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Are the new N54/55 motors reliable? known problems?


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High pressure fuel pumps where very bad in the beginning now there fine, turbo wastegate rattle on n54s are a big hitter

More annoying than anything, electric water pumps can be a bitch 70k seams to be the lifespan and at 400 bucks not cheap for both motors, fuel injectors are an issue on the n54 at times but under extened warrenty and with the new style index 12, show no issues anymore, other than that very strong and reliable, i love my n54 rare issues include a bad motor mount causing the belt to rub and snap, and exhaust cam bearing ledge failure, but again, rare. If its over 50k on rhe n54 its fine, the n55 is solid as well, n54 also suffers from bad valve carbon buildup, but i fix that for people :)

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the stock clutch is good for 450 before it really starts to slip. Honestly the only way you'll ever make a clutch on this car slip is if your modding takes you into FBO combined with meth/e85 territory and beyond. 

 

engine is overall very reliable, as others have said it's the auxiliary components to the engine like HPFP and water pump that tend to go, and most of the issues are really n54. The n55 resolved a lot of the problems, and any n54 that's had the work done in recent years has benefited from the better design of the parts. 

 

n54 valve covers tend to crack, as well. 

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My 2011 N55 e92 has been rock-solid reliable, except for my thermostat housing cracked due to a pothole at 89k miles, but I replaced the water pump anyway at that point as preventative maint. Also since you have to remove the pump to get to it anyway...

 

Bobdudeman and I walnut blasted at 100k miles, and changed ATF/pan/filter and transfer case fluid at 103k miles.

 

Hpfp has not failed. No turbo problems.  I'm now at 104k and counting.

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yeah honestly they really are strong motors. I've yet to see forum threads on major sites like 1addicts.com  that talk about the engine blowing up. They are built really well. Many modern turbo cars are built with very strong bottom-end components given how the torque curve works in today's design. 

 

N54 is obviously the golden child, while my N55 is a red-headed stepchild beaten in the corner - but really both are good, it's just incredibly impressive how much you can get out of the N54 in stock form. No one has yet found the limits of the stock bottom end on those, and that's with pushing over 700 at the wheels. To me, it's like the equivalent of a modern-day 2jz block. They are just rock solid. 

 

But for most people buying these things that want to mod - they won't go past FBO because it's super cheap relatively speaking, and things get much more expensive very quickly after FBO - and whether you are on an N55 or N54, at FBO status you'll have plenty of power. Not many motors can claim to provide such performance and reliability with so much increased power for the dollar. 

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I just read the car throttle thing, lol they said it was an iorn block :P

Its an aluminum block with iorn liners..cant really trust to much from everyone

Also notice you dont see a single american car in there?, bunch of bias jackasses, ive seen my fair share of junk gm,ford,dodge crap,

Anyone remeber the ford 2.9 that loved to crack heads? Lolz

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I just read the car throttle thing, lol they said it was an iorn block :P

Its an aluminum block with iorn liners..cant really trust to much from everyone

Also notice you dont see a single american car in there?, bunch of bias jackasses, ive seen my fair share of junk gm,ford,dodge crap,

Anyone remeber the ford 2.9 that loved to crack heads? Lolz

The article was also written 4 years ago.

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