E30 Zone

As above please. lol

*and please dont say "2"

steel block vs alloy

baptie0 wrote:steel block vs alloy

ahhh yes! thats the badger!!! how the fk can i forget that?

Whats the engine number change on the block that makes it easy to spot?

About 300cc

If the block has been replaced it will still be alloy.

Are the M50s not a 2.5L 24v with the m52 being 2.8L 12v ?

Topblag wrote:Are the M50s not a 2.5L 24v with the m52 being 2.8L 12v ?

Both are 24 valve

You can also get an M52 2.5 in 323i, 523i

leeparkes wrote:About 300cc

not true by my knowledge
we're talkign purely about 2.5's here, not te 2.8

e36 323 was a 2.5 litre 24v engine that put down 170ISH bhp
e36 325 was a 2.5 litre 24v putting down 192bhp.
e36 328 was a 2.8 litre engine that had been strangled by the inlet manifold and put down 193bhp.

M52 2.5 is also strangled with the manifold hence why it only kicks out 170 bhp, put an M50 manifold on and your at 192bhp.

What's the point of the 2.8 if it only has 1bhp more than the 2.5?

What's the point of the 2.8 if it only has 1bhp more than the 2.5?

it only has 1 more Bhp due to some german emmision thing at the time about how many hp a car can have.

they fitted a smaller diameter intake manfold to restrict the M52 engine so a common mod for the M52 is to fit an M50 manifold with a bit of modding. After this mod you can see 220Bhp and with a bit of mapping some have seen 230-240bhp

more info here-> http://www.m50manifold.com/

Its all about the torque bruvs

M50B25 - 181 Lbft

M52B25 - 180 Lbft

M52B28 - 207 Lbft

If I were to use an M50B25 vanos lump I would be converting it to M52 management, its just so much more advanced and helps you get more from the engine

An M52 is also around 30kg lighter than an M50, helping torque, economy and handling.

M50s are creamy at low revs, and sound angrier and have more of a metallic howl when extended. M52s are almost silent at idle from inside the car, are incredibly smooth, and have more of a bark at high revs. They also make their best power and torque lower down the rev range. Unfortunately they stop making power quite noticeably in the last 500 rpm before the redline, unlike the M50 which absolutely flies all the way to the top. The M50 manifold on the M52 fixes this.

DanThe wrote:Its all about the torque bruvs

M50B25 - 181 Lbft

M52B25 - 180 Lbft

M52B28 - 207 Lbft

If I were to use an M50B25 vanos lump I would be converting it to M52 management, its just so much more advanced and helps you get more from the engine

If i did that to mine would i need another loom making up by your good self would it be just the ecu i need?

baptie0 wrote:steel block vs alloy

that's the only reason my current steed is 24v, Steel block FTW !


Edit !! Iron block

M52's were also available as a 2 litre. They also have plastic cam covers from late 1995 onwards (start of E39 production).
American market M52's use a proper iron block and a different management system with the TDC sensor at the back of the plug and a trigger ring on the rear of the crank. This was used by the twin vanos M52 TU and very late (99 model year) E36 Coupes, Tourings and Verts.

You lost me after "proper iron block"....

proper iron block, ie, one that dosent go soft, dosent have head bolts pull out, dosent lose compression and can be bored and honed.

M50 are single Vanos (inlet side) and M52 are double vanos too I think?

cragles wrote:M50 are single Vanos (inlet side) and M52 are double vanos too I think?

Early M50 are none vanos. Late M50 and early M52's are both single vanos iirc

M50 are non vanos up until around 9/92. After that M50 and M52 are single vanos. M52 TU from 9/98 (E46 type) are double Vanos, M54 (2.2 2.5 & 3.0 are M54, a bigger capacity M52TU.

USA market M52's are iron block. All M52TU's are alloy.