[alex sol]

Preparing to do swap due to busted turbo line and leaked all motor out while my kid drive it home. Likely spun a bearing and from research likely ruined crank and case.

I’ve sourced a used motor with 150,000 miles and will donthe swap over the next week.

So far. Bumper off. Rad out. Ac condenser out. and ac lines out if the way.

Would live to hear about next steps and any while U r in there tips.

[alex sol]

My tools and set up

[alex sol]

How it looks today

[Spyro235]

Do all vacuum lines while you're there, and any other rubber parts that can be easily replaced. Truthfully, I'd personally pull the motor with the trans attached as long as your motor hoist can handle the weight. MUCH easier to separate and mate them on the ground, and I believe it's just a few connectors, mounts, and linkages that connect the trans to the body.personally haven't pulled an m57, but have pulled an m54 and it wasn't as bad as I though it'd be. be methodical, get a TON of plastic baggies and label them with sharpie for EVERY bolt you take off the car.

[apexit4]

I did my engine swap about a year ago. I didnt document everything, but you might be able to find some info and ideas in this thread where I posted some updates as I went along (including pictures): https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1491850

Spyro pointed out a few good things. Definitely do the vacuum lines. Pull the motor with the transmission as one piece. I know its possible to remove just the engine, but I have no clue how others have remove the top bolts holding the two together.

Label all of you bolts as you remove them. I bought a few storage containers with small compartments at harbor freight for my bolts. Labeled each compartment as I filled it out. Made it easier to keep track of the bolts than several baggies.

I'd also suggest loosening the sub frame so it can drop down about an inch or so lower. This will help in clearing your steering rack when pulling the motor. Any extra space you make here will make it easier and less prone to snags. I also disconnected the steering shaft in the engine bay to gain more space. Just make sure to mark how its attached before disconnecting.

Once the engine was attached to the hoist and lift up just a bit, I remove the passenger side motor mount. If I remember correctly, the weight of the engine and transmission isnt centered 100%, so it will wan to keel over to one side a little. Removing the mount isnt necessary but it seemed to help a little. These motor mounts are connected with vacuum hoses as well. I replaced the hoses since I had access, but kind wish I had replaced the mounts as well as preventative maintenance.

If I remember anything else. I'll try and post it up. But definitely take a look at the thread I linked earlier. Inspecting some of the pictures there should give you some more clues on things I removed/disassembled.

[apexit4]

Adding to the list of "while you're in there", I replaced my water pump, thermostat and belts. It's also a good idea to replace your CCV hose as the stock one has a tendency to crack and leak. AARodriguez makes an upgraded one with a lifetime warranty for something like $13. Completely worth it to replace at this stage.

[alex sol]

Thanks for the tips gents.

Will definitely do the vacuum lines as mine are very brittle and so easy to access with the car out. I'm planning to keep the long block that i bought and transfer most of my accessories over including the full wiring as the car was in a fire.

Mine ran out of oil through the tough to reach turbo line and may be i neglected as there was some oil in the area! My 18 yr old continued to drive home then spilled all the rest of the oil out of the motor so i though maybe not a big deal...

the donor i bought was in a fire and though seized. opened it up today and found the number 1 connecting rod bolt in the oil pan!

Looking for another donor while i bring in the donor into the local shop to measure and see if it's still useable... quite disappointed.

Have another donor lined up and may be picking it up. between the three motors, i'll have a new one back in the D soon.

donor motor's water pump looks good, thermostat looks brand new, crank pulley looks new also, intake quite dirty (carbon build up), injectors came out with special tool

have a question about the removing the head: i cannot separate from the block... it is stuck in the front of the motor - i've removed all the t45 and 13mm bolts. is there one sneaky from the inside?

Did you remove the two 17mm hex that seem to hold the pulleys on the inside of the cam timing chain covers??

tricky!! and don't want to overly force the aluminum
i'll send some pics.

[alex sol]

@apex i've replaced the ccv hose with a 1" silicone 3"x3" silicone hose that i clamp on both sides after i cut off about 2" off one side so actually a 1" x 3" (approx) set up. otherwise the aarodigues (17.99) part would be perfect! my original cracked when i tried to bypass the CCV (don't care for all that oily air entering into my intake to stick to any dirt and carbon bits)

[alex sol]

@spyro did you use any special vacuum lines or just 3mm silicone tubing?

nice to see your x5 work horse at 225,000 miles...

[apexit4]

Originally Posted by alex sol

Thanks for the tips gents.

Will definitely do the vacuum lines as mine are very brittle and so easy to access with the car out. I'm planning to keep the long block that i bought and transfer most of my accessories over including the full wiring as the car was in a fire.

Mine ran out of oil through the tough to reach turbo line and may be i neglected as there was some oil in the area! My 18 yr old continued to drive home then spilled all the rest of the oil out of the motor so i though maybe not a big deal...

the donor i bought was in a fire and though seized. opened it up today and found the number 1 connecting rod bolt in the oil pan!

Looking for another donor while i bring in the donor into the local shop to measure and see if it's still useable... quite disappointed.

Have another donor lined up and may be picking it up. between the three motors, i'll have a new one back in the D soon.

donor motor's water pump looks good, thermostat looks brand new, crank pulley looks new also, intake quite dirty (carbon build up), injectors came out with special tool

have a question about the removing the head: i cannot separate from the block... it is stuck in the front of the motor - i've removed all the t45 and 13mm bolts. is there one sneaky from the inside?

Did you remove the two 17mm hex that seem to hold the pulleys on the inside of the cam timing chain covers??

tricky!! and don't want to overly force the aluminum
i'll send some pics.

To your point on removing the head, yes, there is a bolt or two on the inside that has to be removed. It's been a while since I tore down the engine, but I think I accessed it from the top of the engine.

[apexit4]

Originally Posted by alex sol

@spyro did you use any special vacuum lines or just 3mm silicone tubing?

nice to see your x5 work horse at 225,000 miles...

Just about any vacuum line should work as long as the inner diameter is the same. For reference, I bought mine from ECS: https://www.ecstuning.com/b-rein-par...31257971-5blk/

Spyro235 Have you by any chance replaced your timing chain considering you're at 235k? I recently saw a post by a long time forum member stating that these chains need to be replaced around 150k miles....

[Spyro235]

Originally Posted by alex sol

@spyro did you use any special vacuum lines or just 3mm silicone tubing?

nice to see your x5 work horse at 225,000 miles...

I'd use designated vacuum lines if I was doing it.

And agreed, this thing shows no signs of slowing!

[Spyro235]

Originally Posted by apexit4

Just about any vacuum line should work as long as the inner diameter is the same. For reference, I bought mine from ECS: https://www.ecstuning.com/b-rein-par...31257971-5blk/

Spyro235 Have you by any chance replaced your timing chain considering you're at 235k? I recently saw a post by a long time forum member stating that these chains need to be replaced around 150k miles....

I have not. I'm currently at 227.6k, but I'm in an m57. Isnt the n47/57 the timing chain problem child?

Regardless... I hear no timing chain noise from my engine. And it's not a crazy well documented issue, so I'm just not that worried. If I ever have the motor apart, of course I'd do a new one, but if there's no reason to go in, I see no reason to worry.

[apexit4]

Originally Posted by Spyro235

I have not. I'm currently at 227.6k, but I'm in an m57. Isnt the n47/57 the timing chain problem child?

Regardless... I hear no timing chain noise from my engine. And it's not a crazy well documented issue, so I'm just not that worried. If I ever have the motor apart, of course I'd do a new one, but if there's no reason to go in, I see no reason to worry.

I'm not well versed in on the n47/57 engines so I'm not sure about them. I just saw a post by Yozh, who it seems it an M57 guru on this forum, that suggested changing the chain at 150k miles, hence my inquiry. How long have you been tuned?

[Spyro235]

I've had it tuned DUDMD stage 2 for about 16k miles, but it was running an 80% JBD from the previous owner probably the whole time he had it. Not sure when that was, but it was at least 30-40k miles of JBD. Possibly way more.

Truthfully, there's a chance my large turbo is on it's way out. I hear a whine that happens with really light throttle that relates directly to the spool, BUT it doesn't smoke at all, so I don't really care. As long as it hits boost and doesn't leak oil, I'll run it.

[Nadir Point]

As long as it hits boost and doesn't leak oil I whale on it every time I drive it. These engines are crazy tough and durable. I hate things that go bad slowly, sneaking up on you with niggling little problems over time. I'd rather see stuff grenade in spectacular fashion and be done with it. 😁

[alex sol]

Originally Posted by Nadir Point

As long as it hits boost and doesn't leak oil I whale on it every time I drive it. These engines are crazy tough and durable. I hate things that go bad slowly, sneaking up on you with niggling little problems over time. I'd rather see stuff grenade in spectacular fashion and be done with it. 😁

uh... about that.. that is how i got to this point in the engine swap!!!

[alex sol]

okay, update!

tore down the motor and apex, you are right.. there is a sneaky bolt that holds the valve chain cover! And i found this the hard way.. good thing i have three of them... well two good ones still!

so the donor motor i bought was seized and so i tore it down for learning practice and to see how the crank and engine case looks.

for any at home mechanic hacks, here a tip with seized motor - must remove the head first to get to chain cover (bolt that is hiding in there)

push out the high pressure fuel pump (with special tool) or as the name 'hack' implies... whack it out with a 1/2" drive extension. All the chains become loose and the
chain on the cam gear can be removed. Access to the hidden bolt is now in front of you. remove and save yourself a cracked chain cover housing

Take off the head bolts (they say they're torque on 60 ft lbs?? - more like 160 ft lbs) with the etorx 14 i think and off comes the head... save those rollers and keep them in order... ya okay!

[alex sol]

i picked up a second donor and checked it's not seized and has warranty for 90 days. going to do the leak down test later today.

i now have: three engines with various bits and pieces missing.

took the crank and case to the local engine rebuild/machine shop and one look at the crank.. boat anchor... case? needs to be checked by xray or some thing? not worth it..

hope to have the seized original motor out this afternoon... start the clean up and transfer of the best parts over to newest donor and maybe have motor back in by next week...

to do list:

clean everything
replace oil pan gasket
install: all accessories from original to donor
replace: all vacuum lines
replace glow plugs - got a constant error on glow plug 1 even when swapping glow plugs... so does that imply... glow plug controller jacked?

replace transmission pan and filter, new bolts, new gasket, new oil

that's a big enough list for now...

[Yozh]

@alex sol. You may as well port the head while you are at this stage. Or build a nice strong motor with bits from Whitbread. I hear pistons are ready.

Anyway, you don’t need to remove the head to get to the front cover hidden bolt. Some remove cams. But you can avoid even that. Take the cam sprocket off. Pull the chain guides. There are two screws from the outside. Move chain out of the way, and there is your bolt. Assembly is the reverse. Just watch timing does not slip.

[alex sol]

@yozh i found out the hard way and snapped one of the three chain covers i now own... down to two...

question about timing - i'll do a search..

when you remove the high pressure fuel pump, then replace, and maybe spin the motor a couple times (which i did) will the timing be off and how to check?

i may have to undo some of my work

i replaced the oil pan gasket today..

getting close now thinking about checking timing in case i may be off a tooth (or more) when removing the fuel pump (was missing when i bought donor motor) and replacing...

[alex sol]

got some great info here... but looks like need special tools...

https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/e...mshaft/4W3XZDg

surely we can do with vice grips and a good set of hex keys??