Rod bearings | GTA

I am starting to look into rod bearing replacement as preventative maintenance. Called a few shops (bimmer sport, bavarian, rmp) and all price it about the same.

Just wanted to get some feedback from you guys about your experience with these shops. Any other shops to consider?

BTW none have done a lot of replacements and no one really wants to give an opinion about the issue. I guess I feel kind of torn about this....

I'm at 140K KMs...stock engine.

Thanks

Rocco at RMP is awesome. I haven't done mine yet, but plan on it over the winter. I wouldn't let anyone else touch my car...

You could also make a trip down to Pennsylvania and get it done at VAC Motorsports. They've done a ton of these. About an 8 hr drive.

Eurocharged has done a few.

I'd stick with shops like Bimmersport or RMP that have been doing these for many, many years on all sorts of M engines.

Thanks guys

My vote goes for Bavarian. Way more experience than the other shops you've called.

Do these shops source aftermarket bearings & bolts like VAC or BE?

Or do they just install OEM?

If VAC/BE which shops and with what?

Rocco at RMP may not have done too many of these, but, he takes engines apart on a regular basis. I would trust him to do it. Eurocharged has done a few as well.

FWIW, I will be taking my car to Rocco this winter.

DrC

Looks like there aren't to many shops with a lot of experience changing M3 bearings....or not many local guys making the swap.

I don't mind doing it...I'm just afraid that I may end up with a bearing issue after doing it. What if my car is fine but I end up putting bearings that create the problem.

Anyone else with similar fears?

drchuck72 wrote

Rocco at RMP may not have done too many of these, but, he takes engines apart on a regular basis. I would trust him to do it. Eurocharged has done a few as well.

FWIW, I will be taking my car to Rocco this winter.

DrC

Rocco has done lots of S54 rod bearings, I asked him the other day...

Chuck, you going to Mosport this weekend?

Chris_08_M3 wrote

Looks like there aren't to many shops with a lot of experience changing M3 bearings....or not many local guys making the swap.

I don't mind doing it...I'm just afraid that I may end up with a bearing issue after doing it. What if my car is fine but I end up putting bearings that create the problem.

Anyone else with similar fears?

There's really no bearing on the market that's going to create a problem anymore. We've seen the newer extra clearance coated bearings come out perfect from several cars of varying mileage. Proper install is the important thing. Choose the right shop and you'll be fine. And keep in mind you have a 95% chance of having no bearing issue at all. Don't let it worry you too much. Use Blackstone and keep an eye on things. Accelerated bearing wear will show itself. I'm sending samples in almost monthly now. Good peace of mind and if something is or does start happening you've got a better chance of catching it by getting real familiar with Blackstone.

skru_fase wrote

Rocco has done lots of S54 rod bearings, I asked him the other day...

Chuck, you going to Mosport this weekend?

Nope. I'm done for the season. I cracked a wheel at the last event. I'll have to figure out a replacement situation for next year.

Have fun.

C

Chris_08_M3 wrote

Looks like there aren't to many shops with a lot of experience changing M3 bearings....or not many local guys making the swap.

I don't mind doing it...I'm just afraid that I may end up with a bearing issue after doing it. What if my car is fine but I end up putting bearings that create the problem.

Anyone else with similar fears?

Yes, I've been contemplating bearing replacement for a while but have not followed through. My car has about 38,000 km on it and no problems so far. I know that there is a low possibility of ever having problems and I am anal about warm-up, lugging, oil changes at 3-4,000km intervals and getting Blackstone reports. I'm hesitant about taking the car in to a shop that although they may be great, has done few bearing replacements and somehow screws things up. There's that saying "don't fix what ain't broke". Also in the back of my mind is a local M3 owner whose engine blew last year. Its all a gamble but I figure that I have a higher chance of some crazy driver hitting me. I don't let that stop me from enjoying driving this fantastic machine.

I think you have a lot of time left with only 38K. But I do have the same thought about not fixing what ain't broke.

hotbmwfan wrote

Yes, I've been contemplating bearing replacement for a while but have not followed through. My car has about 38,000 km on it and no problems so far. I know that there is a low possibility of ever having problems and I am anal about warm-up, lugging, oil changes at 3-4,000km intervals and getting Blackstone reports. I'm hesitant about taking the car in to a shop that although they may be great, has done few bearing replacements and somehow screws things up. There's that saying "don't fix what ain't broke". Also in the back of my mind is a local M3 owner whose engine blew last year. Its all a gamble but I figure that I have a higher chance of some crazy driver hitting me. I don't let that stop me from enjoying driving this fantastic machine.

Anybody have 3rd party warranty?

If so, could you share some info/experiences?

Seems like a lot of US guys are going with a warranty plan but haven't heard much from Canadians..

ResoKP wrote  

Anybody have 3rd party warranty?

If so, could you share some info/experiences?

Seems like a lot of US guys are going with a warranty plan but haven't heard much from Canadians..

I had warranty through CoverageOne and they were really good.

They covered one throttle actuator, 2 O2 sensors and a speaker connector (!) with all new parts through the dealer. Kudos to my dealer for helping out since my car had test pipes and tune at the time.

I'm with PPP now on my current M3 which is a local QC warranty company. They seem to be decent but haven't filed any claims yet.

Anyone know if there are any signs to rod bearing failure? My 09 e90 m3 has about 85,000km on it - purchased last year. There's always been a minor ticking sound at start up but goes away. I was just reading up on some stuff and came across this rod bearing topic and blown engine costing and arm and leg. Now I'm starting to freak out a bit. Any feedback would be appreciated.

YoungGuns wrote

Anyone know if there are any signs to rod bearing failure? My 09 e90 m3 has about 85,000km on it - purchased last year. There's always been a minor ticking sound at start up but goes away. I was just reading up on some stuff and came across this rod bearing topic and blown engine costing and arm and leg. Now I'm starting to freak out a bit. Any feedback would be appreciated.

There usually are no signs. Only a few lucky people have heard rod knock prior to failure.

At 85,000km I'd be changing them personally.

Spend $2k now for some peace of mind, or potentially spend $10-20K on an engine down the road.

It's still just a gamble. You could be fine.

But one thing is for sure. At almost any mileage, everyones bearings show a massive amount of wear when pulled out.

Failures have happened at as low as 5000 miles.

Chris_08_M3 wrote

I am starting to look into rod bearing replacement as preventative maintenance. Called a few shops (bimmer sport, bavarian, rmp) and all price it about the same.

Just wanted to get some feedback from you guys about your experience with these shops. Any other shops to consider?

BTW none have done a lot of replacements and no one really wants to give an opinion about the issue. I guess I feel kind of torn about this....

I'm at 140K KMs...stock engine.

Thanks

How much are the shops quoting? Ballpark figure.

From 2200-2700

Who's in for a group buy?