As I have the mounting sorted now on the S54 so I can use original sump and oil-pump and things. I'm thinking if I should just replace the big-end bearings with something a little better and ARP bolts or replace the whole lot with mains and all pending the bearings in it are of the new design.
Or just replace the whole lot with standard bolts and bearings but I'd like to uprate at least some of it considering the car will be tracked.
Any opinions on whats best?
Bottom end uprated bearings
Moderator: martauto
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DanThe
- E30 Zone Team Member
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Are the shells the revised type? If not then they need changing IMO. TBH I dont think there is any need to use ARP bolts, they fcked up enough with E36's in that department so id have thought they got it right with the S54 
Must check the casting number again to make and cross-reference the engine number to be certain but I'm pretty sure its a late '03 lump.
So you think just get a new gasket and throw its own sump back on again and leave the bottom end un-touched.
Engine will be seeing about 8000rpm at full tilt sideways probably every time its driven so thats why I was wanting to be sure as its now or never really before it goes into the car.
So you think just get a new gasket and throw its own sump back on again and leave the bottom end un-touched.
Engine will be seeing about 8000rpm at full tilt sideways probably every time its driven so thats why I was wanting to be sure as its now or never really before it goes into the car.
M42 rightness above 6500rpm, nobody can hear you scream
pre 3/2003 bolts were 11mm post 3/2003 are 10mm.worth checking if u do decide to get them,i know they are available from geoff steel racing for £12+vat each (arp rod bolts) that is. The bmw staff technical engine guide does say several times under no circumstances should the rod bolts be changed without replacing the con rods, and that this only applies to the s54 engine,but everyone i speak to including geoff steel say they replace the bolts with the arp,s and have had no problems. vac motorsport in the usa do a replacement uprated oil pump offering increased flow/ preassure over the standard pump and can do an uprated spindle and pulley thats designed to eliminate the spindle breaking or nut coming off under hard use.They also dismiss the standard s54 oil cooler as not up to the job and do an uprated larger version. Just a couple of things to consider if your cars gonna see a lot of track action,good luck.
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GermanGorilla
- E30 Zone Regular
- Posts: 528
- Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2005 11:00 pm
Hi,
The standard S54 Rod bolts are fine
if your going to stay south of 7750 rpm.
If your going to start pulling near on 8000 rpm
a lot, then I would advise you fit ARP or similar.
The standard S54 Rod bolts start to stretch a lot
more at over 7750 rpm or above.
This increase in 'stretch' is what allows the bottom
end to let go.
It was also mainly the 11mm big end bolted engines that
the recall was on, those engines manufactures
between Feb 01 to June 03.
The really interesting thing is that a number of really
early engines 2000/2001 seem to always make much
better Dyno numbers than the later engines in
standard.
Its the same for the SMG software, BMW soon realised
that the SMG on the early cars was ripping out the
drivetrain, so the SMG upgrade 'softens' the gearshifts
so as to reduce the load transmitted through the
drivetrain.
Hey Uwe, how is your project going ? are you close ?
Interested to see any updated pics.
Regards,
The Gorilla.
The standard S54 Rod bolts are fine
if your going to stay south of 7750 rpm.
If your going to start pulling near on 8000 rpm
a lot, then I would advise you fit ARP or similar.
The standard S54 Rod bolts start to stretch a lot
more at over 7750 rpm or above.
This increase in 'stretch' is what allows the bottom
end to let go.
It was also mainly the 11mm big end bolted engines that
the recall was on, those engines manufactures
between Feb 01 to June 03.
The really interesting thing is that a number of really
early engines 2000/2001 seem to always make much
better Dyno numbers than the later engines in
standard.
Its the same for the SMG software, BMW soon realised
that the SMG on the early cars was ripping out the
drivetrain, so the SMG upgrade 'softens' the gearshifts
so as to reduce the load transmitted through the
drivetrain.
Hey Uwe, how is your project going ? are you close ?
Interested to see any updated pics.
Regards,
The Gorilla.
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jaistanley
- E30 Zone Addict
- Posts: 2517
- Joined: Tue Jan 18, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Coventry and Essex
I'd personally put a new set of standard shells in and fit ARP bolts; especially if you are entertaining the idea of 8K rpm... The load on the rod bearing is proportional to the square of the engine rotational speed so that extra few hundred RPM has a big impact on your bottom end (oooer...).
Jai
Jai
Yep, suffered enough of rotational mass calculations between applied maths in school and then in college to realise what a few extra rpm will do to my bottom end :p
Think I'll go with new bearings to be on the safe side and some bolts as it'll be piece of mind and if I don't do them I'll always wonder should I have done them or not and wondering are they ok when I'm hoping off the near 8K at full chat
I'm just worried it'll end up a case of... Hmmm, maybe I should get the better oil-pump now while I'm at it and this and that.
Pricing bolts and bearings for it tomorrow anyway
Anybody have any idea what the set of ARP bolts for them cost?
Think I'll go with new bearings to be on the safe side and some bolts as it'll be piece of mind and if I don't do them I'll always wonder should I have done them or not and wondering are they ok when I'm hoping off the near 8K at full chat
I'm just worried it'll end up a case of... Hmmm, maybe I should get the better oil-pump now while I'm at it and this and that.
Pricing bolts and bearings for it tomorrow anyway
Anybody have any idea what the set of ARP bolts for them cost?
M42 rightness above 6500rpm, nobody can hear you scream