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  4. Calling all M54 gurus! HELP!

Calling all M54 gurus! HELP!

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  • GunMetalGreyG
    GunMetalGreyG
    GunMetalGrey
    wrote on last edited by
    #2

    From what I know the m54b30 uses a low tension piston ring (sadly) and is very prone to blow by due to this. 
    Removing the CCV system makes this even worse as there is no longer vacuum being drawn from the crank case. 

    Other than hooking up some sort of CCV you may have to just live with it.

    ...

    1 Reply Last reply
    0
    • TkuhnT
      TkuhnT
      Tkuhn
      wrote on last edited by
      #3

      GunMetalGrey said:

      From what I know the m54b30 uses a low tension piston ring (sadly) and is very prone to blow by due to this. 
      Removing the CCV system makes this even worse as there is no longer vacuum being drawn from the crank case. 

      Other than hooking up some sort of CCV you may have to just live with it. 

      Interesting, so even though the catch can is keeping the system sealed and not venting to atmosphere it could still effect it?

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      0
      • GunMetalGreyG
        GunMetalGreyG
        GunMetalGrey
        wrote on last edited by
        #4

        Tkuhn said:

        Interesting, so even though the catch can is keeping the system sealed and not venting to atmosphere it could still effect it?

        Oh, I stopped reading that sentence early lol.
        I know that they tend to burn oil, and my dad has a 330 that has been burning oil for quite some time so it seems to be consistent across the board.

        ...

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        • TkuhnT
          TkuhnT
          Tkuhn
          wrote on last edited by
          #5

          GunMetalGrey said:

          Oh, I stopped reading that sentence early lol.
          I know that they tend to burn oil, and my dad has a 330 that has been burning oil for quite some time so it seems to be consistent across the board. 

          Does his smoke pretty bad on start up? After looking at a few videos my symptoms seem to be that of valve seals. But i also see that the rings tend to get gunked up and are not able to fully expand. A few people used fuel injector cleaner and poured it into the spark plug holes and let it sit for a day and it raised the compression from almost nothing to 120 psi. Once i get down to the garage and do a comp test i may have more insight into this

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          0
          • ThatRatRodProjectT
            ThatRatRodProjectT
            ThatRatRodProject
            wrote on last edited by
            #6

            The m54 is know to burn oil.

            9e6724cb87566287013e40f9c9ed1036.png

            b5d37748f9f075ec4dc7122086214170.png

            Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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            • TkuhnT
              TkuhnT
              Tkuhn
              wrote on last edited by
              #7

              ThatRatRodProject said:

              The m54 is know to burn oil.

              9e6724cb87566287013e40f9c9ed1036.png

              b5d37748f9f075ec4dc7122086214170.png

              Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

              That's what I have been told and read, but again oil consumption is one thing. The billowing clouds are another I would think.

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              • TkuhnT
                TkuhnT
                Tkuhn
                wrote on last edited by
                #8

                Here are the compression test numbers. Car ran for a little under 10 min before I performed the test.

                Spark plugs were a little wet and it was not fuel.

                150353001469623670706.jpg

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                • KaiserRollsK
                  KaiserRollsK
                  KaiserRolls
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #9

                  Brave soul performing a compression test and posting it here. There's been bad juju all here regarding compression tests lately haha

                  1 Reply Last reply
                  6
                  • JeffJ
                    JeffJ
                    Jeff
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #10

                    Can you post pictures of plugs also a video of the smoke would be helpful.

                    1976 530i e12
                    1990 325ix e30
                    1992 325i e36
                    1995 740il e38
                    2001 330xi e46
                    ^More to come :)

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                    0
                    • ThatRatRodProjectT
                      ThatRatRodProjectT
                      ThatRatRodProject
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #11

                      Tkuhn said:

                      ThatRatRodProject said:

                      The m54 is know to burn oil.

                      9e6724cb87566287013e40f9c9ed1036.png

                      b5d37748f9f075ec4dc7122086214170.png

                      Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

                      That's what I have been told and read, but again oil consumption is one thing. The billowing clouds are another I would think. 

                      As far as I'm aware Oil consumption is mostly caused by burning oil where else is it going to go.

                      Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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                      • TkuhnT
                        TkuhnT
                        Tkuhn
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #12

                        Jeff said:

                        Can you post pictures of plugs also a video of the smoke would be helpful.

                        I will try to get the video up after work along with some photos of the plugs!

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                        0
                        • TkuhnT
                          TkuhnT
                          Tkuhn
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #13

                          ThatRatRodProject said:

                          As far as I'm aware Oil consumption is mostly caused by burning oil where else is it going to go.

                          Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

                          I believe you took that wrong. Yes oil consumption is caused by burning oil, I think we all can understand that. But when it comes to excessive smoke out the exhaust it's more than a standard "oil consumption" issue and all I was looking for was some people with experience beyond knowing that there are oil consumption issues with the m54. I appreciate the specs but this issue is more than reading the manual.

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                          • TkuhnT
                            TkuhnT
                            Tkuhn
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #14

                            KaiserRolls said:

                            Brave soul performing a compression test and posting it here. There's been bad juju all here regarding compression tests lately haha

                            I wasn't aware buttt I suppose if a person believes in that time will tell haha

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                            • jc43089J
                              jc43089J
                              jc43089
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #15

                              I know it is a different engine but just for comparison.  My m50 smokes a little, Pretty sure it is ring blowby in my case because it smokes most under WOT.  The m50 has no catch can/ oil separator, it just goes from the valve cover to the intake manifold (stock) and the baffling in the valve cover is not good enough to keep oil from going with the air.  It has 275k on it so I don't feel it's abnormal.  It doesn't hang in the air like a diesel but it is a visible smoke on startup and when romping on it.  I don't keep great records but I think I add a quart every 1000-1500 miles, some is due to leaks though.  

                              Compare to a 2 stroke engine.  Assuming 25mpg, 1k miles is 40 gallons of fuel, mixed 50:1 that is 3.2 quarts of oil per 1k miles.  You aren't near that much so I wouldn't think it would cause plug fouling problems.  A little lube for the cylinders is good anyway.  

                              How's that for redneck engineering?

                              2/94 325i Sedan, Arctic Gray: UUC LTW FW, EVO 3 and DSSR, +.020 Maxsil pistons, ASC delete, Eibach shocks/springs, 16" contour reps 238k
                              3/93 325i Coupe, Schwarz 2, Sketchy stance action, ebay turbo, 300k
                              '89 325i Vert, Alpine White: 5spd swapped, sold.

                              '04 Toyota Sienna: 24V to 24V swap in progress

                              '05 Volvo V70R, 6spd.  200k
                              '85 Toyota LandCruiser: Lifted, gas hog. 205k
                              '99 Nissan Maxima: 5spd, Rusty but trusty winter beater. 252k RIP.

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                              2
                              • B
                                B
                                B C
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #16

                                how many tanks of fuel have run through the engine?

                                1 Reply Last reply
                                0
                                • jc43089J
                                  jc43089J
                                  jc43089
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #17

                                  At 25mpg about 11000 gallons.  

                                  687.5 tanks at 16 gallons/tank, I think it is actually a little bigger than that.

                                  2/94 325i Sedan, Arctic Gray: UUC LTW FW, EVO 3 and DSSR, +.020 Maxsil pistons, ASC delete, Eibach shocks/springs, 16" contour reps 238k
                                  3/93 325i Coupe, Schwarz 2, Sketchy stance action, ebay turbo, 300k
                                  '89 325i Vert, Alpine White: 5spd swapped, sold.

                                  '04 Toyota Sienna: 24V to 24V swap in progress

                                  '05 Volvo V70R, 6spd.  200k
                                  '85 Toyota LandCruiser: Lifted, gas hog. 205k
                                  '99 Nissan Maxima: 5spd, Rusty but trusty winter beater. 252k RIP.

                                  1 Reply Last reply
                                  0
                                  • TkuhnT
                                    TkuhnT
                                    Tkuhn
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #18

                                    Snap said:

                                    how many tanks of fuel have run through the engine?

                                    Since this started about 2 tanks. One of which was under heavy abuse.

                                    1 Reply Last reply
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                                    • TkuhnT
                                      TkuhnT
                                      Tkuhn
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #19

                                      jc43089 said:

                                      I know it is a different engine but just for comparison.  My m50 smokes a little, Pretty sure it is ring blowby in my case because it smokes most under WOT.  The m50 has no catch can/ oil separator, it just goes from the valve cover to the intake manifold (stock) and the baffling in the valve cover is not good enough to keep oil from going with the air.  It has 275k on it so I don't feel it's abnormal.  It doesn't hang in the air like a diesel but it is a visible smoke on startup and when romping on it.  I don't keep great records but I think I add a quart every 1000-1500 miles, some is due to leaks though.  

                                      Compare to a 2 stroke engine.  Assuming 25mpg, 1k miles is 40 gallons of fuel, mixed 50:1 that is 3.2 quarts of oil per 1k miles.  You aren't near that much so I wouldn't think it would cause plug fouling problems.  A little lube for the cylinders is good anyway.  

                                      How's that for redneck engineering?

                                      Hahaha I don't disagree there, but to me it's abnormal for alot hanging smoke to be in the air after start up and at idle and when blipping the throttle. I went through a quart in one tank of gas, so something has to be wrong. After a good compression test result im leaning toward valve seals.

                                      1 Reply Last reply
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                                      • TkuhnT
                                        TkuhnT
                                        Tkuhn
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #20

                                        NOTE: while the car was running I removed the oil cap and got the hissing noise as I removed it. Meaning the crank case is under a fair amount of pressure. From research this means the CCV failed, but I have no CCV. Thoughts on that?

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                                        • JeffJ
                                          JeffJ
                                          Jeff
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #21

                                          I would be checking to see if you have any broken ccv hoses first.

                                          1976 530i e12
                                          1990 325ix e30
                                          1992 325i e36
                                          1995 740il e38
                                          2001 330xi e46
                                          ^More to come :)

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