What engine? Looking for an easy swap!

[eddie124]

Hi all,

So I've just begun realizing that my newly-bought E30 Touring has a very early m20b25 on it, and getting it to work with the later wiring loom seems to be quite a headache, so I've been weighing my options. It has had the engine and box from a late-85 325is put into it, it's an 89 320i Touring. It has been put in place, but obviously it won't start because no-one matched up anything in the wiring department.

I really want a 2,5 or slightly bigger engine, what are the easiest of the later engines to swap? M50? M52? I'd like to know what are the least involved conversions, and what donor parts are needed.

PLEASE NOTE: My tourer is LHD... I live in Portugal.

Cheers, Eddie

[fowler]

prob M20 .25i 12v which you have already got.
i can supply an engine to fit staright in if you require please pm me for mor details
if could arange shipping it can be done...

[eddie124]

Hi again Fowler,

Will an M20 off an e34 fit straight in? Shipping for an engine from the UK would be insanely expensive, and there's plenty of cheap beemers here being stripped for parts at the moment because a recent change in laws made importing cars ruinously expensive tax-wise, so plenty of them are being broken up.

I'm trying to weigh up the ease/cost of getting either this m20 up to date, getting another (later) m20, or getting something like a non-vanos m50.

[fowler]

well ther is lot of work to put a m50 in if your not mechaniclly minded
i would personally try and find a late 325 engine with correct loom as its as simple as plugging in few plugs and a few wires to the battery
the engines will ffrom an e34 but i cannot confirm if the wiring loom is the same

[Turbo-Brown]

How much would you want for a bone stock M20B25 Fowler?