It is a well-known issue on the BMW N54/55 platforms that your serpentine belt can fail for various reasons. When this happens, there is a high chance of the belt getting sucked behind the front damper pulley and then being pushed past the crank seal into your oil pan. From there it can get sucked into the oil pick up causing total engine failure. Even if you do not lose the engine, it is a COSTLY repair to remove the sub-frame and drop the oil pan to remove the belt. The best way to combat this is to watch for oil leaks and keep up on your maintenance. BUT, even with those preventative measures, pre-mature belt failure can occur. This crank seal guard installs over your front crank seal and will keep the belt from being sucked in if a belt failure does occur. This is a cheap way to ensure you do not end up having to replace your motor from oil starvation due to an ingested belt. Vargas' seal is different from those already on market in two major ways. Firstly, it is not offensively priced. Secondly, it is 100% billet with no welds on the tabs to break, no cheap bent thin steel pieces. 100% Billet 6061-T6 aluminum, anodized black for long-term corrosion resistance. Crank Seal Guard includes: One VTT Billet N54/55 Crank Seal Guard Two extended 12.9 Grade bolts, and two stainless washers We highly recommend you install WITH a crank bolt capture at the same time, as you have to remove the damper anyway. Then you will get the benefit of helping eliminate the dreaded spun crank hub and the crank seal issue
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Every time the cylinders fire, torque is transferred into the crankshaft. The crankshaft deflects under this torque, which sets up vibrations when the torque is released. At certain engine speeds the torque imparted by the cylinders are in synch with the vibrations in the crankshaft, which results in a phenomenon called resonance This resonance causes stress beyond what the crankshaft can withstand, resulting in crankshaft failure. The accessory pulley acts as a balancer and prevents these vibrations from destroying your crankshaft.
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If you vibration damper is failing, it will usually present itself in the form of a squealing noise that sounds like a slipping belt. This is an indication that the rubber ring inside of the vibration damper has dried out and cracked, causing the pulley to slip.
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