E92 M3 Rod Bearing Replacement - What It Takes Start to Finish

[@TedwardDrives]

Thanks to Wile Motorsport for the incredible work. Find them on their website www.wilemotorsport.com/ or instagram @wilemotorsport to service your BMW, Porsche, and Mini

[@orestwolfgang556]

Can you please tell me the brand and weight oil you are using? Thank you

[@TedwardDrives]

@@orestwolfgang556 Up until this video I had been using BMW's 10w60. For the first time here I used liquimoly 10w60.

[@orestwolfgang556]

@@TedwardDrives Thanks for the reply, like you I like solid information. I have an an E92 m3 with 50K and was wondering if you heard anything about running thinner oil? I've heard alot about this but its a friend of a friend type of deal. I appreciate and look forward to you response. Thanks

[@redchem2832]

Respect

[@TedwardDrives]

@@orestwolfgang556 I would recommend against running anything but 10w60. There's more than just bearings relying on the viscosity of the oil. The pumps, Vanos, channels etc are all designed to work with 10w60. When you make a fundamental change, you can upset the entire system. If you're concerned about cold starts, get a block warmer for the winter.

[@TheTopher]

It’s amazing how efficient professional mechanics are, the first two minutes of the video would’ve taken me two days.

[@TedwardDrives]

I would have called you crying at least 4 times

[@oof578]

Having the proper tools and environment does wonders.

[@RegionalRadioShackManager]

Tools also make a huge difference

[@michaelric3540]

Flat rate. It’s how we multiply our hourly rate.

[@Kagemusha320]

Its not the mechanic, but their shop setup that makes them this efficient.

[@PolishedMobileDetailing503]

Engine looks incredibly clean ! Can’t believe the bearings only last that long. What a “maintenance”

[@TedwardDrives]

I know it’s a sad truth. One reason I think it’s really important to show the reality of ownership before people get in over their heads. You can find these cars for under 20k but that cost of entry could really get some folks into trouble

[@pascutia]

I was eagerly awaiting this video. I always find it interesting to see rod bearings coming out of the S65 and S85! Fantastic work. Perfect length of video and the details of the job are awesome.

[@DeYanko]

Nothing like watching someone who knows what they're doing......

[@michaelric3540]

Lol he’s a scrub. Should release the caps more evenly.

[@michaelric3540]

Also he’s rubbing his fingers all over the crank, sheesh.

[@m3lowiesvlog715]

People on Craigslist selling their e46 e92 m3s be like: inspected the rod bearings no problem! 😂

[@TedwardDrives]

ded

[@GPerformance710]

😂😂

[@FishFind3000]

E46 wasn’t an issue only the 2000-01. And they took care of it. E92 is all of them

[@Peanutdenver]

If you buy a used E92 M3 you just have to plan to replace the rod bearings regardless of what the previous owner says. It a good investment and you won't be a nervous wreck every time you drive your rig. Actuators too is a must...then you're good to go! I think...

[@PatricioGarcia1973]

I would not buy any M car from Craigslist.

[@valvetronic]

Incredible video, bringing us inside the process in a video that isn’t 2 hours long. Another triumph from the Tedward🙏

[@TedwardDrives]

haha thanks man! My attention span is SHORT so taking an 8+ hour job and showing it in 10 minutes or less was the target. I'm glad I was able to get so close to the work and gain instructions from Evan.

[@johnaitken7430]

Nice job..low stress when the right guys do the job

[@TedwardDrives]

haha lower yes...but I still held my breath when we started it for the first time. I have too much anxiety for these types of jobs on my own car

[@johnaitken7430]

@@TedwardDrives I know the feeling, but with the right guys there is the knowledge they will make things right no matter

[@abovewongart]

Omg these guys are treating this like walk in the park and another day. Love it.

[@johnnyturbo8460]

Being a do it yourselfer, I have completely lost interest in buying one of these for a fun track toy.. I'm sure the recommendation for bearings under track use are probably almost seasonal or at least every other season. NOT something I want to worry about each track day. The job looks straightforward, but a hassle . Great video, saved me from making what I call for myself, a mistake. 😁👍

[@MrBigjahn]

Goes to show one of the many reasons why changing and mainting your oil is so important. I have a 1999 Corolla with 105k miles. Runs like a champ, just started putting synthetic in it again.

[@Assimilator1]

The most balanced commentary about the bearing issue I've heard yet! :) Also a good video.

[@TedwardDrives]

Thanks 🙏

[@luiseduardomendoza2280]

Thinking on getting an E92 M3 and now I have a TO DO list: rod bearings, engine mounts, throttle actuators... anything else I should add to the list? Great video! Very clear explanation.

[@PauIyM]

fuel breather valve

[@Faz-86]

Just had mine replaced at 85k and nearly all of them were showing huge amounts of copper. Drives beautifully with new engine mounts too

[@micraw714]

Which bearings did you end up going with? I'm thinking either the coated acl from lang motorsports or the classic BE's although they're considerably more expensive.

[@Faz-86]

Mic Raw I went for ACL bearings with ARP bolts, bidden motor sport in the uk did it. It’s a relief knowing they’re done, plus the engine mount replacements are a must in my opinion. Feels so much smoother. I’m sure what ever you go for you’ll be fine as long as you let it warm up properly from now on

[@micraw714]

@@Faz-86 that's awesome thanks for the reply brother. I'm excited to get it done! 😁

[@hungryhungryhummer]

Can we talk about how clean this man's oil is. You could probably drink it.

[@TedwardDrives]

Not sure I’ve ever received a higher compliment. Thanks 🙏

[@bdh821]

I used to race with Jake! Top notch guy!!! I remember when he started his company...

[@TedwardDrives]

Thats great! I remember he replaced the clutch on my M5 about 7 years ago in the garage of that house he was renting haha

[@BillyDhaK1d]

Awesome vid, had them done on my previous E39 M5. Currently have BE Bearings and BE ARP Bolts ready to put on for my E92 M3 soon

[@jackmehoff1840]

total cost?, and its very encouraging to see a professional, knowledgeable mechanic in action

[@vicf8919]

So once you replace the bearings does that solve the issue or do you need to keep replacing them?

[@edTV2024]

The Ultimate Driving (Me Crazy) Machine!!!

[@sameuljones5496]

My Skyline RB20DET has done 450,000kms on stock internals, I am running 24 psi boost pushing 350kw for the last 350,000km at the wheels never had the head or sump off just change the oil once a year

[@exiges]

Cheers, thanks for the video! I was eagerly waiting this one after watching a bit of the live stream. Fantastic to have someone as calm and experienced as Evan and Wile to do this work. As I said during the stream, I had the much more rare main bearing failure on my car a couple of months ago. Completely stock and only 56k miles. These cars are magical, but having been through the experience now, I'm very lucky that it's not my only car, and that I can afford to fix it. Advice to other owners, if the engine seizes, *do not* try to get it running again. Mine unseized, but it just began to tear itself apart. If you disassemble it after it seizes, the crank and block might be saved. If you get it running again, the bearing will spin and it'll start to grind itself down.

[@Patrick94GSR]

What many people don’t understand is “warming up properly” means starting the engine and driving easily until it warms up. NOT letting it sit there and idle for 10-15 minutes.

[@TedwardDrives]

Yup! Get in. Start. Drive with minimal load and revs for a bit. I’m probably going to slap a heating pad on the oil pan for winter this year for those 0 degree F morning starts

[@deandalapanda]

Lol are you saying letting a car idle is bad for the car? 😂

[@Patrick94GSR]

Deandalapanda exactly. Cold oil is the worst thing for the car. Idling for 10-15 minutes means the oil takes much longer to warm up. Driving the car gently by keeping it under ~3,000 rpm gets the oil up to temperature much quicker, which means less wear on engine internals. The majority of engine wear occurs during cold startup so the sooner you can get the oil up to temperature, the less overall wear in the long run on the engine.

[@Patrick94GSR]

And remember that oil takes much longer to warm up than coolant. By driving the car you might get the oil up to temp in 10-15 minutes. Idling could take 30+ minutes to get the oil up to full operating temp. So you really are better off just driving the car after about 30-45 seconds of starting it.

[@machtschnell7452]

WRONG! With these tight bearing specifications, do not drive until engine is at full operating temperature, then only gently until other fluids come to correct operating temperatures.

[@techstuff786]

hello instead of removing all the suspension components would it not be better to just remove the 3 bolts from the top strut and drop the full leg complete with the subframe? Thanks.

[@kakimotoK20]

Great video man. Any issues with the car since this? Also can you ballpark how much this cost for labor and parts (mounts and bearing replacement)? Looking at getting one of these with low miles and searching for known issues.

[@burrell2k711203]

thats the most important thing they make it look easy tho

[@craigjones9244]

That mechanic is a legend 👍🏻

[@GoldenAura32]

Nice to see the process in a shop close to home, may have to call em up for some maintenance myself.

[@6ix13ree]

I'm in Canada and willing to take a drive to that shop to get the work done, what's the rough estimate for the job?

[@AnalogDave]

My S65 made it to 105k miles and my bearings looked about the same as yours. Engine mounts were trashed too. Should be good for another 100k.

[@sovan781]

woooh glad to see a shop in mass posting up vids

[@t.s.racing]

For my RACE SHOP, I still use my 1996 Jeep Cherokee for picking up bikes. It has 600,000 miles and the oil pan has NEVER BEEN OFF. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@sameuljones5496]

Good on you

[@alilazmo]

Were the rod bearings replaced before or this is the first time? At what mileage? Thanks for the video.

[@TedwardDrives]

First time

[@1234asize]

How long did they take, and how much did it cost?

[@regisrumpf6658]

Excellent video. What if the bearings are already causing rod knock? Is it too late to just replace them? Does that mean other engine components are already damaged?

[@TedwardDrives]

There could be damage to the journal but if the bearing hasn’t spun there probably still a good chance of saving it. But inspect the crank thoroughly

[@aguilarantonio512]

Wow! Really enjoyed the video! Fun to watch and so entertaining.

[@TedwardDrives]

Thank you!

[@sadie63]

Great video, so how many hours did take. I"ve heard of dealships saying it take close to 40 hrs.

[@TedwardDrives]

I think it’s booked as about 10

[@SpencerBerke]

Nice video! Just did the same thing to my E92 abs filmed it.

[@dantton1987]

Just out of curiosity, how much does a service like that cost, on average? Amazing vid, as always.

[@TedwardDrives]

Best to budget around 2500

[@dine6941]

How much did it cost? I’m a new e93 owner and I live in Mass. I’d love to go here if it’s reasonable!

[@anthonyk]

How much did it cost

[@seffdog1177]

anthonyk $3300 in Australia with new mounts

[@masakasa1539]

1200euros in finland.. Without motor mounts

[@TheRealDr.Mabuse]

@@masakasa1539 2200€ icl. vat in Sweden and with engine mounts. Labour 595€, ARP bolts 253€, ACL bearings 65€. Bearing never replaced so they had some wear (more than in this video) so it felt good replacing them after ~12.000km (75.000 miles). Prices approximately estimate of SEK.

[@ryan02s2k]

I was quoted $2600 from German Motorworks in Nashville, TN. That was with everything in the video, motor mounts included.

[@muffinlion6299]

26 is a nice chunk. But I'll pay 26 all day compared to 15k

[@vw3576]

Same as N54. Did mine in my garage. Heard knock as #4 was only worn one. I got lucky as hell. Rod knock as not resurfaced and no more shaving in the filter.

[@rskrks]

Good job getting it done sooner then later and not bitching about it. How much was it if you dont mind me asking?

[@Jasongy827]

Dude awesome mechanics! Plain and simple it’s a rough business especially for them, with customer not understanding maintenance cost. They think it’s a simple pull and unloosen bolts. It’s so much more.

[@TedwardDrives]

Thanks! They are great. And I was hoping this video would help to explain to owners why its a ~2500 dollar job. I would never have the courage to do this myself haha

[@gicugigel3790]

@@TedwardDrives 2500$ to undo some bolts and stick in standard sized bearings?

[@burrell2k711203]

@@TedwardDrives thats not bad

[@burrell2k711203]

@@gicugigel3790 some other place would have charged way more

[@gicugigel3790]

@@burrell2k711203 thats a 500$ job

[@abovewongart]

I laughed so hard at the dental plan joke

[@future62]

How did he replace the top half of the bearing? Thanks for the video

[@TedwardDrives]

I believe You push the rod up, dislodge the upper bearing, push it around to drop out the bottom.

[@boulderghost4457]

Was that a Technoviolet E46 M3 in the background? Lots of collectable rides in that garage!

[@Bfg-yi2id]

Tory Taglio looks like it! Favorite e46 of all time!

[@jimstathis7585]

Amazing work boys!! Still one of the most beatiful BMWs out there. I gotta ask though... What kind of grease is this? Is it specific for rod bearings?

[@youtub203]

its assembly lube. Used for cam and crank installs.

[@osanshouo1684]

Did they follow the rod bearing color codes or just bought standard bearings? and how is it running?

[@TedwardDrives]

Standard bearings typically used in these engines. Been running great for almost 20,000 miles since the job and a couple track days

[@lepepe1602]

This is the first time I’ve ever heard of them being fractured rather than machine to fit. Very cool.

[@johndc2998]

Same with the B58

[@DoubbleAgent]

Best technique I"ve seen so far ! 👌👌👌

[@pepecz]

this is the first video where it's mentioned that connecting rods were made in one piece and bottom part cracked. It's a vital info, very interesting

[@machtschnell7452]

Rather common knowledge.

[@criley2723]

Yep. Even PT Cruisers have fracture split conrods

[@nighttrain1565]

1. What was the pink putty you used? and 2. do you wipe clean the backing of the bearings prior to dropping them in the rod? I always have to prevent the rod bearing from spinning. is it ok to allow some lub between the bearing and rod or was there a blast of carb cleaner that got edited out? lol Thanks!

[@javieroargubi]

thats a very clean engine

[@millenniumzeek]

Truly great production, content, and narration

[@TedwardDrives]

Thanks. Going to be creating a similar video for e46 rear subframe reinforcement

[@isobar5857]

Is it possible to change 'the mains' in this type of engine 'in situ' without taking the engine out? Great video, just subscribed.

[@ChewbaccaFetus]

It is so important with these ///M engines to run good quality 5w-50 oil, tungsten disulfide and allow them to fully warm up before revving them out. Oil viscosity and temperature is of utmost importance for the rod bearing clearance issue.

[@Andrew4181975]

I thought the Liqi Moly 10W60 was the best you could get so that is what I use. Why use 5w50 ?

[@ChewbaccaFetus]

@@Andrew4181975 redline 5w-50 has proven to be best with these engines. It’s a much better cold start viscosity than 10W. Cold 10W oil is too viscous.

[@shabazzhead5608]

What did this cost. Parts and labor. Looking to buy one and this will be the first thing I do

[@TedwardDrives]

Budget 2500 dollars

[@shabazzhead5608]

@@TedwardDrives thank you

[@cbs20V]

Nice! Video, Simplicity is important , that Mechie made it look easy lol , preventative maintenance is important 💯

[@sylors6762]

Do you not need to check the clearance of the rod bearings to the crankshaft

[@2smart3guys]

so how many hours is the job and are there multiple kits to buy between or only 1 ?

[@TheKeenMechanic]

Nice job lads. Great garage and full of stunning BMWs. 😉

[@Bfg-yi2id]

That techno violet E46 in the background!!! 😍😍😍

[@ALLOSAMUEL]

No need for setting the clearance?

[@Manhotocu]

Very detailed video tutorial for installation instructions

[@tonychavez2083]

That kind of bearing wear is unacceptable on 80K mile motor. Good preventative maintenance!

[@DStabs720]

Preventative maintenance is fluid changes lol. Rod bearings are a damn rebuilt haha.

[@blackmesa27]

throwing in new rod bearings in a normal engine with 80k on it is unacceptable, but 80k of abuse on a high input v8 is pretty ok to me, high reving high input athmospheric engines are prone to rod bearing failure

[@tonychavez2083]

Max Hartmann sorry, we don’t find that kind of rod or main bearing wear on Mercedes V8’s with north of 200K miles. Even the high performance E55 and E63’s , cam lobe wear is more probable.

[@blackmesa27]

@@tonychavez2083 i highly doubt that the mercedes engines rev all the way up to 8500 RPM

[@marcelk3847]

Tony Chavez but its very expensive

[@machtschnell7452]

Well documented. Did they use looser specifications than factory? Most techs say the S65 and S85 rod to crankshaft throw bearings impossibly tight for proper lubrication on start-up or even before the engine attains full operating temperature.

[@lf3566]

Talked to the bmw dealer here in ft wayne indiana and he said hes never encountered rod bearing issues in any of the M3's in his 9yrs of being master tech at that particular dealership. He said they service a lot of M3's and while they've done several throttle actuators they've never had to do bearings. He said if one car out of a thousand has bearing issues the whole world will find out about it. I own a 2010 e93 and was wanting to get bearings replaced even though it passed an oil analysis test just to be safe and he told me he would do the work if I really wanted it done but he said I would be throwing money away. I found this rather interesting.

[@walkerforsyth6221]

he's lying to you. more like maybe 1 in a 1000 wont do it. It's literally a pendemic with them.

[@lf3566]

@@walkerforsyth6221 theres 3 m3's (two 2008's and one 2010) in my local area that I run into a lot at the local car shows and they never had their bearings replaced and one has 80,000 plus miles and one just hit over 100,000 and the other which is a 2010, same year as mine has over 150,000. However they all have had throttle actuators replaced. My 2010 had 67,000 miles and hasnt had bearings nor throttle actuators replaced. We all get oil analysis done every oil change and they always come back with good results. Not sure if I wanna change them or wait? Leaning towards changing them to be safe but not sure yet.

[@manvsmachine1]

Master mechanic in my area told me the same thing. He was at his dealership for 15+ years until recently.

[@bmw9129]

Hi there. Very good video. I have a question. What is the torque to be given to the ARP bolts? can you instruct me? Thank you so much

[@Saywhatohno]

I think I am hearing the knocking rod sound from my engine. I have bmw323i 2010. Does that mean the engine is gone or can I replace it and it will be fine.

[@rusticagenerica]

Damnit ! These guys know their damn job !

[@Oceanbreeze16]

This shop is amazing!

[@bmw9129]

Hello, very good friend, the video. I want to ask you a technical question. a month ago I bought a M3 E92 manual transmission year 2009 it has a slight vibration when I accelerate it stopped in neutral between 1200 and 1500 RPM. It feels like the engine is out of balance, is that normal? do you know what the problem would be?

[@TedwardDrives]

Check the CSB (Center Support Bearing) in the drive shaft as well as the Guibo

[@HeidiandFranny]

That was fun to watch :) Enjoyed the live stream too :)

[@sameuljones5496]

What about the main bearings? They'd be in the same state

[@SkaterOrnez]

How much did it all cost ???

[@sydneyNemesis101]

How many kms with the new rod bearings can you expect?

[@TedwardDrives]

I would hope to get at least 80k miles out of the new bearings. Not sure I'll still have the car by then.

[@traviswatson4986]

What did they charge you for this? Awesome shop near me i didnt know about , i will certainly try them out

[@TedwardDrives]

I believe it’s about 2500

[@traviswatson4986]

@@TedwardDrives cant believe this place is near me.appreciate the post

[@adansegura8909]

How come the torque spec some people are being told should be 50ftlbs and not the recommended 45 from arp? Just noticed your shop used 45. Really curious.

[@TedwardDrives]

The m3 community will seemingly find “better” ways to do everything but never back it up with data or proof. Not sure if this is the case here but i just stopped listening to it all. They’ll tell you the recommended oil will ruin your car 😆. It’s just silly after a while and it only gains traction because hundreds of randoms agree for no reason but that it feels good

[@alejandrooviedo1981]

What is the Price for Both???

[@cebusam7545]

What about Thrust Washers?

[@markmancino9525]

Thanks for the video and great job guys I just did my rod bearings And engine mounts just for the peace of mind

[@GAHLAN]

How much did they charge you

[@mclovin-wd8hl]

Why don’t you use 0w40 instead of 10w60? So that little thinner oil can go to the bearing’s

[@isrealperez9069]

How did you determine what bearing size do that you needed do you have standard my E46 it's about reaching to 200,000 miles I'm planning on doing this next year spring between spring and summer you guys did a great video on that

[@FishFind3000]

Isreal Perez is it an m3? I have a 323i and I’m at 252k miles and no issues

[@isrealperez9069]

@@FishFind3000 that's great I have 04 325xi with 199375 I wold like to do it with this car

[@dennisdatu6464]

I dont think you should grease the bearings. instead only apply oil. Also how did you determine if you are within the specified gaps when you replaced the bearings?

[@gicugigel3790]

They just used standard sized bearings

[@driver46]

Great video 👌 I had to do that on mine and good thing I did since she lives hard track life .

[@BHSAHFAD]

The problem isn't the rod bearings, the problem is the main bearings closest to the chain. The chain puts too much tension on the crankshaft making the main bearings closest to the chain work way harder. If you are thinking all you need to do is replace rod bearings to extend the life of your S65/S85 THINK AGAIN. You know how all these shops pull out the rod bearings and look at them on a piece of paper and say "oh yea its great we caught this in time" it's a bunch of bull. Have them take apart the engine completely down to the crankshaft and have them look at the main bearings closest to the chain, THAT'S YOUR PROBLEM! If you actually want your engine to last have them replace both your rod bearings AND your main bearings. Unfortunately you can't just drop the oil pan to replace your main bearings, you need the entire engine taken out and disassembled. BMW Quality!

[@brapinator8500]

proof?

[@BHSAHFAD]

@@brapinator8500 look up m539 restoration's vids on project frankfurt

[@BHSAHFAD]

@@brapinator8500 look up M539 restoration's video "103k-Mile BMW M3 S65 V8 Engine Teardown - E92 M3 - Project Frankfurt: P4" and go 40minutes in

[@victorchavez1240]

How do you know it’s time to change them?

[@matisko97]

I was wondering how do they do it.. I thought they have to pull up whole engine out of engine bay and take apart to a single bolt.. Smart solution. But can I have question ? You said that ARP bolts has slightly different torque specification so they have to be tighter right? So if they are tighter the gap between rod bearings and rod bearing journals will be e.g. ten thousandths of a millimeter smaller so is that mean the friction will be higher ? What is benefit to have ARP bolts rather than new OEM ones. Thank you for interesting video Ted, I really love this car. Greeting from Slovakia 🇸🇰

[@TedwardDrives]

ARP bolts are not stretch bolts like the OE bolts...Just important to know to use the specifications assigned by the hardware and not to make any assumptions =)

[@96maxse]

The bearing change really isn't that difficult. There is a great DIY on m3post. I used BE ARP bolts when doing my swap. I previously did this on an e46 M3 using OEM bolts. The ARP bolts make the installation significantly easier due to the less complicated installation process. Using an angle gauge is a real pain when working in a tight space.

[@TedwardDrives]

@@96maxse ^ This =)

[@96maxse]

@@TedwardDrives love the track videos. 0 experience there yet.

[@Dimson525]

The problem is solved by using less thick oil. 10w60 is relevant only when using the car on the track, where 90% of the time the car is in full throttle mode. For urban conditions, 0w40 oil is suitable, the viscosity of which allows you to lubricate the liners and prevent their failure. Conclusion: if you drive on the track - 10W60, use the car in urban conditions - do not pour such thick oil, 0w40 or 5w40 will do and the connecting rod bearings will live. 😊

[@questfor10s]

What’s the story with the VAC bearings and adding a coating to them?

[@lee1778730]

how much did it cost?

[@Troymatti]

Wait ! did You change the upper bearings?

[@TedwardDrives]

Yes it’s shown in the video

[@SteveInterdonato]

Why would you remove the engine when this can simpy be done from under the car on jack stands or a lift?

[@TedwardDrives]

the engine was not removed.

[@artmchugh5644]

Got coated bearings for my Porsche 944 turbo and the clearance was TIGHT !!! Did your guy plastigauge those bearings ?

[@machtschnell7452]

Plastigauge not that accurate on such tight bearing specifications.

[@incognito96]

Don't miss my e92 anytime soon.

[@mbusonkabinde3330]

I enjoyed the video, thanks so much.

[@TheFrenchPug]

Some scary stuff right there! Awesome job.

[@john_dee1431]

Great footage. Learned a lot.

[@buntuboy]

Can you please put the links up for all the parts you used please and thank you