boosting alloy blocks, whats the limit?
Moderator: martauto
Hi guys, do you guys have some info on how much power the alloy blocks will hold?
Lots of people say they wont hold much power, due to being alloy blocks, but couldnt find any case where the block failed to excesive power.
im aiming for 450-550hp on a M52TUB28 with forged pistons and rods. i want to know if the block will be an issue.
cheers.
Lots of people say they wont hold much power, due to being alloy blocks, but couldnt find any case where the block failed to excesive power.
im aiming for 450-550hp on a M52TUB28 with forged pistons and rods. i want to know if the block will be an issue.
cheers.
I believe PPF in Sweden have seen 500whp.
been reading e46 forums, it would seem that the M52TU and M54 head/block are almost indentical, so using that as a reference 500-600hp has been done. Thats good enough for me, not planning on going further than that.
Hi, i'm also confused by why people shy away from the alloy blocks when they want to boost. I couldn't find a case where a properly built alloy block m52 had caused damage to the block when being boosted.Coyote_ar wrote:Hi guys, do you guys have some info on how much power the alloy blocks will hold?
Lots of people say they wont hold much power, due to being alloy blocks, but couldnt find any case where the block failed to excesive power.
im aiming for 450-550hp on a M52TUB28 with forged pistons and rods. i want to know if the block will be an issue.
cheers.
An sr20 will do plenty of bhps and that's an alloy block and only 2.0L so has to cope with a fair bit of boost to get good powers through it.
Would be interesting to see a boosted m52 as it seems to be a really good engine. 2.8L and isn't silly heavy either.
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ross_jsy
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It's more a case of if you get detonation-far easier on a boosted car weather it be poor mapping, poor fuel quality, running hot on track etc, then it can strip the head bolt threads which are a weak point on the m52.
I see, but with a good, reliable build i.e. proper engine management with continuous readings showing knock etc. this shouldn't really be a problem. Large intercooler, correct fuel and general sense of care towards the engine shouldn't really make this such a problem to actually avoid the m52 for turboing should it?ross_jsy wrote:It's more a case of if you get detonation-far easier on a boosted car weather it be poor mapping, poor fuel quality, running hot on track etc, then it can strip the head bolt threads which are a weak point on the m52.
Cheers.
ross, yeah regarding the head bolts, i read that its a weak point on the M52s. they recommended to use arp studs instead of bolts.
aside from that, as redcar said, the other items you mention are just risks present in all boosted cars, alloy or not.
one thing i saw regarding M52TUs and i believe it also affects M6x, is that bmw choose to run those engines extremely hot to improve emissions, and that increases the risk of head warping and other nasties. i was thinking just changing the thermostat for a mechanical 85c one, or just keep the electronica one set to open at lower temp.
aside from that, as redcar said, the other items you mention are just risks present in all boosted cars, alloy or not.
one thing i saw regarding M52TUs and i believe it also affects M6x, is that bmw choose to run those engines extremely hot to improve emissions, and that increases the risk of head warping and other nasties. i was thinking just changing the thermostat for a mechanical 85c one, or just keep the electronica one set to open at lower temp.
- johnmaccow
- E30 Zone Regular

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So would a reliable 350-400 be possible with a decent mapped smaller turbo conversion? Also how would it compare in cost and reliability against a s50?




