BMW S54 Rod Bearing Replacement DIY (2001-2006 BMW E46 M3)

[@S54VR6]

Did my s54 bearings at a time when the internet didn't have all this great information. Back in those days, shitting your pants while doing s54 bearings for the first time was part of the DIY process.

[@MrTeamriab]

I just did the bearings on my Z4 M coupe and this video was very helpful. One thing it skips is the removal of the oil pump to access cyl 1, but that is straightforward. I went with BE Bearings and ARP Bolts. I got most of the parts from FCP, the bearings from ECS, as well as the ARP stretch gauge tool. Overall I estimate the parts cost to be around $900, and I hope to recoup the cost of the ARP stretch gauge and Harbor Freight engine lift, so maybe $700-750 all said and done. Labor around me is very expensive, so I saved well over a few Gs doing it myself. It took me about 3 days (~3-4hrs/day) as I really took my time. Day 1: Disassemble, Day 2: Remove pan and do the bearings, Day 3: Reassemble. This video helped me a lot. With the Z4 M, there's no need to remove the fan assembly, etc. There is plenty of room to crank the engine from underneath the car. I just used the 32mm socket on the shaft and it cranked without any issues. I did remove the spark plugs to facilitate movement, but didn't actually try it with them installed so I don't know how hard it would be to crank otherwise. Some tips: When reinstalling the pan, make sure the dipstick tube gets inserted as the pan is being installed. Mine didn't, and it was pretty time consuming to remove the tube from the top side and detach it from its anchors and get it threaded in from above. And as others have said, remove the aerator and install it AFTER the pan is reinstalled as it is much easier to guide the oil tube into the cone aerator once the pan is back in place. 2) As you remove bolts, put them onto some paper or bags and mark them with the part they came from and the size as well as the torque spec. So when you are reattaching everything, you can just look at that and grab the correct socket size and know the torque spec right away. Big time saver. 3) Use a thicker assembly paste and NOT the Permatex. The Permatex is not thick enough and it's very difficult to apply to the upper rod without dripping everywhere. A thicker paste would stay in place much better. Also, generously lube up one of the old bearings and place it onto the bearing shaft and spin it around to fully coat the shaft; this worked well for me to apply lube without dripping everywhere. 4) Lastly, getting the control arms back on was maybe the most difficult part of the process for me. It's VERY easy to cross thread the bolts here, so make sure you get the alignment dowels seated and bolts hand started before cranking them down. I crossed one of my bolts and was the only issue I had in an otherwise problem-free job. Luckily I was able to retap it and get the bolt to torque spec.

[@chrisbradley3224]

Thanks for this, may be attempting this job soon on a Z4M but might use King coated bearings or wait for Mahle Motorsport. Did the prospect of the ARP bolts distorting the bore give you any pause, or did you feel stretch gauge usability outweighed that risk? The OE torque sequence is rather annoying.

[@MrTeamriab]

@chrisbradley3224 I read about that issue but decided to just trust what my shop uses and went with the BE bearings and ARP bolts. The torque sequence is only when using the OEM bolts, so I was happy to go with the ARP bolts and use their gauge instead. You can also skip the gauge and go by the torque spec printed on the instructions (I think it was 50 ft lbs for our late model s54), but I had seen a couple videos that said 50 wasn't enough when compared to the gauge so I decided to just buy the tool.

[@andrewh2593]

Maybe it's just me, but one of the most difficult parts of this job was getting the oil pan back on. Doing it like he does in this video makes it waaaay harder as you have to slide the pickup tube through the small opening at the top of the cone shaped oil aeration filter installed on the oil pan. Take that filter OFF before installing the oil pan and you no longer have to thread the needle. This makes the install MUCH easier. Also, for those having trouble finding the oil pickup tube o ring, harbor freight sells a 180 pc viton o ring set with an A116 18.72 x 2.62 viton o ring that does the job.

[@johnbyrne1022]

Yeah I just found this out too. It's far from the only thing wrong with this video. They don't explain how they got to the #1 bearing with the oil pump in place. Also his claim that you need special tools to remove the fan and to bar the engine over are not true. You can absolutely bar the engine over with the hex cover, that's what it's for. If it's hard to turn, remove the spark plugs. And you can easily counter hold the waterpump pulley with a pry bar to remove the fan.

[@andrewh2593]

Yeah, I took one look at the bearing under the pump and decided the pump was coming off. And ditto on the workaround for the special tools. Large screwdriver plus 32mm wrench for the water pump and a 36mm 12+ point socket for the crank pulley. I will say that the zip tie on the new gasket was a very nice trick that helped a lot.

[@Mcgeesl2003]

One tip from my recent experience - hold off on installing the oil sump screen until the pan is in place. It was binding on the pickup tube when I went to reinstall the oil pan.

[@omerduzyol8741]

Gareth, all of your videos are very informative, and now you look even healtier, that's a big plus! Keep it up!

[@fcpeuro]

Win win situation Omer!

[@ducks4039]

Love this guy. Doing an S54 swap on my e46, about to drop a huge amount of cash to make sure the motor is more or less bullet proof. This guy is fantastic. Taught me how to swap my clutch a few years ago. Thanks bro. You’re awesome. (Same with you FCP, you’ll always have my business)

[@ashs8606]

Gareth, you been hitting the gym! Looking nice, happy for your success! Love your videos you saved me like million dollars worth of aggravation.

[@GarethFoley]

Glad to hear the videos have been helpful and thank you for the kind words. It's been a lot of hard work and focus but more than worth the effort.

[@mayankvora1366]

Man I LOVE these e46 m3 videos!!

[@fcpeuro]

We keep adding more and more to the playlist Mayank!

[@michaelmm94]

Damn my guy lost a lot of weight, good job man!

[@GarethFoley]

Thank you.

[@fcpeuro]

We love to see it ourselves Michael M, G's been killing it!

[@galognu]

Have not finished the video but I will as I'm likely to do this now. Your videos are great. Additionally...your weight loss is noticeable and I congratulate you. You must feel ad be much healthier. Thanks for supporting the M3 platform.

[@GarethFoley]

Thank you for the words, feeling great. Glad to hear you enjoy the videos as well.

[@Alias1107]

"Very important to replace the o-ring in the pickup tube" FCP Euro's kit: 🤭🤭

[@HiFiGuy1]

Damn inspiring fitness improvement, Gareth!

[@GarethFoley]

Thank you. It's been a lot of hard work, frustrating at times, but absolutely worth it.

[@prettyridesmedia]

Ive been waiting for this video for my z4m

[@fcpeuro]

And here it is Pretty Rides Media!

[@Khan_Art_]

Love the more advanced S54/E46 M3 videos! Subframe reinforcement next??

[@fcpeuro]

We have that one khanart! kzbin.info/www/bejne/o3yxgXxrgLmIgZo

[@SavageBunny1]

3 things I would recommend specially if you're doing it on Jack stands. 1)Remove the steering rack, atleast from one side, move it out the way, good time to do a power steering flush(make sure you bleed the system with the front tires OFF the ground). 2)Remove the subframe, can be done together with the rack and pinion, one side is enough, just move it to the side, have a clean space where the engine is completely exposed. 3) Use a feeler gauge between the rod and the crank when torqueing down the rod bolts, the bearings are soft,specially the OEM ones have like a lead coating that you can literally scratch off with your nail 💅 They can get a little crushed, specially if you accidentally over torque them.

[@fcpeuro]

Great tips for anyone laying on their back in the garage Savage Bunny, thanks for sharing!

[@eXoguti094]

I've been holding this off for a while now. This is perfect, it's time!!

[@fcpeuro]

You know we've got you covered when the time comes eXoguti097 !

[@MrAlwaysKarmaYT]

Gareth you're looking great my guy, keep it up!

[@GarethFoley]

Thank you. Been a lot of hard work and dedication but it's been worth it. Keeping it up for sure.

[@apertureautohaus1689]

Approx how long should we expect this job to take with all the correct tools and access to a lift ?

[@jdamore44]

Thank you so much for providing this!

[@edc8926]

What would you have done had the it not been between the plastigage tolerances?

[@bimmerhause7798]

It wasn't the different shirt that amazed me 👍

[@garyvanremortel5218]

Love the NACA vent in the reinforcement plate.

[@GarethFoley]

There's a lot of cool little details on the E46 M3 over a traditional E46. One of my favorite things is the dual shear configuration for the inner ball joint and control arm bushing bracket utilizing the reinforcement plate. Much safer design but also reduces any deflection at those points.

[@churindmanisanker7824]

Great content! I was under the impression that bearings wouldn't require any break-in?

[@onesikm3]

Wow brotha! Don’t take this personally but you shrunk in half 😃💪🏼💪🏼 lookin great and informative as always!

[@slitherdurant]

I just want you guys to know I love you guys an everything about the company. Keep being amazing 💯💯💯

[@fcpeuro]

We love you!

[@ruirodrigues9122]

I have a Z4M Coupe with the S54 and I know it's common issue and I love DIY-ing what I can but this is definitely above my pay grade haha. Great video though.

[@fcpeuro]

Hey as long as we gave you the info you needed to make the right decision, that's all we ask Rui !

[@fz6ism]

Have you done it your own?

[@sholehan]

Seen a Z4M I'm fancying, no history of rod bolt change - happy to DIY - I assume that other than some differences in undertray, bodywork etc between the 3 series and Z4, its pretty much the same job? 2006 S54 engine.

[@fcpeuro]

Correct! Get to it!

[@brianmueller9277]

Great video and congrats on the weight lose!! You look fantastic, Gareth!!

[@EuphoriaMusic1]

Great DIY and great to see you looking even better 🦾. But can we suggest to please not add the annoying music in between the intro and outro? So much wealth of information and on point filming only to be ruined by the repetitive looping of that audio. Please we beg you 😅

[@MurphyAM]

Didn’t mind the music, and the video has been super helpful! Thanks FCP!

[@teamgomez]

@@MurphyAM you prob only watched it once...any more and it would be akin to a looping soundtrack (look up Rudyard Kipling's 'Boots') in a POW camp...

[@MurphyAM]

@@teamgomez I’ll watch it again in 100k miles when it’s time to do the rod bearings again 😂

[@andyslater3452]

Great video Gareth but would you not also check/replace the main bearings whilst having the bottom end all stripped down?

[@weedshoes5089]

No, that would involve dropping the crank, for which you'd want the head off and would be a much more involved job.

[@GarethFoley]

Main bearings are not a concern on the S54. They also serve a very different purpose compared to the connecting rod bearings. If you were to see main bearing wear on an S54, or any engine for that matter (outside of a massive oil starvation event) it's almost always the thrust bearing.

[@andyslater3452]

@@GarethFoley Thanks for the clarification. 👍 Experience really counts

[@rubberducky704]

The video and information is incredible, as always. Thanks!

[@fcpeuro]

Happy to share some knowledge rubberducky#52 !

[@aaaaachew]

This was excellent! Does FCP also offer this service at its shop or is this just for informational purposes?

[@jamespsmart1]

Great video, question. Do you need to plastigauge every cylinder or just one?

[@fcpeuro]

You can check every single journal if you want to. For this we spot checked 3/6 connecting rod journals. All were in spec comfortably.

[@dsmproject90]

Thank you for the great videos, its very helpful.

[@fcpeuro]

Thank you for watching!

[@NAXAutomotriz]

Gracias, saludos desde Lima Perú.

[@MrSoremuscles]

Can you guys do a s65 rod bearing video?

[@GarethFoley]

It will definitely happen in the future.

[@MTRAN526]

Can you guys also do an engine mount replacement video

[@weedshoes5089]

This video includes all the steps to do the motor mounts, along with many others. It should be enough.

[@uscp2]

Do you use assembly lube or oil between the bearing cap and the bearing? or do you install the bearing in a completely clean cap? I've seen people do both. What do you use to clean the caps and pistons before you assemble the bearings?

[@leoteruel2756]

does it really needs a break in period? thought that rod bearings didn't make any type of contact and once you torqued them, the bearing crush was already set in

[@tigranes.]

what was the difference between with the later production updated connecting rods compared to the earlier years?

[@gregwysocki8742]

Do you need to plastigauge every rod bearing or just cylinder #6?

[@floyddasilva2719]

Great video ☺️

[@DanDaigle]

Getting ready to do this job - wanted to know if an angle torque wrench with 99 Ft-Lbs capability is enough or if I need one with higher torque capability.

[@denisalvarez4257]

The center cover (oil strainer) gasket on the oil pan goes in which direction? Raised ridge towards the oil pan or towards the cover?

[@mikesworld6646]

Are these bearings similar to an n20’s. I believe my bearing went out because earlier my car wouldn’t start when I came to a stop. When I went to hand crank it, there were very tight spots when turning revolutions

[@tetttettamilli6761]

@FCP - Would a pressure transducer screwed into the oil-pressure sensor hole, attached to an oscilloscope give an even more in-depth analysis of bearing wear (along with sending the oil for analysis)?

[@pietroiulianello]

What brand would you guys suggest for connecting rod? I do have a 2005 E46 M3 in manual transmission and the only brand I can find seems to be Carrillo. Any good suggestions? Thanks

[@evertonseymour7050]

How much it cost to do the job like that.

[@nikolalajovich3793]

Wow. Where is the other half of the Gareth?

[@GarethFoley]

🔍

[@nikolalajovich3793]

Looking great! Awesome job.

[@teamgomez]

auto captions: "This will be our last twerking sequence" 😆🤣 Great job, guys. Thanks for the effort.

[@ZHPBrent]

32:20 great tip

[@fcpeuro]

Its the little things!

[@ZHPBrent]

@@fcpeuro is there anyway to get this kit but without the bolts? I already have arp and would you suggest these bearings for a supercharged application. Thanks

[@robertmontgomery7158]

How much weight have you lost?

[@GarethFoley]

No idea. I've been working on it for close to a year at this point. I never bothered to step on a scale at the beginning and haven't thought about it since. Not chasing a number on the scale so it wasn't important to use that as a benchmark. It's been a cool journey though.

[@robertmontgomery7158]

@@GarethFoley Good job!

[@reidlarson6325]

Good job

[@ahwee77329]

which engine is mandatory to do the oil priming--- n54 n63????

[@fcpeuro]

It's a wise idea to prime any engine that is freshly built. The one engine that has had some issues after major engine repairs (oil filter housing gaskets, oil pan reseal, etc) is the N55 engine.

[@lukevmh]

shw uus how to doo headers section 1 or section 2

[@craigbise5312]

Why not replace engine mounts while easily accessible?

[@fcpeuro]

That is advisable and something the can be done as a "while you're in there". The engine mounts on this car were replaced in 2020. We'll also be doing a video on engine mount replacement separately.

[@weedshoes5089]

Holy shit Gareth, You're looking like an e30 these days!

[@fcpeuro]

E30 M3*

[@TheBmarshall15]

It’s easy!!!

[@chrislittle7286]

It would take me 2 years to put 1k miles on my M3, I'd like more explanation on why that makes sense to "bed them in" for that long

[@MrTcheisejr]

Well I was hoping this video came out last year before I did mine, but I guess I can check my work against this!

[@fcpeuro]

Better late than never Terry! If it lasted a year, we have faith.

[@paulhutchins6019]

Great informative video, quality work, but please do something about that damn moaning, constant repeating soundtrack 🤯

[@teamgomez]

+1 on the soundtrack...hearing that in my sleep after watching this a couple times...

[@iannicholson9705]

Our 2011 BMW 328i 3 liter has 200,000 kms ( 120,000 miles ) Mechanic says there is Metal in the oil filter ( just changed with 300 kms since ) Advises to drop pan and check lower engine I'm assuming it's these rod bearings may be the culprit Any idea How much Labour is involved for BMW mechanic to complete job ?

[@GarethFoley]

How much metal are we talking about? A few specs here and there is not uncommon. If there is glitter in the oil + in the pleats of the filter that is probably more than just rod bearings.

[@angeldortiz2512]

Jumping off of jannicholson’s first question with similar issue. My 02 325i just had a rod bearing failure only causing a rod knock. Flakes and metal all in the filter. Dropped the pan and found #2 bearing was the issue. I will replace all of the rod bearings but should I replace the main bearings as well?

[@dog2bert]

S54 Engine mounts

[@r0498]

Rod bearings at 30,000 miles....dang

[@fcpeuro]

Part of BMW's recall under SIB 11 04 04. It affected S54 engines produced from 2/12/2001 up to 5/22/2003. M3 coupe's specifically has VIN's JR10051-JR23641 under this campaign. This specific E46 M3 just happened to be under that recall and had the paperwork from when it was completed.

[@ArnestoGTI]

Lovely video once again but I need to ask, has your wife stopped cooking to you? You’ve lost soo much weight buddy!! Jk jk Wow! Nice one lad

[@blackmancer]

thank you very much, great video all round