M54B30 engine to replace E30 5251

[oaktree11]

Hi There. I hope this is the right forum - if not sorry, I just moved it from the Technical forum!

I am about to start building a Marlin Sportster kit using E30 mechanicals and, up to now, based on the M20 525i engine and gearbox. The car will be for fun on the road not competition and I am at the planning stage - bought the stage one chassis kit and have the 525i donor stripped.
It seems sensible at this stage to either tune/stroke the existing engine or replace with an already more powerful one. The M54B30 has been suggested as a good replacement but I need help!
1. What gearbox should I use? Can I use the E30 one or should I get engine and geasrbox together?
2. I am really cautious about vanos and ews complications. Has anyone any experience of merging the E54 into an E30 wiring loom - can it be done?
3. Any other engine/tuning ideas would be welcome

Thanks for the help
John

[Jhonno]

M52B28.. Job Jobbed.

[DanThe]

Its not as simple as wiring the two looms together, M54 will need the ECU reprogramming to stop it looking for signals that wont be there anymore

[oaktree11]

Thank you for the reply Danthe. I have seen from various foroms that people tend to avoid the M54 engines which is a shame.

The question for me is can it be done, with help, by an enthusiastic amateur. Is it do'able? and is it WORTH doing at the end???

If its not then I will look elswhere but I would love to give it a go...

[DanThe]

If you must have a 3 litre then your better off rebuilding an M52 which is what I have done, easy enough to upgrade whereas the M54 is not.
I dont know of any amateurs that can reprogram ECU's, a friend of mine works at an ECU recon place and as skilled as he is he doesnt know anything about it or anyone that can do it

Another recent thread here - http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... hlight=m54

[Jhonno]

I reckon a chap in Germany would have the knowledge and ability to sort the ECU, it wouldn't be cheap though, by which point you may as well have dropped an M52B28 in, refreshed it and tuned it a little.

[oaktree11]

OK guys, I think I have got the message!

I will start looking at the M52.

Thanks for the guidance

[e301988325i]

The M54 has smaller inlet ports than the M52 to increase the airflow speed for economy and emmisions purposes, the multi stage manifold, with resonator chamber and all that gubbins helps to get the power back up.

Aftermarket tuning of the M54 tends towards bolt on forced induction.