Cold start rattle 2-3 seconds then gone.

[chris719]

Update, just got Blackstone Analysis back. Iron is 22, Copper is 42, and Lead is 83. This is 1,300 miles after getting my rod bearings done with BE bearings in December 2024.

Very suspicious. I'd probably pull the pan to inspect, sadly.

[Ramage]

Update, just got Blackstone Analysis back. Iron is 22, Copper is 42, and Lead is 83. This is 1,300 miles after getting my rod bearings done with BE bearings in December 2024.

I hate to say it but it is time to get back in there, something is wrong.

Example:
I KNOW for sure (I have the evidence) I had a spun bearing on cylinder #5 (caught it after I had already replaced my bearings and put it all back together. Stupid me...) and my car is still doing fine, no particles in my Oil Filter and sacrificial metals are trending down in my Oil Analysis.

June 20th - 1000 Miles (1600KM) after swapping in new OEM bearings Oil Analysis showed 10 Iron, 19 Lead, and 12 Copper.
July 11 - 1200 Miles (2000KM I have been driving ALOT) Oil Report is is showing 7 Iron, 5 Lead, and 6 Copper.

[Nikolaid89]

Update, just got Blackstone Analysis back. Iron is 22, Copper is 42, and Lead is 83. This is 1,300 miles after getting my rod bearings done with BE bearings in December 2024.

[chris719]

Wanted to update this forum with my own experience. I had my rod bearings replaced with BE bearings 1300 miles ago (December 2024) and about 2 weeks ago I got the same cold start noise and 2-3k rpm noise that Andratch was getting. I just changed my oil to send it off to Blackstone and found metal flakes in the oil filter. Here is a link to what my engine noise sounds like and some pictures of what the flakes look like. Currently waiting to see what Blackstone says and will go from there.

I wouldn't rely on Blackstone. Large particles are not picked up by the method they use for the ICP spectral analysis. Several S65 blew up right after a "good" Blackstone report. If you see metal then I would probably just drop the pan but that's me.

[Nikolaid89]

Wanted to update this forum with my own experience. I had my rod bearings replaced with BE bearings 1300 miles ago (December 2024) and about 2 weeks ago I got the same cold start noise and 2-3k rpm noise that Andratch was getting. I just changed my oil to send it off to Blackstone and found metal flakes in the oil filter. Here is a link to what my engine noise sounds like and some pictures of what the flakes look like. Currently waiting to see what Blackstone says and will go from there.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/n5VXBr_9ozQ

[Ramage]

What year is your car ? Did you swap out the oil pump? Cause the oil pump might be the 1, with the Alloy piston in it
04 to 06, used a telfon coated, aluminum piston that didn't work at all, that is why 04 to 06 are more likely to spin shells

latest 2015 update has a diamond coated piston


Source, should automatically start at 36min mark

https://youtu.be/_93z82NQZV4?t=2189

Thanks, I saw this when you posted it in May.

I have already ordered both DLC coated pistons from Burkhart for when I open her back up next April (if my oil reports clear up and I hear no knocking before then). Not sure if my 2004 has the groove or not and I have not been able to find a reliable way to be certain without accessing the oil pump so I ordered both and will return the one I do not need.

Cheers

[BL92]

Thanks for posting an update and also for this thread, the 2-3 second rattle clip in this thread is what finally got me 100% motivated to take on the job of replacing my bearing.

In the end I was a few days late on doing it as cylinder #5 spun on my car. I did get lucky as there did not appear to be any damage (that I could catch with a nail) to the journal, but my first oil Analysis after doing the bearings and putting 1600KM (1000 miles) on the oil did show elevated Lead (19ppm) and Copper (12ppm). Nothing shinny in the oil or the oil filter, but I plan to send this oil in once I hit 1600KM to see if there is a trend in the wrong direction.

Did the shop ever comment on the condition of your crank? In your big update post here the bottom set of bearing look like they might have spun.

What year is your car ? Did you swap out the oil pump? Cause the oil pump might be the 1, with the Alloy piston in it
04 to 06, used a telfon coated, aluminum piston that didn't work at all, that is why 04 to 06 are more likely to spin shells

latest 2015 update has a diamond coated piston


Source, should automatically start at 36min mark

https://youtu.be/_93z82NQZV4?t=2189

[Andratch]

Thanks for posting an update and also for this thread, the 2-3 second rattle clip in this thread is what finally got me 100% motivated to take on the job of replacing my bearing.

In the end I was a few days late on doing it as cylinder #5 spun on my car. I did get lucky as there did not appear to be any damage (that I could catch with a nail) to the journal, but my first oil Analysis after doing the bearings and putting 1600KM (1000 miles) on the oil did show elevated Lead (19ppm) and Copper (12ppm). Nothing shinny in the oil or the oil filter, but I plan to send this oil in once I hit 1600KM to see if there is a trend in the wrong direction.

Did the shop ever comment on the condition of your crank? In your big update post here the bottom set of bearing look like they might have spun.

My crank was still unharmed, luckily. I grilled them on that specifically given just how much copper was visible, but they shared some pictures (which unfortunately I forgot to save) that showed it was fine.

[Ramage]

Hey folks, just another update, and probably my last update until I put a few thousand miles on the car:

This is still resolved, no signs of the noise returning. Even after the car sat for 2 weeks, no noise on startup. So, I still 100% attribute the fix to the bearings/bolts/torques.

Thanks for posting an update and also for this thread, the 2-3 second rattle clip in this thread is what finally got me 100% motivated to take on the job of replacing my bearing.

In the end I was a few days late on doing it as cylinder #5 spun on my car. I did get lucky as there did not appear to be any damage (that I could catch with a nail) to the journal, but my first oil Analysis after doing the bearings and putting 1600KM (1000 miles) on the oil did show elevated Lead (19ppm) and Copper (12ppm). Nothing shinny in the oil or the oil filter, but I plan to send this oil in once I hit 1600KM to see if there is a trend in the wrong direction.

Did the shop ever comment on the condition of your crank? In your big update post here the bottom set of bearing look like they might have spun.

[Andratch]

Hey folks, just another update, and probably my last update until I put a few thousand miles on the car:

This is still resolved, no signs of the noise returning. Even after the car sat for 2 weeks, no noise on startup. So, I still 100% attribute the fix to the bearings/bolts/torques.

[Andratch]

Hey guys. Bumping an old thread. I’m experiencing the same soft knock from 2k rpm along with a knock on start. My BE bearings and ARP bolts were installed about 3,000 miles ago… anyone know the batch number of the bad RB bearings? The shop I had this done is in a whole other state so I can’t even take that route. Will call them nonetheless.

I don't know the batch, but let me call my shop and ask. I do know that my RBs were purchased from bimmerworld (not that they have anything to do with it, just for tracking purposes) in December 2023.

[GreyBirdM3]

Hey guys. Bumping an old thread. I’m experiencing the same soft knock from 2k rpm along with a knock on start. My BE bearings and ARP bolts were installed about 3,000 miles ago… anyone know the batch number of the bad RB bearings? The shop I had this done is in a whole other state so I can’t even take that route. Will call them nonetheless.

[BRiley]

Andratch Just wondering how that last used oil analysis turned out. How high were the wear metals?

Will, for what it's worth, my BE's looked exactly like Andratch bearings. I had less than 2k miles on them. My UOA from 300 miles before they spun showed 15ppm copper, and 64ppm of lead. That was the first oil change after bearings were done, so we were going to go another 1700 and do another UOA, but I never made it.

[Andratch]

Andratch Just wondering how that last used oil analysis turned out. How high were the wear metals?

I forgot to send it out once I got the picture of the gnarly bearings. But with those bearings only being 200 miles old, I think the answer to your question would be "very high."

[QUOTE=tdott;n284505]

[Will]

Andratch Just wondering how that last used oil analysis turned out. How high were the wear metals?