Make Your N54 More Reliable By Replacing The Cam Tray Seals!

Continuing the BMW 135i build, I took care of one of the most overlooked problem areas on these engines: the cam tray seals. From the factory, BMW uses metal-backed seals that slowly wear into the aluminum cam trays over time. That wear leads to oil leaks, loss of oil pressure, and eventually bigger problems if it’s ignored. For this build, I upgraded to Teflon cam tray seals, which are designed to be much easier on the cam trays while still sealing better than OEM. Unlike the metal seals, these don’t chew into the aluminum, making them a smarter long-term solution—especially on a fresh engine going back into the car. In this video, I walk through the replacement process, explain why this upgrade matters, and show how addressing small weaknesses now can prevent major failures later. The goal with this build is simple: fix the known issues, improve reliability, and build this 135i better and faster than it ever was. If you’re building or maintaining an N54-powered BMW, this is one upgrade you don’t want to skip.