S54B32 Core Long Block (Head Included) – Raleigh, NC (on an engine stand)
Price: $3,000 USD – FIRM.
Location: North Raleigh, NC (Local pickup only. Engine is safely and securely stored on a stand in my garage, next to the M3)
What is Included:
I am the owner of an Individual 2006 E46 M3 ZCP. During a routine preventative rod bearing service in February 2026, my shop discovered that a previous technician (under the ownership of the selling dealer in Southern California) had installed several rod caps backwards. With 104k on the clock, we suspect the violating service was performed in preparation for sale; at least in part because the car was advertised as service having just been completed (with ARP bolts and ACL bearings) and thus was an attractive selling point to me.
Here is an Instagram reel from the reputable local shop detailing the discovery: [WATCH IT HERE]
Because the engine was confirmed to be a 2006-built unit but not original to my chassis (BMW records I obtained myself post-sale show a customer-stated engine replacement remark note around 97k miles in 2017, my shop verified with dealer software that it was an 06 engine, but not orig to car) combined local machinist lead-times being insane, I opted to replace the entire engine with a bullet-proofed reman from my friend Ben @ Rogue Engineering for absolute peace of mind rather than doing a full teardown/crank-repair loop.
I chose to keep the block rather than send it back as a core to Rogue; thinking it’d be a fun artifact to rebuild with my father in law, tear down for spare parts, do what I always intended to do with this motor before this unfortunate situation – learn how to work on it. However life is lifing - I am currently operating two startup businesses and do not have the time or home-garage infra to part this out or rebuild it myself. It either goes to someone who needs it now or sits until I have time to do fun shit
Condition & Known Diagnostics:
The Positives: The car ran perfectly fine prior to teardown. I caught this purely through preventative maintenance---I decided to get the job done again for 2 reasons: 1) unverified job from seller was starting to give me the yips after reading horror stories on here + the catalyst/noticed a weird, very brief, very intermittent cold start rattle upon startup in Nov 25. Zero knocking. It successfully completed an 8,000-mile tenure under my ownership including a worry-free 2,700 mi coast to coast delivery drive from LA to NC, meticulously warmed up before exceeding 3,000 RPM 100% of the time, i am psychotic about this. Everyone – local shop, Ben @ Rogue Engineering, James @ Bimmerworld, fellow friends/owners are flabbergasted that the motor didn’t nuke under my watch.
Oil Analysis: 4 Blackstone reports during my ownership all came back flawless. I have copies of all.
The Bearings: Upon removal, bearings 1–5 looked brand new and commensurate with a rod bearing service at 104k (as advertised by selling dealer). Bearing #6 showed significant wear and chipping but did not spin.
The Crank: The #6 crank journal is visually smooth with no scoring. I examined it personally by running by thumb across the journal when the shop called me in and obviously shop did this too. It appears bearing did its job and protected the journal, but the crank should be professionally measured and verified by your machinist.
The Unknowns: Total mileage on this specific replacement block is unknown. Provenance beyond the 2017 BMW dealership remark notes is untraceable.
Oil Service History Under My Care (my internal policy: every 3k or annually):
Please PM with serious inquiries.
Price: $3,000 USD – FIRM.
Location: North Raleigh, NC (Local pickup only. Engine is safely and securely stored on a stand in my garage, next to the M3)
What is Included:
- Complete S54 Engine Long Block Core (Includes block, crankshaft, pistons, cylinder head, camshafts, valvetrain including vanos).
- Bare long block configuration: No airbox, throttle bodies, or vacuum lines
- Note: I have working alternator and starter too, which is excluded from this but available. Oil pump is currently uninstalled and safely stored.
I am the owner of an Individual 2006 E46 M3 ZCP. During a routine preventative rod bearing service in February 2026, my shop discovered that a previous technician (under the ownership of the selling dealer in Southern California) had installed several rod caps backwards. With 104k on the clock, we suspect the violating service was performed in preparation for sale; at least in part because the car was advertised as service having just been completed (with ARP bolts and ACL bearings) and thus was an attractive selling point to me.
Here is an Instagram reel from the reputable local shop detailing the discovery: [WATCH IT HERE]
Because the engine was confirmed to be a 2006-built unit but not original to my chassis (BMW records I obtained myself post-sale show a customer-stated engine replacement remark note around 97k miles in 2017, my shop verified with dealer software that it was an 06 engine, but not orig to car) combined local machinist lead-times being insane, I opted to replace the entire engine with a bullet-proofed reman from my friend Ben @ Rogue Engineering for absolute peace of mind rather than doing a full teardown/crank-repair loop.
I chose to keep the block rather than send it back as a core to Rogue; thinking it’d be a fun artifact to rebuild with my father in law, tear down for spare parts, do what I always intended to do with this motor before this unfortunate situation – learn how to work on it. However life is lifing - I am currently operating two startup businesses and do not have the time or home-garage infra to part this out or rebuild it myself. It either goes to someone who needs it now or sits until I have time to do fun shit
Condition & Known Diagnostics:
The Positives: The car ran perfectly fine prior to teardown. I caught this purely through preventative maintenance---I decided to get the job done again for 2 reasons: 1) unverified job from seller was starting to give me the yips after reading horror stories on here + the catalyst/noticed a weird, very brief, very intermittent cold start rattle upon startup in Nov 25. Zero knocking. It successfully completed an 8,000-mile tenure under my ownership including a worry-free 2,700 mi coast to coast delivery drive from LA to NC, meticulously warmed up before exceeding 3,000 RPM 100% of the time, i am psychotic about this. Everyone – local shop, Ben @ Rogue Engineering, James @ Bimmerworld, fellow friends/owners are flabbergasted that the motor didn’t nuke under my watch.
Oil Analysis: 4 Blackstone reports during my ownership all came back flawless. I have copies of all.
The Bearings: Upon removal, bearings 1–5 looked brand new and commensurate with a rod bearing service at 104k (as advertised by selling dealer). Bearing #6 showed significant wear and chipping but did not spin.
The Crank: The #6 crank journal is visually smooth with no scoring. I examined it personally by running by thumb across the journal when the shop called me in and obviously shop did this too. It appears bearing did its job and protected the journal, but the crank should be professionally measured and verified by your machinist.
The Unknowns: Total mileage on this specific replacement block is unknown. Provenance beyond the 2017 BMW dealership remark notes is untraceable.
Oil Service History Under My Care (my internal policy: every 3k or annually):
- 09/2023 (104,469 mi): Owner service, day of purchase before cross country trek, in a parking lot, Los Angeles – Liqui Moly 10W60
- 10/2023 (107,436 mi): PPI/Inspection 2 Service – Bimmer Performance Center, Raleigh (Liqui Moly 10W60)
- 08/2024 (110,253 mi): Owner service – Redline 10W60
- 06/2025 (112,269 mi): Bimmer Performance Center, Raleigh (Motul 8100 X-Power)
Please PM with serious inquiries.
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