A 3.5 or a 2.5 SINGLE Vanos?? You Decide!

[Rosc0PColtrane]

Wondering what is the best option for a conversion really. 3.5 or 2.5 vanos.

Comparable points for me are:

Power and performance (obviously), ease of build and maintenance, cost reliability and fuel economy comparison.

Thanks guys!

Oh, please excuse my errors, put down to lack of knowledge and tiredness!!

More caffeine required!!!

[Brianmoooore]

Both will meet most of your criteria, but only the 2.5Tu will give the fuel economy.

[DanThe]

Dont you mean single vanos 2.5? The twin vanos is from E46 era and comes with EWS

M50 3.5? I wish!! I think you meant M30 mate

[Conan]

Go with the M50 2.5 Single Vanos

[Rosc0PColtrane]

ok, editing now......

2.5 SINGLE vanos!!! I'm still tired mate!!!

[Conan]

I ment put it in your car

[Ziggy]

m50 2.8?

[Rosc0PColtrane]

ok. cool. Source from a circa 1994 525i?

Any custom manifold jobs required?

[eko]

How about M50 non vanos?
Still fast/reliable/economical and less to go wrong and cheaper to put right if/when it does

[Rosc0PColtrane]

m50 2.8?

Is it a vanos job too?

I need to see some performance figures me thinks!!!

[Rosc0PColtrane]

How about M50 non vanos?
Still fast/reliable/economical and less to go wrong and cheaper to put right if/when it does

Hello mate!

Is that what you have beautifully crafted into your beastie?

Is that a 2.5?

[eko]

How about M50 non vanos?
Still fast/reliable/economical and less to go wrong and cheaper to put right if/when it does

Hello mate!

Is that what you have beautifully crafted into your beastie?

Is that a 2.5?

Yes

[m10man]

I guess you meant 3.5 M30. I have to put a plug in for the M30 over the M50.
Same weight, more power, more torque and cheaper to modify.

[Rosc0PColtrane]

M50b35?? m30? Where do I get an m30 from?? (learning all the time!!)

[DanThe]

M50b35?? m30? Where do I get an m30 from?? (learning all the time!!)

http://www.unixnerd.demon.co.uk/bmw.html

Click on E and M numbers mate, that should sort out a few questions

[Rosc0PColtrane]

How about M50 non vanos?
Still fast/reliable/economical and less to go wrong and cheaper to put right if/when it does

Hello mate!

Is that what you have beautifully crafted into your beastie?

Is that a 2.5?

Yes

It's sweet! I'm struggling to find a comprehensive guide to help me with learning about these lumps of metal!!!

[Splondike]

Nathan, try this mate...

http://www.bmwworld.com/repairs/codes/index.htm

[Rosc0PColtrane]

you folks are all just bl00dy splendid!!! Thanks!!

[Andyboy]

They're both good engines, but the 3.5 is still a splendid engine really. The problem now is finding a good one as the last was made in 1991 and they've all been to the moon and back. Not a problem if it's had 6000 mile oil changes but most haven't. The problems are head gaskets and cam wear so before you put it in the car, it'd be madness not to take the head off and give it a light skim with a new head gasket. Also, most 535i and 735i cars came with an automatic gearbox and suitable manual five speeders are quite hard to locate. The 530i/730i manual box will fit but nothing else will. I just sold a 735i manual with a really nice engine and box for £400.

It all depends on what you want - a bit more grunt or a LOT more grunt. A 2.5 non vanos is the easiest to drop in but you need a gearbox (An M40 318i unit will do the job), prop, mountings, exhaust, rad. If you can do it all yourself it's not so bad. You would need to buy a complete E34 525i manual and drive the car home to make sure it really is okay as the M50 can (and does) crack the head from an exhaust seat to a waterway and they are then scrap. So don't buy an engine that's sat on someone's floor!

The simplest way is still a 2.7. It's a case of buying a sweet running 525e for £150 (or less), rebuilding the short engine with new rings, bearing shells etc and doing a straight swap for the 2.5. It's simple nuts and bolts and best of all it still looks standard. You can flog a few E28 bits of ebay and still weigh the rest of the car in as scrap for £50. It's a pity BMW stopped doing short engines years ago because they'd sell loads of Eta units.

The 2,7 doesn't have a lot more top end bite than a 2.5 but the driveability and low end grunt is transformed and it'll go up a steep hill in almost any gear.

[Rosc0PColtrane]

Thanks mate!!!

Waht about a yoonet frahm a Jahn deeyur? Naht too muc toime on proim arrrrable lahnd?

[eko]

Thanks mate!!!

Waht about a yoonet frahm a Jahn deeyur? Naht too muc toime on proim arrrrable lahnd?

WTF

[Andyboy]

Thanks mate!!!

Waht about a yoonet frahm a Jahn deeyur? Naht too muc toime on proim arrrrable lahnd?

Nat zo sure 'bout thaaaat moi Boooy ennet. Baaack en them olden dayz when meee an the otherrr laaaadz 'ad Minis an thaaaaat, we'd be dowwwn Roly Smiths scraaaaaapyard an we'd be pikin' enjens outta them aaaaald Aaaaaaaaaaaaustin eleven 'undreds ennet? Them little baaaaaasterdz woud'n aaaaarf go faaaaaaaast down the A303.

An' then I writes the fuck*rrr aaaf in the meddel off Maaaaartock aaaafter one too maaaany Ciiiiiiiiderz.

[DRIFTBOY]

Stick aaaann owwwlll two an a kwaaarrrterrr leeterrr deeesal laaaan rowwverrrr lurmp in therrr ennit!
Strraaaang as an 'orrrse them owl lurmps!

[ed325i]

You need this one off ebay >> http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... &rd=1&rd=1

[DRIFTBOY]

Hmmm...
I wonder who's that is Ed!

I can vouch for the fact that an M30 powered E30 does go well.
And it will pull up a steepish hill in 5th gear at 30mph no problem.
I recently did a 500 mile round trip, not taking it that slow, and I averaged 27mpg!
That's running a 3.73:1 diff too, which isn't great for motorway cruising!

[Rosc0PColtrane]

deeezal from a laahndy? ownley ef the bleddy baahstard runs ahn moi red deezal and chep faaht moind

[DRIFTBOY]

Ye cud praaablee ran one o' they on orrrse manuuuurrrr orrr coww duung ennit!
Spect it a ran a roight treet!

[ed325i]

Hmmm...
I wonder who's that is Ed!

Well it didnt sell now where is the engine crane anyone want a 323 engine

[DRIFTBOY]

I'm gutted for you, I think!

Or maybe not!
Are you thinking of an E21 335i ?

That would be

[ed325i]

Are you thinking of an E21 335i ?

No e30 335i but a e21 would be

[DRIFTBOY]

E30 335i still

Isn't that an E21 in your sig?
Maybe I need my eyes tested!

[Andyboy]

Stick aaaann owwwlll two an a kwaaarrrterrr leeterrr deeesal laaaan rowwverrrr lurmp in therrr ennit!
Strraaaang as an 'orrrse them owl lurmps!

Bleddy 'ell Dreffft Booooy, you'm be from Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaangport ennet? Moind youz, Oi reckons with thaaaat accennnt youz cud eeeven bee fram Chaaaaaard.

[DRIFTBOY]

Naaaaas!
I's fram Braaaadfad-an-Ayvaan near Baaaaath, ennit!

Yoow Suuuummmerrrsaaat peepal arrrr allls the saaames ennit!

I 'ope theeese folks on eare down't moind uz 'ijaakin thaerr threeaads loike thas with awll ouar taaalk of the clundy an aarl!

[Andy335Touring]

Say what !!!???

[DRIFTBOY]

Say what !!!???

Yoouuur naaat fraaam rownd thees paaarrts arrre yaa ! ?

Maaast bey fraam uup cun-ree ennit!






Where's the carrot crunching emoticon?