Oh God! Something else to go wrong!! - The Unofficial BMW M5 Messageboard (m5board.com)

IvanDias · 17th October 2001, 00:41

An interesting quote here from a message in the E39 area...

"Most important, stay on this board so you can identify problem areas. The E34 can go boom due to the timing chain tensioner failing -- a relatively inexpensive part. If you know in advance, you can make sure that your tech is regularly inspecting weak points on the engine. "

Er Guys?

I didn`t know this was an issue. Is this common?

What mileage should this be examined/changed and what`s the expected cost for this preventative maintenance?

Does the engine have to come out, like when you would do a timing chain swap? Or is it something that can be done in situ?

What is involved? Is there a way to visually inspect it, or does a load of stuff have to be delicately removed and replaced exactly. (even thinking of messing with the timing gear gives me the eebee jeebees)

Arrghhh!! I won`t get any sleep now !!

raymondw · 17th October 2001, 01:02

Yes, partially this is true, but you have to see that in a perspective. How many people have had to rebuild their engines compared to the total number of E34 ///M5 owners.

On the E34 ///M5 mailing list (480 members of which 90% are an owner), there are a few people (between 5 and 10) who have had to rebuild their engine because of failing chain tensioners or chain guides.

Compared to the single timing chain of the M88/3 and the S38B35 engine, the duplex chain of the S38B38 and the S38B36 stresses the chain tensioner and chain guides more. On some occasions these parts can fail then.

Which is better? Replace the single chain and tensioner and guides of the M88/3 at 100k miles or have a small chance that the tensioner and or guides of the S38B36 and the S38B38 can fail.

Besides, even the duplex chain of the S38B36 and the S38B38 won't last more than 200k miles, but then the etire engine needs a rebuild anyhow.

With best regards,

Raymond