Question

"Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire" (arch-duke-maxyenko) 09/09/2014 at 12:51 • Filed to: None

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Can an S54 cylinder head be bolted on to an N52?

It's a "Porch-uh" > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 09/09/2014 at 12:52

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Won't fit. Nothing lines up between the two.

My citroen won't start > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 09/09/2014 at 12:53

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Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > It's a "Porch-uh" 09/09/2014 at 12:55

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Thanks for answering

It's a "Porch-uh" > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 09/09/2014 at 12:57

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No problem. Besides, the N52 uses those stupid aluminium bolts on the front of the head. They break constantly.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > It's a "Porch-uh" 09/09/2014 at 13:03

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Please explain more, I'm really thinking about getting a 128i after I graduate and get promoted.

RallyWrench > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 09/09/2014 at 13:18

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The N52 is nowhere near as good an engine as the M5x was. Electric water pumps that all fail, shutting down the engine when they do, about $700 to fix. Constant oil leaks from the oil filter housing & cooler and valve cover gasket, similar to the M54 but much more expensive to fix because you can't take the valve cover off without retracting the Valvetronic rack first, via scan tool. Bad fuel injectors. Premature starter failures. Valvetronic failures. Oil consumption & intake port carbon buildup issues. And as mentioned above, everything is assembled with one-time-use aluminum bolts. If you get a BMW with any of the new generation engines, you'll probably be ok until about 80k, then get rid of it for a younger one, or get a good extended warranty through Western General.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > RallyWrench 09/09/2014 at 13:22

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So you're saying don't buy one?

RallyWrench > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 09/09/2014 at 13:28

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No, I'm saying don't plan on keeping it forever.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > RallyWrench 09/09/2014 at 13:32

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Which for me is, "don't buy it."

RallyWrench > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 09/09/2014 at 13:46

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Fair enough. I mean, they're fun cars, but they're unlikely to do 200k+ with maintenance alone like the E36 & 46 can. Better the 128 than 135, though. You can add turbo failures to the list on those.

BMWs priorities shifted clearly in the early 2000s. They still build great to drive cars, but in my experience, they simply don't have the long-term build quality, mechanical longevity or relative ease of maintenance of prior generations. It's really a bummer, because I don't want my E46 to be the newest BMW I'll ever own, but I keep cars a long time & judge them based on how I see them in the shop, and by that criteria I'll never own anything newer than an E46 M3. I'm open to change that outlook, but haven't seen reason to yet.

It's a "Porch-uh" > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 09/09/2014 at 14:07

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N52 motors have four aluminum bolts at the front top of the head. I'm not sure why they did it. Maybe to prevent galvanic corrosion, but the rest of the main head bolts are steel. Because of the nature of aluminum bolts, they will eventually break over time. Three are under the valve cover and one hides outside. They are a PITA to get out if they snap too far below the head. BMW revised the torque specs on the bolts so after they are replaced they should last a bit longer (50-60K miles). When looking at cars listen for a metallic rattle in the engine bay and check for oil leaking around the top front of the motor.