When I put the swap in my E46 sedan, the engine had 155k miles on it, I should've replaced the bearings while it was out, I didn't, it spun a bearing at 160k with me abusing it everyday and 5k miles on the oil 🤣 crank was still good, grinded down, stress relieved then straightened at Castillos Crankshaft, Joe is the guy to talk to, and went .0025 under bearings. After that I sent it to WPC treatment and it's been 20k miles of daily abuse and it's still solid AF.
This was the most famous M3 among all the M cars. It was just way ahead of any sports coupe/sedan at the time. The subsequent V8 and then turbocharged L6 was heavy, and wasn't really a stand out compared to other cars. These BMWs aren't so special anymore.
Great video! Had the check engine light on my 2003 M3 and local BMW mechanic couldn't figure it out. We knew an O2 sensor was bad but exhaust leak maybe caused it. Ended up taking to the BMW Stealership. Replaced 02 sensor and they determined the vanos solenoid pack was faulted and wanted to replace the entire vanos for $3,600. I knew it didn't have the Death rattle so mechanically it was ok. I bought a rebuilt solenoid body from Dr Vanos for $260 with improved O rings and problem solved in 45 minutes. probably gained 30 hp and the hesitation around 3,000 rpms was gone. At least I found out from the Stealership it was originally an SMG transmission that was converted to a 6 speed manual. I have more money in it than it's worth but at least I don't have an $80,000 car in the garage that only performs as well and isn't as much fun!
I drive a S54 daily and after I did the Vanos (Beisan) and the subframe it's been solid and just awesome to daily! It's like the car that's exacly what you wanted a car to be if you could make yourself a car. Now I need MO POWA! LOL.
There are several BMW factory specific tools and procedures - beyond just the cam alignment pins that make timing the cams a very straight forward and reliably/one and done process. There more than one bridge/pin fixtures tools along with electrical VANOS switching tools that are used for cam timing/VANOS removal/install process. Although not cheap, the use of the proper tools and procedures will make life much easier and reliable in the long run - the release and removal of the camshafts from the bearing caps is quicker/safer/easier using the BMW camshaft supporting tool.
I just found out this nice video about a week before I'm gonna swap S54 in E32. It was rebuilt about 10k kms ago, but still makes me think was it proper. Definitely I'm planning to do a entire cross-check of everything you mentioned in video before supercharging it.
Supercharged e23? Sounds like a good time! We've got a similar plan for an e23 of our own. If you're interested, subscribe and you might see it happen!
@@DENVERBEERANDOIL I had originally as a plan to swap in S85 V10, since it is 7 series and has a plenty of room under the bonnet. But pandemics kept me from going to another country to buy an M5 so I ended up with this solution S54 and a supercharger in near future.
Great video lads. Very informative. The S54 is a masterpiece.... I've done 60k miles in various e46 m3s over the years. An N54 swap in a e30 would be a right weapon had a E82 135 full bird's conversion (UK bmw tuning company) running 420bhp. That in a e30 chassis would be a monster car.
We rebuilt my friends s54 after a valve snapped in half fell into the cylinder the broke again and shot straight through the head and we searched for hours for a rebuild video but i geuss youtube didnt want to show me this awesome video.
@@DENVERBEERANDOIL well 6 hours before the engine blew we fixed the trans after it snapper in half and 2 weeks after we fixed the engine the rear diff exploded into pieces and now it just sits in a field sadly
its not that hard at all. just requires the right tools to set timing. I rebuilt mine and it was my first time rebuilding an engine. so far it has 6k miles on it and hasn't exploded lol. But compared to lets say a 2JZ... yes this engine is more complicated LOL
You guys defenetly caught my atention with this engine rebuild, i am curently rebuilding my engine because my M was totaled and i will be using as much as possible on a e46 sedan i have. So i will be paying close atention to this build as well as your channell.
Sad to hear your car got totaled, but way to make it live on. I am doing a similar thing this weekend everything, and I mean everything besides body panels, from a wrecked M3 into a 330ci compe. We will film it and probably upload it. So you might find it helpful. -Chris
Chelsea does have a crazy built S54 in a 318ti. They weren't just lying around, too bad motors to build 1 good one for Wills e30 M3. We appreciate the love. -C
Thanks for the s54 tear down walk through. Just wanted to add that vanos runs at 115 bar, not 150,000 psi. Also he was talking about the cam timing being off but I don’t think he realized he had the vanos half pulled out also.
@@DENVERBEERANDOIL Thanks man, that S54 just seems so complex to me. If I had experience with them, it would be my main choice no doubt. I just have more experience with ls motors and they are stupid simple to fix and work on, so imma just go with what I know for now. Lol.. I'll always respect that S54 tho, its a beast 😎 For the right person with the right tools and knowledge about these S54's they can't go wrong. 😎
1500 PSI on the oil pressure for vanos I'm in the process of changing out a bad timing chain tensioner that's only has 10 K FYI if you really want to know timing chain tensioner is functioning properly Add a torx app look at your advanced timing it should never be under 21 point five at idle mine drop down to 5 degrees tensioner also you'll hear tapping at Cold startup and kind of a rumbling like a marbling at idle easy fix sometimes it's just hard to diagnose
All the talk about vanos and the chain guide breaking, but no mention of the exhaust hub tabs breaking and no mention of Beisan Systems that provides parts for rebuilding the vanos.
What is an exhaust hub tab. Also I didn't know Beisan made S54 vanos stuff, I just thought they made stuff for single vanos and M54 stuff. Appreciate any new knowledge.
@@DENVERBEERANDOIL The exhaust hub is the part that drives the vanos pump, which you referred to in your video. The hub has two tabs that fit into the corresponding holes in the pump. The holes are too large, inexplicably by design, resulting in resonant vibration which eventually causes one or both of the tabs to sheer off. If you're lucky, the broken tabs stay in place. If you're unlucky, a tab will fall out and get wedged between the timing chain and the cylinder head, resulting in a catastrophic engine failure. Beisan's fix for this problem is to drill two new smaller holes in the pump disk, reducing the clearance and eliminating the problem. Beisan also offers other parts and recommendations to further improve the vanos unit. Anyone that wants to properly take care of an S54 should do all of their recommended fixes. If you visit M3 Forum, you will find lots of threads about this, including my own. Also, not to nitpick, but your comment about that particular engine being mis-timed is not correct. Cam timing is measured by setting the engine at TDC AND retarding both cams. Then and only then, can you measure the timing. If you remove the vanos unit from an engine, there is no guarantee that either or both of the cams will be fully retarded, so they will appear to be mis-timed. There are lots of wrong ways and only a few right ways to correctly time the cams. Beisan has a very detailed procedure which if you follow EXACTLY, you will end up with perfectly timed cams the first time.
Dude !!! 4:18 top left corner, what a spot to take a nap....i`m sure it like floating in the sky.....but one day you`ll fall asleep and take a flight LIKE NEWTONS APPLE...
Honestly the prices have dropped quite a bit, of course high price means better maintained for the most part. And if you love learning about them, then im sure you would be able to maintain it yourself and save a bunch of money. They are relatively easy cars to work on and have a huge amount of guides online with a great community who will lend you the specialized tools when needed. You should definetly get one if the opportunity reveals itself!
Garageaholic is currently swapping an N54 into an E30 touring. He's got a great channel and has all the ECU stuff worked out from doing an N54 into an E36 M3 recently. Also has a sick E30 S62 swap that rips.
Impressive video! Very knowledgeable 👏 Would be great to hear you explain how similar the design of this engine is to the V12 (or half of the V12) S70 that BMW created for the McLaren F1. I’m led to believe the S70 started out as two e36 3.2 evo engines (which preceded this one) that were mated together to create the V12, and the design of this later model inline 6 was developed by more or less the same team. Would be great to hear someone like you explain how similar the S70 is to two S54s!
If it is anything like the m54 double vanos then i can't see clearly but with the vanos half way off i wouldn't expect the timing to look correct. You have to have on the vanos piston spacer tool installed so the pistons ( that in effect adjust the cam rotation) are pushed in the correct amount. Without that it could be out buy plus or minues 20 degrees ( if that is correct).
Dude you're such a typical mechanic, "Ok so final thing to do is take this off!" "Oh and then just finish with this one" "Wait, that's right its important to finish with this one!" "OK then so, oops! hang on a minute that's right this is a car engine! my bad bros, in actual fact the only thing that you need to remember is never listen to what I'm saying!" 😵 PS. Only mucking around dude I don't mean any malice so if it offended you I'll delete man. I watch all your stuff and always enjoy them✌✌👍👍👊👊
I think RUclips reads my thoughts. I’m buying an e30 in next couple of days and was watching bunch of videos. A lot of them being engine swaps. I had an e92 with n54 and was thinking, man that engine is already easy to make over 400hp with bolt ons and tune so wouldn’t be crazy expensive. I would love to see an e30 n54 swap!
Really great video of the S54! I heard at one point that the timing doesn't need to be so very exact because of the variable valve timing. It didn't sound right to me when I heard it. But I still don't quite get it even though I've rebuilt my vanos myself a few years back. Lol. (Beisan stuff). Still running great!
Yew more DBO vids and this time it is an s54 one!! tearing my S54 apart for a rebuild this summer. I spun a rod bearing at 119k miles (factory warranty changed them at 25k). I think the crank is fixable, not too much scoring and I didn't run it long once it started knocking, maybe an oversized bearing on that one. Wondering if the rod and cap are still ok to reuse? Also, any things I should do to the motor while it's all apart? Considering opening up the top end too, but debating if it's really needed on an OEM type rebuild. I was going to just flush the block and change the main bearings as well as the vanos rebuild. I am going to be pushing the motor on the track so maybe I should go for a full rebuild...
I'm rebuilding my S54 now from 2004 M3.. this is my rebuild config: JE Pro Seal 11.5:1 CR Forged Pistons, Molnar Billet 4340 H-Beam Con Rods w/ ARP bolts, King Racing Rod & Main line bearings, ARP studs main line & cyl head, JE Pro Seal cut/cooper ring head gasket. Crankshaft is being brought into the shop come Monday to be re-polished due to scoring on x3 main bearing journals, block is also being brought in for; complete clean/degrease & re-paint job, deck, bore, hone w/ plateau brushing, ensuring a torque plate is used during bore. Cyl head has already been de-greased & skimmed. DME/ECU tuning to occur post-reassembly using K+DCAN & BMWFlash. Goal is to bulletproof motor for supercharger application to 600HP conservatively down the road, but under N/A configuration be as durable and as high performing as possible. Cooling also bulletproofed w/ Mishimoto alum radiator w/ silicone hoses + electric fan w/ NPT + performance oil cooler. Valve job to be performed upon re-assembly. Perf mods AFE Stage 2 intake + Megan Racing catless headers + Status Gruppe sec 1 rasp eliminators + sec 2 unresonated X-pipe + DNA muffler, along w/ full suspension refresh (Bilstein B6 shocks, H&R springs, strut bars & adjustable end links/control arms, poly bushings thru-out + IRP 80A poly engine & trans mounts) already performed, solid steering coupler, new Sumitomo P02 tires.. DKM clutch kit w/ single mass flywheel conversion & upgraded organic clutch disk.. Really can't wait to get the rebuild completed.. she's going to be an absolute beast! Hope you get yours rebuild successfully also!
Denver Beer & Oil it wasn’t very hard either, pulled the old motor, and trans, dropped in LS1 and t56 without pulling the front clip off, had drive shaft made, and did some trimming for the shifter. I did it on jack stands in my 2 car garage and had it driving in about 2-3 weeks
Hey I noticed that a few people (or a lot LOL) haven't really done their valve adjustments or shimming their valves. I too am guilty of this as I just haven't dove into buying a kit. The previous owner claimed he'd done it what would now be 35,000km's ago. So way over due. Maybe YOU could do a video on this and where and how to get the tools to do it safely and stuff N junk? Thanks and looking forward to more S54 content big time!
I still really don’t understand how these engines rev so goddamn high dude like it honestly makes no goddamn sense if I’m honest like is it just that smooth or something I feel like I’m missing a lot right now 😂😂
"Cracked" rods are actually made from Powered metal and rather 'broken' in a jig.. Mahle makes them the Pistons and Valves. Pistons are forged from M124 alloy pucks.
I like the s54...but to build it into an E28 who you wanna use every single day its a no go Especially if you hear what the maintenance of these motors is... But nice engines for the fun....😃😃
If ur e30 m3 still has the orginal motor PLEASE don't. I'll give u my e36 to do WHATEVER swap u want. PLEASE keep the e30 m3 stock,that car is PERFECTION AS IS!!!!!
Guys, I thought when you remove the cams you can fully unwind any of the nuts that are on the cylinders where the lobes are not engaged. Speeds up the process but you need to make sure the cam does not rotate
Rod bearings can be done pretty inexpensively, especially out of the car. Timing chain and tensioner can be a little more cumbersome, but very important if you don't know the history of the engine.
No, absolutely not. Later models don't really have the rod bearing issues, and many of the early ones have already been taken care of from the factory. Just do your homework, it's much cheaper than a rebuild.
@@MikeyAntonakakis They certainly do. They are a wear item and need to be replaced at regular intervals. There is no such thing as a lifetime fix. Just the other week i replaced the motor on a 2005 M3 that ejected a rod at 130k miles. I also did rod bearings not long ago on an 06 that were definitely due(they were into copper). The S65 and S85 are also notorious for their rod bearings wearing. I did an S85 rod bearing job in the summer and they were done at 84k miles.
I just bought a 1970 BMW 2002 widebody (turbo replica) with this s54 motor and a straight cut dogbox trans. The motor apparently did the exact same think...I was told it started knocking and smoking and eventually just froze. I got the car home earlier this week. As an amature with no shop and a budget what should I do? Should I tear the engine apart or just buy a long block any start from there? What should I look out for when building if I plan on boost later? Can I fix the crank bearing problems or vanos problems while I am in there or are they just defects of the design? 2014 is 350 2016 rx 350 1987 944 turbo 1970 bmw 2002 2006 R6
If you can find a running engine for less than $4k with less than 150k miles. I would do that. If the crank is messed up on yours, it will get expensive quick.
@@DENVERBEERANDOIL I am tearing it apart now. there are metal shavings all in the oil I drained. Hopefully know more later on today. Where is a good place for a long block if need be? Is there a way to build these to where crank bearings and vanos wont be a problem in the future?
![Stromae, Pomme - “Ma Meilleure Ennemie” (from Arcane Season 2) [Official Visualizer]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/1F3OGIFnW1k/mqdefault.jpg)
When I put the swap in my E46 sedan, the engine had 155k miles on it, I should've replaced the bearings while it was out, I didn't, it spun a bearing at 160k with me abusing it everyday and 5k miles on the oil 🤣 crank was still good, grinded down, stress relieved then straightened at Castillos Crankshaft, Joe is the guy to talk to, and went .0025 under bearings. After that I sent it to WPC treatment and it's been 20k miles of daily abuse and it's still solid AF.
Hell yeah, great info
Fuck yeah dudes, stoked for some bmw learnin.
When BMW was still BMW.
Still is...
Khumo Matlakane not even close. When the F80 M3 shares its engine with other models, it’s no longer special.
Ride Catch is it though.. cause the M4 is technically the coupe M3
True
This was the most famous M3 among all the M cars. It was just way ahead of any sports coupe/sedan at the time.
The subsequent V8 and then turbocharged L6 was heavy, and wasn't really a stand out compared to other cars. These BMWs aren't so special anymore.
5 yrs later this is still
Coming in handy! Thank you! Have to rewatch and take notes!!
The labeling on the camcaps is E for "Einlass" and A for "Auslass"
Just in case you wanted to know :D
a is for auspuff
@@n3on_face659 No its not.
“Manually adjust valves every 15k”
Me sitting here with my s54 with 109k miles that Has probably never had the valves adjusted.
You are missing out on some power.
Lol had mine till 230k miles
Get it done.. it’s not a hard DIY at all
Get it done. It’ll feel like a completely different car
It’s every 30k miles. I’ve had it done 2 time. It’s part of inspection 2.
Great video! Had the check engine light on my 2003 M3 and local BMW mechanic couldn't figure it out. We knew an O2 sensor was bad but exhaust leak maybe caused it. Ended up taking to the BMW Stealership. Replaced 02 sensor and they determined the vanos solenoid pack was faulted and wanted to replace the entire vanos for $3,600. I knew it didn't have the Death rattle so mechanically it was ok. I bought a rebuilt solenoid body from Dr Vanos for $260 with improved O rings and problem solved in 45 minutes. probably gained 30 hp and the hesitation around 3,000 rpms was gone. At least I found out from the Stealership it was originally an SMG transmission that was converted to a 6 speed manual. I have more money in it than it's worth but at least I don't have an $80,000 car in the garage that only performs as well and isn't as much fun!
Love this shit.. You could feed me this information all day long and id never get bored of it lmfaooo
That was a very informative explanation guys very cool learned something new today thanks
Glad you enjoyed it man!
DBO Where are you guys located? I need a good mechanic here in southern Cali.
Denver.... BUT if you have something cool we like to travel and make friends... Haha
Amazing how to, after this I would be able to this myself. Even with my only basic wrenching skills.
I drive a S54 daily and after I did the Vanos (Beisan) and the subframe it's been solid and just awesome to daily! It's like the car that's exacly what you wanted a car to be if you could make yourself a car. Now I need MO POWA! LOL.
I have both an E52 and a E24,and I have rebuilt both of those engines. The quality is absolutely superb.
Also came on 01-02 Z3M and 06-08 Z4M
Loved mine in my '07 Z4MC
hitting the like 4 knowledgeable little documentary, also enthusiast guys only perform real art work, wish you guys a right path.
You my friend are awesome. Thank you for the comment.
I also thank! I like working without gloves, but take care of yourself! Further success! Regards, Frank
Thanks Frank
There are several BMW factory specific tools and procedures - beyond just the cam alignment pins that make timing the cams a very straight forward and reliably/one and done process. There more than one bridge/pin fixtures tools along with electrical VANOS switching tools that are used for cam timing/VANOS removal/install process. Although not cheap, the use of the proper tools and procedures will make life much easier and reliable in the long run - the release and removal of the camshafts from the bearing caps is quicker/safer/easier using the BMW camshaft supporting tool.
So good... it needs rod bearings every 50k. The s54 is still a legend, great video!
@Crooked Skate Supply Co awesome, however not typical/common
no they dont need doing every 50k, do some research before you spout shit
mine has 97K miles...original rod bearings. no issues...but will Blackstone next oil change to be sure
Great video- love my E46 M3- the engine certainly is a masterpiece
Master pain in the ass..
More like it..
I just found out this nice video about a week before I'm gonna swap S54 in E32. It was rebuilt about 10k kms ago, but still makes me think was it proper. Definitely I'm planning to do a entire cross-check of everything you mentioned in video before supercharging it.
Supercharged e23? Sounds like a good time! We've got a similar plan for an e23 of our own. If you're interested, subscribe and you might see it happen!
@@DENVERBEERANDOIL I had originally as a plan to swap in S85 V10, since it is 7 series and has a plenty of room under the bonnet. But pandemics kept me from going to another country to buy an M5 so I ended up with this solution S54 and a supercharger in near future.
Thanks I have an e46 M3 and learnt something :)
I did the "Bullet Proof VANOS" on my 04 M3 at 80K earlier this year. My cam chain tensioner shoe had very little wear on it.
Good to see BMW engines are appreciated by folk all over the world 🌎 🙌 I had a e46 and e92 the 335i was only stock but was best cars ive ever owner
Great video lads. Very informative. The S54 is a masterpiece.... I've done 60k miles in various e46 m3s over the years. An N54 swap in a e30 would be a right weapon had a E82 135 full bird's conversion (UK bmw tuning company) running 420bhp. That in a e30 chassis would be a monster car.
We rebuilt my friends s54 after a valve snapped in half fell into the cylinder the broke again and shot straight through the head and we searched for hours for a rebuild video but i geuss youtube didnt want to show me this awesome video.
That's a bummer, really glad you liked the video though. Hows his car now?
@@DENVERBEERANDOIL well 6 hours before the engine blew we fixed the trans after it snapper in half and 2 weeks after we fixed the engine the rear diff exploded into pieces and now it just sits in a field sadly
matt leger m3 power :)
this engine is really intimidating to rebuild
The timing is a pain, other than that is pretty easy because you only have to deal with 1 head.
its not that hard at all. just requires the right tools to set timing. I rebuilt mine and it was my first time rebuilding an engine. so far it has 6k miles on it and hasn't exploded lol.
But compared to lets say a 2JZ... yes this engine is more complicated LOL
It's incredible the complexity of this engine compared to an LS. Great engine overall just has to be meticulously maintained
You guys defenetly caught my atention with this engine rebuild, i am curently rebuilding my engine because my M was totaled and i will be using as much as possible on a e46 sedan i have. So i will be paying close atention to this build as well as your channell.
Sad to hear your car got totaled, but way to make it live on. I am doing a similar thing this weekend everything, and I mean everything besides body panels, from a wrecked M3 into a 330ci compe. We will film it and probably upload it. So you might find it helpful. -Chris
I’ve rewatched this video so many times 😂 great informational video
This guy makes me feel like I can do a whole rebuild just listening to him
Denver BMW and Oil ... I like it
Glad this video was recommended to me, would love to see more on this rebuild!
Happy you enjoyed it! Unfortunately we don’t have any s54 videos in the works, but we’ll be doing something this year hopefully
7900RPM. Mine was reprogrammed and dyno tuned (no cats) to rev to 8100RPM. Not much torque, but it really pulls after 5K RPM.
This guys is so perfectly "Denver". Great description, thanks a lot.
Didnt Chelsea Denofa put one of these in his 318ti drift car? And you just have 2 lying around? This Channel is CRAZY!!!!!
Chelsea does have a crazy built S54 in a 318ti. They weren't just lying around, too bad motors to build 1 good one for Wills e30 M3. We appreciate the love. -C
Thanks for the s54 tear down walk through. Just wanted to add that vanos runs at 115 bar, not 150,000 psi. Also he was talking about the cam timing being off but I don’t think he realized he had the vanos half pulled out also.
I have both engines s54 and n54 I personally think s54 a lot a better and reliable engine so I would definitely go with s54 swap into e30 m3!!
Thanks for helping me change my mind about doing a S54 swap to doing a LS3 swap in my Z3 😁 very informative video none the less.. I learned a lot 💯😎
Glad to help! You made the right decision!
@@DENVERBEERANDOIL Thanks man, that S54 just seems so complex to me. If I had experience with them, it would be my main choice no doubt.
I just have more experience with ls motors and they are stupid simple to fix and work on, so imma just go with what I know for now. Lol.. I'll always respect that S54 tho, its a beast 😎
For the right person with the right tools and knowledge about these S54's they can't go wrong. 😎
Great video! Keep up with the great content. Found your channel recently.
Dat Engine is Dope!
1500 PSI on the oil pressure for vanos I'm in the process of changing out a bad timing chain tensioner that's only has 10 K FYI if you really want to know timing chain tensioner is functioning properly Add a torx app look at your advanced timing it should never be under 21 point five at idle mine drop down to 5 degrees tensioner also you'll hear tapping at Cold startup and kind of a rumbling like a marbling at idle easy fix sometimes it's just hard to diagnose
Great info to know! cheers
Holy grail of BMW 6 Cylinders, Thanks for the video
what about the N55?
Keep on keepin on 🤘👍
Never worked on a S54, but I have replaced the single VANOS on my E36's M52, and yes, the getting the timing correct was a bit of a hassle.
more s54 content would be rad. subbed
Dammmm, this is super cool dude, keep them coming!
Top video again lads! Please make that N54 E30 M3 a thing, proper original content!
I got a e36 and engine swap it with a s54 and it came out so welllllll it’s worth it all
Good job, that's a big project.
How much did it cost u pls?
Tarak Alsafe depends the ecu on mine is fully tuned so I paid like 9k to get the engine only
Damn. You know a lot about the S54. My favorite ///M car.
All the talk about vanos and the chain guide breaking, but no mention of the exhaust hub tabs breaking and no mention of Beisan Systems that provides parts for rebuilding the vanos.
What is an exhaust hub tab. Also I didn't know Beisan made S54 vanos stuff, I just thought they made stuff for single vanos and M54 stuff. Appreciate any new knowledge.
@@DENVERBEERANDOIL The exhaust hub is the part that drives the vanos pump, which you referred to in your video. The hub has two tabs that fit into the corresponding holes in the pump. The holes are too large, inexplicably by design, resulting in resonant vibration which eventually causes one or both of the tabs to sheer off. If you're lucky, the broken tabs stay in place. If you're unlucky, a tab will fall out and get wedged between the timing chain and the cylinder head, resulting in a catastrophic engine failure. Beisan's fix for this problem is to drill two new smaller holes in the pump disk, reducing the clearance and eliminating the problem. Beisan also offers other parts and recommendations to further improve the vanos unit. Anyone that wants to properly take care of an S54 should do all of their recommended fixes. If you visit M3 Forum, you will find lots of threads about this, including my own. Also, not to nitpick, but your comment about that particular engine being mis-timed is not correct. Cam timing is measured by setting the engine at TDC AND retarding both cams. Then and only then, can you measure the timing. If you remove the vanos unit from an engine, there is no guarantee that either or both of the cams will be fully retarded, so they will appear to be mis-timed. There are lots of wrong ways and only a few right ways to correctly time the cams. Beisan has a very detailed procedure which if you follow EXACTLY, you will end up with perfectly timed cams the first time.
Dude !!! 4:18 top left corner, what a spot to take a nap....i`m sure it like floating in the sky.....but one day you`ll fall asleep and take a flight LIKE NEWTONS APPLE...
The algorithm suggested this vid, am I'm glad it did! Subscribed.
Really appreciate the support
Loved the video. I may never get to own one but i sure as hell love to learn about them. Keep up the great work.
Cheers man! Have you checked out our more recent video? we're putting an entire M3 everything into an e46 330CI
Honestly the prices have dropped quite a bit, of course high price means better maintained for the most part. And if you love learning about them, then im sure you would be able to maintain it yourself and save a bunch of money. They are relatively easy cars to work on and have a huge amount of guides online with a great community who will lend you the specialized tools when needed. You should definetly get one if the opportunity reveals itself!
Garageaholic is currently swapping an N54 into an E30 touring. He's got a great channel and has all the ECU stuff worked out from doing an N54 into an E36 M3 recently. Also has a sick E30 S62 swap that rips.
Im about to do preventative rod bearings in my e46 m3. But now i think im going to pull it completely and go through it.
Definitely a good idea
Impressive video! Very knowledgeable 👏
Would be great to hear you explain how similar the design of this engine is to the V12 (or half of the V12) S70 that BMW created for the McLaren F1. I’m led to believe the S70 started out as two e36 3.2 evo engines (which preceded this one) that were mated together to create the V12, and the design of this later model inline 6 was developed by more or less the same team. Would be great to hear someone like you explain how similar the S70 is to two S54s!
S54 rebuild doesn't sound so intimidating anymore 😅
If it is anything like the m54 double vanos then i can't see clearly but with the vanos half way off i wouldn't expect the timing to look correct. You have to have on the vanos piston spacer tool installed so the pistons ( that in effect adjust the cam rotation) are pushed in the correct amount. Without that it could be out buy plus or minues 20 degrees ( if that is correct).
Dude you're such a typical mechanic, "Ok so final thing to do is take this off!" "Oh and then just finish with this one" "Wait, that's right its important to finish with this one!" "OK then so, oops! hang on a minute that's right this is a car engine! my bad bros, in actual fact the only thing that you need to remember is never listen to what I'm saying!" 😵
PS. Only mucking around dude I don't mean any malice so if it offended you I'll delete man. I watch all your stuff and always enjoy them✌✌👍👍👊👊
Lol, man that's our ADD and abstract mechanic knowledge, tends to lead to some word vomit. Thanks for the comment and the support.
I think RUclips reads my thoughts. I’m buying an e30 in next couple of days and was watching bunch of videos. A lot of them being engine swaps. I had an e92 with n54 and was thinking, man that engine is already easy to make over 400hp with bolt ons and tune so wouldn’t be crazy expensive. I would love to see an e30 n54 swap!
Really great video of the S54! I heard at one point that the timing doesn't need to be so very exact because of the variable valve timing. It didn't sound right to me when I heard it. But I still don't quite get it even though I've rebuilt my vanos myself a few years back. Lol. (Beisan stuff). Still running great!
Damm your so smart it would be so awesome if you made a video about bmw e32 730i engine people call it bulletproof and amazing inline 6
You may have talked me out of a v8 swap in my e36 lol
Which v8?
@@DENVERBEERANDOIL What else ... Buick nail head lol
V8 in E36 not a good idea. You cant get it street legal w/o paying arm and a leg for the parts needed to make it street legal.
@@NilsJakobson thats bs
@@thepoldergoon No that isnt BS. Try to drop an M60 into E36 chasis w/o buying certified engine mounts and have it street legal.
Yew more DBO vids and this time it is an s54 one!! tearing my S54 apart for a rebuild this summer. I spun a rod bearing at 119k miles (factory warranty changed them at 25k). I think the crank is fixable, not too much scoring and I didn't run it long once it started knocking, maybe an oversized bearing on that one. Wondering if the rod and cap are still ok to reuse? Also, any things I should do to the motor while it's all apart? Considering opening up the top end too, but debating if it's really needed on an OEM type rebuild. I was going to just flush the block and change the main bearings as well as the vanos rebuild. I am going to be pushing the motor on the track so maybe I should go for a full rebuild...
Feel free to get in touch with us by emailing at milehigheuros@gmail.com and I'd be happy to answer any questions I can! -W
I'm rebuilding my S54 now from 2004 M3.. this is my rebuild config: JE Pro Seal 11.5:1 CR Forged Pistons, Molnar Billet 4340 H-Beam Con Rods w/ ARP bolts, King Racing Rod & Main line bearings, ARP studs main line & cyl head, JE Pro Seal cut/cooper ring head gasket.
Crankshaft is being brought into the shop come Monday to be re-polished due to scoring on x3 main bearing journals, block is also being brought in for; complete clean/degrease & re-paint job, deck, bore, hone w/ plateau brushing, ensuring a torque plate is used during bore. Cyl head has already been de-greased & skimmed. DME/ECU tuning to occur post-reassembly using K+DCAN & BMWFlash. Goal is to bulletproof motor for supercharger application to 600HP conservatively down the road, but under N/A configuration be as durable and as high performing as possible.
Cooling also bulletproofed w/ Mishimoto alum radiator w/ silicone hoses + electric fan w/ NPT + performance oil cooler. Valve job to be performed upon re-assembly. Perf mods AFE Stage 2 intake + Megan Racing catless headers + Status Gruppe sec 1 rasp eliminators + sec 2 unresonated X-pipe + DNA muffler, along w/ full suspension refresh (Bilstein B6 shocks, H&R springs, strut bars & adjustable end links/control arms, poly bushings thru-out + IRP 80A poly engine & trans mounts) already performed, solid steering coupler, new Sumitomo P02 tires.. DKM clutch kit w/ single mass flywheel conversion & upgraded organic clutch disk..
Really can't wait to get the rebuild completed.. she's going to be an absolute beast! Hope you get yours rebuild successfully also!
I'd lap the valves and measure everything from seats to springs.
Even though I already LS1 swapped my M Roadster, I still found this to be a great video
Man I bet that LS roadster rips
Denver Beer & Oil it’s a lot of fun for sure!
Denver Beer & Oil it wasn’t very hard either, pulled the old motor, and trans, dropped in LS1 and t56 without pulling the front clip off, had drive shaft made, and did some trimming for the shifter. I did it on jack stands in my 2 car garage and had it driving in about 2-3 weeks
Thanks guys. I've had an e36 for 12 years I've been sitting on. Gonna pop this engine in it.
Do it!
Hey I noticed that a few people (or a lot LOL) haven't really done their valve adjustments or shimming their valves. I too am guilty of this as I just haven't dove into buying a kit. The previous owner claimed he'd done it what would now be 35,000km's ago. So way over due. Maybe YOU could do a video on this and where and how to get the tools to do it safely and stuff N junk? Thanks and looking forward to more S54 content big time!
Great video, I deal mainly with diesels but trying to learn something new, thanks for sharing
I had an m44 and it had piston squirters on em. Super dope
A Miata B6ZE and BP engine has this ...
First time watcher!
Not into BMWs, but appreciate good engineering.
Great delivery and easy to take in.
🤜🏼🤛🏼😎🇦🇺🍀🎄🎅🏻
Cheers man!
"Not into BMWs, but I appreciate good engineering" BMW= Good engineering! haha (But Very* complex, and a pain in the ass at times)
First time viewing ur vid. So awesome because tons of information...have subbed
Happy to hear that! Welcome!
Awesome engine...I own one and it’s just great, but yes, you need to maintain it. If that’s not your thing, don’t bother.
Exactly this
I feel like any BMW is like that. yeah, Very nice engine though!! I have the N55, is that reliable?
Rad stuff guys!
I still really don’t understand how these engines rev so goddamn high dude like it honestly makes no goddamn sense if I’m honest like is it just that smooth or something I feel like I’m missing a lot right now 😂😂
Thanks for this! I have a e46 ///3 & I ❤️ this video.
Hell yeah
Timely video for me to watch, as I am about to build an S54 swapped 5er :D
What chassis 5er?
@@DENVERBEERANDOIL Still deciding between E28 and E34.
@@PavelVasilev I'm parting out my E60, if you're in Cali hit me up
"Cracked" rods are actually made from Powered metal and rather 'broken' in a jig.. Mahle makes them the Pistons and Valves. Pistons are forged from M124 alloy pucks.
Awesome video!
I like the s54...but to build it into an E28 who you wanna use every single day its a no go
Especially if you hear what the maintenance of these motors is...
But nice engines for the fun....😃😃
Awesome! You deserve way more subs!
Thank you!
Great video. Good Information
If i remember correctly intake is 60 degrees total and exhaust it 45.
If ur e30 m3 still has the orginal motor PLEASE don't. I'll give u my e36 to do WHATEVER swap u want. PLEASE keep the e30 m3 stock,that car is PERFECTION AS IS!!!!!
Great video
Very informative thank you
Dude that was pretty cool. Thanks.
Guys, I thought when you remove the cams you can fully unwind any of the nuts that are on the cylinders where the lobes are not engaged. Speeds up the process but you need to make sure the cam does not rotate
weird to have itbs and then go fly by wire vs physical throttle cable like the s38
there isa guy here in Napa California that has successfully swapped a N54 into an e30, I dont know the guy but there is a vid up somewhere
yeah, since this video has dropped there's been a ton of swaps into the e30s. Garagaholic swapped an n54 into a touring, really good series!
I really never understood what made this engine so desirable till now but now I think I know why 😂😂
Also came in z3 m roadster/ coupe and z4 roadster/ couple.
Oil cooled exhaust!!!!! See this is the shit the guys never teach in mechanics class 😂😂
Nice!!! What the max these blocks can take?? The m50 dies at 700 or so can these be more reliable at 1000 hp if i delete the vanos??
Mind blown 🤯🤯🤯
Awesome!!!!
S54 weighs how much though? Still love the engine but power to weight just curious
It weighs about 340lbs fully dressed, not that much more than an s50
nice job man
So basically if you get a used E46 M3 you'll probably have to invest in a engine rebuild.
Rod bearings can be done pretty inexpensively, especially out of the car. Timing chain and tensioner can be a little more cumbersome, but very important if you don't know the history of the engine.
No, absolutely not. Later models don't really have the rod bearing issues, and many of the early ones have already been taken care of from the factory. Just do your homework, it's much cheaper than a rebuild.
@@MikeyAntonakakis They certainly do. They are a wear item and need to be replaced at regular intervals. There is no such thing as a lifetime fix. Just the other week i replaced the motor on a 2005 M3 that ejected a rod at 130k miles. I also did rod bearings not long ago on an 06 that were definitely due(they were into copper).
The S65 and S85 are also notorious for their rod bearings wearing. I did an S85 rod bearing job in the summer and they were done at 84k miles.
Vroom vroom haha nice puns😂😂
I just bought a 1970 BMW 2002 widebody (turbo replica) with this s54 motor and a straight cut dogbox trans.
The motor apparently did the exact same think...I was told it started knocking and smoking and eventually just froze. I got the car home earlier this week. As an amature with no shop and a budget what should I do? Should I tear the engine apart or just buy a long block any start from there? What should I look out for when building if I plan on boost later? Can I fix the crank bearing problems or vanos problems while I am in there or are they just defects of the design?
2014 is 350
2016 rx 350
1987 944 turbo
1970 bmw 2002
2006 R6
If you can find a running engine for less than $4k with less than 150k miles. I would do that. If the crank is messed up on yours, it will get expensive quick.
@@DENVERBEERANDOIL I am tearing it apart now. there are metal shavings all in the oil I drained. Hopefully know more later on today. Where is a good place for a long block if need be? Is there a way to build these to where crank bearings and vanos wont be a problem in the future?
Most likely that material is rod bearings. Ebay is good or just local bmw parts people, try craigslist and facebook.
the oil is put in for storage.