Spun Crank Hub 6MT

SLOWESTN54

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I've been running the VVT spline lock for 2 years now at 650whp with no issues. I had the oem one slip and luckily didn't blow the engine, just an expensive timing job.
Just a question. What proves that it was the spline lock that kept it happy. I’m happily above 700wheel on a oem crank hub no spinning yet, it’s been about a year since I’ve put my motor together. Plus my cars a manual and I don’t shift nicely.
 
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bill3rdshift

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May 5, 2022
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Just a question. What proves that it was the spline lock that kept it happy. I’m happily above 700wheel on a oem crank hub no spinning yet, it’s been about a year since I’ve put my motor together. Plus my cars a manual and I don’t shift nicely.
All I can say is the OEM one didn't hold and the VTT one has since. When the OEM timing sprocket slipped the engine had 39k miles on it. Apparently this issue occurs more with the S55 platform. I haven't heard many N54's deal with this issue honestly, but the fact your still running on OEM is good news. I can't say why some fail and some don't, but the VTT hub for me has been solid so far. Also, my car is manual and I beat on it always.
 

SLOWESTN54

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All I can say is the OEM one didn't hold and the VTT one has since. When the OEM timing sprocket slipped the engine had 39k miles on it. Apparently this issue occurs more with the S55 platform. I haven't heard many N54's deal with this issue honestly, but the fact your still running on OEM is good news. I can't say why some fail and some don't, but the VTT hub for me has been solid so far. Also, my car is manual and I beat on it always.
Ayeee fellow manual owner. Happy it’s working for ya.
 

jayntguru

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Jul 11, 2021
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I have been watching this thread since the beginning, so I'm afraid to drive the car now. :grimacing: Have a 6MT and I'm about to do the clutch. 6 bolt DMFW are unobtanium for a decent price right now, so I'm trying to decide what I want to do. (DMFW and 335is or SMFW and some other option for only a few hundred more.)

From the above it seems a given that 6MT spin more often.

However, is is true that SMFM seems to spin more often?

Also, is this as simple as re-torquing the crank bolt every couple thousand miles?

-Jay

09 E90/6MT/FBO
 

zomski101

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Dec 28, 2019
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can you explain this im getting 2a98/3100 intake reference on a ST manual. First I thought it was my cam ledge as I had the same code but for exhaust side, changed with brand new even though it looked fine normal wear (when I changed exhaust side I put the teflon seals onto the intake side). Car ran fine for a week code popped back up I'm like no way 2a98 and 3100. Checked timing exhaust side was on point intake was off by a degree or 2 as timing tool wouldn't slide on. Adjusted timing and changed tensioner. Did a few pulls car was good. Next day do light pulls 2nd to 3rd code reappeared. I notice intake vanos "actual" and "required" are slightly off and "actual" jumps around. I can clear the codes and on idle it won't reappear but once start to drive it pops up. Contemplating pulling motor and doing chain guides hub etc or swapping junk yard motor and building this one.

To my understanding and from what I've seen when it slips you get exhaust and intake vanos codes. Im only getting intake and I figured maybe the vanos sprocket may be fault have another one to test out but would like opinions as Im tired of taking this thing apart every other week.

BTW garret g35-1050 on about 19-22psi depending on weather.
Motor is stock internally however I know it ate a belt as when I bought it it had the belt in the pickup tube but all that was cleaned out prior to refreshing seals on the motor. Also cam trays and cams are from another motor I had laying around can't recall if I used the same sprockets from the motor that ate the belt though.
Mind sharing what the issue was? Was it a bad vanos sprocket?

Today, I did a launch in 2nd gear to 4th gear and 30 seconds later, while cruising, the car went into limp home mode. Codes were 2a98 and 3100. I already have the vtt spline lock which has been on the car for 150k miles now, ever since a previous time when the crank spun, so I doubt timing slipped at the crank, well I hope it didn't.

Also, when I clear the codes and drive the car, I hear a tapping noise from the top of the head at 3000rpm but when the car goes into limp mode the tapping noise at 3000rpm is nonexistent. Is the vanos disabled when in limp mode?

I'll be swapping the vanos solenoids to see if the code switches to the exhaust side but I doubt a sensor failed coincidently right after a pull. Just looking online to see if someone had a similar failure before I take off the valve cover, inspect and check timing.
 

martymil

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log the vanos actual and target and see if they follow, had a exhaust vanos mechanism go bad which we are about to change on my mates
single turbo with less than 5k on the clock.
 

zomski101

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log the vanos actual and target and see if they follow, had a exhaust vanos mechanism go bad which we are about to change on my mates
single turbo with less than 5k on the clock.
I'm AT and just had hydra hp800 v2 turbos and new rod bearings installed 2 weeks ago. Motor is stock with 270k miles.

This was when the car was in park. As you can see intake is slightly slow to respond but I don't know if that's normal.
 

zomski101

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log the vanos actual and target and see if they follow, had a exhaust vanos mechanism go bad which we are about to change on my mates
single turbo with less than 5k on the clock.
Then this one is when I was slowly taking off with codes cleared, both intake and exhaust seem similar and at the end you see it flatline, that's when the car went into limp mode.

 

martymil

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Well if you clear the codes and it lets you drive its not the timing but most likely a vanos solenoid or one of the sensors.

I'd pull the cam position sensors and give them a clean, swap out the solenoids as they are cheap and clean the vanos filters and blow the oil galleries out whilst having the solenoids and filters out.

Do the basics before tearing into the engine, also check the connections for corrosion especially with the km you have racked up.
 
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zomski101

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Well if you clear the codes and it lets you drive its not the timing but most likely a vanos solenoid or one of the sensors.

I'd pull the cam position sensors and give them a clean, swap out the solenoids as they are cheap and clean the vanos filters and blow the oil galleries out whilst having the solenoids and filters out.

Do the basics before tearing into the engine, also check the connections for corrosion especially with the km you have racked up.
Cleaned and swapped solenoids, sensor and check valve. Still got the same code. Looks like I spun the crank, checked today and 2 of the 6 cbc bolts were finger loose.
 

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zomski101

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Dec 28, 2019
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So have you got a spline lock or just the cbc ?
Both spline lock and cbc. Had the spline lock installed since November 2018 when I spun the crank the first time on mmp turbos. Now 2 weeks with hydra turbos and it spun again.
I did have the crank hub removed 2 times since then cause I have the stupid helix 3x that failed on me twice causing broken timing and oil pump guide components.
Maybe that's the reason it spun because the repeated removal and install.
 

wheela

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Both spline lock and cbc. Had the spline lock installed since November 2018 when I spun the crank the first time on mmp turbos. Now 2 weeks with hydra turbos and it spun again.
I did have the crank hub removed 2 times since then cause I have the stupid helix 3x that failed on me twice causing broken timing and oil pump guide components.
Maybe that's the reason it spun because the repeated removal and install.
Over on f80post some s55 guys loose cbc bolts but their hub hasn't spun. Here's some intersting cbc reading:



 

SlowE93

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Both spline lock and cbc. Had the spline lock installed since November 2018 when I spun the crank the first time on mmp turbos. Now 2 weeks with hydra turbos and it spun again.
I did have the crank hub removed 2 times since then cause I have the stupid helix 3x that failed on me twice causing broken timing and oil pump guide components.
Maybe that's the reason it spun because the repeated removal and install.
Sorry to hear this though. Bmw design sucks for sure !
 

SlowE93

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Over on f80post some s55 guys loose cbc bolts but their hub hasn't spun. Here's some intersting cbc reading:



Reading the first thread now. Have to take a break to get some popcorn.
Thx for posting. Amazing how 1 person here still says they work great !
There are more people that disagree vs the ones that agree.
 
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martymil

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You have the v1 spline lock which had issues, the v2 wasn't released till April 2019 if I'm not mistaken.

More then likely the helix is what's caused failure with either your timing gear or vanos hubs.

I still very much doubt you spun the hub but its some other failure, keep us updated.
 
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