do easy things I can see, like brakes, spark plugs, alternator, but that’s the extent of my ability. Big fan of your channel.

[@abr5819]

I can’t even do them and i got one of these parked in the garden , got some saving up to do lol

[@benupde1979]

Love that color. You got stupid lucky with those bolts! Maybe you should buy a lottery ticket!!

[@hdnightster9236]

I know very little about cars, but for some reason really enjoy watching your videos.

[@josenrsevilla9318]

Love the attention to detail on your work!!!

[@williamdawson3353]

Happy for you that you caught the bolts.

[@localroger]

This was fun. On your teardown vids we don't see you reassembling things with the torque wrenches to get them together right. The company I work for actually calibrates torque wrenches. They're important in a lot of industries.

[@gregoryjohnson9733]

These and the E49 M5 are my favorite BMW's

[@islandaerial3414]

Reminds me of back in the day changing out the wet sleeves and the bottom end in a Renault R10, in our driveway Had to use a cigarette package for gasket material... Oh and, we didn't have a hoist 😉

[@jasonheisler6381]

I remember this car from the STL Euro car show! I just got a 05 M3 and damn, they are great cars!

[@brucechapman1946]

Thanks Eric, Yep seconds from disaster, another reason to never ignore unusual noises in the engine compartment.

[@Beyond-Repair]

You talked about the chassis reinforcement at the beginning of the video and I suspect we're thinking about the rear subframe stresses that are common on E46s. My wife has a 2003 325i E46 sedan. It's pretty vanilla with an M54 and a 5L40E automatic transmission, but it does have sport suspension. I've done a lot to it over the years, but I'd love to tackle all of those "Big 3" projects in the near future. Thanx for the update on your gem.

[@Petesv321]

You sir are a fantastic wrench.

[@alexlopez5800]

Car is so clean. Love the Laguna seca blue

[@calyodelphi124]

As much as I love engine core teardowns, I also love watching maintenance and repair videos, because I can learn a thing or two from them. :) I can also learn how much more money than sense I will need to ever consider BMW ownership, but that's not my problem! LMFAO

[@johnpratt9429]

That was a great video😊. Always good to switch it up

[@NoName-qs6ei]

Vanos and his infinity bolts could not destroy the mighty Teardownman.

[@mikebriscoe380]

Your attention to detail saved the day!

[@JiKimbo]

Great update, and man to you were lucky with them bolts holding on!

[@johnmoore8599]

Your Dad taught you to be thorough and cautious. You knew at some level something wasn't right. Good thing you checked or you would have been one unhappy camper due to five small bolts failing. I don't know how much they cost, but there needs to be better ones that don't back out or break in half. That seems like a design flaw.

[@raydar2630]

Threadlocker? Maybe? I know nothing about BMWs, so that's my "shot in the dark".

[@Morjit2803]

Eric, more more more. This content is amazing, I have notifications on and I watch your videos so quickly after uploading, sometimes KZbin won't even let me have 1080p as it hasn't rendered yet haha. Loving the updates, I was wondering what had happened to the M3! Great to see it still running, albeit after such a close brush with motor death.

[@andycanfixit]

I feel so lucky when I had to drop the oil pan on my 2.5T XC90 when I serviced the PCV system, other than a single engine mount bolt in the way that I had to remove there was nothing in the way to drop the pan. The drain back from the PCV was completely filled with carbon with the consistency of a charcoal briquet from the previous owner probably using cheap oil and never changing it. Only fun part was the anaerobic sealant Volvo uses instead of a normal pan gasket. Saved a bundle though changing it myself and other than some bruises on my forearms from the stupid banjo bolt up top that is a royal pain to get started it was an easy job just took a few hours to clean everything before it went back together. I keep a bronze wire wheel on my bench grinder to clean up all the bolts before I reassemble too, nice to see others clean them too. I see a lot of Volvo's with 2.5T's with blown head gaskets on facebook market place, that would be one that would be nice to see a tear down of.

[@edwinthomas618]

I love these types of videos when you work on your own cars.

[@dougowens2686]

Thank you we all know what not to buy You should have purchased a lottery ticket

[@HiyoruMikiyazoya]

100% this dude is a budget adam sandler in the best way

[@4wdiesels]

Wow talk about hanging on by a thread! That's why these cars are only for true enthusiasts! I can only imagine what that maintenance bill would look like if you had to take it to BMW or even an independent mechanic. I'm impressed with your mechanical knowledge and work ethic.

[@franktippin9150]

I like the picture of the Metropolitan, my first car.

[@andyg5050]

This is like my dream car.

[@stephenbonsib455]

Thank goodness you caught it in time! It would have been horrible if that engine ran out of time! (See what I did there?)

[@Malaveldt]

I'm glad that you disappointed us! Yours is a perfect example of 'luck' concealing other virtues.

[@seancallahan2414]

This was an awesome video !!! Love the content. I watch this stuff religiously.

[@jimsmith2k]

we need more E46 M3 videos

[@bobbyt3358]

I've read some of the comments on your videos and people say they wouldn't want you to work on their cars. I'd let you work on mine. Nice job and good find on the bolts being loose.

[@rustymotor]

Great save! You are so lucky to have discovered that problem before it turned into a disaster!

[@ivanszky]

glad you caught it!

[@bartdaw6681]

Nice home garage, I like that.

[@michaelblacktree]

I'm digging the E46 content. I also had to save an E46 from the brink of death, so maybe I'm biased. My car is a 330i, and the timing chain guides disintegrated.

[@mazzg1966]

Good catch and great video! thanks for the time you put into it for us!

[@jamesoverbey5507]

I enjoy all your videos, keep them coming!