Engine conversions

Mon Apr 27, 2009 5:13 pm

I really need some help deciding on what engine to put in my 318IS the sensible half of my brain is telling me to find another low miles M42 or wack in an M44 but then the little devil in my head is telling me to go for some beastly engine that will cost me a set of rear tyres every week.

Thing is in all honestly economy is not the biggest issue as when the weathers fine I ride motorbikes any way, but my main concern is not wanting to start a project that requires me to buy many other bits and do some mackling to get it in.

I want a really straight forward conversion but ideally would like to fit a more modern engine.

Don’t get me wrong I’m not scared of a bit of hard work but want to get the conversion over and done with in a about a week and I know if I take on some thing like a 24v conversion I’ll be on it for a few months.

Either way I need to do a conversion before the winter sets in as this is when I really need 4 wheels as 2 wheels isn’t very pleasant in the ice

Mon Apr 27, 2009 5:20 pm

Modern engine = more ecomony, if your not bothered about ecomony go m30. Its the most straighforward and well documented. 335.de etc

Mon Apr 27, 2009 5:23 pm

If you want a plug and play conversion id go for an M20/b25

Just so happens mine will be for sale in a couple of weeks,its a high compression lump too

Mon Apr 27, 2009 5:26 pm

Cost effective and easiest would be a M20B25 conversion

Fitting a more modern engine, the M50 would would be a good choice or even an M52. Not particulary easy conversions, need to be handy with a welder.

M30 is best for bang for bucks. Can be done for about 1.5k and easy 200BHP+

Wed Apr 29, 2009 6:17 pm

if you want to go even bigger i have a engine from a 550 m sport on a 56 plate 5.0 litre lump complete with all ancillaries if you can do anything with it,

Wed Apr 29, 2009 8:08 pm

why is there so much useless info being spouted?
M30's require lots of fabricated parts and bending of bodywork to fit, they are heavy old skool boat anchors which ruin any balence the e30 once had.

M50's on the other hand, can be bought e30 ready for about 4-500 quid with the engine loom already converted. All you have to do it slot it in with an M42 gearbox and 325i prop with a 3.64 or 3.73 diff, hook up and electric fan get your mate around and weld up some exhausts. can easily be done within 1k. and that includes every night drinking heavily in the pub. 2 days work max if it's already e30 ready.

M20, easy enough but knocking on a bit but still a strong ox and will pull until the belt snaps it over heats or snaps a rocker

Wed Apr 29, 2009 11:29 pm

I'm really cant decide what to do ahhhhhhhhhh, i think i'm gonna pop over and register on E3024v.com see what bits and bobs i need for the conversion and get al the stuff ready.

These old blocks are to thirsty for the amount of power they produce.

In the mean time i'll find out whats causeing the smoke in my M42 and either sort it or drop another M42 in to get me by.

Cheers for the advice people

Wed Apr 29, 2009 11:36 pm

why is there so much useless info being spouted?
M30's require lots of fabricated parts and bending of bodywork to fit, they are heavy old skool boat anchors which ruin any balence the e30 once had.

Funny, i didn't have "Lots" of fabricated parts,nor did i have to "bend" the bodywork.
They are heavy, but i don't think its ruined my balance on the car either.
Have you carried out a M30 conversion??

Thu Apr 30, 2009 9:29 pm

Rav335uk wrote:
why is there so much useless info being spouted?
M30's require lots of fabricated parts and bending of bodywork to fit, they are heavy old skool boat anchors which ruin any balence the e30 once had.
Funny, i didn't have "Lots" of fabricated parts,nor did i have to "bend" the bodywork.
They are heavy, but i don't think its ruined my balance on the car either.
Have you carried out a M30 conversion??

yes it was hidiously over weighted at the front, bearing in mind it was a 2dr and not a cab
When I say lots I might have exaggerated but really not a fan of the big 6 in e30's.. a certain b32 would be more my kind of thing

Thu Apr 30, 2009 9:31 pm

Whats the diff between the 2 then??

Thu Apr 30, 2009 9:36 pm

any non standard conversion will require the usual fabrication of parts, engine and box mounts, prop and exhaust.

Thu Apr 30, 2009 10:39 pm

Anyone care to list the parts and modifications needed for an m52 conversion??

Fri May 01, 2009 1:45 am

yeah - http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... pic&t=6676

Fri May 01, 2009 1:54 am

Anyone else getting bored of the M30 / M52 / M50 / bla bla bla arguments...?

Fri May 01, 2009 2:00 am

DRIFTBOY wrote:Anyone else getting bored of the M30 / M52 / M50 / bla bla bla arguments...?

more the silly comments like any engine conversion m30/m50 etc etc seems to = 1k plus.. (excluding S power stuff)

Fri May 01, 2009 2:06 am

Yeah that too.

If you're canny, do the work yourself and frag a donor car for it's morsels it can be done for much less!

Fri May 01, 2009 2:39 am

DRIFTBOY wrote:Anyone else getting bored of the M30 / M52 / M50 / bla bla bla arguments...?

I dont see any arguments here just people discussing engines

As far as the costing goes i'm no expert but i have thought that peoples quotes have been rather high engine should set me back less than £500 and i canrt see me spendng more than £500 more on the other bits and bobs.

Fri May 01, 2009 2:58 am

Sorry dude, but there have been many threads on here, especially recently, about these engine conversions.

There is a lot of conflicting information about the the cost, power, torque, performance figures, economy, ease of conversion and engine weight / car balance between various engines / conversions.

No offence intended to you from me for posting this thread.

I, and many others on here, have done the M30 (E32 735 /E34 535) engine conversion and got on very well with it.

Others have done M50 (2.5 24 valve) conversion and got on well with that.

Same with M52 (2.8 24 valve) conversions.

I only have experience of M30, but I suspect if I started from scratch knowing what I do from reading things on here I would find it very difficult to choose which one I'd go for.

They all have good and and bad points, but I don't think there is any doubt that they all make an E30 go rather well!

Fri May 01, 2009 3:04 am

Find a good M42, spend your money getting it overhauled to as new cond. and maybe a bit of tweaking. Less hassle and you know what you've got, unless you want to do over a hundred ALL the time or beat Porsche's away from the lights. In that case, sell your E30 and buy a Ferarri.

Fri May 01, 2009 3:09 am

Bewdley320T wrote:Find a good M42, spend your money getting it overhauled to as new cond. and maybe a bit of tweaking. Less hassle and you know what you've got, unless you want to do over a hundred ALL the time or beat Porsche's away from the lights. In that case, sell your E30 and buy a Ferarri.

Hmmmmmm

Fri May 01, 2009 3:36 am

You will also get the four-potters and their 'better balance if you're The Stig' handling, but you won't get the sweeet six-pot snoise.

Horses for courses!

Fri May 01, 2009 4:52 pm

Beating porsches, who said that, can be done in a e30

Fri May 01, 2009 6:35 pm

Start from the start.... whats your budget?

Fri May 01, 2009 9:46 pm

Willing to spend up to £2500 on a sweet conversion, but that would include some uprated suspension and brakes

Not worried about spending the money just dont want things to be over complicated, dont like the idea of lots of fabrication and custom parts becuase its a pain in the arse to put right if it fails.

Fri May 01, 2009 9:52 pm

I can see an array of comments comming, but M30, cams, suspension and brakes.
Easiest to look after imo, and a healthy engine will last long and give plenty of power too.

Fri May 01, 2009 10:43 pm

Up-rated suspension and brakes? You've just lost half your budget for the minimum parts needed....

Sat May 02, 2009 9:55 am

Dont quite get you matey? minimum parts needed???

Sat May 02, 2009 7:07 pm

go for an m30.

Its not all power figures, but the way it delivers it.

Sun May 03, 2009 12:35 am

retroboyo wrote:go for an m30.

Its not all power figures, but the way it delivers it.

Hi and welcome to this here 'Zone!

I quite agree, but there will be someone along very soon who doesn't, I expect.

It's like the 'which older bird you'd prefer to shag between Felicity Kendle and Joanna Lumley' debate, it will rage on forever with no proper conclusion!

Mon May 04, 2009 1:45 am

Rav335uk wrote:Beating porsches, who said that, can be done in a e30

Yeah it can, anything CAN be done but by which E30 to which Porsche.

Mon May 04, 2009 2:18 am

My M30 turbo gave a 911 (996) Carrera a very hard time!

Mon May 04, 2009 3:33 am

DRIFTBOY wrote:My M30 turbo gave a 911 (996) Carrera a very hard time!

I notice you said a "hard time", I assume you didn't beat it then and that just proves the point, if you want your E30 to perform like that it takes money-hard work and time. At the end you've got a non standard car thats not going to be economical to insure or run, which is partly what he said he wanted.

Mon May 04, 2009 3:39 am

True, I can't disagree with that.

When I say "hard time", he came up behind me quickly, and when I nailed it through third and fourth gear he couldn't get passed, I even seemed to be pulling away slightly, but I obviously don't know how hard he was actually trying.

And yes, I do pay more in term of reliabiltiy, insurance, fuel etc.

Although I do remember a time when mine was an n/a M30 and a mate of mine had a U.K. spec Subaru Impreza, with a few subtle engine mods, and down a dual carriage way he was losing ground giving it all the Impeza had to give!

Mon May 04, 2009 3:54 am

DRIFTBOY wrote:True, I can't disagree with that.

When I say "hard time", he came up behind me quickly, and when I nailed it through third and fourth gear he couldn't get passed, I even seemed to be pulling away slightly, but I obviously don't know how hard he was actually trying.

And yes, I do pay more in term of reliabiltiy, insurance, fuel etc.

Although I do remember a time when mine was an n/a M30 and a mate of mine had a U.K. spec Subaru Impreza, with a few subtle engine mods, and down a dual carriage way he was losing ground giving it all the Impeza had to give!

Thats what I'm trying to get at, in the end he's driving Jap crap whether its faster or not. We like E30's for more than speed, its got character, quirks and some other attributes the others seem to lack. Some of us tho' ain't as lucky as you and either can't afford, haven't got the time or the skill to do the sort of mods your doing. I wish I could but there you go so to get back to the thread, he wants the easiest, cheapest and most reliable swop. Its got to be like for like.

Mon May 04, 2009 4:01 am

Fair dooos, but I do like the fact that I may have spent about £7k on my car over the last four years (and it's still way more Scrapheap Challenge than show car!) and it gave a £40k + sports car a run for it's money!

I am on a tight budget and don't have a lot of spare cash, I make a lot of sacrifices to spend spare money on my car, but I got lucky with a good deal from a well known Zoner who doesn't post very often now on the turbo kit, and I'm a bit tipsy so might have gone off topic slightly, but I do still think that the M30 is very good as a conversion for a road car due to it's big fat torque curve.

Torque is much more useful on the road than it is on the track when it's loads of revs all the time.
Like retroboyo said, it's the delivery that matters on the road more than the peak figures.