Rebuild or Replace? Brand New N63 Long Block! BMW E70 X5 - Engine Replacement

[@jamestabor587]

Phenomenal and very well said. You are the only KZbinr that respects this engine. No one ever speaks on how it sounds and performs. Mine has the m performance exhaust with it and it is just a beautiful tone. Love it.

[@DannysGarage]

He respects it but also doesn't sugarcoat the fact that it's a pig in terms of maintenance, which is probably the fairest assessment of the engine.

[@dariusGarage]

Love the way my TU sounds and runs, smoother than any inline 6 BMW I've ever driven

[@jamestabor587]

@@DannysGarageoh absolutely. 100,000k miles then toss it out and get another one. That’s basically what you need to do. The price and problems are what needs to be done if you love it to keep forever. The zf8hp70 transmission will last forever if you maintain it and change the valve body sleeves every 100,000 miles. I love it and own a 2013 myself

[@MrWarGawd]

As the owner of this vehicle, I have tried numerous times to post a full comment regarding how great this whole process was. Somehow, that keeps getting deleted by some KZbin algorithm for reasons I can't explain. Stay tuned - I'll find a way to get the full story out, even if I have to direct you all to my own channel and create a video response 🙂

[@brownhornet1975]

Please keep us posted. I would love to hear the full story

[@christophorusvids]

Great video, I totally agree I paid almost nothing for my 2010 GT550i and if i end up needing to do something like that its totally worth it. They drive amazing. Hopefully with all the updated parts the engine ends up lasting way longer. would be nice to see a video of that car after a year.

[@MrWarGawd]

This is my vehicle, and I have plans to continue getting it back to its prime, now that it's actually WORTHY of time/energy/money for maintenance. Set yourself a reminder, I will be back with the 1 year update :-) FWIW, I have fixed the fuel level sensor now. Got sidetracked troubleshooting a rich idle condition that turned out to be faulty MAFs that new ones solved. Next up is soft close door actuator.

[@christophorusvids]

That's really amazing. Congratulations. My 550i runs well for now but is making smoke, it makes more sense to just do what you did. I'm in the Toronto area so would have to go to the USA to get the engine

[@joelaurieri9065]

Canadian prices for rebuild engines are ridiculous. I swapped out an engine on my Mercedes. The best price in Canada was $17 k. Picked up one in the US from an Mercedes approved rebuilder for $5200 USD plus shipping core return included and had it swapped out . The Canadian engine came with 30 day warranty. The US one with 150 K Km warranty. Had my shop swap it out an happy sailing Love your channel keep up the good work and happy to see you are local also. May perhaps need to call up on you one day ... lol

[@bimmer.doctor]

Absolutely ridiculous here lol... Costs less to buy in the US, pay the shipping, duties and taxes, and you still come out on top. Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@gparmar23]

Great content as always and great information breakdown for everyone. Good to know about the price of n63 in us vs Canada. I think your breakin procedure is perfect! Above and beyond is what’s required nowadays if you want it to last and be reliable with your name behind it. Having replaced a used, refurbished and brand new crate engines I think your attention to detail and processes and procedures are on point!! Like you said this car market you can’t buy anything of this quality or class of vehicle for what your customers have spent. Can’t wait to see the next project!! Cheers from Ontario

[@niklasschmitt]

Wow the sounds it made in the beginning are nightmare fuel 😂 Great video! Different from your previous videos but I really liked the type of content and the real talk :) I owned an E60 545i with the 4.4 N62 engine for a couple of years and sold it with around 120.000 km before the problems with valve stem seals or the leaking water pipe in the valley occured. I really liked the engine! I thought about buying an 550i with N63 but fortunatelly decided against it 😂 as long as it works it might be a very nice drive but in Germany where I live the prices are comparable to canada. Keep it up my friend! Always excited when you drop a video! ❤

[@rimax82]

great video! swaping a engine is less exciting than refurbishing a broken eingine.. so did I with a Mini N18. more work, more fun for a DIY guy 🙂

[@paulsandgren8625]

I have had the same problems with Rein Breather hoses. Sent me down a rabbit hole causing me to change out the oil separators and a whole lot more headache. My Bimmer mechanic friend suggested I spend the money on OEM breather hoses and the issue cleared up. that was 3 years ago and again I gave Rein another try as they were $40 rather than $120 for each side and I got burned again. this time it is only the bank 2 side but it is sucking up so much oil from the valve cover it is making it to the turbo. I added catch cans as a test and Bank 2 is capuruing about 2 oz of oil every 100 miles. I am done with Rein!

[@Zoro.AB.1985]

Great video I’m currently looking to swap engine in my 2012 650i dealer quoted me $6500 never thought to shop around thanks for heads up

[@denys3054]

Oh, merci beaucoup ! You have given me an idea! I was scared to closer by the cars with this engine. Now I will be looking for one. :)

[@bimmer.doctor]

Merci Deny, tu sais à qui parler si jamais t'as besoin de quoi!

[@lukmanseptiannugraha8701]

This build series was so exited!

[@JaeAR20]

Considering most get scrapped for rod knocks from spun bearings I would assume the bottom end is renewed

[@DannysGarage]

My question for you is when do you do this route (buying a new N63) versus rebuilding an existing N63 like you did for the 750li, like what is the determining factor? Back when I had a shop I typically just quoted whole new N63's because it was more cost-effective and I could guarantee that it would work for a long time. Same goes for the dealership I work at.

[@bimmer.doctor]

Honestly, I think this is the way to go every time. The only time maybe a rebuild is worth it in my opinion, is if you’re doing it yourself like I did on Project 750Li. At a shop, the labour cost is much higher than just installing a freshly rebuilt engine.

[@robertmassmann228]

I guess I should watch the 750i rebuild for the re-assembly of the reman engine, I just picked up from BMW dealer. Just looking for re-assembly sequence. I did tear down the original engine. Any other suggestion would be helpful.

[@bimmer.doctor]

Yeah check out Part 4, that’s roughly going to be the same point from where you start with a long block. Good luck!

[@Bugcatcher3d]

Great video just like your 750LI series but straight to the point. I'm needing to do something similar. Could you help me with the current PN for the short engine (long block) from BMW. There seems to be alot of different part no. for these including superseded versions. Thanks. Keep up the great work.

[@bimmer.doctor]

Thanks. Best thing to do is call the dealer with your vin and they will give you the part number. There are a lot of variants with slight differences and they will be able to give you the correct one.

[@Linuxhax]

I'm doing this right now.

[@martincba67]

Amazing video. I'm learing a lot with your channel. Did you perform and engine Autopsy to see what was wrong with the old engine? Was a candidate to be rebuild or was it just trash?

[@bimmer.doctor]

Yes I opened it up briefly to get a look inside, rod bearing was spun and timing chain guides were broken. Crank probably could have been reground and rebuild the engine, but at these prices it’s better just to buy it right from BMW. Glad you are liking the videos!

[@MrWarGawd]

See some additional context in my main comment above. It turns out I'd been missing the oil pressure relief valve for a while, so nothing was being filtered. Had it been present, I think the filter might have caught the guide pieces that I believe ultimately clogged the oil pickup and starved the bearing.

[@jeffbriesemeister2284]

Thank you yet again for an awesome video… question; I am currently swapping a 2011 750li N63 with a factory reman engine I found in a local salvage yard. I have a 2009 750i with a locked engine… do you think it matters to the dealers if I send in the 2011 engine as a core so that I have it ready to go for the 2009? Wasn’t sure if they would track the Vin on the motor or what made sense… Thanks again for all of your knowledge sharing!

[@bimmer.doctor]

If you got the reman engine at a salvage yard, why do you need to return a core to the dealer? Either way, I don't think it matters. As long as it's the same engine generation it's fine. If it was a newer TU they wouldn't accept that, but the same generation I don't think it'll be a problem.

[@jeffbriesemeister2284]

I was going to do the factory reman for my 2011, but I stumbled on a deal in a salvage car that had a documented 15K mile facory reman in it. However, I have a 2009 750i on-deck. Thank you!

[@riccardocastagnoli8016]

Hello, i'm not sure that the crank Is the One that came with the original engine, or at least It has been modified. Because of the oversized pistons, the masses that Need to be balanced are different than the stock engine and so the counterbalances of the crank do.

[@bimmer.doctor]

That’s a great point, thanks for the comment!

[@riccardocastagnoli8016]

I think that could be interesting to see a weight comparison btw oversized and std pistons. If the differences Is minimum (speaking of grams) they could be interchangeable w/o need of play with engine balance. You are also lucky that Is a crossplane V8 so you don't have yo mess with counterbalance shafts

[@agapepz4111]

Your video was such a massage for my head. Loved what you did. I am from Cal San Diego. I got this very car 2013 4.4. N63. 92k engine was replaced when it blew up. When you started the engine in this video I heard the same squeaking noise that I also have. Did you figure out what was it? I want to fix it without guessing. So what do you say to this second engine that I have alive till 92k?

[@bimmer.doctor]

When I started it up at the beginning of the video? Or after the new engine was in? Tell me the time stamp in the video you’re asking about and I’ll confirm

[@agapepz4111]

@@bimmer.doctor please listen to the squeaking at 8:20. It’s after the installation. What is the cause, I have the same problem when I start my car.

[@bimmer.doctor]

@@agapepz4111 Keep watching a bit farther, I explain the issue. It is caused by bad PCV breather valves. The ones on the car were Rein brand, but they should be replaced with Genuine BMW. As soon as I replaced them, the noise went away. Good luck!

[@agapepz4111]

@@bimmer.doctoryou’re the man

[@NoRogeR]

what a treat!

[@ДмитрийЛебедев-и6я]

Отлично все сделал 👍 этот мотор шикарный 😍

[@karatist79]

аж на стояк пробило от н63

[@robertmassmann228]

Thank you!

[@lou007]

neat episode 🫠😅😅💕💕

[@stevenpower3780]

BMW Flat in Landshut rebuilds used engines. You can say it is a new engine maybe the use oversize pistons like in the engine that was showed in the video or a refurbished crankshaft with new main and rod bearings.

[@rayyanmarghoobshakir9959]

Can you please mention from which dealer you got the engine from?

[@gerardogle1732]

Hi, did you put brand new turbos as well?

[@robertmassmann228]

Did you clean and flush the oil cooler when you did engine swap? I have the 2012 750i AWD with bad engine. It ran but had the connecting rod knock.

[@bimmer.doctor]

Yes! I wanted to make a point of that when I was editing but I obviously forgot. It is EXTREMELY important to flush the oil cooler otherwise you are running that junk right back into your brand new engine.

[@robertmassmann228]

@@bimmer.doctor I am trying to decide which path to follow, rebuild a core or buy the short block. Was wondering how warranty is covered if I am the one doing the labor of installing the engine?

[@bimmer.doctor]

@robertmassmann228 Honestly, I would just get the one from BMW. For the price you can get it, it’s not worth rebuilding unless you are doing the work 100% yourself. The warranty is 2 years, unlimited KM on the engine, no labour charges are covered.

[@robertmassmann228]

@@bimmer.doctor what other components did you replace? I would understand all the filters and fluids, brakes, transmission, power steering, and coolant. Cabin filters, When I pulled the half shafts both outer CV boot were split, but it will still be awhile before I have to worry about them.

[@bimmer.doctor]

New oil and filter for the new engine, new transmission oil and filter (I also ended up replacing the solenoids while I was in there). New coolant, new PS fluid. Brake fluid does not need to be touched so that depends on the condition of your brakes. Engine and cabin air filters while you’re in there. Then there’s some various hardware you need for the new engine, new intake and exhaust manifold gaskets, new copper nuts… Turbo oil lines, coolant crossover line, basically anything that is buried behind hours of labour, best to tackle it right away. I also do suggest coils but that’s easy to do if you decide to do it later.

[@FastlifeTodd]

Did you need to adapt the DME for the new engine due to old timing chain correlation ?

[@skillz1855]

I'm a N63 S63 lover as well . I can't drive 6 cylinders

[@grdflacko9815]

I need that engine for my 750li

[@EspenMiland]

Nice video. Love it🤟

[@greasemonkey1489]

I have a 12 x5 and fell in love with the e70. So much I picked up a 13 50i with a locked up engine and had the exact same logic as you- roller plus engine plus sweat equity is still less than any comparable suv on a dealer lot. Can you share the exact mineral oil you use for break-in and how long?

[@bimmer.doctor]

It’s an awesome car! The oil does not matter. The one I used was the cheapest parts store oil I could find. It’s being using for only 1000km so don’t worry too much. If not you can also buy a break in specific oil but that costs a lot more. Good luck with the project!

[@MrWarGawd]

In fact it was only 900km when I changed it. I sent a sample to Blackstone for analysis, and the report is due any day now. My intent is to do a second change a bit short of a normal OCI, and send that sample too for comparison. The mineral oil was quite dark, definitely did a good job cleaning and flushing out all the assembly lube and break in wear metals, but it was still "clear".

[@jeffthune5856]

Could you please tell me which dealer you bought your engine from? I've only had my 2012 for 8 months and I'm going to be needing a new one as well. It's too bad because I really love how this car drove when it was healthy.

[@Zoro.AB.1985]

Smh I’m in same boat just got my 2012 650i only 72k mi and needs new engine smh

[@johnyposterus]

Hey, from which site did you get that n63 long block with 0 km ? I am interested

[@cyrexccc]

Does anyone know how to extract driver side valvtronics? I’m stuck. Do I have to remove power steering to get clearance? Any help is greatly appreciated

[@JasonDalencar]

Eng in this e70 x5 is same as the 2011 550i xdrive?

[@bimmer.doctor]

Yes, they would both be the original N63 (non TU version). Always check your VIN at the dealer you are buying the engine from to be sure you have the correct part number.

[@tannerarmitage9106]

i am the customers son, we had a look at it together when it was failing, it’s funny not 2 months before it shit the bed we went camping with it about 6 hours away, we had to pull over a few times cuz of some issues. none of that will be great

[@bimmer.doctor]

The next trip will definitely be a lot more fun in a car that can really move quick, and most importantly, not leave you broken down on the side of the road. I hope you guys enjoy!

[@mou_oso33]

😢 not again.. I replaced engine from dealership $5,000 plus labor.. now the timing chain ⛓️ probably.. sounds just like this car 😮

[@enryfrank]

you Americans know how to make manufacturers respect you; In Europe the music is very different....

[@bimmer.doctor]

Haha, what kind of music do you have instead?

[@jeffthune5856]

My 2012 750Li keeps giving me misfire cylinder 6 code. I've replaced all plugs and injectors and wiring harness for both as well but still keep getting misfire 6. Any ideas sir? Diagnostics is saying ECM possibly.

[@bimmer.doctor]

I assume you’ve done ignition coils too if you’ve already done plugs and injectors. One cylinder might have more carbon buildup than the others causing the misfire. I would really doubt it’s the ECM if it’s only that one cylinder misfiring, but you would need an in depth diagnostic to determine that. I saw your other comment asking about the engine. Just call your local BMW dealer and ask them for the part number for you car and the cost. Different dealers will have different prices so if it’s too high, shop around with some others and you’ll be able to find it for a good price. Good luck!

[@andreyandrey8501]

Hi, I have 2011 750li with same story, seized engine. I have crazy idea to change powertrain with N55 engine. How many problems I will generate with electric connection? And your opinion about this idea? Edmonton AB😊

[@bimmer.doctor]

Ouf! Not a great idea IMO, it is a lot more work than this. You need new wiring, new DME, reprogram the vin in different modules… it is quite complicated.

[@natedog9383]

Are you on beaconfield drive at 15:40?

[@bimmer.doctor]

Yes

[@dsalinas731]

Is the 2010 bmw 750i better than 750Li?

[@bimmer.doctor]

No, it's the same car. The Li is just long wheelbase, i is standard.

[@justinmijnbuis]

Funny how a lot of people seem to prefer hydraulic power steering. My 2011 BMW is my first car with electric steering and I really love it. Besides plenty of road feedback there is less clutter in the engine bay, less maintenance, less parasitic drag and programmable ratio variability.

[@DannysGarage]

You're lying to yourself if you think electric steering feels anywhere as good as hydraulic steering.

[@bimmer.doctor]

Comes down to what you like. In terms of road feel, the hydraulic is definitely the best IMO. But you’re right about electric steering having more room in the engine bay, and it’s also a lot easier to maneuver in parking lots.

[@agapepz4111]

And who else here had or has n63 from the 2011-2013 for more than 100k without any pain? I know this engine is notorious. But just wanted to see what would the fans say?

[@jamestabor587]

I have a 2013 bmw x5 xdrive50i identical to this build. 130,000 miles with no oil burning issues, no smoking, no nothing. No drivetrain malfunction issues at all. Drove daily with higher mileage. Then, BOOM. Locked up motor and it’s been sitting. I will get it fixed and have a plan to just like this, but no notice I nothing. Rod bearing issue.

[@MegaCokecake]

@@jamestabor587i have the same car. How often did you change the oil and which oil weight? Driving style? I'm bit worried about mine haha

[@jamestabor587]

@@MegaCokecakeok now this is a very very hotly contested/debated topic. I can tell you I ran nothing but genuine bmw oil 0w-30 from the dealer. No change in consumption at all for me as if I ran a heavier weight in my opinion. 40 weight will give more protection but it’s thicker around the turbo lines and passages and such. Run 0/5w-30 or 0/5w-40 if you thick it’s better. I wouldn’t got thicker

[@jeffthune5856]

I have a 2012 750Li and it had 102000 miles on it when I bought it and about 8 months later I'm needing to replace the engine with about 105000 miles on it.

[@agapepz4111]

@@jeffthune5856 oh boy. Feel for you. Are you still happy with it?

[@Icepressa]

that thing was never walnut blasted the entire life

[@MrWarGawd]

You can tell? lol I thought it was my little secret. To be honest, the valve guide seals were allowing blue smoke out the tailpipe for a very long time, I had a variety of issues that I just wasn't certain were worth investing in. In addition to needing the vehicle to be in service every single day, I was scared of putting 3,4, 5k into it for fear that money would be lost when some other catastrophe happened.

[@jrpcoins]

The dealership wouldn’t honor my engines warranty because I bought my car from a non bmw dealership 😮

[@pinakidas397]

So the land of Khalistani and social justice warriors lose again 😅

[@mmerle]

ward ♥

[@jrpcoins]

Good for another 20Kkm😂 I love the car but hate this sack of 💩 engine.

[@bimmer.doctor]

It’s fun as long as it’s running properly 😆 otherwise not so much. Have to have deep pockets with these.

[@jrpcoins]

@@bimmer.doctor yeah I just replaced the entire fuel system from the hpfp to the lpfp fuel pressure sensors, injectors, spark plugs and coil packs. I bought all of them from rock auto and car parts online store and was able to get everything way less than at the damn dealership. Dealership wanted 390 per injector and I bought OEM ones for 65 each! Only thing I was forced to do is take it to a shop to have the new injectors flow rates learned into the ecu being how bmw only provides that programming to shops even bought an Apollo d9 snap on scanner and just returned it once I noticed it could do absolutely everything but that function even with app updates but I was only charged 195 by the shop I took it to so it was a win win just gotta be able to work on these things but yeah might sell it before valve stem seals go out! 😅 that’s one job I am very intimidated by🫣