Need help choose rod bearings

[Pruzina]

Hi. Need little help here. I'm about to buy new rod bearings but seems like there is few options. Would like to hear some opinions.
Car in question 2011 BMW X5M S63 engine

On throtl dot com I found
6 options from kings
1 option ACL

I understand that there are standard and 2 options of oversized.
there are 2 different options for standard
CR8049SV
CR8050SV

and 4 for oversized
CR8049SV0.25
CR8049SV0.5
CR8050SV0.25
CR8050SV0.5

and ACL
8B1578HX-STD

I would like to know the differences and pros and cons of each. thanks

[JokerElite]

I'd go with ACL standard size. I don't think sizing is the issue with original rod bearings so I wouldn't deviate from factory specs. ACL is priced well too. I actually installed the same kind in my M3 earlier this year.

[Pruzina]

Yeah I was thinking about ACL as well. I was just curious if someone has some relevant points why to go for oversized bearings.

thanks for your reply. I want to other it this weekend. I was hopping there would be more input from people.

[wcs531]

Originally Posted by Pruzina

Yeah I was thinking about ACL as well. I was just curious if someone has some relevant points why to go for oversized bearings.

thanks for your reply. I want to other it this weekend. I was hopping there would be more input from people.

The S63 doesn't eat bearings like the S65 and S85 so I doubt many people have changed them. The F10 M5 forum may have some people with info, but I'd search the e90 m3 and e60 m5 forums for info on sizing. Also if the answer isnt clear in a thread you find you'll get more interest by bumping an active thread on the topic since most people who post in that thread will get an alert.

Half of the options you listed from King's are just based on build date according to their site, so its just a matter of sizing.

[Pruzina]

Yeah you're right bumping old thread is probably bigger chance to get some attention.
You're right with the F10 m5 forum. I just didn't want some kind of confusion and possible wrong advices as F10 uses S63TU and the bearings options may be different.

[wcs531]

Originally Posted by Pruzina

Yeah you're right bumping old thread is probably bigger chance to get some attention.
You're right with the F10 m5 forum. I just didn't want some kind of confusion and possible wrong advices as F10 uses S63TU and the bearings options may be different.

Definitely possible as the S63 non-tu apparently has different bearings starting in 3/2011, but the sizing recomendations, coating (if any), and brand reliability should be consistent regardless of engine

[Pruzina]

Based on your previous comment I went to kings website to check the bearings. As you pointed there was change in the bearing style 3/2011. The bottom half of the bearing has te retention notch in different spot. And guess what my car is 3/2011. Per realoem my bearings should be "new" style so I hope there will be no surprise once I take it apart.

So at least now I know what is the difference between the 49 series and 50. And I'll just stick with standard size and OEM bolts.

Not really looking forward do the actual work

[TTV8M]

Oversized is if your bearing clearances are out of spec / range. Like if you spun a rod bearing and caught it in time. And then polished down the crankshaft because of it. Well with the metal being removed from polishing you would need an oversized bearing. Always check with plastigauge with the old bearing screws.

When confirmed your in range, replace with new bolts and follow the torque spec from either newtis or bmwfans.info

[Pruzina]

Thanks for replies. I looked in to it yesterday. All the measurements and plastigauge. As the precise measurement requires micrometers, plastigauge seems like the easiest option for me. Let's see how the bearings and crankshaft looks like.
My understanding is that the measurements using plastigauge is done using new bearings. Correct? that means I have to order standard bearings anyway and only in case it's out of spec I would have to buy oversized.

[Pruzina]

I'm trying to find what is the correct bearing clearance. The only thing I found is this. Is this what I'm looking for?

Newtis is asking for plastigauge PG 1 which is green one .025-.075 range. Makes me believe that's the correct clearance.

[TTV8M]

Originally Posted by Pruzina

Thanks for replies. I looked in to it yesterday. All the measurements and plastigauge. As the precise measurement requires micrometers, plastigauge seems like the easiest option for me. Let's see how the bearings and crankshaft looks like.
My understanding is that the measurements using plastigauge is done using new bearings. Correct? that means I have to order standard bearings anyway and only in case it's out of spec I would have to buy oversized.

Correct. But not necessarily oversized, maybe just a different color

Depending on your engine you might be using either the old color chart or the new color chart

Difference in color charts is that the new one offers more in-between sizes

The old color chart was yellow green violet
The difference between these three is approximately 4 to 8 thou
Yellow being the thinest, green thicker, violet even thicker. Now if you put in a violet and you're still not in the range, then you would go to oversized and another set of colors
So let's say 0.25+ and that's also in yellow , green, violet. And if you were still out of range, then you can go . 0.50+ and with yellow green violet.

You can use plastic gauge on your existing caps, that would just tell you where you're at now.

I'd recommend watching some YouTube videos on how to use plastic gauge so that you're familiar with it

[TTV8M]

For example, on my main journal bearings. The lettering on the block and the letter and on the crank all the bearings plastic aged good inside the range except for one. That was cap 1. I already had a green one in there which is the middle of the road. I only swapped the bottom half bearing for a violet and now I am in range. This also means that journal suffered a little bit and lost metal in it's 100,000 mi life so far. But metal wears out eventually, right?

[TTV8M]

Sorry to confuse you. I was talking about bearings for the main journals, not for the con rods.

[TTV8M]

Yepp. Looks like you have a blue regular and then oversized. Then a red regular and oversized.

I'd recommend first plastic gauge what you have now, and then depending on that, then you will know what to buy. Instead of buying one of all four then you're stuck with extra stuff like me

[Pruzina]

My understanding is that the coloring is only for OEM bearings. My plan is to buy Kings bearings which doesn't follow the color scheme just STANDARD, .25 OR .5.

I did watch tons of videos how to use plastigauge. They usually explain it pretty well but miss some deeper stuff.

My impression was that oversized bearing would basically compensate for the clearance made by polishing the crankshaft or by just wear on the crankshaft over time.

[Pruzina]

Originally Posted by TTV8M

I'd recommend first plastic gauge what you have now, and then depending on that, then you will know what to buy.

Tell me if I'm wrong but wouldn't be the plastigauge reading compromised using my old bearings. The old bearing will have some wear thus the clearance will be greater than new one? Meaning using old bearing for the test and then new bearing on the same journal should show completely different reading. Am I missing something?

[TTV8M]

By doing the plastigauge now withe existing parts would be more of an exercise and a point of reference. So you can see where your at now, compared to the range you should be in, versus the new bearings. Totally up to you.

[Pruzina]

Oh I see your point. But as I want to have all parts ready before I start I'll do the measurements with old and new bearings. Will be interesting to see the difference. Parts are on the way. Hopefully I can tackle it next week.

[TTV8M]

Here's a really good YouTube about measuring bearings.

[Pruzina]

Thanks. I watched that one. But it's way too complicated and lot of measuring tools required. I already have all parts ready car in the air axles out. Hopefully subframe isn't too crazy to drop.

[Pruzina]

I'm still little bit confused about the torque specs. I've searched everywhere and found mixed answers. No clear answer at all. Some do just ones 5nm, 20nm, 70 degrees others say loose and do 2 more times.
And this table from TIS isn't clear either. so confusing

[TTV8M]

So that chart covers 2 different engines and 2 different rods.

1. Do you have curved cap rods or straight cap rods?
2. Do you have the original s63 engine or the s63tu?

For your 2011 I assume you have the original s63 with 1 oil squirter in an S shape like I have. And also assume you have curved/angled rod caps.

So if all that matches, go with the last one on that chart.

The difference with the top and bottom torque specs on that chart is just the first torque, to make sure you don't screw down one rod cap bolt all the way. Need to screw down each bolt a few turns then go to the other bolt a few turns and back to the other. This allows the cap to sit almost uniformly.