N51 Camshaft Carriers cracked?

rj42894 · 05-13-2019, 04:13 PM

Hello all,

I have a question i am trying to figure out,
I have came across an issue with my camshaft carriers suddenly cracking. I was driving the car home one day on the freeway and suddenly the car shut down to a stop. I pulled over and looked it over to find there was nothing obvious that i could diag. So i had the car towed home.

After further tear-down of the car i have come to the conclusion that that intake camshaft carriers are cracked and are prohibiting the engine from starting. According to BMW this is caused by oil starvation, which is mind boggling as i drained about 7-1/2 quarts of oil of of the motor.

Would i be able to simply replace the components? or should i give up on my old daily

?

pics attached below

Eagle1oh7 · 05-13-2019, 06:25 PM

Whoa! I wonder what happened beforehand to cause this!

Biginboca · 05-13-2019, 07:43 PM

Everything on those cams looks awfully dry and discolored from heat, presumably friction. Like the bolts look black on your cam holders.

I don’t see traces of oil anywhere? This is what mine looked like last time I had the cover off, everything shiny and oily...

rj42894 · 05-13-2019, 11:29 PM

The car has been sitting for several months.

I haven't touched it in a while as I have another car to drive for the time being, but I'd love to get it back on the road. I'm sure all the oil has drained to the pan since then.

I'm kinda at a standstill on what to do because I would like to see her running again.

hassmaschine · 05-14-2019, 01:20 AM

Could be an oiling issue, definitely looks like those bolts got very hot. At the very least, you need a new head.

I'd probably just buy a whole motor and swap it. Maybe upgrade to an N52 vs the N51.

desertman123 · 05-14-2019, 12:32 PM

Agreed, just drop a 'new to you' motor in. They can be had for ~$1000 I think. Way easier than trying to make this current motor continue to work, especially if there's evidence of oil starvation.

CTinline-six · 05-14-2019, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hassmaschine

Could be an oiling issue, definitely looks like those bolts got very hot. At the very least, you need a new head.

I'd probably just buy a whole motor and swap it. Maybe upgrade to an N52 vs the N51.

+1 those caps got pretty hot. I'm wondering what caused the lubrication failure. Maybe an oil pump issue since you stated the oil was full? Might be worth pulling the filter to see if there's any kibbles and bits in it.

Hass- Is it possible to just swap an N52 block/head in place of an N51 engine? Would there be programming required? I know the N51 has lower compression.

rj42894 · 05-17-2019, 04:13 PM

I'm currently thinking of just replacing the head since i don't think much damage could have been done. As i was driving, the engine just shut off, i threw it into neutral and tried to see if it would start again. Maybe that saved the engine, i'm not sure, but i can always take it off in my free time to see how bad it is.

Could anybody point me in the right direction when pulling this off ad what to check for on a n51/2 to call the engine officially shot? it's an X-Drive so i already know the oil pan is going to be a pain..

I'm hoping its a clogged/ Bad oil pump.

05-13-2019, 04:13 PM	#1
rj42894 New Member 0 Rep 11 Posts Drives: 2007 328xi A52 Join Date: May 2015 Location: Nashville, TN iTrader: (0)	N51 Camshaft Carriers cracked? Hello all, I have a question i am trying to figure out, I have came across an issue with my camshaft carriers suddenly cracking. I was driving the car home one day on the freeway and suddenly the car shut down to a stop. I pulled over and looked it over to find there was nothing obvious that i could diag. So i had the car towed home. After further tear-down of the car i have come to the conclusion that that intake camshaft carriers are cracked and are prohibiting the engine from starting. According to BMW this is caused by oil starvation, which is mind boggling as i drained about 7-1/2 quarts of oil of of the motor. Would i be able to simply replace the components? or should i give up on my old daily? pics attached below Attached Images
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05-13-2019, 06:25 PM	#2
Eagle1oh7 Lieutenant Colonel 291 Rep 1,710 Posts Drives: '11 328i Sedan Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Chula Vista CA iTrader: (0)	Whoa! I wonder what happened beforehand to cause this! __________________ DONE: Seibon CF Hood, M3 Rep, MSport rear w/DD CF Diffuser, M3 Rep Skirts, Seibon CSL trunklid, Forgestar F14 18s w/Michelin PSS, Eisenmann catback, AA Headers, BPC Stage 2, Charcoal Delete+revMotor+AFE Drop In filter FUTURE MODS: LED headlights, CF rooftop, M3 Suspension Conversion, Dinan CAI Mod
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05-13-2019, 07:43 PM	#3
Biginboca Colonel 3791 Rep 2,738 Posts Drives: 2009 E92 328i 6MT Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Boynton Beach, FL... USA iTrader: (3)	Everything on those cams looks awfully dry and discolored from heat, presumably friction. Like the bolts look black on your cam holders. I don’t see traces of oil anywhere? This is what mine looked like last time I had the cover off, everything shiny and oily... __________________ My E92 328csl Build Thread My 328csl Instagram Page
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05-13-2019, 11:29 PM	#4
rj42894 New Member 0 Rep 11 Posts Drives: 2007 328xi A52 Join Date: May 2015 Location: Nashville, TN iTrader: (0)	The car has been sitting for several months. I haven't touched it in a while as I have another car to drive for the time being, but I'd love to get it back on the road. I'm sure all the oil has drained to the pan since then. I'm kinda at a standstill on what to do because I would like to see her running again.
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05-14-2019, 01:20 AM	#5
hassmaschine Major General 3987 Rep 7,212 Posts Drives: "NBO" 330i Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: earth iTrader: (0)	Could be an oiling issue, definitely looks like those bolts got very hot. At the very least, you need a new head. I'd probably just buy a whole motor and swap it. Maybe upgrade to an N52 vs the N51.
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05-14-2019, 12:32 PM	#6
desertman123 E82 Mudflap Ambassador 2239 Rep 2,220 Posts Drives: '08 128i Join Date: May 2016 Location: Orlando, FL iTrader: (0) Garage List 1992 Honda Beat [9.50] 2008 BMW 128i [10.00] 2014 BMW 528i [10.00]	Agreed, just drop a 'new to you' motor in. They can be had for ~$1000 I think. Way easier than trying to make this current motor continue to work, especially if there's evidence of oil starvation. __________________ My 2008 128i - Sparkling Graphite/Beige - Sport pkg - 6MT - Click me! Parents' 2014 528i - Mineral White/Ivory White - fully loaded Instagram @Andreys_128i and @Honda.Bito
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05-17-2019, 04:13 PM	#8
rj42894 New Member 0 Rep 11 Posts Drives: 2007 328xi A52 Join Date: May 2015 Location: Nashville, TN iTrader: (0)	Replacing head. I'm currently thinking of just replacing the head since i don't think much damage could have been done. As i was driving, the engine just shut off, i threw it into neutral and tried to see if it would start again. Maybe that saved the engine, i'm not sure, but i can always take it off in my free time to see how bad it is. Could anybody point me in the right direction when pulling this off ad what to check for on a n51/2 to call the engine officially shot? it's an X-Drive so i already know the oil pan is going to be a pain.. I'm hoping its a clogged/ Bad oil pump.
	Appreciate 0 Quote