How much is too much?

[jaistanley]

I'm thinking abuot an engine swap..

My 318is has had uprated suspension for a while and I think it's taking it's toll on the engine. I also do a lot of miles to work atm.

I fitted M3 running gear, including 15" wheels, rebuilt brakes with braided hoses, poly M3 front bushes, ARB bushes and rear beam bushes, H&R sport springs and soon bilstein sport dampers. The car handles like a dream but the engine is really letting it down so a swap is on the cards. I've more or less secured the funds to do the dirty deed and in my greed for power have started looking at some serious engines. First I thought I'd tune the nuts off my M42 engine but for the money I can get an unstressed 6 pot.

That said I've been considering an M52B28 swap. Loads of torque and with the whole injection/electronis from an M50 should give about 210-220Bhp. Great I thought. Then started considering an S50B32 swap from something like an M3 evo or Z roadster.

My question is: Is this too much power for an E30?? I consider myself a fairly capable and sometimes 'spirited' driver but i'm no racing driver. Would fitting a 320 horsepower monster really make sense? Is the M52 a better swap for me?

Having driven the lot, what do you guys think? Those with M50/52 swaps, how do they rate against other fast E30's or E36's for that matter? For those of you with S50 lumps, are these cars too much to handle everyday?

[NIX]

Alright Jai!

How's Cov? As you know I probably won't be able to give you the expert advice your looking for but what I would say is remember what happened to Ryan and hence remember to get the car fitted with some decent security before you go nuts with the engine. Especially given the area where you park your car!

Chat soon dude, probably be up in Cov in the next month or so, so I'll see ya then!

Nick

[TheDutch]

Can't say I've got too much experience too draw from, but I've always thought that eventually I'd like to be able to do in the dry what I can currently only do in the wet, and that takes somewhat more power that the iS can muster. I'll be very interested to hear what people say as this is roughly the position I'll be in before too long.

Also when you said:

My 318is has had uprated suspension for a while and I think it's taking it's toll on the engine.

What do you mean by this?

[MrDazzle]

I think he means he's having to rag the engine to get close to the limits of what the rest of his car can now do.

Which is exactly why you won't catch me fitting hugley uprated suspension or sticky tyres. Not until I take up racing at least

[jaistanley]

That's exactly what I mean... The suspension and grip from the LSD means I rag the living nuts out of the poor little engine.

In the dry the car simply wont be upset. In the wet, the combination of over damping (waiting for better front dampers) and completely bald (not for long!) tyres means it's a completely different animal.

'A bit tail happy'.. Ahem.

With the LSD it's great fun though!

So how much power do I need boys?

Jai

[chip-3door]

Ive driven loads of cossies with 300-400bhp

Never once thought they had too much power.


Im sure an e30 chassis is a match for a ford sierra



So i reckon 400bhp or more shouldnt be a problem

[jaistanley]

I'm just trying to imagine a scenario where I'm using 400 bhp.... Err, I think it results in death.

A friend of mine's parents have an M Roadster which is pretty much an E30 floor pan with an evo 3.2 engine isn't it? He's driven it and says it feels like a nice quick 6 pot until you hit 5k rpm and all hell breaks loose.

I like the sound of this.. Tootle around to work and back below 4000 rpm and unlease the fuel economy and horror of 320 bhp every now and again.

Think if I swap I'll pull the s badge off so people see the worlds dirtiest, stupidly quick 318i skin past them...

Spoken like a true juevenile. Perhaps I couldn't be trusted with that sort of power???

Jai

[3drmark]

TBH its all about traction, ive been in plenty of cars, and some of the cossies cant get traction at that sort of power, and i would say that 350bhp in a cossie (rwd) is enough. (altho 4x4 cars can handle a lot more)

you should think about how your car is now, to what it would be like with twice the power, maybe up the gearing to compensate, but then whats the point in upping the power if your going to mess about with the gears to slow it back down.

Just a thought from someone who's seen meny a freind blow a hole heap of cash, and be a little disapointed, dont get me wrong when there is grip its totaly amazing, but when theres even a hint of damp ground it can be stupid

[jaistanley]

I'm getting more and more into this idea now. Had a reasonable insurance quote that makes this whole thing possible now (it was considerably cheaper than a std M coupé for eg - awesome).

As for the wet weather thing.. I was thinking about splashing out on some sort of traction controll..Turn it off most of the time, dial in less slip as weather changes or I drive tired etc.. Expensive but could be as vital as leathers are to bike riders if you get me! I have the ABS sensors from the M3 running gear and nothing to use them with.

Traction controll might mean I'd let the missus drive too.Just hide the dial so she can't turn it off by accident. Nah - second thoughts, if she needs to go buy hair care products she can do it in her own car.

Thanks for your oppinions guys.

Jai

[chip-3door]

400bhp LS2 engine is what you want, nice and tractable then, far better than some nasty laggy turbo with big surges in power.

[jaistanley]

You're right, I do want.

Can't have though..

The 320 brake s52 is enough for me.. A bit peaky i'm told but I think I'll cope.

Haven't got one yet but I will at some point v soon I hope.

If I could fit an LS1 for that money I would but it aint gonna happen. Plus it'd tear my car in half!!!

[DieselMeister]

400bhp LS2 engine is what you want, nice and tractable then, far better than some nasty laggy turbo with big surges in power.

Two Qs to bear in mind perhaps:

1) How much would a "nice 400bhp LS2" cost, in sterling, including ancillaries etc. and a gearbox strong enough to transmit the lb/ft?

2) Would it fit without having to hack the car to pieces?

No malice - serious question.

[jaistanley]

I know if you did it yourself you could import a nice engine and 6 speed box for about 4 grand. There are people out there doing it for you for about 6K.

Engine + Box
Custom mounts (easy enough)
Custom prop (again, easy enough)
Custom manifolds (NOT cheap but do it once, do it right)
ECU (500 quid?)
Mapping (250?)
Pampers (Ԛ£5.99?)

Thats what I think.. Of course there are loads of other considerations but I reccon these are the main ones.

Bear in mind this will make your E30 a ver dangerous place to be. Spinning wheels at 70 or more in the wet?? Oh dear.

You'd need one seriously sorted chassis.

Good bit is the engine is very light and short. Loads of room.

Awesome.

Jai