yay the BMW gets an engine!

What's happened then - who's paying for the engine and the work to get it swapped in? How come you had to source the engine yourself if someone else is paying for it?

What's the odds the replacement lump will have a Nikasil related failure within 6 months?

Nikasil engines shouldn't give trouble now as the petrol which caused it has long since gone. Any which survived - through not using this petrol - should be ok.

The BMW replacement engines with have an Alusil block. Not Nikasil. Even if there were still high sulphur fuel, they'd be ok with it.

JB

Thought he said the problem was fixed?

Doesn't his post suggest he's had his engine fixed and is swapping it for one with the problem? Scam of some sort coming up? ;)

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@davenoise.co.uk:

I've heard of this problem in passing. I always assumed it was a problem with the engine, but it's really the fuel that's the problem?

Nikasil wasn't a new process when BMW adopted it - and when it started to fail they weren't sure why. It first seemed to happen on the V-8 engines, so heat was thought to be the problem. But then it was found that high sulphur petrol was the cause - and this was never sold in Germany. And only appeared in the UK at some outlets in some places - notably supermarkets in the NE and Ireland. Cars run exclusively on the UK brands like BP etc didn't suffer.

The main problem was in the US. BMW actually withdrew the ally block sixes and replaced them with iron ones tbere. Then fitted liners to ally blocks before finally settling on Alusil.

All IIRC.

.=2E.or fit an M3 engine in the first place?

I heard the North-West, more than NE, and ISTR hearing Shell petrol bandied about in particular as a main cause of things going wrong.

-- "For want of the price of tea and a slice, the old man died."

Blaming the petrol is a bit like blaming the see if you build a diving helmet that's only water tight in fresh water. ;)

Yup. AFAIK manufacturers have been using Nikasil bore liners in bike engines for ages with no real ill effects. I could be quite wrong though.

-- "For want of the price of tea and a slice, the old man died."

Not if it's got contaminates in it.

ok in english this time lol, BMW the ass raping badits wanted £5000 for new block and pistons (included fitting and other bollocks too) sooo me and dealer gave BMW the 2 fingers as BMW wouldn't contribute. dealer said he'd get me a second hand engine but confirm with BMW that the second hand engine he finds had the problem fixed by BMW. he found me an engine and checked it up with BMW (and so did i lol didn't trust him hehe) and it's been sorted. so now waiting for engine to arrive and dealer is paying for the engine and the fitting. sorted

Sulphur in petrol isn't a contaminant it's a normal component of petrol. It has to be removed to create low sulphur petrol.

You fixed your engine then went looking for another with the same fault? Weird.

Once it is done, and documented as being done, shift it. Get this Pimp wagon.

And go essex cruising.

--=20 Carl Robson Audio stream:

Petrol is refined from a variety of crude - and what it eventually contains is down to the refinery.

As have many other chemicals.

Except that it's not - yet. But good luck anyway. I'd have been tempted to have the original block sleeved - if the engine was otherwise ok.