Rod Bearing Showcase Thread

[sapote]

Funny, my oil analysis consistently looked fine. Blackstone's report stated "Your original rod bearings still look good with lead (the primary bearing element) at a perfectly average 6 ppm". I'm glad I replaced them anyway.

I agree that the oil analysis is matching with the bearings condition. At 133K miles they looks fine with #3 just showing copper. You could easily get another 5K but it's good time to change.

[cobra]

Interesting to see the lack of correlation between mileage and wear...

Also the lack of correlation between blackstone oil reports and wear...

[Andrew 06M3Cab]

216,500 km (133,000 miles). Top of number #3 was worst - copper just starting to show through. Funny, my oil analysis consistently looked fine. Blackstone's report stated "Your original rod bearings still look good with lead (the primary bearing element) at a perfectly average 6 ppm". I'm glad I replaced them anyway.

[Mattn1192]

The 160k miles. Don’t know when the previous owner changed them. But glad I got it done.

[Kcalhoun27]

Had the rod bearing recall done around 25k and then these done at 145k. Mostly highway miles, but still, they were ready to change out. Glad i did it now and didnt wait any longer. Blackstone wasnt showing much copper

[Nuclear Rabbit]

2003.1 120k miles, cyl 1 at top
Unknown maintenance history (recently acquired)

[m3nt0s]

Bearings changed at 97,658 based on the trend in lead in multiple reports.

[M3Bob]

175k (ish...have to pull the records).


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[Deen HK]

Records show the recall was done at around 11k, these were replaced at 164k. Replaced with ACL bearings.

[cbean]

My rod bearings at 80K . . .

Replaced with OE, WPC & OEM bolts



Oil Change 1200 miles after rod bearing job . . . Blackstone analysis

[DropTopKingM3]

About to have mine done. VAC coated rod bearings with extra clearance and ARP bolts. I also got the oil pump upgrade kit.

Will post pics of the old bearings.

[hemi6]

198K, 2004, no copper showing but the "spring" was gone in several suggesting detonation pounded them at some point. Not bad at all and probably could have gone another 60k.

[cfdfireman1]

2006 M3 62K sure looks like it was time, no thanks to Blackstone it has been done.

blackstone62k.pdf

[Zekarus]

changed them in fabruary. 120k miles. oil analysis was good. so i won't do an oil analysis again. btw thats km on the analysis. just changing the oil a lot and will change them when I feel I need to.

[JamesSJ1]

2006, first time replacement at 91k miles. Blackstone was showing relatively high levels of copper all the time, but I didn't like the increase of all three lead, copper and iron in the last report. OCI ~7500 miles, didn't do Blackstone every time. Planned to do it around 100k miles, but used the downtime working from home and not needing to drive to get it done.