Steve84N Posted September 14, 2023 Share Posted September 14, 2023 (edited) @Andrewsuggested I start a new post so this doesn't get lost in the general thread. My car is a 2011 F11 535i manual with an earlier version of the N55. It has a pneumatic wastegate as opposed to the better electronic wastegate on the LCI models. The problem I've got is the engine grumbles under heavy load, particularly noticeable on the motorway in sixth. It'll even thump through the car on sustained full throttle. Stationary, the engine shakes the car at 2krpm. Inspecting the oil filter revealed the dreaded glitter and it's ferrous... The suspicion is the bottom end has perished. Chances are the crankshaft is shot and at least one of the main bearings have died. Looking back on it I've probably had that that knocking sound for hundreds if not thousands of miles, just less audible. I thought it was normal valvetrain noise. Certainly I've carried on driving thinking I had a gearbox only problem, so whether I could have caught it in time I'll never know. After speaking to various engine specialists the options came down to a quick & dirty bottom end rebuild or a full teardown. The latter is of course the more advisable route due to swarf travelling everywhere. The trouble is, when you're talking up to 60-70hrs labour at £100ph plus parts it gets very expensive... Thanks to @duncan-ukI've found CPC Performance Engineering in Amersham. They can buy a new engine from BMW for a massively discounted price. At £6,100+VAT it's not cheap but could easily be less than a full rebuild, plus it's all new. I'll have to reuse my existing ancillaries. Whilst I'm at it I've bought new fuel injectors, spark plugs and the oil cooler that sits just behind the bumper. I'll also get a new diverter valve as mine is old and it was quite laggy to build boost. I need to talk to Phil at CPC about reconditioning the turbo as I'd like to do that whilst it's out. Someone sent me this on a Facebook group, which sounds similar. Hopefully CPC can take the oil pan off and see what's happened to mine without spending too much time on wasted labour. I originally thought I had a gearbox problem and I might still do as there's a rattle in a tin can noise only apparent on the move. It's there with the clutch in or out, so maybe output shaft bearing. Will have to see what else they find when it's in pieces... It got picked up this evening, wangled under my breakdown cover thankfully as I'm 100 miles from CPC. They're taking it there first thing tomorrow. I'll update more as the saga unfolds! Edited September 15, 2023 by Steve84N 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted September 15, 2023 Share Posted September 15, 2023 14 hours ago, Steve84N said: Whilst I'm at it I've bought new fuel injectors, spark plugs and the oil cooler that sits just behind the bumper. Is that an retro fitted oil cooler you have? Hot climate N55 have an oil cooler from new. An external oil cooler might be a good shout if tuning? This is an additional (water) radiator on mine on the offside. Going to use the lowest hose as a coolant drain point. Keep us posted on this thread @Steve84N Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve84N Posted September 15, 2023 Author Share Posted September 15, 2023 @AndrewI made a mistake, I was indeed referring to that additional water cooler. I thought it was oil. Phil corrected me as such so I can send back the one I bought. Here's what I've been told by Phil: When sat in traffic in gear and clutch down, the vibes are at their worst around 1825rpm. Also, when slowing down in say 2nd, really bad around that speed. It really looks like maybe a bent crank or rod to me. Or bearing failure. Sometimes bearing shavings are a symptom of a bent rod or crank causing uneven excess wear to one side of the bearing shell. Either a total engine strip with maybe a new crank / rods or new engine. Noise in cabin deffo sealing grommet not in properly. That last part refers to the rubber grommet around the gear lever. Looking back I didn't reinstall it properly when I did the clutch. He thinks my gearbox is OK, which is something. I've messaged saying I'd like to go down the route of a new replacement engine. They won't be available forever and I like the idea of all new everything, including valvetrain. If the crankshaft has been moving around it can't have been kind on the cylinder bores. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted September 15, 2023 Share Posted September 15, 2023 Great update, I’m impressed he can tell its a bent rod over a failed bearing. Experience for you I suppose. What would caused a bent rod I wonder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve84N Posted September 15, 2023 Author Share Posted September 15, 2023 I don't think he can tell for sure. One problem can cause the other and then it becomes a self perpetuating issue. Although it's tuned to near 400hp at the flywheel it wasn't to crazy power and they are known to handle 500whp without breaking. Torque was supposedly near 450lb/ft. I'm more inclined to believe that the bearings were worn out, which then caused other parts to start breaking/bending, with the added stress of being tuned. I need to pay a deposit on Monday so they can order a new engine. Still waiting for an answer over whether they're happy to post off my turbo whilst it's out to be reconditioned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted September 15, 2023 Share Posted September 15, 2023 How many miles are on your wagon then @Steve84N? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve84N Posted September 15, 2023 Author Share Posted September 15, 2023 99,974 so didn't quite make it to 100,000. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan-uk Posted September 15, 2023 Share Posted September 15, 2023 The reason i liked Phil (and reputation with M3s at the time aside) was in a few questions (and i deliberately held some info back) he got to the nub of my issue and clearly knew his stuff. Another guy I use in Stevenage (Barry Jones) for general stuff i dont want to get involved with similarly doesn't bullshit you and says what it is. As an example he is coding my used DSC on the e39 next week and will look at brakes as still not convinced i've got them right. When i spoke to him he told me all the stuff i've learned and know and treated me as an equal (i'm an educated amateur i would say, no means an expert but i do my research i am not stupid) - whereas the more convenient "independent specialist" has never been anything less than unhelpful - whether he can't or won't is a mystery but means he is off my list. When i find someone who talks my language then i am happy to recommend so i hope Phil will serve you as well as hes served me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve84N Posted September 15, 2023 Author Share Posted September 15, 2023 (edited) I agree, you often get treated with utter disdain if you try and talk about stuff, as if you couldn't possibly know anything. It seems you get lumped in with the usual 'customer states' crowd. The fact BMW are willing to sell engines to CPC at a heavily discounted price tells you a lot. I seriously considered doing as cheap a fix as possible and moving on. However, I'd lose way more than it costs to fix and the car does give me what I want. Edited September 15, 2023 by Steve84N Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve84N Posted September 20, 2023 Author Share Posted September 20, 2023 The new crate engine has arrived at CPC, only ordered on Monday so nice and quick. That's new ignition coils sitting on top that I sent them, whilst you're in there and all that... Now they can start stripping mine, they didn't want to do it too soon and have loads of parts everywhere. They've also agreed to send my turbo for reconditioning at the place they use called Turbo Developments. Fingers crossed it'll be all finished some time next week. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted September 20, 2023 Share Posted September 20, 2023 That’s a brand spanking new engine rather than ones that’s been remanufactured isn’t? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve84N Posted September 20, 2023 Author Share Posted September 20, 2023 @AndrewI believe so yes. Phil said the ones they've been ordering appear to be completely new but they've obviously never stripped one down to be sure. He reckons at some point, probably soon, BMW will start keeping some of the exchange engines they get back to remanufacture them. Another reason I decided to bite the bullet now whilst new ones are still available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan-uk Posted September 20, 2023 Share Posted September 20, 2023 Its a bitter pill but if the cars a keeper probably the right decision - without harking back too much to the M3 once i got through the teething issues shall we say it was a cracking car. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan-uk Posted September 20, 2023 Share Posted September 20, 2023 2 hours ago, Andrew said: That’s a brand spanking new engine rather than ones that’s been remanufactured isn’t? Are you having thoughts Andrew.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted September 20, 2023 Share Posted September 20, 2023 19 minutes ago, duncan-uk said: Are you having thoughts Andrew.... No, just asking out of curiosity. I’ve read articles on remanufactured engines which are virtually new and are just as good. Might only be say a block is reused with new everything else but can be a bit less to buy but the cant call it new. But I am having thoughts about doing something like this.... 4 hours ago, Steve84N said: They've also agreed to send my turbo for reconditioning at the place they use called Turbo Developments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan-uk Posted September 20, 2023 Share Posted September 20, 2023 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve84N Posted September 20, 2023 Author Share Posted September 20, 2023 @Andrewwhen I first mentioned doing the turbo Phil seemed to think it was unnecessary as they don't generally have issues. Mine is higher mileage, I was running more boost, it could be damaged by swarf and it's off the car. Ergo, makes a lot of sense for around £200-300 (I hope...). I'll let you know what they find in terms of its condition. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted September 21, 2023 Share Posted September 21, 2023 Thanks @Steve84N. You don’t want bits of big end bearings in your turbo bearings. Good to know they think they are reliable. It was turbos failing on the M57s that put me off buying a diesel BMW years ago. I’m trying to remember when they switched from pneumatic waste gates to electronic ones. Mine is pneumatic or rather vacuum operated. Need to see if my diagnostic machine can open the actuator to let me smoke test the vacuum line to it without having to take it apart. Ignore @duncan-uk, he’s just jealous of my mechanically sympathetic nature towards the running of my car. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve84N Posted September 21, 2023 Author Share Posted September 21, 2023 @Andrewthey changed to electronic wastegate on the LCI updates. When I spoke to a turbo shop they said the pneumatic ones tend to either work or they don't, not somewhere in the middle. CPC got confused yesterday and sent me footage of knackered wastegates, shaft had broken off and loads of play in the joint. When he mentioned two I was like but mine is N55 single turbo. It was from an N54 car which are notorious for wastegate problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve84N Posted September 21, 2023 Author Share Posted September 21, 2023 Shiny new engine! It has slightly unexpectedly come with a new thermostat and water pump. I only did that job a few thousand miles ago but we have to return mine exactly like the new one or there's a £3,000 surcharge. £315 in parts (nice metal Pierburg pump) and labour cost wasted... Such is life! Spark plugs included. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted September 21, 2023 Share Posted September 21, 2023 Nice, yeah jammy with new water pump, saw that in the pics. Vacuum pump included too but I don’t think there is a fuel pump on that new one. The two red bungs below the exhaust manifold are the turbo oil feed and return points. The turbo coolant feed comes off the metal pipe that bolts next to cylinder 5, can’t recall where the coolant from the turbo connects back in. But I think there is no coolant drain point in those pics unless it’s on the rear of the block subsequently hidden by the flywheel, so it does indeed need a hose off to drain the coolant. Great pics for referencing the N55, thanks for sharing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted September 21, 2023 Share Posted September 21, 2023 Oh and I hope Phil doesn’t forget the bung off your old cylinder head cover as we only need one vacuum port but there are two on the reservoir in the head cover. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve84N Posted September 21, 2023 Author Share Posted September 21, 2023 Just now, Andrew said: Nice, yeah jammy with new water pump, saw that in the pics. Vacuum pump included too but I don’t think there is a fuel pump on that new one. Sadly I'd only just renewed my water pump & thermostat and I can't keep them so that's wasted money (and parts). I've asked if perhaps I should use my existing one anyway because it's an all metal Pierburg unit. Anything new is a bonus, shame about the HPFP but fingers crossed mine carries on for a while yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve84N Posted September 21, 2023 Author Share Posted September 21, 2023 Just noticed how heavily contoured the oil pan is, don't remember mine having that much cut away into it but I guess it's hidden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve VH Posted September 21, 2023 Share Posted September 21, 2023 Engine failure at 99,000 miles isn't great Steve, and not in line with bmw's reputation for longevity! Any warranty cover for the costs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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