I just realized... it's been exactly 1 year since I picked up my car from German Motor Works after Jonny rebuilt the valve guide seals on the N63. It was burning oil and leaking from the oil return lines. So glad I had them do my car and not someone else!
How much did he charge you if you don’t mind me asking? I’m curious as to how much that would cost as opposed to a n63 engine swap? Any help would be greatly appreciated
@@jamestabor587 It was just under $3,000.... but that was before inflation. I wouldn't be surprised if Jonny has had to raise his rates. Even if that's the case, he was STILL more than $1,500 cheaper than the lowest price I got here in Utah.
@@RealRickCox wow thank you so much. Yes and I’m guessing that’s of course just to do the job. I mean a $3700-$3900 engine plus a lot of gaskets, and new coolant hoses and lines or sensors. I’d say if it all cost less than $7000 you made out big time.
@@mikimiki195 Been running GREAT. Almost 200k miles on it now (was around 150k when I took it to Jonny). I'm getting close to upgrading to something else... just not sure what yet. :)
Thats X5 rebuilt Core long block is a way better idea than a wrecker motor, You get your hands all over the replacement when you swap the accessories over instead of trusting that someone else has done it correctly plus you get to refresh anything that's not up to Par. In my opinion its now better than factory :-) Love it!
If you've seen the footage of the Rufford Ford in the UK where people drive into water that's covered a roadway, you'll see most BMW drivers go in full speed, wash the water over the hood, and hydrolock their engines. Viewing this you think "why would they do that?" Then you realize that every BMW is about to throw a rod bearing or a timing chain anyway, so perhaps insurance pays if you hydrolock it on a road? Might be a great strategy when you think about it.
And most BMWs have air intake quite low in the front, and with turbo engines the intercooler(s) are located very low. So it doesn't even need to be very deep water where you can cause hydrolock to your BMW, or to any other normal car.
Ha I’ve wondered that, and I’ve also wondered whether insurance even covers damage from driving through there? Surely they’d cotton on to those shenanigans pretty fast.
Literally just completed this job on an E70 and an F25 a couple months earlier. Was having a hard time justifying the purchase of a similar engine table until I had the engine for the F25 out and on the floor in less than a couple hours. Keep up the good videos. -Simplicity Automotive in Montana.
When I heard rod bearing failure I honestly expected you to pull an n63... lol. Breaks my heart a little to see a dead n55. Mine was solid even at 128k. Oil changes are your friend. The second, third and forth owners seem to throw away the maintenance schedule after one trip to the dealer.
its especially more important on these turbo engines, just dont have the longer change intervals of an NA since the turbos are harder on the oil. Maybe this engine burned oil too which added to the problem
@@TanCalHan Unfortunately in the world of BMW engines like the N55, N63 and N20 anything over 120k in good working order is a rare find. By then they might be on their 3,4 or 5th owner and severely lacking upkeep. These are definately not cars that will keep on trucking with neglect. Valve cover leaks, oil filter housing leaks, timing chain failures, direct injection issues, electric water pump failure, vanos issues, wastegate issues, valve stem seals, high pressure fuel pump failure and rod bearing failure all plague these 3 engines. just to name a few...
Oil pickup is known weak point on N55. It leaks internaly. Needs changing after many miles. Probably one of the reasons why N55 bottom end is not as reliable as N54.
Funny how a successful business is one that invests in it's people, as you do. I enjoyed watching this, I am an enthusiast, hence me being here. And, happy new year to you all. Kind regards, South Africa
Me to, and a test drive, because I feel like I got left hanging. I know they haven't been filming for a super long time to know what the people want. Good video though, God bless.
14:08- That's the eccentric shaft motor with integrated position sensors. Not for timing, but for variable valve lift. Vanos actuators and solenoids for the timing manipulation.
Have you ever removed an engine from a car like this? I have, and I can tell you it is much safer and you are much less like to break expensive components with more eyes on the job
Incredible work & fascinating technical skill!! Great guys too! Excellent video quality - So keep ‘em coming!! …..but I’m just gonna say it……and I know this will piss people off…..just buy a Lexus and you won’t have these costly issues. I know -it’s not nearly as fun-but it doesn’t have nearly the headaches or cost of ownership!!!
@@peterlai9018 The N63 motors are notoriously bad. There was a huge class action lawsuit over the problem with burning oil due to the valve seals. I really don't know exactly what Jonny did to fix the problem. I know he pulled the motor out and rebuilt the top end. Now, it doesn't burn a drop of oil.
By the varnish on that engine, I'd say it may have been a victim of BMWs looooooooooong oil change intervals. I know it's expensive, but I have a personal rule to replace any wear items when an engine came out. Belt(s), water pump, idlers, spark plugs, PS reservoir (internal filter), oil filter housing gasket, hoses, engine and transmission mounts, etc. Depending on mileage, I'd consider the knock sensors and coils as well as the thrust arms of the suspension. Of course, I'm doing my own work and buying my own parts, so there's that.
The bare block is known as a 'short block' here in the UK, I don't know if you use the same description? But a pain in the as to build up from one engine to another.
Out of the crate it looks to have the head already installed, so would be a long block. Same terminology. As the car already has oil pan, rocker covers, etc, no need to supply those unless the customer wants to pay for those items. 9 times out of 10 they would want to take those off anyway just to take a look inside to verify torque and just make sure everything looks good.
12:42 No NOS.... A frappuccino and gatorade?! Who is this imposter?! Unless they're sponsoring Jon now, I mean, the labels are pointed right at the camera. Way to go Jon!
Thank-you for posting this video. I really enjoy your channel. Do you have any thoughts on how long I should keep my 2017 BMW X5 with 80,000 miles? I keep up all maintenance but don't want to have excessive bills after the 100K warranty runs out. My understanding is 2017 was a good year but, given your experiences, I am wondering if it makes sense to get rid of it at some mileage threshold and cut my potential losses.
I'd say it depends on how you drive it and if you do your own work and how often you change the oil. I'd say if you do your own work, keep it. If you change your oil more frequently than the BMW OCI, keep it. If you don't do either, could be some future expenses coming your way around 100k. It looks like you do some longer distance drives. Highway miles are way gentler than city. Source, I own a 193k mile 2013 335i. The PO drove 100k miles in 3 years on the highway, seemed to drive it gently. I do my own work and a 5k OCI. It's been reliable but I've don't a lot of work, the previous owner didn't do.
Bmw x5 3.0 due to my lack of space to drop the subframe to replace engine. I been thinking really hard. By removing the converters and the passenger engine bracket. Do you think that will.give me enough room to pull the engine upward
I always wonder why you guys don’t use a workbench on wheels you can pull up to the car you’re working on. Instead of putting parts all over the ground to work on , just put them on a cart or something similar ! Saves your back as well on the long term. That’s what I would do anyway.
Well, considering your X5 would be worth not a LOT for parts... compared to the cost of a brand new one... If you wanted to maintain that standard of SUV, or had gotten attached to it, probably worth the extra $10k or so.
makes me wonder if its worth the cost to swap that motor on the x5, why not drop the pan in the car, replace those 2 rod bearings and ship it to the auction?
Wow!! So complex. Hats off to the Ninja and crew for the expertise. I'm thinking that electric vehicles will be much easier to repair and maintain. No timing. No fluids. Fewer moving parts. Thoughts?
@@philbrutsche8928 Not necessarily. Coolant in an ICE motor can be subjected to blowby and oil leaks from various gaskets. Not so with electric. Just stays a closed system...
I think that's the push with EVs by manufacturers- the emissions requirements on gasoline autos makes designing and building them a nightmare- not to mention so much more warranty work.
@@Christoph-sd3zi I think there's more to it than that. Much simpler, naturally-aspirated port-injection engines pass emissions just fine; part of this is very much a horsepower race among manufacturers. Auto manufacturers would do better with simpler hybrid designs. Don't forget that auto manufacturers loose money on warranty repairs
