35i Engine Failure?

[BMWHoochie]

I have the N55 and love it. The only problems so far are some gaskets and a power steering pump.

The N55 is actually a pretty robust engine. The problem with the OFHG and cooler gasket are like others have said above. People fail to prime the system, and when cleaning the OFH people use crap like brillo pads, scotch-bright, and other towels that get into the oil passages and cause major issues from clogging Vanos solenoids, etc... or using a contaminated belt. When I did mine, I took the filter cap off and made sure oil was circulating before I connected the injectors back to the DME.

Also, I have seen pumps that can't clear air pockets, but that's rare. Check out the images below of what I found when I stuck an inspection camera in one after an OFHG job. It's crazy lol. This is why I don't use brillo pads, scotch-bright, and shop towels. Microfiber cloth is all you need. I even vacuum the passages before assembly. OCD FTW

You can get a crank seal guard for $60 and it will prevent the belt from being pushed into the front seal. It's worth the peace of mind. Even with preventative maintenance hoses can leak, and blow an o-ring and that's all it takes.

BMW gaskets leaking is not something new. I have yet to see a BMW engine without some kind of gasket leak. The HPFP, and other stuff like Vanos solenoids, water pump/thermostat are common replacements on higher mile engines as well.

It's a great engine. Keep up with preventative maintenance, and I recommend sticking with OEM for everything.

1. 5k mile oil changes
2. I do plugs/coils every 40k. I prefer Eldor coils over Delphi. ALL newer N55's use Eldor now.
3. Brake fluid, power steering, and coolant flush every two years
4. Transmission pan/filter/fluid every 40-50k
5. Front/Rear Diff fluid and drain/fill plug every 40-50k
6. Transfer case fluid and drain/fill plug every 40-50k
7. belt, and all pullies every 40-50k
8. Check hoses and for leaks every time you have the hood open

It might be overkill but if you order from FCP Euro you have a lifetime warranty on everything. Purchase the new stuff, send the old stuff back and you get a full refund including tax. Mostly everything on my X5 that matters is covered now lol. You only pay for shipping back.

Check out the shop towels and particles from scotch bright pads down inside the OFH passages. Most mechanics don't use an inspection camera before they put the housing back on, and this is what's left inside. Don't mind the date on the image. The image was from 6 months ago.





Good video for some common replacements on the N55
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPUUNhjJjHU