Jake's Epic BMW 135i Build Thread! (5+ Years of Ownership)
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Did a wet test. Tablespoon of oil boosted compression from 80 to 120psi. I'm 99.9% sure it's a ring or ringland. Leakdown and borescope this week.
That would definitely indicate a ring problem. Easy fix if the cylinder walls are fine! Fingers crossed!
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That would definitely indicate a ring problem. Easy fix if the cylinder walls are fine! Fingers crossed!
I don't know if "easy" is the right word, lol. Getting in there to replace a piston isn't a walk in the park.
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It books as a 30+ hr job. It's time consuming but easy. Especially when you consider the cost of a used engine... much easier on the wallet. Just get Paul to "help" lol.
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In contrast, r&r engine is about 28 book hours.
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Pardon my ignorance, what exactly happened with this? What did those numbers mean? I'm assuming cylinder pressure?
I love this build and you guys sound like its dead
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It books as a 30+ hr job. It's time consuming but easy. Especially when you consider the cost of a used engine... much easier on the wallet. Just get Paul to "help" lol.
Its crazy how long shop times are sometimes.
1976 530i e12
1990 325ix e30
1992 325i e36
1995 740il e38
2001 330xi e46
^More to come
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Its crazy how long shop times are sometimes.
Not to sidetrack the thread but yes. Honestly they UNDER estimate a lot of this shit. They don't take rust and wear into consideration.
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just get a used motor. It's gonna cost you $1500 in parts to do a full rebuild which is the only acceptable answer if you are tearing down the engine in the first place. You're not just gonna replace 1 ring or 1 piston. You're gonna do a complete overhaul including pistons. Then you need to make sure you do it right, and whether or not you did it right becomes far more obvious when you're making +350 whp/tq over factory power. So you'll be spending a lot of time here. The engine has too many miles on it to NOT overhaul everything if you tear it down.
you need to pull the motor regardless, so factoring in what your time is worth, you'll have a lot of hours into a teardown/rebuild on top of pulling/reinstalling the motor. Considering a used motor with less than half the miles on your current engine can be had for $3k and it's a straight swap, I wouldn't even be considering a rebuild. N54 motors are a commodity. When you grenade one, you just go get a used one and replace it. That's just what you do. This isn't an old M50 or something where finding good used examples is hard to do and you have to be more serious about rebuilding (plus parts are way cheaper for those anyway). I can throw a rock out the window and hit 5 n54 motors on the used market within walking distance of my bathroom all with 50k miles on them.
2011 E92 M3 6MT ZCP - ESS 625 supercharged
2007 Z4MR
2003 E39 M5
2002 E46 M3
2021 X5 40i -
just get a used motor. It's gonna cost you $1500 in parts to do a full rebuild which is the only acceptable answer if you are tearing down the engine in the first place. You're not just gonna replace 1 ring or 1 piston. You're gonna do a complete overhaul including pistons. Then you need to make sure you do it right, and whether or not you did it right becomes far more obvious when you're making +350 whp/tq over factory power. So you'll be spending a lot of time here. The engine has too many miles on it to NOT overhaul everything if you tear it down.
you need to pull the motor regardless, so factoring in what your time is worth, you'll have a lot of hours into a teardown/rebuild on top of pulling/reinstalling the motor. Considering a used motor with less than half the miles on your current engine can be had for $3k and it's a straight swap, I wouldn't even be considering a rebuild. N54 motors are a commodity. When you grenade one, you just go get a used one and replace it. That's just what you do. This isn't an old M50 or something where finding good used examples is hard to do and you have to be more serious about rebuilding (plus parts are way cheaper for those anyway). I can throw a rock out the window and hit 5 n54 motors on the used market within walking distance of my bathroom all with 50k miles on them.
Why do you have rocks in your bathroom?
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Pardon my ignorance, what exactly happened with this? What did those numbers mean? I'm assuming cylinder pressure?
I love this build and you guys sound like its dead
It lost compression on cylinder #3, motor is constantly misfiring and running rough. Needs to be repaired internally or replaced.
Chances are, it's gonna be a while until the car is back on the road. I don't have the funds.
Its crazy how long shop times are sometimes.
True, but to be fair, I bet this is accurate. I spent a lot of time replacing the turbos and would assume pulling the motor and re-installing it would probably take awhile.
just get a used motor. It's gonna cost you $1500 in parts to do a full rebuild which is the only acceptable answer if you are tearing down the engine in the first place. You're not just gonna replace 1 ring or 1 piston. You're gonna do a complete overhaul including pistons. Then you need to make sure you do it right, and whether or not you did it right becomes far more obvious when you're making +350 whp/tq over factory power. So you'll be spending a lot of time here. The engine has too many miles on it to NOT overhaul everything if you tear it down.
you need to pull the motor regardless, so factoring in what your time is worth, you'll have a lot of hours into a teardown/rebuild on top of pulling/reinstalling the motor. Considering a used motor with less than half the miles on your current engine can be had for $3k and it's a straight swap, I wouldn't even be considering a rebuild. N54 motors are a commodity. When you grenade one, you just go get a used one and replace it. That's just what you do. This isn't an old M50 or something where finding good used examples is hard to do and you have to be more serious about rebuilding (plus parts are way cheaper for those anyway). I can throw a rock out the window and hit 5 n54 motors on the used market within walking distance of my bathroom all with 50k miles on them.
I'm fully aware of the situation I'm in. Problem is, I don't have the funds.
Care to share links to motors in WI with less than 50k miles? I've found a couple for ~$2500, but this was the lowest mileage one I could find locally.
http://bayauto.com/used-parts/BMW/BMW_335I/BH0380/2007/Engine_Assembly/1001605770
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It was a general point about how easy it is to locate used N54 motors and I was trying to bring humor to a shitty situation. Not that I literally know of super low mileage motors within a short radius to us here in WI.
I was thinking something like this:
Comes with turbos and other components. You could part some of that out and have the motor for less than $2k easily when all is said and done.
2011 E92 M3 6MT ZCP - ESS 625 supercharged
2007 Z4MR
2003 E39 M5
2002 E46 M3
2021 X5 40i -
It was a general point about how easy it is to locate used N54 motors and I was trying to bring humor to a shitty situation. Not that I literally know of super low mileage motors within a short radius to us here in WI.
I was thinking something like this:
Comes with turbos and other components. You could part some of that out and have the motor for less than $2k easily when all is said and done.
That's a great example. Good price, lower miles, and comes with crap I can sell.
To take out another credit card or not...
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This might sound out there but check with Advance Auto if you have one nearby. They work with a network of auto recyclers and might be able to find something for you.
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This might sound out there but check with Advance Auto if you have one nearby. They work with a network of auto recyclers and might be able to find something for you.
Really? How would I even begin to start this conversation? Lol.
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Really? How would I even begin to start this conversation? Lol.
"are you guys able to source used/refurbished engines for my 2008 BMW 135i? "
2011 E92 M3 6MT ZCP - ESS 625 supercharged
2007 Z4MR
2003 E39 M5
2002 E46 M3
2021 X5 40i -
whatever you do don't sign up for any engine locating services, your phone will ring nonstop for an hour, then with greater than average frequency for the next week or two
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Really? How would I even begin to start this conversation? Lol.
"are you guys able to source used/refurbished engines for my 2008 BMW 135i? "
Yup, that's about it. We use them at work mostly for wheels, steering knucles, wheel covers, etc. They've been able to pull through on some weird stuff though. If the counter person doesn't know what you're talking about then ask to speak with someone in commercial. Worst case scenario I know a few commercial sales managers and strategic account managers with them and I can get you in touch with someone who can help.
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whatever you do don't sign up for any engine locating services, your phone will ring nonstop for an hour, then with greater than average frequency for the next week or two
I've already searched car-part.com. That's how I found the 335i motor in Green Bay, but not a whole lot else to write home about.
Theres also this
Yeah, I already texted the guy yesterday but no response. My friend has a broken N54 that I could steal a piston from if I decided to go that route.
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I finally saved up enough $$$$ and picked up an engine from a local junkyard.
It came out of a 2008 335i 6MT with 91,223 miles. The car was hit pretty hard on the driver's side, so I'm not worried about flood damage or anything like that. It was also modified, so I'm hoping it was taken care of by an enthusiast.
I've noticed all index 11 injectors, an RB PCV valve/cap, and it looks spotless under the oil cap. No sludge, grime, buildup, or discoloration. Hoping this is a sign of frequent oil changes.
Hoping to start tearing the car apart so I can remove the blown motor and swap everything over before the end of the year!
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