All in - pulling the 4.6 engine and trans to fix oil leaks once and for all

[J.Belknap]

Originally Posted by kesslerbmw

From what I've read, the guides fail do to a weak tensioner. When the tensioner get week, the chains slap the guides and break them into pieces. Its not that the guides all the sudden fall apart.

So as long as you keep a good tensioner in the motor you shouldn't have to worry about the guides going bad.

No. Plastic ages while being heat cycled and gets brittle and will fall apart no matter what. Don't spread bad information.

Stunt. You're getting a new crank snout yes?

[stunt]

Originally Posted by J.Belknap

You're getting a new crank snout yes?

Crank snout? Are you referring to the crankshaft hub held on with the "Jesus" bolt that the balancer attaches to?

If so, what would be the reasoning behind replacing that piece?

[kesslerbmw]

Originally Posted by J.Belknap

No. Plastic ages while being heat cycled and gets brittle and will fall apart no matter what. Don't spread bad information.

Stunt. You're getting a new crank snout yes?

Was trying to have a discussion, not spread bad information. If you would have quoted the whole post you can have re-read what I said instead of taking only part of what I said.

There are motors well over 200k miles with original guides, and there's 100k mile motors that need guides... I'd like to figure out what makes them last longer, or way longer. What's the issue with that?

Why is it that M62's are the only ones with timing chain guide issues? These motors are the ONLY ones. I've had M/S50 style engines of all variants and displacements, with all types of miles, and I've had super high mileage M60's that have never had a single issue. Even cars I've tracked, and have been run through the ringer... Not a single issue with a timing chain guide. If your theory was 100% correct we'd be tearing down 3.0 X5's, and every BMW engine produced to put timing chain guides in. I'm trying to look at the issue deeper than saying... ohh, its plastic and it broke, there is more to it.

We know its a bad design, but what makes those 200k plus mile motors keep going on original guides to this day... Is it that they replaced the tensioner every 80k miles? Is it their oil type, and service intervals?

I've had my fair share of BMW's, and plan to continue to enjoy them, but it would be nice to figure out some type of plan that would keep from having to tear the guides out every other time the car is ready for an Inspection II.


Stunt- I've used the flywheel locking tool to remove the crank bolt a few times, works well in the car. I made my own tool to bolt to the crank when I've had a motor on a stand, but I don't have a flywheel on the motor while its on the stand either. I wouldn't suggest a sledge though, using a breaker bar, and the handle off of a floor jack has always worked well for me. The constant steady force will be easier on things that jolts of energy.

Badass tractor btw