Can I turbo an e30 1.6L!!

[kbm]

I'm looking to buy an e30 and I'm wondering whether I can turbo it easily or not. As it will be only 100 HP and I want more?? Help!

[Nobby_N]

Yes u can but why would you as it still be slow!

[kbm]

Well I'm not looking for it to be stupidly fast. But maybe 140hp or so?

[ross2009]

if you want it faster put a bigger engine in it would be easier and cheaper

[Kos]

Just put an m20 m30 or m50/2 into it

[23732]

My brother got 318hp and 413nm out of his M40B16, but he runs 2.5 bar of boost.

[Kos]

My brother got 318hp and 413nm out of his M40B16, but he runs 2.5 bar of boost.

Must have a bit or lag lol

[ross_jsy]

Bet that's got nice power delivery/reliability

[Acaciastrain360]

The point in this thread was to get information on HOW TO TURBO IT, not... Put a different engine in it jeeeeeeeze

[DanThe]

Buy this - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Design-Test-I ... 5d53d2432d

It will be money well spent

[ross_jsy]

Great book and well worth a read.

You aren't going to get a walkthrough on how to do it as there's many ways to skin a cat

[Acaciastrain360]

No need to lower compression though is there? So no head gasket or arp to do?

[Mikey_Boy]

I've got an M40B16 from a facelift with just 100k miles on it if anyone fancies turboing that?? PM me for details!!

Anything is possible - 150hp per litre should be easy enough, which equates to 240hp or thereabouts - should be fun!

[Acaciastrain360]

What about gearbox's? Will an m20 one fit? Will the 1600 box just blow?

[Topblag]

I'd suggest you'd be better off sticking a turbo on an M10 instead of an M40.

[Acaciastrain360]

Why? I've got an m40 though... Makes sense for me!

[jmc330i]

What about gearbox's? Will an m20 one fit? Will the 1600 box just blow?

An M20 gearbox won't fit easily and really not worth the hassle.
The M40 gearbox will cope with an M52 and an M40 turbo won't make M52 power.

There was an M40B18 turbo on here a few years ago making 170bhp on standard compression (8.8:1).
I think the M40B16 has a slightly higher compression ratio of 9:1 so coupled with 200cc less, I reckon you'd struggle to get 160bhp.

To me it all seems a bit pointless on a B16. If you must stay with the M40, at least turbo a B18.

[Acaciastrain360]

Fair enough, yeah you're right but it's not about loads of power, it's just about having a turbo b16 man... Just gonna put a t28 on it from a 200sx

[ross_jsy]

Just go for an m10. They love boost, m40's less so. It doesn't matter if you have the engine or not, you are going to have to buy a lot so add an engine to that list. It's not like m10's are pricey

[Acaciastrain360]

So a m10b? And what engine management?

[ross_jsy]

That i up to you, my advice is start researching.

I am leaning towards VEMS for my m50, but a basic Megasquirt will be fine for an m10. Decent rods, pistons, stock head gasket and ARP's should make for a cracking boosted build.

[Acaciastrain360]

Okay dude, sounds like a plan.... So does anyone want to buy a m40b16? Haha

[Acaciastrain360]

Oh yeah, do I have to change the loom to fit in my facelift?

[Mikey_Boy]

I wouldn't be so fast to ditch your existing engine - this needs more research before a decision is made. Looking at the fundamentals:

4 cylinder engine with loads of room around it for a decent exhaust manifold and decent sized turbo.
Loads of space at the front of the engine bay for a large intercooler, which is absolutely key for decent boost figures.
The fact the Compression ratio is a bit higher is not so relevant - if you have a decent 'open' ECU like megasquirt, OMEX or Emerald, you will be able to control everything well enough - compression ratios were low back in the day because engine control was rubbish. Off the shelf ECUs these days are superb.
Also, remember that Cylinder PRESSURES (and/or temperature) destroys turbo engines, NOT BOOST. I learnt this lesson developing Sierra and Escort Cosworths and other boosted engines when I worked as an engineer at Cosworth back in the day. SPARK has a far greater effect on cylinder pressure compared to boost, so as long as your spark numbers are right, you can boost, boost and boost some more...
8 valve heads tend to better for boosting compared to 16v heads - for ultimate power, you need 16v, but for a nice torquey engine that makes decent power, 8v is great. Also, as there are less valves, there's usually larger waterways in the head keeping things cool meaning you can boost more.

Lots to think about - buy a book or read articles online as there's loads.

Most of all, have fun with it and don't follow a conventional route if you don't want to!

Supercharged 1.6 anyone??

[ross_jsy]

Mikey, m10's are 4 cylinders and are a stronger block.

This is a monster of an m10 build, well worth a read through. Overkill for your needs but there is some brilliant engineering within.

http://www.e30tech.com/forum/showthread.php?t=70595

As for loom. You could either adapt the existing loom to work with the engine management or use a generic loom from the supplier of the management. For example:

https://shop.vems.hu/catalog/v3twinshie ... 9d13c5d7dc

[Mikey_Boy]

Smashing - always keen to learn something new...!

[Acaciastrain360]

I'm gonna keep the m40 i think as I'm not after amazing power, just a bit of pokie and just a laugh. Thanks for the information Mr mikey... I do like a ford as you can see in my signature lol

What exhaust manifold can I use to convert to turbo, which will fit an m40. E36 318ti? It's mild I think...

[ross_jsy]

What exhaust manifold can I use to convert to turbo, which will fit an m40. E36 318ti? It's mild I think...

A custom one most likely

[jmc330i]

What exhaust manifold can I use to convert to turbo, which will fit an m40. E36 318ti? It's mild I think...

A custom one most likely

The 16v M42/M44 manifolds have a different stud pattern so won't fit the M40. Will most likely need to be custom.