[VinnyK]

Decided to pop the cam bearing ledge cap and came accross this...
My fingernail catches the groove. I mean sh*t it looks bad... suprisingly ive never had any vanos codes. What do ya'll think? Temped to just thug it out until the dreaded vanos codes appear. Engine has supposedly 100k miles (possibly 200k XD csnt trust dismantlers nowadays smh). Old engine died at 200k due to seized vacuum pump taking out the oil pump. Maybe i got f*cked with a neglected engine and bs mileage claim when I bought this engine from the shady used parts place lol. Chassis currently has 230k miles but is in better shape than almost every e90 i see lol. Everything suspension wise has been replaced from subframe bushings, wheel bearings, complete m3 control arms, Mfactory 3.46 LSD, resealed transmission and new clutch, etc... cant justify tossing her away. Id either replace the head or just go with a N52k from a 2011+ model BMW. So far I put 30k on this replacment engine.

[VinnyK]

It boggles me as the engine pulls nicely and dosent show any vanos related issues at all. I plan on driving it around looking at live data for the vanos later on today or tomorrow.

[whyzee125]

N52s are a dime a dozen and decently tough little engines. If it were my car, I would send it. If it runs good with no symptoms it would seem a waste to toss the engine and tearing into a perfectly good running engine has its own risks. You don’t have turbos to potentially contaminate it something catastrophic happens so IMO set aside a little for a rainy day and keep driving it. Good chance it’ll last as long as the rest of the car.

[VinnyK]

Originally Posted by whyzee125

N52s are a dime a dozen and decently tough little engines. If it were my car, I would send it. If it runs good with no symptoms it would seem a waste to toss the engine and tearing into a perfectly good running engine has its own risks. You don’t have turbos to potentially contaminate it something catastrophic happens so IMO set aside a little for a rainy day and keep driving it. Good chance it’ll last as long as the rest of the car.

Thx for the response m8! Thats what im thinking as well. I am going to find a cheap n52k to slowly rebuild. I do plan on keeping this e90 as long as im alive or at least able to drive so it would be nice to have a 2nd life (the engine) on stand by lol.