Need advice on followers

[S54B32]

FYI: 320is followers are official, after being long time on back order, switched to NLA.
Not all shops have them listed as NLA, but they are definitely not longer delivered from bmw. So only DLC alternative is schrick followers for around 2000€

[CrisSilberGrau]

Have you had oil analysis done? what oil are you using and how did you break them in?

There are several sources of premature failure

• poor oil
• contaminated oil (fuel, coolant or debris)
• lack of oil
• poor metallurgy
• incorrect breakin

Fresh oil change before the cam install, fresh oil change the night before dyno. Redline 5w50. (almost $400 in that alone spent lol)
No reason to suspect any contaminants, oil, coolant, etc, cars one of the few in Canada that makes rock solid power and I maintain it to the best of my abilities.
Break in was done at start up, for 10 mins 3k rpm, and the rest mentioned in my posts.
Installation done by a very experienced tec that only works on S54/52/62 era type cars.

I think this is just a case of poor metallurgy and a general change in the manufacturing process of the cams. This is done to cut cost, and to force the user to buy followers. Unless we know of someone in the community that has gone the same route as me, and purchased cams recently (past 1 or 2 years) and has gotten different results.

[EthanolTurbo]

FYI: 320is followers are official, after being long time on back order, switched to NLA.
Not all shops have them listed as NLA, but they are definitely not longer delivered from bmw. So only DLC alternative is schrick followers for around 2000€

Glad I got my 320is followers for $1400 last year. What a shame that the cheaper OEM option is now gone.

[CrisSilberGrau]

A little bit off topic but does anyone here have experience(s) with WPC coating camshafts. I haven't heard of anyone doing it, but it is available as a service. More oil retention, smoother surface with the added benefit of hardening the material as well (albeit a little but anything is good at this point).

Just want to get things as good as possible before they go back into the engine.

[digger]

Fresh oil change before the cam install, fresh oil change the night before dyno. Redline 5w50. (almost $400 in that alone spent lol)
No reason to suspect any contaminants, oil, coolant, etc, cars one of the few in Canada that makes rock solid power and I maintain it to the best of my abilities.
Break in was done at start up, for 10 mins 3k rpm, and the rest mentioned in my posts.
Installation done by a very experienced tec that only works on S54/52/62 era type cars.

I think this is just a case of poor metallurgy and a general change in the manufacturing process of the cams. This is done to cut cost, and to force the user to buy followers. Unless we know of someone in the community that has gone the same route as me, and purchased cams recently (past 1 or 2 years) and has gotten different results.

it might be a batch poor metallurgy but for the last 15 years Schrick catalogues have stated they are chilled cast iron and must use new schrick rockers (except for 272 which can use new OEM rocker arms)

[CrisSilberGrau]

it might be a batch poor metallurgy but for the last 15 years Schrick catalogues have stated they are chilled cast iron and must use new schrick rockers (except for 272 which can use new OEM rocker arms)

It won't be like the old days.

Any thoughts on wpc treatment for camshafts?

[digger]

Any thoughts on wpc treatment for camshafts?

industry trend when you want ultra high performance is for fancy billet steels including tool steels for the cam and for the followers to be DLC.

[bmwfnatic]

FYI: 320is followers are official, after being long time on back order, switched to NLA.
Not all shops have them listed as NLA, but they are definitely not longer delivered from bmw. So only DLC alternative is schrick followers for around 2000€

Schrick was likely just using the 320is followers, I can't find Schrick followers in stock anywhere any more either, if you do know a company that still has a set, let me know.

The funny thing is BMW actually has over 13000 S54 followers in stock, just at a price of around 100€ a piece, it hurts a bit..

[CrisSilberGrau]

industry trend when you want ultra high performance is for fancy billet steels including tool steels for the cam and for the followers to be DLC.

To follow up, the coatings will "work" with one another. In this case it will be DLC followers and WPC treated cam lobes. Talking with the WPC treatment place, they mentioned that doing a treatment on a DLC coated surface may or may not take that coating off they would only know after their treatment process has finished.

I can't go back to stock cams after feeling what it was like. So I've gone ahead and purchased the CatCams set off the forum here with the DLC followers and the bridge. There's no stock of followers on the net, and I guess VAC in their wisdom seeing as there is a shortage decided to up their price. I guess I can ask wpctreament.com if they have experience with the two coatings interacting and report back what they say.

Good guys VAC below. Bless them.

[digger]

To follow up, the coatings will "work" with one another. In this case it will be DLC followers and WPC treated cam lobes. Talking with the WPC treatment place, they mentioned that doing a treatment on a DLC coated surface may or may not take that coating off they would only know after their treatment process has finished.

I can't go back to stock cams after feeling what it was like. So I've gone ahead and purchased the CatCams set off the forum here with the DLC followers and the bridge. There's no stock of followers on the net, and I guess VAC in their wisdom seeing as there is a shortage decided to up their price. I guess I can ask wpctreament.com if they have experience with the two coatings interacting and report back what they say.

Good guys VAC below. Bless them.

i wouldn't WPC the DLC if thats what was discussed.

if using the catcams cams ,dont you need to use the catcams rockers for the "warranty" ? also WPC may void warranty claims?

$4,600 for DLC rockers VAC to the rescue

[jet_dogg]

If I had more than one set of dlc rockers I'd sell you some but it's a pretty shitty situation for these fools to be charging just south of two bills a piece.

I hope you get this sorted soon bro.

[CrisSilberGrau]

i wouldn't WPC the DLC if thats what was discussed.

if using the catcams cams ,dont you need to use the catcams rockers for the "warranty" ? also WPC may void warranty claims?

$4,600 for DLC rockers VAC to the rescue

I havent thought of that, voiding the warranty of the camshafts if they're WPCed. I would not wpc the followers dont think that would make sense.

[digger]

I havent thought of that, voiding the warranty of the camshafts if they're WPCed. I would not wpc the followers dont think that would make sense.

if you buy through forums may not get warranty anyway. i wasnt sure if that was what the WPC people were discussing as i agree doesnt make sense

[terra]

I haven't, might be worth it. Not sure they will answer. Cams just dont look like this anymore:

Hmm interesting. Was there anything special about the coating? The actual cast otherwise looks the same.

For what it’s worth, the below are the 288/280s I purchased in 2019. I noticed the 288 had a Grey instead of black coating. Seems to be wearing okay so far.

[Slideways]

Hmm interesting. Was there anything special about the coating? The actual cast otherwise looks the same.

For what it’s worth, the below are the 288/280s I purchased in 2019. I noticed the 288 had a Grey instead of black coating. Seems to be wearing okay so far.

Are those the stock cams on the right side? For some reason, I thought you had 280/272s.