3.0 Petrol B58 - the best engine from BMW in history? B58 vs N55. Engine review compared to N55

Op op, we continue the section about BMW engines, today we have the B58 engine. We will tell you what innovative solutions were used in it in comparison with the N55, why it can withstand about 700-800 hp in stock. It is also installed on the Toyota Supra from which about 1000 hp were removed. Considered in tuner circles to be almost as good as the 2JZ in 20 years.

And so let's begin: the B58 3.0 petrol engine is the latest six-cylinder BMW engine which continues the series of legendary six-cylinder BMW engines with a turbine, the B58 is the heir to the N55 engine, also a 3.0 with a turbine. The B58 engine is installed on BMWs produced over the last 5 years such as 340i, 440i, 540i, 740i. This engine was recognized as the best engine of 2017.

The hardware of the B58 engine: the main feature of the B58 is the cylinder block; it is of a closed type, just like on the M54, M52, M50 engine, the N55 engine uses an open type block.

The closed-type block in the B58 engine allows it to be stronger and more rigid, which gives a greater chance that it will withstand high torque and greater power, on the other hand, the closed-type block impairs the flow of antifreeze through it, and this in turn worsens the heat dissipation of the engine , but this is not so critical in this engine since BMW has used a new temperature control system.

The N55 engine cannot boast of such power figures; 500-550 hp can be safely removed from it in stock. In the case of Stage 3 it will hold 600-700 hp. Let's continue with the hardware of the B58, it has a forged crankshaft, connecting rods and pistons in stock can withstand approximately 700-800 hp. It is also worth mentioning that the B58 engine block had a special coating from BMW applied to the cylinder walls, and the N55 engine had liners, there is some kind of coating because the composition is not particularly known, how it will behave, time will tell. As for the liners or coating on the cylinders, there were liners on the old BMW engines, then Nikasil and Alusil started, this was a bad coating on the N52 engines, then on the N55 engines they started using liners, this was good because there would be less chance of scuffing, damage and the coating would not wear off. A small drawback in servicing the B58 engine is that the timing chains are located at the back closer to the driver, as in N47, N57 diesel engines, this will complicate the replacement of the timing chain and maintenance of this engine.

The design with chains at the rear can have a bad effect when suddenly, in the future, at about 150,000 km, one of the VANOS units on the intake or exhaust ends its service life, then it will also have to be very difficult to maintain at the rear. Valvetronic is used here from the next generation as it differs from Valvetronic on the N55 engine.

The B58 engine, like the N55, does not have a low temperature, so you should expect a leak on the valve cover gasket and pan in the region of 100,000-150,000 km.

Engine attachment:

Fuel system: the B58 engine is similar in fuel to the N55 engine; it also has direct injection, a low-pressure pump and a high-pressure pump, an interesting solution was used in this engine compared to the N55, in the N55 there is a fuel injection pump from below, pressure on the ramp and already from the ramp The lines go to the injectors.

An interesting solution was made in the B58: lines go from the fuel injection pump to the ramp, and injectors are inserted into the ramp itself, that is, the ramp is above the injectors; in this engine there are two ramps, one ramp is divided into two parts.

Injectors: in the N55 engine they were a good option compared to the M54 engine, and in the B58 we have not yet had cases of their failure.

Ignition system: similar coils are used here as on the N55.

Air supply system: the B58 engine differs very significantly from the N55, the N55 uses a classic air supply layout, the turbine goes from the Pipe turbine to the intercooler from the intercooler to the intake, that is, the air is cooled in the air intercooler.

The B58 engine has a new technology, when the air from the turbine does not go through the intercooler, but goes directly to the intake manifold, the manifold is used with liquid cooling, there is a built-in liquid intercooler.

Turbine: both in N55 and in B58 The twin-scroll turbine in the B58 has 20% more performance; in the N55, until 2013, there was a vacuum control of the turbine with a regulator, and after 2013, electronic control (electronic Westgate). The B58 engine only has an electronic wastegate. The use of an electronic wastegate in a turbine allows you to eliminate the problem of vacuum boost control, there are several disadvantages to vacuum boost control, with age the vacuum tubes begin to fall apart, the regulator gets clogged somewhere, the vacuum supply weakens, and in the B58 electronic wastegate no vacuum or regulators are needed.

Valvetronic: unlike the N55 in which the Valvetronic motor is located inside the cylinder head, that is, to replace it you need to remove the valve cover in the N55 third generation Valvetronic system.

Adjustment of crankcase gases in the B58, as in the N55, is applied to the valve cover; the membrane will break after approximately 150,000 km.

Cooling system: the B58 engine has an antifreeze radiator, just like the N55

only an intercooler and air conditioning radiator were added to it, the resulting sandwich became larger, washing the radiators is recommended approximately once every 2 years in order to avoid overheating. An interesting difference with the N55 is that the N55 had an electric pump, while the B58 had a mechanical pump and was much cheaper.

Since the B58 uses a liquid intercooler, there are two circuits of the cooling system, there may be a double problem with the caps or the tanks will burst, most likely it will not burst on a liquid intercooler system, but such a problem is possible on a regular one. Since a mechanical pump is used here and there is a turbine, when the engine is turned off, it is not possible to pump antifreeze in order to cool the turbine after heating, an additional pump is used here that drives and circulates water through the turbine, thus, when stopping, you don’t have to worry that the oil will coke there or there will be local overheating. Since there is a local intercooler cooling circuit, coolant also needs to be circulated there; this is done by a small electric pump.

Attachable part of the engine: the air conditioning compressor and generator do not break down as on previous engines; there is one tension roller; it is recommended to change it along with the belt once every 100,000 km.

Results:

The B58 engine is better than the N55 in almost all respects, with the exception of the addition of some nuances in terms of liquid cooling of the intercooler; it is unknown how it will behave in 5-10 years; also, servicing the timing chain and VANOS will most likely have to remove the engine.

Basically, the B58 engine has some advantages, the N55 loses.

We recommend purchasing a car with a B58 engine!