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Okay, I didn't plan to be posting carnage pictures today, but I bought this TBSS LS2 off ebay a few days ago and it just got here today. The first thing I always check is whether or not the motor can be turned by hand. Well this one could not be turned with a breaker bar, so I immediately opened up a paypal case to start the process of getting at least a partial refund, and then opened up the engine to survey the damage. I already know that the crank is probably not salvageable. I'm not experienced enough to know if the block is salvageable. Opinions please.
Let me know what your thoughts are. I would like to get a few opinions from those who have more experience so I can get an idea of where to go from here. For now I'm planning to get the car up and running with the 5.3. I was hoping to just install the LS2 and have it running right off the bat, but no such luck.
Having dealt with ebay and filing a claim against a seller (nothing as $$$ as an LS2 but the process should be the same) go through the process of filing a claim. It does involve contacting the seller but if they don't offer a good resolution you can get ebay involved. If that auction had "ebay money back guarantee" you are in a good position. If they don't play nice ebay will give you all your money back.
My thoughts are ...... what kind of ******* sells that without telling the buyer upfront? Yikes
Find it hard to believe there is much salvageable there. Maybe some rods and Pistons from the non carnaged holes?
Block might be OK but clearly need a lot of machining. Kind of a believer in good OEM used.
Agreed. The listing just said that the guy was selling it because it had the 24x reluctor (which I need) instead of the 52x reluctor, which his TBSS needs.
Having dealt with ebay and filing a claim against a seller (nothing as $$$ as an LS2 but the process should be the same) go through the process of filing a claim. It does involve contacting the seller but if they don't offer a good resolution you can get ebay involved. If that auction had "ebay money back guarantee" you are in a good position. If they don't play nice ebay will give you all your money back.
I texted him, then called, then sent him a message via paypal when I opened up the case. Not a single response and he didn't answer when I called. I really don't think he'll ever respond, but I am going to give him some time. I'm pretty sure he knew it was a bad engine and was keeping quiet about it.
damn that sucks. what kinda jerk would pass that off?
fixing it? yes its possible. last quote i got for cylinder liners was $200 a hole. that crank is done. rods + pistons too. likely the cam. the block might still be water tight, the jacket doesnt go all the way down where the damage is in the last pic. any shop worth it's beans will insist on honing the mains. it gets expensive quick.
damn that sucks. what kinda jerk would pass that off?
fixing it? yes its possible. last quote i got for cylinder liners was $200 a hole. that crank is done. rods + pistons too. likely the cam. the block might still be water tight, the jacket doesnt go all the way down where the damage is in the last pic. any shop worth it's beans will insist on honing the mains. it gets expensive quick.
If at least the block can be saved, then maybe there is hope. I'll take everything down to my machinist and have him look it all over. He's fast, fair and knows what he's doing.
I texted him, then called, then sent him a message via paypal when I opened up the case. Not a single response and he didn't answer when I called. I really don't think he'll ever respond, but I am going to give him some time. I'm pretty sure he knew it was a bad engine and was keeping quiet about it.
Well less he plays ball the worse it will be for him.
I would not waste another second/penny on that motor. If he never responds, which he probably wont, ebay will refund you, just be patient. If he does contact you, don't listen do a damn word he says until there is money back in your account. They guy is obviously a scammer.
Really cool swap. As a BMW tech I'm very interested in your progress. N62 engines have made me a lot of money over the years...which means you made the right choice by ditching that POS!
I would not waste another second/penny on that motor. If he never responds, which he probably wont, ebay will refund you, just be patient. If he does contact you, don't listen do a damn word he says until there is money back in your account. They guy is obviously a scammer.
Really cool swap. As a BMW tech I'm very interested in your progress. N62 engines have made me a lot of money over the years...which means you made the right choice by ditching that POS!
Oh Boy, do I have questions for you. I need to get a 12-volt signal from the ignition switch to power the gm ecm and the starter relay. The CAS will most likely not allow 12-volts to get to the starter relay. Is there a different source where I could get ignition power that you would recommend?
Oh Boy, do I have questions for you. I need to get a 12-volt signal from the ignition switch to power the gm ecm and the starter relay. The CAS will most likely not allow 12-volts to get to the starter relay. Is there a different source where I could get ignition power that you would recommend?
I would have to study a wiring diagram and get back to you. Havent needed to do much starting system diag on e60s.
There is a real update coming, but here are a couple of small things just for informational purposes. First off, since I happen to have a couple of Trailblazer ss manifolds with no motor to put them on, I threw the driver's side on the 5.3 just out of curiosity. Very nice fit. If anybody wanted to do this project on a budget, then this would be a smart option.
IT's hard to see the clearance in those pictures, but it's a very nice fit.
Here is another cool thing to know. This is the fuel return line connector from the 2000 silverado that I pulled the motor from. It fits snugly onto the BMW fuel line, just like the stock fuel line. I figure I can make a fuel line adapter by joining the fuel return connector to the fuel intake connector.
Mini Update. Just taking care of some of the nit picky items while I wait for a verdict on the LS2 from my machinist. I am converting it over to cable drive so I won't have to worry about the wiring aspect of DBW. Here is a bracket that I made by redesigning the one from the truck intake manifold.
And while it doesn't look like much, it took a entire day and a half to complete. I did this by taking the side panel off of the stock dbw pedal unit and replacing it with 12 gauge steel, which gave me a strong enough foundation to build upon. This is my drive by cable pedal setup.
The verdict is in from my Machinist. The block was saved. This will be an LS2 powered 545i after all. I just can't say enough good about Red and his crew down at Hunter Machine in West Valley, Utah. When he says it'll be done in a week, he means it. This block was taken to him on Monday and I just got it back from him today (Friday). I'm still waiting on the crank, but that should be ready early next week. The original crank was junk, but I was able to get another one that also had been through a spun bearing, but was not nearly as bad.
I asked him to keep it at stock specs so that's why there are still some vertical markings in one of the cylinders.
What a beautiful sight.
Question: Will a stock LS1 intake choke a stock LS2? I have heard that the LS2 intake is the worst of them all, but have not been able to find any dyno test results pitting the LS1 against the LS2 intake. I have a TBSS intake, which is the best flowing factory cathedral port intake, but I'll most likely end up selling it because it simply won't fit under the hood. I could also look for an LS6 intake, but they are running around $700 these days. The only other option that will fit under the hood is the MSD atomic air force intake, but it doesn't really show big gains over the LS1 until after 5500 rpm.
-Edit-I have also found that the FAST 102 LSXr intake beats out all other intakes mentioned. They're expensive, but if I find a screamin' deal on one, then I'll pick it up. But as long as my exhaust consists of just the stock Chevy and BMW pieces then I'll stick with the LS1 intake that I have as it probably would not make any more power until that is upgraded.
I'm digging this build and have been following it. $700 for an LS6 seems like a whole lot though. I'm pretty sure I've seen then in the classifieds for about $350-400 complete.
I'm digging this build and have been following it. $700 for an LS6 seems like a whole lot though. I'm pretty sure I've seen then in the classifieds for about $350-400 complete.
Hey, thanks for reading through the thread. There are good deals on LS6 intakes that pop up every once in a while. But it seems like just lately (and I'm making reference to Ebay prices) a fully dressed ls6 intake runs right around $700. If you find one fully dressed with fuel rail, injectors, throttle body etc for $350-$400 you would do well to buy it and resell it on Ebay lol. But seeing the large hp gains that a built 6.0 made with the fast 102 LSXr intake made over the ls1 makes me want to save up for that one anyway (maybe for a time when I'm ready to revise my exhaust and install a mild cam). Here is a great article that outlines what is possible with several different intakes on the market right now. http://www.hotrod.com/articles/20-ls...ifolds-tested/
08-05-2016, 10:46 PM
