s38 Engine

[Jos]

Any thoughts on using this engine for a 335i conversion, from what I have read it is just an M30 block with a different head, is this true and does it still fit in the e30?

Next question is I wonder if 315hp in an e30 is a good idea...

[Jimbob]

315bhp in an e30 sounds like a great idea to me

[M5pilot]

I like the sound of that. Its 100% worth the effort. Its much more than just an M30 with a 24V head!

Anyway, get yourself an engine...........if you can find one and you know its good.

Or do what Karan did and buy an M5 and take out the engine.

The whole thing will probably cost you less than a 2.7 conversion and be much much better.

[Jos]

Just babelfished e30.de, they have some info on there for the s38 swap, think I am going to go with this instead of the M30

Got some serious funds coming to me next month so the whole project should start to come together fairly quickly. Will of course post pics

[M5pilot]

Thats great to hear your going to go ahead with it.

The best of luck!

Any idea where your going to get an engine? Make sure your listen to the engine before you go through all the effort. I know this aint gonna be easy so it might be a good idea to buy a running car.

I know where is one for around Ԛ£4000.

[Karan]

im doin this at the moment...

its a great engine and is in a different league to the m30

i was doing the m30 first but then thought i may as well go the whole hog

Karan

[Jos]

Thats great to hear your going to go ahead with it.

The best of luck!

Any idea where your going to get an engine? Make sure your listen to the engine before you go through all the effort. I know this aint gonna be easy so it might be a good idea to buy a running car.

I know where is one for around Ԛ£4000.

Yeah, probably just going to buy a whole car, not in any major rush for it so just going to check the 'trader' until I see what I am looking for, was an older one for Ԛ£1500, and I have seen them for Ԛ£600! Compression test will be a must I think

[325dude]

well i have a 4liter v8+ running gear ect spare if you are interested good runner low milage 43000 (back end is flat) .....lol.................j

[Jimbob]

The whole thing will probably cost you less than a 2.7 conversion and be much much better.

I know this aint gonna be easy so it might be a good idea to buy a running car.

I know where is one for around Ԛ£4000.

Please explain..

[Karan]

The whole thing will probably cost you less than a 2.7 conversion and be much much better.

I know this aint gonna be easy so it might be a good idea to buy a running car.

I know where is one for around Ԛ£4000.

Please explain..

LOL sal u r a clown

s38 is so much more expensive to do, i can assure you, and im doing it myself so there's no abour cost

[M5pilot]

I did say "probably" based on the fact that if you bought an M5 for Ԛ£3000 and sold bits you dont need (which should in theory pay for the bits you do need to buy) it will cost less than a Ԛ£5000 2.7 conversion.

and there are a few Ԛ£3000-Ԛ£4000 E34 M5's around if you know where to look.

Whats clown about that?

[Karan]

i suspect all the bits on such a cheap m5 are worth jack anyway, thats why its cheap

i know what u mean thuough... if u can do it ureself then a s38 conversion is bout the same cost as a bexleys Ԛ£5k engine which starts to look even more silly.....

i shudder to think what a garage would charge to do the s38 conversion..

i have set aside Ԛ£1-1.5k just for exhaust manifold and exhaust work, this is the only big cost in the conversion apart from getting the donor of course- there are lots of other related costs like suspension mods, brakes, diff, prop, rad, loom mods, brake servo, custom pipes for cooling system...... i honestly have no idea of total cost yet...


Karan

[Karan]

another thing is Sal,, that the 2.7 conversion makes an e30 that is complete in every department whereas i suspect a s38 will be overpowered and basically a beast....

just something to think about, but obviously 99.9% would rather have a s38 beast.

sal exhaust is off for you, i started her up minus the exhaust and what a noise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! sounded like an old skool plane and managed to piss of 3 neighbours LOL she started first time in 2 months without the lambda connected-- what an engine!!

Karan

[M5pilot]

I would hate to think what someone would charge aswell!

Some Ԛ£4000 M5's are actually really really good, the bodykit should bring in some serious funds along with interior (if its nice). You didnt get origional wheels, full leather etc with yours so yuou dont have alot to salvage unfortunatley.

LOL.......u started it without the exhaust! I dont think I can even imagine how loud that would be.

Will pick up exhaust by Friday, need to find a van. Thanks!

[Toby_Unna]

I had to start my m535i without even an exhaust manifold once (long story, but i started what i thought would be an hour job and ended up with the car blocking my uni mate's car on the drive and without a manifold to put back on...)

what a noise! it sounded like a top fuel dragster, and as it wouldn't idle for sh*t so i had to hold 3000rpm while i reversed it.

neighbours not happy!

[Jimbob]

How can you say it's cheaper than a 2.7 build?

You're comparing a do-it-yourself s38 conversion against a garage conversion 2.7 - there's no comparison there!!!

[Jos]

Karan, what stub shafts are you using from the diff to the wheels? Been bothering me for a while this, keep thinking I am going to end up with a nice pair of corkscrews..

And I think I'll transporter the car to get the exhaust fitted if its that noisy lol, going for a Powerflow, they are all sortof custom made anyway so the bloke fitting it can have the headache

Jimbob, there is no comparison anyway imo, 2.7 vs 3.8. 3.8 wins by default in my book and who cares about the cost!!

[Karan]

not sure what u mean by stubshaft....

i guess u mean the bit between diff and driveshft that bangs into the diff with 6 bolts on it

anyway im using all e30 m3 running gear but am bolting on a 3.64lsd which will go straight on no probs. the driveshafts should handle the torque no probs

the prop will be a e34 m5 front section welded to an e30 325 prop just before the centre bearing UJ

ive got all the bits now that i need for the conversion, just worried bout exhaust manifold and brake servo clearance, but ill be using a remote brake servo i think


Karan

[Frenchguy]

ive got all the bits now that i need for the conversion, just worried bout exhaust manifold and brake servo clearance, but ill be using a remote brake servo i think


Karan

Keep us posted, that's a very interesting project.
I heard there are hood clearance issues as well due to the height of the block.

[Karan]

i beleieve there will be hood clearance issues cos of the plenum....

hartge got round this on the 6 hartge h36s they made by putting a spacer between the subframe and chassis, but i dont wanna do this... im just gonna put a bulge in forst like the e46 m3, then maybe whemn funds allow... i will convert to standalone managemnet and lose the plenum and fit trumpets, or a custom plenum

Karan

[Toby_Unna]

bonnet bulge

i wondered what hartge did to make it fit on the h36. cool car that.

[Andy335Touring]

the prop will be a e34 m5 front section welded to an e30 325 prop just before the centre bearing UJ

I used http://www.reco-prop.com/ for mine,cost about 135 + P+P.

[Karan]

i know andy, i saw pics if ures and thought it was very good!!

where exactly did they join them?

cheers
Karan

[Andy335Touring]

The join was just in front of the center bearing,i'll try to dig the picy out for you

[Jos]

Ok wasn' t the bit I meant, I generally refer to the gearbox/differential section as the propshaft, and the differential/ rear hub section as the stub shaft/axle. So you are using the M3 stubshafts to the hubs from the diff, and the M5/325 prop as the propshaft? Do you think the 325 bits will take the torque?

Looking inside the hood of my chassis, is the brake servo not passenger side, and the exhaust manifold drivers side on the engine? Why should these interfere with each other? Just trying to avoid future 'omg it don't fit' issues.

Keep talking guys, lots to learn yet lol

[ian332isport]

I'v been using the standard 325i driveshafts (diff to hubs) with my 3.2 Evo engine for several years, and there's absolutely no problems.

Don't worry yourself about it. It's not an issue

Ian.

[Karan]

as ian said, the stock e30 stuff is very very strong anyway..

with clearance issues i meant plenum to brake servo issues and then manifold to steering/subframe clearance.

Karan

[Andy335Touring]

The join was just in front of the center bearing,i'll try to dig the picy out for you

[Karan]

cheers mate

Karan

[ian332isport]

Mine was also done by Reco Prop. They joined mine in exactly the same place.

They really do an excellent job

Ian.

[Jos]

Great stuff, picking up a 325 Sport rear arms + shafts on Tuesday

Welding the 2 shafts together is what I was going to get done too, priced an M3 driveshaft the other day... you don't want to know ...

[Toby_Unna]

how much? i paid about Ԛ£100 for mine.

[Jos]

Dealer Price: Ԛ£286 + VAT, and unless I am quite lucky I am not going to get one from a yard in NI. Only seen 1 e30 M3 ever over here, and it was far from scrap I am glad to say.