B58 Engine Rebuild – With FCP Euro

A few months ago I received a call late at night from marketing director of FCP Euro, who mentioned that their sponsored Formula Drift Driver – Michael Essa- was at their HQ in Connecticut ahead of a large media event , and they had discovered that the engine in their promotional vehicle- a custom build 2018 340i with a B58 Engine- was badly damaged. They were originally calling me to see if I had a parts source, which I didn’t at the time, but after they were able to locate what they needed, I offered to drive up and help them with the rebuild. What came next was a fluke- but I am happy to have been a part of ! After arriving at FCP HQ in Connecticut – The engine was already out of the car, and I jumped right in to help Michael and his assistant Tim , finish to break down the engine and inspect for damage. The best part? It was a 1000HP big turbo engine out of a formula drift spec car , and this was all going to be on camera. We thrashed through teardown and had the engine apart in just a few hours. That video was documented here:

After completing the teardown and reviewing all the necessary parts and service that needed to be completed in order to put the engine back together, we got going on the rebuild. I led the task – Michael defaulted to my experience on the platform, and we efficiently began reassembly- Mic’d up and on camera- which was an interesting addition to the process as its all very involved and requires solid concentration! I was able to push through it , and we had a rotating assembly completed by about 1 AM ! We met early the next day to finish the project and before I departed, I was able to put a stamp on a properly rebuild B58 engine destined to scream around Lime Rock Park during a Gridlife Circuit Legends festival which took place later that month. The full rebuild video , in all of its post-editing glory is here: