Ah, how I love to lease lol

 

The sound of that engine makes the pain worth it lol!

I almost bought one for myself, I still regret it since he was offering it for $4000 and it just needed bearings.....and vanos, and suspension, and on and on.

I should still probably buy one just to make some money on when the market goes up more, it already rose enough I regret it.


I actually don't mind working on the 550s too much, I'm used to this engine now but it's still too much effort and expense for what you get. It's not for me though, I would rather have the Audi engine or Mercedes. When working on these you need to take a very particular approach of "big picture" and not mind taking a lot of things apart and moving carefully. I prefer to work like that anyway so it "fits" with how I function. I greatly prefer things that require you to be delicate vs beating the hell out of stuff like the S10 or STS I worked on today.

 

If you have a manual (or an SMG that has been converted to a manual) and treat them right they're actually not bad. The main non-negotiables for the S85 V10 are:

Replace the rod bearings (BEFORE they fail) with aftermarket ones
Use the correct oil (which is heavier than other BMWs, 20w50 if memory serves?)
Don't rev the **** out of it when the engine is cold (because cold, thick oil doesn't flow well)

I've seen plenty that have racked up a large number of hard miles without significant repairs, provided the above rules are followed. Same story for the S65 V8 in the E9X M3, as it is the same engine with two cylinders lopped off.

 

what is this oil of which you speak?

 

Guys I have a Mercedes question in my thread. Welcome to used MB ownership lmao.

 

And, what IS the question friend?

Sorry, I'm slow. Lol

 

TGIF everyone!

See something fun, please post it up. 🪂 🚜 🧭 🚥

 

Saw this yesterday!!!




Chatted with this guy, he has some monoblocks on it. '95ish S420.



God, LS430s are pretty and have stood the test of time. So understated, but gorgeous.

 

I “installed” my charger hanger in the garage lol

 

Nice......

 

Another one of those Off-the-Wall projects.

 

It's clearly an on-the-wall project.

 

The cord comes off the wall.

Anyhow, on a more serious note, I'm glad for Steve and his family. Now they can handle either a Plug-in or full-BEV with (hopefully) no issues. We don't (and can't) have anything like that where I live, but for many reasons, it would be impractical and difficult for me to try to move. Plus, at least, I don't have a mortgage...it's paid off.

 

deleted by MM

 

I'm used to cars with zero engine trouble, ever. Replacing rod bearings preemptively on a car, more power to people but that is not for me. That's major engine work. I would never have bought my MB if M113 was known for engine trouble. IMO an engine you shouldn't ever have to touch, literally, other than normal maintenance.

That said, I've seen an E39 M5 with 400k on it. The VANOS had been replaced like 3 times, but it had that mileage on it and looked good and ran well.

For that matter, with all these new turbo engines.... things are going to change. I wouldn't roll into an oil change 1500 miles over constantly and think nothing of it like now with the 4.3.. I'd keep tip top on those turbos and be worried about seals and the turbos themselves. They need fresh oil. Don't go over. I wouldn't buy an LX600 with 107k on it like I did ours, either, with that turbo engine vs the V8 that needs nothing.