[Rondogger]

So is it true that the crank seal issue is a non-issue on the S55 engine?

Or at the least, there is no need for a crank seal guard?

Thx!

[allinon72]

Cmon man are we really going to start this again…

Please go reference the other 37 threads of endless bickering that arrive at no conclusion…because there really isn’t a way to arrive at a definitive one.

[Rondogger]

LOL… struck cored did I?

I’m asking only because I asked a vendor about its availability and they said “there is no guard available for the S55”.

Wasn’t sure what to make of that.

I’ll creep back into my hole now.

[jefe2000]

Originally Posted by Rondogger

I’m asking only because I asked a vendor about its availability and they said “there is no guard available for the S55”.

Wasn’t sure what to make of that.

Aside from the controversy of whether a crank seal guard is necessary for the S55 engine, there are guards that are compatible. For example:
https://f87.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1807187

[doughboy]

Originally Posted by Rondogger

LOL… struck cored did I?

I’m asking only because I asked a vendor about its availability and they said “there is no guard available for the S55”.

Wasn’t sure what to make of that.

I’ll creep back into my hole now.

S55 N55 same design in that area, so same guard will fit either.

[NathObeaN]

I would personally avoid it. As long as you take care of your car, follow through with recommended maintenance procedures and keep an eye on the "weak points" is basically a waste of time.

I initially opted to have one installed, only for it to cause vibration issues with my harmonic balancer because there wasn't enough clearance. This was professionally installed by a reputable garage. I also opted for the VAC variant which is the same one as Kies (supposedly one of the best). Because of this, I had it removed and the garage submitted a QA report to VAC. I told them not to bother installing another one. See below.

[F87source]

Originally Posted by Rondogger

So is it true that the crank seal issue is a non-issue on the S55 engine?

Or at the least, there is no need for a crank seal guard?

Thx!

The crank seal guard will fit the S55, n55, n54, because this region of the block is identically designed across these engine and the seal is nearly identical too.


The issue also occurs on all of these engines (including s55) because the belt is located there, and if it slips off (breaks or oil/coolant leaks on the pulley) then it will find itself being wedged past the front crank seal and into the engine. The belt will then be cut up by the timing chain and gear sprockets and fed right into the oil sump where it will clog the oil pump. Bit of belt material will also make it into the head. This will cause a massive amount of damage if left long enough - to the point of engine failure, and it is a huge pain to clean up. So I would get a crank seal guard just in case, because belts can break randomly (I talked about this in my review linked by another poster above and I have a coupon code linked there too if you want it).

Originally Posted by allinon72

Cmon man are we really going to start this again…

Please go reference the other 37 threads of endless bickering that arrive at no conclusion…because there really isn’t a way to arrive at a definitive one.

Im pretty sure he's talking about the crank seal guard not crank hub.

Originally Posted by NathObeaN

I would personally avoid it. As long as you take care of your car, follow through with recommended maintenance procedures and keep an eye on the "weak points" is basically a waste of time.

I initially opted to have one installed, only for it to cause vibration issues with my harmonic balancer because there wasn't enough clearance. This was professionally installed by a reputable garage. I also opted for the VAC variant which is the same one as Kies (supposedly one of the best). Because of this, I had it removed and the garage submitted a QA report to VAC. I told them not to bother installing another one. See below.

I think this is an issue stictly with the VAC/KIES motorsport guard, because of the lip on the back. This prevents it from sitting flush if your crank seal isn't recessed far back enough and thus itll hit the harmonic balancer. This is not an issue with any other style of guard like the malo industries crank seal guard that I have on my own car and have been running for awhile now.

[Rondogger]

I had a 996 Porsche for a little while so I get the never ending conversations about the “big issue” that gets brought up over and over and over again (the IMS bearing in the case of the 996.)

Having said that, I just wondered about the lack of guard for the S55 so I thought maybe BMW had modified the design? And it appears they didn’t. LOL.

Appreciate all the feedback!.