Spun bearing: collapsed oil filter?

breakfastreatre · 02-15-2018, 05:05 PM

Heres the background

In october went out with my 08 135 to a track day up here just outside of Toronto.

First session went well, although I wasn't pushing it for most of the time as it was the first time I had been on the grand prix track at mosport (canadian tire motorsports park)

By the end, I felt more comfortable and started to flirt with the limits of the car.

Second session starts and Im driving much harder. about 10 minutes in I get the lights flashing for coolant and oil temps, car goes into what I think is limp mode, and I immediately go into a cool down lap and bring it back to the pits.

car sits idling for about 10 mins and I turn it off.

Third session is about to start and when I start the car, with the car in gear, its making a hell of a racket. In neutral, there is no noise.
I posted on here and the first reply thought it sounded like the dual mass flywheel was toast.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1Q9x9PkMeA&t=31s

Had the car towed to a shop and sure enough, the dmfw was toast.

Couple months later after some hiccups with parts (valeo does not make a smfw conversion kit for the 135 despite what rockauto and their website says) I get a call saying the new clutch and flywheel are in, but now the car has a really bad knock.

Drove by on the way home from work and and checked the car out and man is it bad. The knock is really bad as you can hear in the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opu2xVvg3X8

We pulled the oil filter and it was obvious there was a toasted bearing. Tons of metal shavings:

The interesting part is the filter, it was starting to collapse:

I had just changed the oil, put in redline 5w40 and the wix heavy duty filter:

compare that filter to a mann filter:

I wonder if the wix filter is taller and when I tightened the filter housing cap it crushed the filter? I have a couple more filters at work that Im going to take a look at.

Both the mann and wix filter website say the filter should be 3.11" in height.

What do you guys think? Does the filter look collapsed enough that it could have possibly caused oil starvation and spun a bearing?

ShocknAwe · 02-15-2018, 08:28 PM

cant see the pics

Gizmo135i · 02-15-2018, 10:05 PM

Sorry to hear about your engine. Those filters are straight up garbage...

not sure if that contributed to your engine failure or not, but the only filter anyone should ever be using on these engines is the yellow Mann one pictured. Best bet is to just get a Bmw one. No reason to risk an engine over $10

Can’t tell you how often I see cars come into the shop with a pos wix or fram or whatever filter all twisted up like that... usually with a check engine light, vanos codes, and usually with the cheap o-ring it comes with leaking all over the place.

Good luck with the repairs!

bbnks2 · 02-16-2018, 10:49 AM

I don't think the aftermarket filters are actually taller. The issue is that when installing the new filter the end-users does not push the filter down all the way into the housing. Then they put the oil cap on which squeezes the filter since it's not sitting properly in the housing. You can easily compare the height of a K&N filter with a MANN/MAHL one in the the store... I have actually done this accidentally with a MAHL filter. 2 days after the oil change the oil filter housing was making a whaling scream of a noise an dI opened it up to find the filter Buckling. It was my error, not the filters.

The other very real issue with SOME aftermarket filters (FRAM extra guard is one) use a very restrictive filter type which gets absolutely shredded into pieces by our high oil temps and pressures.

breakfastreatre · 02-16-2018, 11:15 AM

The ironic thing is, whether the filter was the issue or not, is that I was under the impression that I was spending a little more to buy a high quality filter.

juld0zer · 02-16-2018, 10:03 PM

There are a few issues here:
- The aftermarket filters with the plastic end pieces always look twisted after removal during service
- The plastic end pieces are often too tight so there is resistance both when inserting into the cap and also upon removal when the filter gets stuck in the housing.
- The media is often too soft and distorts easily even when twisting it in your hands.

02-15-2018, 05:05 PM	#1
breakfastreatre Private 15 Rep 66 Posts Drives: 135i Join Date: May 2016 Location: Canada iTrader: (0)	Spun bearing: collapsed oil filter? Heres the background In october went out with my 08 135 to a track day up here just outside of Toronto. First session went well, although I wasn't pushing it for most of the time as it was the first time I had been on the grand prix track at mosport (canadian tire motorsports park) By the end, I felt more comfortable and started to flirt with the limits of the car. Second session starts and Im driving much harder. about 10 minutes in I get the lights flashing for coolant and oil temps, car goes into what I think is limp mode, and I immediately go into a cool down lap and bring it back to the pits. car sits idling for about 10 mins and I turn it off. Third session is about to start and when I start the car, with the car in gear, its making a hell of a racket. In neutral, there is no noise. I posted on here and the first reply thought it sounded like the dual mass flywheel was toast. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1Q9x9PkMeA&t=31s Had the car towed to a shop and sure enough, the dmfw was toast. Couple months later after some hiccups with parts (valeo does not make a smfw conversion kit for the 135 despite what rockauto and their website says) I get a call saying the new clutch and flywheel are in, but now the car has a really bad knock. Drove by on the way home from work and and checked the car out and man is it bad. The knock is really bad as you can hear in the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opu2xVvg3X8 We pulled the oil filter and it was obvious there was a toasted bearing. Tons of metal shavings: The interesting part is the filter, it was starting to collapse: I had just changed the oil, put in redline 5w40 and the wix heavy duty filter: compare that filter to a mann filter: I wonder if the wix filter is taller and when I tightened the filter housing cap it crushed the filter? I have a couple more filters at work that Im going to take a look at. Both the mann and wix filter website say the filter should be 3.11" in height. What do you guys think? Does the filter look collapsed enough that it could have possibly caused oil starvation and spun a bearing?
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02-15-2018, 08:28 PM	#2
ShocknAwe 1Addict 3233 Rep 7,894 Posts Drives: E82 Mutt, M57 Truck Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Charleston iTrader: (22)	cant see the pics __________________ 2010 135i 6MT Jet Black N54/3 FE82 Mutt \| BUILD THREAD \| GARAGE SALE
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02-15-2018, 10:05 PM	#3
Gizmo135i Second Lieutenant 116 Rep 264 Posts Drives: 135i n55 Join Date: May 2016 Location: Park Ridge NJ iTrader: (0)	Sorry to hear about your engine. Those filters are straight up garbage... not sure if that contributed to your engine failure or not, but the only filter anyone should ever be using on these engines is the yellow Mann one pictured. Best bet is to just get a Bmw one. No reason to risk an engine over $10 Can’t tell you how often I see cars come into the shop with a pos wix or fram or whatever filter all twisted up like that... usually with a check engine light, vanos codes, and usually with the cheap o-ring it comes with leaking all over the place. Good luck with the repairs!
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02-16-2018, 10:49 AM	#4
bbnks2 Colonel 1207 Rep 2,025 Posts Drives: 135i N55 Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: NY iTrader: (0)	I don't think the aftermarket filters are actually taller. The issue is that when installing the new filter the end-users does not push the filter down all the way into the housing. Then they put the oil cap on which squeezes the filter since it's not sitting properly in the housing. You can easily compare the height of a K&N filter with a MANN/MAHL one in the the store... I have actually done this accidentally with a MAHL filter. 2 days after the oil change the oil filter housing was making a whaling scream of a noise an dI opened it up to find the filter Buckling. It was my error, not the filters. The other very real issue with SOME aftermarket filters (FRAM extra guard is one) use a very restrictive filter type which gets absolutely shredded into pieces by our high oil temps and pressures.
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02-16-2018, 11:15 AM	#5
breakfastreatre Private 15 Rep 66 Posts Drives: 135i Join Date: May 2016 Location: Canada iTrader: (0)	The ironic thing is, whether the filter was the issue or not, is that I was under the impression that I was spending a little more to buy a high quality filter.
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02-16-2018, 10:03 PM	#6
juld0zer Lieutenant Colonel 480 Rep 1,600 Posts Drives: Prev 135i 7DCT, Now 130i 6sp Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: 2153 iTrader: (0)	There are a few issues here: - The aftermarket filters with the plastic end pieces always look twisted after removal during service - The plastic end pieces are often too tight so there is resistance both when inserting into the cap and also upon removal when the filter gets stuck in the housing. - The media is often too soft and distorts easily even when twisting it in your hands.
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