What other engine 4 cylinder would you fit to a E30
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johnk2977
- E30 Zone Newbie

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Hi
What other engine 4 cylinder would you fit ?.
I have been tralling throught he treads someone said a Duretec, what about Saab Turbo motor some of them are 300BHP standard now correct me if I am wrong are they not a similar bolt pattern to the Dog box my problem is I want a S14 and cant afford one, so hence why I am looking at other engines.
No don't get me wrong I love the 318Is rally car and the 325Is road car but I want 250+ BHP to try and keep up with Escorts with Red tops in them
So what other engine have other Zone members look at or fitted.
Your feed back would be greatly recieved.
What other engine 4 cylinder would you fit ?.
I have been tralling throught he treads someone said a Duretec, what about Saab Turbo motor some of them are 300BHP standard now correct me if I am wrong are they not a similar bolt pattern to the Dog box my problem is I want a S14 and cant afford one, so hence why I am looking at other engines.
No don't get me wrong I love the 318Is rally car and the 325Is road car but I want 250+ BHP to try and keep up with Escorts with Red tops in them
So what other engine have other Zone members look at or fitted.
Your feed back would be greatly recieved.
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Ziggy
- E30 Zone Team Member

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I can't help but think fitting an S14 won't work out much more expensive once you've paid for (/made) the custom bits to fit a different engine...
But anyway:
Volvo turbo lump
Cosworth (couple of cars on here)
SR20DET?
But anyway:
Volvo turbo lump
Cosworth (couple of cars on here)
SR20DET?
E30 in need of wiring loom smoke since April '11...
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1an
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mikekean
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ive asked this before. unless you have the know how to be able to fabricate everything it works out cheaper if you buy an s14. and thats if you where going to fit a duratec etc yourself and just having the mounts and exhaust made etc.
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e21Jason
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Hi
Turbo m10 cheapest way to 4cly 250hp, to rebuild my s14 so far has cost over 2k on parts and maching and i ain't finished spending yet
Jason
Turbo m10 cheapest way to 4cly 250hp, to rebuild my s14 so far has cost over 2k on parts and maching and i ain't finished spending yet
Jason
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mikekean
- E30 Zone Regular

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jason howcome your rebuild has cost so much? surely if your just rebuilding it to oe spec then you would need bearings, oil pump, seals, pistons, rings, timing gear, gaskets few other bits and bobs. does all that add up to that much? or have you got uprated parts?
Ive got my heart set on an s14b20 but if its going to cost upwards of 6k to get it in. then i may aswell buy a duratec.
Ive got my heart set on an s14b20 but if its going to cost upwards of 6k to get it in. then i may aswell buy a duratec.
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fuzzy
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i think id fit a cosworth lump for and easy 330bhp.
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e21Jason
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Hi Mike
s14 timing gear chains, guides, sprockets £800
full gasket set £250
water pump £30
Bearings £100
Valves (my head had valve to piston contact) £250 but the head all ready has schrick cams and vlave springs
The rest to date has been on maching including the block which is dry sumped but needs a rebore, plus crank and rods
After than I need to buy an mls gasket, forged pistons and a 60-2 trigger kit but i am hoping for 100 bhp/litre plus for a 2.0l dry sumped motor
The advantage of the s14 it bolts in, the gearbox bolts and the manifolds etc are standard, a duratec may be a lowcost engine, but the throttle bodies, exhaust, engine mounts, sump, bellhousing, gearbox water rails for an inline conversion all ad up.
s14 timing gear chains, guides, sprockets £800
full gasket set £250
water pump £30
Bearings £100
Valves (my head had valve to piston contact) £250 but the head all ready has schrick cams and vlave springs
The rest to date has been on maching including the block which is dry sumped but needs a rebore, plus crank and rods
After than I need to buy an mls gasket, forged pistons and a 60-2 trigger kit but i am hoping for 100 bhp/litre plus for a 2.0l dry sumped motor
The advantage of the s14 it bolts in, the gearbox bolts and the manifolds etc are standard, a duratec may be a lowcost engine, but the throttle bodies, exhaust, engine mounts, sump, bellhousing, gearbox water rails for an inline conversion all ad up.
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johnk2977
- E30 Zone Newbie

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Hi Chaps
thanks for the feed back, I have looked at buying S14 engine and there are not many for sale and most of the ones you find are out and on the floor and you cant hear them running and as Jason has found that the parts for them are expensive, I am in the lucky position that between myself and a couple of mates we can make most parts to fit. I all ready run a E36 24V autocross car with 220 BHP but I didn't want to go that route of the extra weight from the M50 engine but that mite be the way to go.
There are a few escorts weighing 1000Kgs with 200 to 300bhp my 318is weighs 1050kgs appox 160BHP in full rally trim but the E36 stripped out still weighs in at 1300kg 300 kgs is a lot to get moving. dose any one know the weight of an E36 24V engine, and dose any one now do a kit to fit it to the E30 I know that its a popular upgrage. I have never look at tuning M50 engine is it a cheap option compaired to S14 I am stuck with a cc of below 2500 or if I go Turbo or M3 E36 engine i will be in with Scoobys and Evo.
thanks for the feed back, I have looked at buying S14 engine and there are not many for sale and most of the ones you find are out and on the floor and you cant hear them running and as Jason has found that the parts for them are expensive, I am in the lucky position that between myself and a couple of mates we can make most parts to fit. I all ready run a E36 24V autocross car with 220 BHP but I didn't want to go that route of the extra weight from the M50 engine but that mite be the way to go.
There are a few escorts weighing 1000Kgs with 200 to 300bhp my 318is weighs 1050kgs appox 160BHP in full rally trim but the E36 stripped out still weighs in at 1300kg 300 kgs is a lot to get moving. dose any one know the weight of an E36 24V engine, and dose any one now do a kit to fit it to the E30 I know that its a popular upgrage. I have never look at tuning M50 engine is it a cheap option compaired to S14 I am stuck with a cc of below 2500 or if I go Turbo or M3 E36 engine i will be in with Scoobys and Evo.
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e21Jason
- E30 Zone Addict

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Hi
An alloy block m52 is not far of an m20 in wieght terms, if you have to stay under 2.5l then what about a vuax v6 or jag v6 my friend done the work at cosworth on the jag v6 and they make about 340bhp NA in top tune.
Out of the box an s2000 is the fastest and I can get you a complete engine box & loom for about 2k
Also what is the factor for a turbo 1.4? destroke a m42 to 1.6 and turbo it, also I though the MSA were going to ban engine swaps for rally cars or is that just "hybrids"
Jason
An alloy block m52 is not far of an m20 in wieght terms, if you have to stay under 2.5l then what about a vuax v6 or jag v6 my friend done the work at cosworth on the jag v6 and they make about 340bhp NA in top tune.
Out of the box an s2000 is the fastest and I can get you a complete engine box & loom for about 2k
Also what is the factor for a turbo 1.4? destroke a m42 to 1.6 and turbo it, also I though the MSA were going to ban engine swaps for rally cars or is that just "hybrids"
Jason
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1an
- E30 Zone Addict

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the engine in my dads car an m50/m52 mix that uses an alloy block uses 4 pot lowering springs as the 6 pot springs from the m20 made it sit to high on 40mm drop springs,e21Jason wrote:Hi
An alloy block m52 is not far of an m20 in wieght terms, if you have to stay under 2.5l then what about a vuax v6 or jag v6 my friend done the work at cosworth on the jag v6 and they make about 340bhp NA in top tune.
Out of the box an s2000 is the fastest and I can get you a complete engine box & loom for about 2k
Also what is the factor for a turbo 1.4? destroke a m42 to 1.6 and turbo it, also I though the MSA were going to ban engine swaps for rally cars or is that just "hybrids"
Jason
its all down to what cattergory you want to run in and how much money you wanna spend.
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Karan
- Married to the E30 Zone

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sr20det would make an e30 truly awesome.... powerful and very light engine/box combo
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Speedtouch
- Old Skooler

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Triumph Dolomite Sprint engine? 2-litre 16 valve, 127bhp as standard, easily tuneable to 150bhp+
///M aurice
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ECU Upgrade EPROM Chips, £40 posted within the UK. Note these are not Zone chips.
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=279421
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Silverfang
- E30 Zone Regular

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Saab engines are actually based on the old Triumph 16v units, but they've got Marle Pistons and a forged bottom end as standard, along with the turbo.
Apparently the 2.3 version's good for over 300bhp without major tuning, they're putting one into a Mk2 Escort in PPC, all you need to get it RWD is a Omega box / flywheel / clutch and clutch master / slave cylinder combo and no real mods to the sump apparently (could be wrong).
Either way, Saab 9000's are silly cheap now and so are Omegas, it'd actually be a really cheap project compared to something like a Ford Cosworth / BMW S14 / Nissan SR20 engine conversion.
Apparently the 2.3 version's good for over 300bhp without major tuning, they're putting one into a Mk2 Escort in PPC, all you need to get it RWD is a Omega box / flywheel / clutch and clutch master / slave cylinder combo and no real mods to the sump apparently (could be wrong).
Either way, Saab 9000's are silly cheap now and so are Omegas, it'd actually be a really cheap project compared to something like a Ford Cosworth / BMW S14 / Nissan SR20 engine conversion.
BMW and Opel, both RWD, both german, both good fun
http://www.clockservicing.co.uk/ For any clock repairs try here.
http://www.clockservicing.co.uk/ For any clock repairs try here.
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S2Avant
- E30 Zone Newbie

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Mi16 peugeot engine is 167hp and all alloy. 
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stonesie
- E30 Zone Addict

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VAG 20valve turbo engine? 300bhp is easy enough on those.
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Gibson
- Old Ford Deviant
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Are you trying to avoid turbo because it will put you in another class? because if you are it has got to be Vauxhall redtop... easy power for good money and nice and easy to find in old astras... loads of escort boys run them....

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maxfield
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Beat me to it.Gibson wrote: Vauxhall redtop...

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Jhonno
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Have to try hard to beat the Vaux red top imo.. Cant beat em join em..
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stonesie
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Ah non turbo... C20XE (red top) is a very good engine, better if you get one with the 'Coscast' head, made by Cosworth and worth another 5bhp.
The Vaux heads go porus.
The Vaux heads go porus.
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Gibson
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its the obvious choice for normally aspirated 4 banger....it it doesnt have to be a 4 pot then there are definitely other options

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Jon_Bmw
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That was the gti6 engine, I am not sure it was officially named the mi16.S2Avant wrote:Mi16 peugeot engine is 167hp and all alloy.
The early mi16 had 160bhp seen in the citreon BX's and early 405s
Late mi16 in phase 2 405s had an iron block 2.0l with 155 or 150 bhp.
Can't remember what the s16 in the 306 produced.
Also I think the gti6 engine was a 2.0 cast iron block.
I'd be putting an c18det as they are so cheap. For £500 you could have one chucking out 260bhp+. Nice. If you have slightly more money, do what Karan said.
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Aubs
- Aka Mr_Gerbic_iS
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Yeah, plenty of cheap ones around as well, I believe the bottom end can handle up to 400bhp standardstonesie wrote:VAG 20valve turbo engine? 300bhp is easy enough on those.
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chu346
- E30 Zone Addict

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BMW M40
My mate has a redtop forsale complete with ecu and loom for £250.
My mate has a redtop forsale complete with ecu and loom for £250.
Last edited by chu346 on Sat Jun 28, 2008 2:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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jaistanley
- E30 Zone Addict

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The 20VT engine is really good but might be a pain getting it longitudinal.. It was in the passat, but don't know how easy it'd be to get it mated to a traditional RWD gearbox...
I vote an SR20DET.
I vote an SR20DET.

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S2Avant
- E30 Zone Newbie

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They fitted the 1.8t 20v in the A4 - they are the right way round. 
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Speedtouch
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Fiat Twin Cam - designed by ex-Ferrari designer Aurelio Lampredi and a good long production run, available in 2 or 4-valve per cylinder and Weber single/twin carb or injection forms, apparently bullet-proof with strong gearboxes to match.
///M aurice
ECU Upgrade EPROM Chips, £40 posted within the UK. Note these are not Zone chips.
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=279421
ECU Upgrade EPROM Chips, £40 posted within the UK. Note these are not Zone chips.
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=279421
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luke123
- E30 Zone Newbie

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im stuck between supercharging my 318 is or putting it on bike carbs or dropping a s14 lump in my boss has a s14 lump sat at work what would i need to change to get it in my is could i run the same box ? luke.
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suzie650
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If you consider the fiat twincam, why not the alfa bialerbo? much nicer sound and engineering!fiat Twin Cam
On a serious note, before considering the s14, make sure that it is in good nick! A "proper" rebuild will cost you the price of supercharging the 318...
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Gibson
- Old Ford Deviant
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Redtop Redtop Redtop Redtop!!!!

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jaistanley
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SR20DET, SR20DET, SR20DET

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Gibson
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jaistanley wrote:SR20DET, SR20DET, SR20DET
that really is a bit of a mouthfull for a chant!

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321gazza
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you finished that manta yet silverfang, ive got a red top turbo in my e30
thats right im bad 
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les3002
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c20let would get my vote
1989 BMW 318i (2.5 24v conversion in progress)
1993 Vauxhall Cavalier 4x4 Turbo
1993 Vauxhall Cavalier 4x4 Turbo


