From A SPUN Main Bearing To Reliability… BMW N57- How I Did It

Bmw x3 n57 engine rebuid
• BMW F25 N57 Rod & Main...
• BMW X3 F25 Spun Main B...
• BMW X3 N57 Cranckshaft...

[@W15Garage]

This video is not sponsored by MOTUL oil. Liqui Molly, Shell, Castrol, or any other brand would work just as well, depending on anyone's preferences.

[@rebekak5555]

Congratulations! Great vid! 👏

[@W15Garage]

Thanks for recording it🙏😊

[@mini_special]

Great video, really impressed by this experiment, and looking forward to new videos!

[@W15Garage]

Thanks for watching!

[@mstar011]

Really great video. Learning a lot from you thank you ❤

[@W15Garage]

Appreciate it!

[@berniecoles2337]

I use Castrol Edge 5w/40 in my N57 engine F11. I don’t bother with long life oil as I change it every 6-8k miles along with a quality oil filter. Also I don’t rev it hard from cold and at 110k miles it runs very smooth and quieter than any other diesel judging by the racket I hear from other cars beside me at traffic lights that sound like rattling a bucket of bolts. Treat them well and they’ll treat you well. I do the same with my bikes too.

[@W15Garage]

100% correct. Treat them well the’ll run properly!

[@DoubleG79234]

Great videos 👍

[@W15Garage]

Appreciate your comment! Thanks for watching!

[@DoubleG79234]

@@W15Garage saved me big time with the n47 tensioner video 🙏

[@W15Garage]

@@DoubleG79234 I’m really glad to hear you’ve found it useful!

[@Mixy88]

A bmw Smooth Specialist!

[@W15Garage]

Thanks for watching!

[@AMG19698]

It depends from the manufacture,I always use 5w-30 its much better for my engines,works better with less fuels and better lubrication,for both my cars Mercedes and Bmw.Also i use liqui moly oils only!.Motul are also very good oils!.

[@W15Garage]

Thanks for watching! 5w30 is good oil for everyday use. But for higher performance engines I would prefer 5w40, viscosity remains better at higher temperatures, and results in better oil pressure as well at 100 degrees.

[@HCA777]

Great Video i want that oil!❤

[@W15Garage]

😄👍

[@realmusicreallife]

I have a x5 40d. N57 as you know. Anyway ive been using castrol edge m. 5w30. I change the oil along with filter 3 times a year. Been thinking in switching to 5w40 for a couple months.

[@W15Garage]

Thanks for watching! The 5W-40 oil handles heat better, and the 40d model has over 300hp along with a lot of torque. Just ensure you purchase 5W-40 oil suitable for a DPF

[@realmusicreallife]

​@@W15Garage thankyou very much for the reply. From what ive learnt its graded c3 the 5w30m oil i use. Basically higher ash content is better for engine internals but bad for dpf. A lower ash content oil is not as good for engine but better for dpf. Acea c3 is mid level...which is what i use

[@MrTurboDima]

problem is in bent crankshaft. frequent oil change wont help. cylinder block is not stiff enough for this power and torque and main bearings replacement is only temporarry solution. n57 50d doesnot have this issue because it has different main bearing cap bolts

[@W15Garage]

Thanks for watching! You're correct, there's a real issue with the N57 cranckshaft, which explains the heavy main bearing wear on the originals. The super tight clearances won't help either. My crankshaft was checked before reinstalling by Ivor Searle, and it checked out okay. Unfortunately, we can't do anything about the engineering error. I'll continue keeping an eye on the oil pressure, oil filter, and my right foot 😄, hopefully, it will last. All the best!

[@Driver2397]

Lots of M50d spin bearings too its too much torque.

[@W15Garage]

To be honest, I'll never fully trust this N57 engine. Since the rebuild, I'm prepared for the worst. I'm doing my best to keep it healthy, and I appreciate every additional 1000 miles achieved. It's a great, responsive engine, but it's also risky. Only time will tell its reliability.

[@Driver2397]

Could you put 50d crankshaft and bearings in 40d

[@Driver2397]

@@W15Garage if the rebuild is good then 50 to 60k ok. Then check bearings again. No high performance bmw engine is totally reliable.

[@exiteternium]

don't have N57, have N54, but i digress, the service interval listed back in 2008 was nutz at 10,000 miles low end, and 15,000 high end, that's just an interval designed to generate failure, cause that many miles that much carbon held in the oil by the detergents is going to make oil extremely abrasive. any manufacturer saying you can go over 5K don't listen to them, it's best to change it at 3K to 5K miles and put in fresh, this also keeps sludge from developing or depositing.

[@W15Garage]

Correct!

[@rambleon2838]

Regular oil analysis' should tell you something.

[@W15Garage]

Thanks for watching. Good idea. I’m working on a permanent oil pressure monitoring solution, that way I can keep on eye on the oil, n57 is known for the main bearings/caps/cranckshaft weakness, if something bad is going on around the caps, oil pressure will reflect this.

[@user-ef5ec7bb1l]

👍🏻 ÜGYES

[@W15Garage]

🙏

[@TheJuiced300]

Great video i am an apprentice mechanic I was wondering if you have any tips for particularly in diagnosis and learning to diagnose better.

[@W15Garage]

Thanks for watching. I myself am a self taught mechanic and still learning. Failures taught me valuable lessons. I think diagnosing comes with experience. Example: I have a decent general engine knowledge for all cars, but I personally got “stuck” with diesel bmw engines, mostly n47, n57 I feel more comfortable diagnosing problems, than on a Rover engine. So the more time you spend with something, the better understanding you’ll have, and this results in easier diagnosing. BUT there is always something new, every day is a new lesson😃 All the best!

[@TheJuiced300]

@@W15Garage thank you w15 I will continue my work and passion Especially in the field of the n57 n47 as I particularly enjoy working on them I would be very interested to see the result of the bearings in a years time and if all is good I may adapt these teachings to my own work thank you for responding forever a fan

[@W15Garage]

@@TheJuiced300 Thanks! Keep up the good work!

[@robertoduranos5196]

Great video, wondering what my n57 has planned for me.. 5000mls oil intervals from new so fingers crossed.

[@W15Garage]

Thanks for watching! I'm sure it's okay with those oil intervals; that's the recommended way to maintain it.

[@omyasmina]

From 6 to 8 k oil chance is oke the modern oil is different this days

[@psp0guy]

Just had the chain done on my n57 30d 150k miles. Chain was only slightly stretched tbf. Now I’m worrying about bottom end. The car has been at Nurburgring twice😅 and me and friends taking our cars again this year but really starting to think I shouldn’t be taking this car anywhere near the track

[@W15Garage]

N57 is a great engine, power/fuel economy spot on. Unfortunately bottom end is weak, needs extra attention. Nurburgring probably isn’t a good idea, because the wet oil sump system. Fast corners, high speed, high rev, G forces + the bottom end weakness , can cause problems . I would keep an eye on the oil filter if it has any metal particles, and measure the oil pressure when fully warm.

[@omyasmina]

Take it to the track if the motor is good lookt after ther is no problem why buy e car if you not can drive it like you whant I have e 535d stage 2 xhp egr delete dpf delete downpipe 745nm 406 hp 212k I used the car good nothing major broke down no crankshaft no timing chain no oil pump it still e hell off e car the n57 from 2013 is e robuust beast

[@mariusbagd]

I read and listened a lot about the matter. I believe the issue with the N57 engines lies in the weakness of the bottom part of the engine block. Under load, the bottom tends to move slightly (occasionally leaving visible marks of movement on the main connecting rod caps). Consequently, alignment and geometry are compromised, leading to worn-out bearings as a consequence. So changing the oil more often won't help.

[@W15Garage]

Thank you for watching! While there are opinions regarding crankshaft bending and weak main bearing caps, unfortunately, these are design faults beyond my control. However, regular oil changes every 5-6000 miles can't hurt, especially considering the issues mentioned above and the timing chain. I'm confident with the new Kolbenschmith bearings and careful throttle handling😃, so I plan to keep using this car for a long time. I'll report back in a few months after checking the condition of the main bearings. All the best.

[@vOzidloCZ]

Great video! I also have a BMW as a hobby :) But I bought f10 535i instead of N57. Because I am afraid of that engine 😁 I heard that the problem is with the entire block but not with the crankshaft. The whole block is weak and after a certain times of shrinking and taking the huge load it looses it's shape. So the crankshaft do now change it's geomerty but the block does. That's why bearings are destroyed after some period of time. I'm really wondering how did you increase the space between crankshaft and bearing?

[@W15Garage]

Hi, thank you for watching! The thickness of the bearings can either increase or decrease the clearance. For example, BMW has three different types of bearings color-coded (yellow, green, white). They would mix and match these colors to achieve a nice, tight clearance from the factory, based on the particular crankshaft. You can find the bearing types on the crankshaft engraved , with the upper ones on the block shown in numbers that you need to decode. However, I switched to Kolbenschmidt bearings, resulting in a slightly increased clearance. So far, I haven't regretted my decision. We'll see how it goes.

[@vOzidloCZ]

@@W15Garage Do you mean the first repair kit? Which is +0.025mm? We had an F15 40d after the standard bearings were installed instead of 1st rep.kit we had an oil preassure drop on the warm engine. So the check engine light appears when the oil is about 90-100C. And it says low oil preassure.

[@W15Garage]

@@vOzidloCZno, standard kolbenschmidt bearings. Not +1 up size. Standard size. Did you measure the oil pressure? What was the reading?

[@omyasmina]

I have e 535d f11 2013 stage 2 dpf delete egr delete xhp stage transmission 745nm 212k kilometer stil no problem e friend have the same car did 350k whet the same timing chain I dont understand why internet is full off scaring people for this engine its e robust engine if you take care off it

[@vOzidloCZ]

@@omyasmina internet is full of scaring people because car services are full of broken N57 engines 😁

[@Driver2397]

Anybody know any good engine builders for n57. Thanks

[@W15Garage]

Thanks for watching. Ivor Searle sorted out my damaged crankshaft and supplied me with Kolbenschmidt bearings. Unfortunately, I don't know anybody who can do the rebuild since I've done it myself. Call Ivor Searle maybe they can recommend someone! All The Best!

[@Assimilator1]

5-6k kms oil change, that's overkill! But don't you mean 5-6k miles?

[@W15Garage]

5-6k miles is the sweet spot yes , BUT since this engine needs extra attention😄 I’m doing it 5-6 maybe 7k kms, also I’m towing with the car. All other cars 6k miles is spot on in my opinion

[@omyasmina]

e 535d f11 2013 stage 2 dpf delete egr delete 745nm 212k kilometer stil no problem e friend have the same car did 350k whet the same timing chain I dont understand why internet is full off scaring people for this engine its e robust engine if you take care off it

[@W15Garage]

I'm glad you've had a positive experience with the N57 engine so far. Speaking from my own experience, I've encountered many complaints about bottom end failures with this engine. Unfortunately, I didn't own the car from new; I bought it with relatively high mileage and no knowledge of its previous maintenance history. All I know is that it's now getting a second chance with proper servicing to follow. 😁 All the best!

[@omyasmina]

The most n57 owners ar very possitive off the n57 from 2013 every motor can break down ther ar many n57 whet over 300k whet the same chain cranksaft oliepomp you have to delete the egr en dpf the gave many problems

[@omyasmina]

En is you car Good now

[@wass006]

So why could they not leave the bottom end the same as M57? Why change? What's the difference between the M57 and N57?

[@W15Garage]

M57 block is iron n57 is alloy, my understanding is that n57 main bearing cap design is a bit weak, due to high torque specially on 35d 40d models. 50d already has much better bottom end. BUT overall n57 is a great engine, power, fuel economy, drive ability wise. Needs extra attention and care, regular oil changes, and bottom end bearings need to be changed with the timing chain.

[@soyeb1975]

Where are you based?

[@W15Garage]

Thanks for watching! I’m based in the Whittlesey area, but I’m only a hobbyist and not set up to take on any clients at the moment

[@Driver2397]

​@@W15Garagehi do you know any good engine builders I am having same issue n57 640d. I want to use kolbenschmidt bearings too.

[@W15Garage]

Thanks for watching. Ivor Searle sorted out my damaged crankshaft and supplied me with Kolbenschmidt bearings. Unfortunately, I don't know anybody who can do the rebuild since I've done it myself.

[@arnoldfarkas9268]

Great video and nice jacket😬👍🏼

[@W15Garage]

@@arnoldfarkas9268 😂😂Appreciate it