The spreadsheet is here: goo.gl/318rWL
I began my rebuild when I did a compression test and noticed I had poor compression in cylinders 2-6 (about 142 psi, the bottom of the service limit). Cylinder 1 had 160 psi. A leakdown test showed leakage into each adjacent cylinder. Of course my engine also had the oil consumption problem (1 quart every 1000 miles) that every M54 engine has, which is caused by the oil rings which wear down prematurely (the M52TU used different oil rings which did not have this problem). There was also coolant loss, which I didn't measure precisely.
To see all the videos in the #m54rebuild series: • M54 Engine Rebuild Pro...
To view all the specs and torques and costs for BMW M54/M52TU engines: goo.gl/jLvcgR
This video is for entertainment purposes only. 50sKid assumes no liability for any repairs or modifications performed by the viewer as a result of the information contained in this video.
You made me buy my manual E46 330ci two years ago. I did everything DIY including OFHG, Cooling system, Vanos, Disa, oil separator, O2pilot, Handbrake, and mamy other things using your videos. Thank you!
I know it is pretty randomly asking but does anyone know of a good site to stream newly released movies online?
@Alex Kobe i watch on Flixzone. You can find it on google =)
Very well done. Yo you come across as a person like myself, always trying to move up on the learning curve. I’ve learned a lot about my BMW 325i 2003 with a M54 E46 configuration. Now that I’m 75 and retired from IBM I plan on doing all my service work as a hobby. I kindly Thank You for all the positive useful information.
Thank you for the compliment!
hey guys not sure if you can give some input. I have 2 Beamers a 2001 325ci (M54) and my old 2000 328i (M52). The M54 was cheaply bought for 800 and is a 5 speed. Would all of the mechanical components fit ino the 328i shell? do i need to find any parts that are "longer" since the motor/trans and all drivetrain is coming from a 2 door to a 4 door? I plan on throwing money on his beast!
Man ! Thats a great project !!! Congratulations ! Keep us updated how its going
Victor Claas If you are in the uk and you need any help.. Let me know.. Its my hobby too, in the good times when the cash flows, (it does not flow at this time though, lol) And im really bored in this lockdown..
Hello sir, if you still have your e46 and need an extra hand sometime im in Ohio and would love to help if you’re close
I'm Thai.My Eiglish language not well but you can made me understand step by step. Your are instructor and e46 profesional for me.
Thank you so much 50sKid for all your work, passion and time. I have a “new“ 2004 330ci that needs lots of stuff done on it. You are a an incredible help for all us BMW heads!! Greeting from Germany! Vielen Dank!
Your BMW e46 videos rock. Thanks for putting all that effort and detail in them. This is one of my favorite channels in KZhead.
Greetins from Brazil, i have to say, this bmw rebuild engine is by far one of the best series of mechanics videos on YT, you got a subscriber. keep up on the good work!
Thank you!! I’ve been wanting to rebuild my 3.0 but was hesitant because it felt like a thousand steps I had no clue about. This was an awesome series!
Subscribed after hours and hours of watching your videos. Thank you for all your help. Most of the repairs I did myself but sometimes I needed your help. Thanks again...
You sir are a Legend! Your support has helped me take the plunge and I am loving your content. Thank you so much for making this kind of effort to share this stuff with us. I really appreciate your efforts, you deliver excellent tutorials.
The best tutorial video for BMW so far. Keep up the good work sir..
I am currently rebuilding my 2001 530i with the M54 engine. It has been quite a journey and I have followed along with you throughout by build. You and I have similar issues going on so I found it entertaining to watch you go about your build. Thank you 50's kid for the everything and I would like to hear your car run and possibly a 0 to 60 mph video???
Thanks for watching. I gotta try to borrow some gopros maybe.
E60 525i 6speed misfire faults when the car get warm I did smoke test compression test went test check for vacuum leaks I don't know what to do next replace this parts CCV ,MAC, idle control valve, coils,?only on idle if the clutch is compressed no misfire fault ?
We're you able to retorque the head bolts without stripping the threads during the torque process?
Thank you for these videos man, you a e46 GOD!
Your videos are going to make history 50sKid :)
Hats off to you Sir! you have my respect and admiration!
You're the man for doing this. I sold my e46 325i last autumn because in Canada major DIYs are impossible because we don't have any parts here and so shipping is cost-prohibitive. The only affordable DIYs I ever did were the rear coil springs, brake caliper clips, and widshield cowl. Basically if you're not in the U.S. and you want a bimmer you have to lease so you get a new one every couple years before the nightmares begin. It's a shame.
I'm picking up an e46 this weekend for 1k. Has a bent rod so gonna swap the drivetrain, looking to do a full rebuild and turn it into a track car over the next couple months. So excited that I found this series!
50s kid I love you bro thank you I’ve been watching a lot of your vids lately and everyone is right what they say about you your the best on youtube
Thanks for this video series, it’s helped me a lot on my 323i overhaul. Subscribed on this vid, but should have sooner.
Wow! You are an awesome instructor! You're videos are so easy to follow, you're like the Haynes book for BMW lol. I've had the first BMW I've ever driven 2002 BMW E39 530I/A M54 since July 27th, 2019. Since that time, I've become a diy mechanic (specifically only this year, make, model and engine). I have new parts still to install that I've collected, as well as tools. It took me 6 months of research before I dared to attempt any work on it, because there is no Haynes book for my car. Then I received my Bently book set as a Christmas gift that year, that's the extent of my mechanic experience. I have no shop, garage or car port because I live in side by side flats, so my kitchen has become a temporary storage for a lot of my tools until I organize my second bedroom. Anyway, thank you so much for your outstanding instruction. You are my go to person when I need extra courage to go at it. I noticed your Goonies shirt, the actual house that was used for that movie is here in Oregon and someone just bought it, was it you?
Great videos i've watched most of the rebuild process and really enjoyed it thanks for the content. Very helpful also as i'm sourcing an m52tub28 to rebuild and drop into my 318I shell.
Awesome work! Thanks for sharing 👍🏽
Thanks for all the information you have provided us very helpful
I am currently in the "putting back together" stage of my engine rebuild. I blew a hole in my engine block and it has been one heck of a ride since I decided to rebuild. I stumbled across your video and have all your videos for reference. I have my kindle setup on my toolbox and I follow along each step as you go. My costs have been getting steep, but it is much cheaper than a brand new engine and will give me more pride when I am done. Again, thank you for taking the time to show us your journey of rebuilding and describing what you are doing each step along the way.
Nice, good luck with it!
50sKid , you are the man. I meet you once at a junk yard in san berdino when I was looking for some parts. Because of your videos, I now want to do a rebuilt on my e46 engine.
Thanks man!
Any videos of the car up and running coming? I'm also curious if you plan to change any maintenance habits, like which fluids you use, since rebuilding the engine. Great videos man, I appreciate how you show your difficulties and don't make it all look easy on camera.
Hello friend, i recently brought a bmw for cheap with a miss which i plan to use your coil video to diagnose. I just want to thank you for the effort you put into your videos to help us. I was scared that i brought a lemon but you and your channel gives me comfort that im not in the dark and have AMAZING video's to turn to for help. Im on a major budget with little to no money to throw at un-needed items and i just cant thank you enough for you channel. Keep it up. Much appreciation from New Zealand!
good luck with the car!
Thanks will your help the cars running mint! Was a sparkplug :)
Really good video and thanks for the info u provide in your videos
Great video 50skid. Keep making those videos. The advice is priceless. I want to do a similar job on my car and if you say doing the bottom doesn't change much if the only issue is oil consumption I might as well skip that.
Best m54 video out by far
Thank you so much for this video series. I'm in the midst of rebuilding a junkyard motor, and it is in almost perfect shape. No bent rods, no blown head gasket, no nothing. I'm building this up to withstand a turbo at some point, along with the M56 valve cover and M50 intake manifold, but this wouldn't be possible if it wasn't for you describing every step of the way And if I'm ever in Cali, I'll buy you a beer :)
I’m halfway through pulling a junkyard b30 it’s had a lot of leaks so I don’t think too much maintenance was done. I also wanted to rebuild or build for boost but I’m a little hesitant. How did your rebuild go?
Funny, I’m doing the same job at the moment. But while you were telling that the chain guides are worn up or going to break, “mine” are just fine, in my opinion they are like brand new ones. They still feel very solid.
Very good information for BMW E46
thank you so mutch for all video´s lg.mike
Dude. You should be paid more. You are very thorough. Even when you make mistakes mid video you correct yourself and that makes me really trust you.
Awesome stuff man. btw just noticed for those interested Harbor Freight has the engine hoist on sale for $139. Too bad i live in Canada as we don't have HF up here. I didn't know you got it all done, how did it start? Did it fire up easily or take some time? Since my engine seized for sure i'll be spending a minimal of $2500. As I mentioned before my engine hydrolocked and something went boom. I imagine a connecting rod snapped or something. Going to start ripping it apart once the weather gets a bit warmer here. Thanks for your videos and hope you have backups just in case something happens. I'd be lost without them :)
I just bought a 2005 BMW E46 Black on Black clean body and am in the beginning rebuilding the Engine and Transmission also redoing the Suspension with Drifting Parts and new Brakes all the way around. Plan on putting a Turbo in a later date but am upgrading the Engine components top and bottom end to handle the Power. Found the Vanos Timing Tools for $73.49
Seems as though most of these comments are a few years old, and your rebuild was obviously 4 and a half years ago. But I'm a subscriber, so maybe you'll still see this. I learned so much from watching these videos (thank you so much), and found them because I was doing a complete rebuild myself. I wish I could say it turned out great, and it probably will, but I didn't get to run the engine for the first time today because I couldn't fill the coolant system. I was using a vacuum siphon system, and my first clue something was wrong was when I couldn't pull a vacuum on the system. I couldn't find an obvious leak, so I figured I'd find it by adding coolant. After about two quarts, I got a substantial leak from the front of the engine, and after taking the water pump pulley off (and a few other things) to get a view, I discovered the coolant is coming out from between the timing cover and the block just beside the pump (to the right of it looking at the engine from the front). I was able to use the vacuum system in reverse to allow me to blow on the coolant feed tube into the sealed system, and I can hear air blowing out at that location and I can feel it with my finger. I can see the gasket is in place, and I was able to drive the locating pin in easily, so the pin is not hanging up the cover creating a gap. I have no choice now but to drop the pan and pull the timing cover off to figure out why it is leaking there. That gasket is really, really thin paper. You installed yours dry, as did I. And yours obviously doesn't leak. I am really perplexed. My plan is to get it off, see if the cover is warped (I replaced just about everything else, but not the cover, and the machine shop temporarily installed it when they shaved the deck since it is part of the head gasket surface), or if there is some other explanation, and assuming not, just reinstall it with a good coat of permatex gasket sealant on either side of a new gasket. Any thoughts?
The gasket for the timing cover is stamped steel, not paper. It sounds like you may have gotten an aftermarket one? That might be the issue.
Great video with a lot of information. I may need a valve job for my 2006 E46. What exactly is done when a valve job is needed?
nice series man! well done, cheers from Buenos Aires!
Love the video. I've got a E46 325Ci that needs a M54 rebuild. Want to take on another project and what would you charge? :)
That shirt is awesome
For gaskets use geniune stuff. BMW's gaskets are more consistent. Also use Drei-Bond 1209.
After a machine shop bores the cylinder, they hone it til the piston reaches it's specified skirt to cylinder clearance. You can't just order pistons and tell the machine shop to bore out the block to that size and expect the pistons to fit properly. Example the m54 engine new piston clearance is .01-.04 mm and the max service limit is .15 mm . If you get out of those spec it either will seize or piston slap.
that's why I gave my engine builder the pistons and all their measurements.
I just mention it because at 3:18 you mentioned that some shops ask for the pistons but in your opinion that really isn't necessary if you just tell them what size to bore it to.I bore cylinders and I can tell you first hand that it never will be as good to tell the shop what size to bore it at vs giving the pistons.
Epic Series
Thanks for the great video. Can you do a similar vid on a trans and clutch rebuild? I have a 99 328i and I fear I need a rebuild. Gears are becoming hard to hit. Could just be the lack of clutch… anyways. Thanks!
Which valve seals brand would you recommend? While am at that any other recommendation on what other parts I could change in advance ?
I have a question about the secondary air pump .my car doesn't have one . is a e46 m54 330 ci 2005 . is that a problem? please can you assist me? thank you again for all your amazing videos
Where can I buy my rebuilt parts for m54 xi 04 sedan with out you in my life I would not have gotten done anything to my first bmw thanks for the video and you're help
Are we gonna see a test drive? Just curious and of course we'd like to see the car in action. :D
What up fitty? While doing this rebuild did u ever research if there are any performance upgrades IE: cams, pistons, stroker kit any of that stuff available for M54 family of engines, not including the sulev, I live NOT in Californication. I'd be interested in knowing if an extra 50-75 real BHP and torque is attainable. Thanks hombre!
2700 ,, thats what i payed for my 330 ,, still got drive train to refresh as well as paint and some rust to fix,, gonna be up at M3 money if i try to get mine all done, though thats an M3 with all the same problems to then fix,, ill keep plugging away with my 330 for now,,,
where can I find the Compression Test after this refresh? did you make one?
5:20 do you mean to say later year M54's don't have the oil control ring issue? What year cars have this engine? My car has the engine with the updated plunger style coil packs, is this the "later M54" you speak of?
@50skid Did you need to gap your rings? I could have sworn I saw you do a video on that but can't find it
02 pilot mod? I have an e46 that uses a bit of oil, though not as bad as I've heard from others. If I can avoid a rebuild down the line I'd sure like to know what you're referencing.
Found, first one listed. Do I understand that you can't do the 02 pilot mod for a car used in cold climates?
I'm just going by what I heard him say in the video about not doing this in cold climate.
concerning the oil pump nut. is putting loctite on it a good solution?
Hi kid, I was just curious about what books you have read out of that helped your learning curve with blueprints, general fundamentals of auto motive engines, also general auto mechanics?? Or any books regarding bmws as a whole. You explain things simple yet authoritative and you are very knowledgeable. Thanks.
"Automotive Engines - Diagnosis Repair Rebuilding" and "Automotive Technology - Principles, Diagnosis and Service"
great vid as usual. Hey, i just found this pristine, immaculate m package 318 with engine damage. engine overheated, 100k kilos on the clock. so its going to the scrapyard. I'm thinking of buying it, at least because its in such immaculate condition. as i said in my other posts, i have a 2000 320. would it be a crazy idea to drop my 320 engine in the M car, or should I just get the head rebuilt in the M 318? The parts here in japan are 2 - 6 times more expensive. thats why its going to the scrapyard. is that M package 318 engine better than the six cylinder in my 320? thanks in advance for your advice.
oh, my 320 only has 57k kilometers on it, which is why i was thinking of putting it in the M 318
Can't believe you used that torque wrench, snap on digital is an absolute must for engine work about 500$...this should be included in your pricing lol...also I think a lot of m54s out there have problems with oil leaking/consumption that are miss diagnosed. I thought I needed an engine rebuild on my m54, upon inspection I found that I had low compression and tons of carbon inside the combustion chamber. Few fuel services later she runs like a beauty, and compression is back within spec on all cylinders. Long story short I think a lot of people out there think they need something they actually don't
You're telling me you no longer have oil consumption and you're running a stock CCV setup, no catch can etc? How many miles?
Yeah completely stock setup. And I might have been misleading in what I said. My engine probably does need rings and seals. There just a little worn. Enough whhere a small amount of oil is being burned off in the combustion chamber prob a quart every 1000 miles but on an engine with 120k we know this to be generally normal. No external leaks and CCv operates as designed
The oil pump nut is only an issue on the B30.
Can you do the rings valve stem seals and the bottom end bearings without removing the engine?
Did you find the quality of the rebuild kit to be good or bad? And what is the manufacturer
So I'm not finding much info on boring the cylinders. Some people say it can't be done. From your experience can it be done with reliability?
my e39 with m54b30 engine needs rebyild.too much of a cost to do it at a shop.dont know what to do and i dont wanna leave my car. i am stuck dont know how to do it myshelf and i dont have equipment.
Any chance you can rebuild the ZF Automatic 5speed ? We're you planning on doing that at some point ?
+Giggidygiggidy12 did that a long time ago. Videos are 2 years old at this point
You made me buy a 530i just because of the affordable M54
quiero que alguien me ayude mi bmw prendio un testigo con forma de engrane con un signo de interrogacion y de ahi mi auto es muy lento, funcionava correctamente el modelo es 330ci 2001 motor 3.0, alguien podria saber que es.
Hi I have a 330i zhp 2004 sports package and it has the same problem with no compression in the pistons would you rebuild my engine if I could get it to you please let me know this is my dream car I always wanted one and would love to get it back on the road I watch your videos and like the way you do things take care hope to hear back soon thank you
Regarding the oil piston ring issue with M54 engines.....is it with both the 2.5 and 3.0?
yes
I've been told by every mechanic I've talked to that a 325i engine cannot be rebuilt bc it is an aluminum block and aluminum cannot survive a retorque of the head bolts due to it being aluminum .
You mentioned you had to replace piston rods because they were bent.How do you check piston rods for being straight or bent?
One of the videos in my engine rebuild playlist contains how I checked them in detail. Blueprinting part 2
Thanks , I found a perfect machined surface on front of engine block where the timing chain guides sit & checked all the rods they are good , thanks again & thumbs up.
I would like to ask you, it is logical that this work that has done has served to have these excellent videos that are quite helpful for the general public, and of course for the growth of your channel. However, my question rests on the following, these cars are precious, and have a great value, although not so much at the monetary level, but this car is a beauty and we'd love them. Nowadays it is hard to find cars with the qualities, its beauty in design, and performance, also for its extras that are not so easily found in modern cars. Is it really worth doing such a big job in rebuilding this engine? Let's not talk about ability to pay, but I think more than one of us would decide to make the attempt. But beyond this, we know that it is a car that tends to have these types of heating problems, which requires preventive maintenance in its cooling system, almost to the point of having to change it every number of miles. This does not mean that we are exempt from the overheating problem and again affect the head gasket where we have to proceed to the replace again. Is there a way that it will not happen again? I do not think that those of us who own this car today would like to be driving like a granny, on the contrary, we would like to handle it as a performance high car as it is. But is all this really worth it? I have my car with these problems, and I'm in that dilemma of repairing it, or selling it at a more affordable price and someone else doing the repair if they want to do it. Or spend this money and repair it, have them one more time, and then say goodbye to it. btw I wish I could find more mechanics like you in Costa Rica.
I'm not really sure what you're asking me. Can you be a little more direct and specific?
50sKid What I mean is if it's worth to do this huge job in this car as is very common to have overheating failures because it's cooling system? Or is there a way to get rid of the overheating issues at all? I'd love this car, but I don't want to invest money when I know in the future I will be at the same point as today.
I stopped watching...if anyone comes up with an actual estimated cost dollar figure, I would appreciate it. Thank you.
He literally said he included the Dropbox link in every video you donut, it's $2800 total for all the parts. You didn't even need to spend 30 seconds watching the video to know the answer.
I am rebuilding BMW 330i engine must I change rod boltst o new ones ? If I don.t will they become loose later ?
Yes you really need to change them. There is a chance they could crack in half later
Thanks , they go for $3 to $4 each , is that the price?
I need help with the wire harness, plz message
Is There Any way I Can Test if my coil Packs Are Bad Thanks In Advance Always Come To your videos For help 😂🙌🏽
Jaime Trejo multimeter and a continuity test. I don’t know the value for the coils. Google should yield.
Did I miss the engine 1st start and test drive video?
No still editing, one more video to come--exhaust manifold reinstall
Great! Looking forward to it. Great job with the videos.
all this work and it's going back with a stock tune and auto slushbox? hope you get it a proper tune and mate it to a manual trans and do an ///M rebuild next would make for a good video, showing how to convert auto to manual on an e46 also why not use zhp cams?
If I ever find ZHP cams, they're going in. I am thinking about the auto to manual conversion eventually--problem is I just like driving an automatic right now lol. Maybe a turbo is in the future now that I have this nice block. I have a friend who works for a speed shop who does that stuff.
How about convert it to SMG transmission? I know people are afraid of this technology.
Mark S with a tune and proactively replacing the pump it really is quite decent, not dual clutch level of niceness and comfort, but probably better than Audi's/VAG's' E gear box which was in production around the same time as smg.
SMG are junk
ZF 5hp19 TO Manual 5 or six speed. That would be the great video ever!
Is it more practical to just swap another m54 engine?
if you can find a rebuilt m54 for less than $2k and trust that who ever rebuilt it did it right, sure, go for it. I think if i was going to pull an engine out of a car, i would want to do the rebuild myself so i could be sure of the quality of the parts and workmanship.
When are you back?
Hi! Thanks for all the amazing videos you make! I have a problem which I’m dealing for the last months and I’m trying to get help from different online forums but no success. It’s a long history and I can send you bu email if you don’t mind. I rebuilt a M54 engine and I had a problem, I bought another engine and I have a similar problem.. please let me know if I can send you by email. Thanks!
do u have a video on how to change only the piston rings? i love your channel
taking an engine down to short block to get at the rings is the same as completely rebuilding, as you have to take the rods off the crank in order to pop the pistons out to change the rings. At that point its silly not to go back with all new bearings, and if your changing bearings, might as well get the crank polished and the cylinders honed out. etc etc. if you want to change rings, pull the engine out and do a full rebuild.
I am rebuilding 330i engine must I use new rod bearings?
It would be a good idea, yes. The rod bearings are usually trashed.
Thanks!
i tried the o2 pilot mod on 3 E39 530i, it did not make any difference
Interesting, you're the first to report that. I wonder what your rings look like.
50sKid on my car I got 230k miles the other two is in the 180s
That settles it.. It may be cheaper to buy a rebuilt one.. but I may just grab a used engine from some other source and rebuild it slowly while my car still drives....
It is but it wouldn't have the older style rings. What I was trying to say with this video was that it's better to just rebuild the head in most cases.
what is the best engine swap for an e46?
Thang Lieu M54b30 or S54 (M3)
Ls swap...
so what is the total
2500
I need my zhp engine rebuilt.. I've got a spare zhp motor if you're interested.
Still got it?
to bad a many people dont know if you rebuild your engine your worn transmission will not last long ,worn transmissions and new or rebuilt engines are a disaster waiting to happen
What is the " O 2 pilot mod to fix oil consumption?
would you be interested to rebuild my engine?
Heeeeyyyyy youuuuuuuu guuuuuyyyyyyysssss
O2 Pilot Mod ?
heera rodriguez - Thanks Heera !
A LOT OF DETAILS.
Why don`t buy a new engine, with the other, good piston rings in? Less work and a complete new, clean engine.
You should get a P.O. Box
3st 🙃
2nd
first
Once you are done go dyno the car , see how much ponies it puts out