S50 3.0 in my E30 cab

[alanpina]

Hi all,

It's been a while since I've been on here, but the forces of nostalgia and sentiment have just parted me with some dosh for my 3rd E30 cab. It's late on a K and gorgeous in Calypso with white Motorsport leather... Looks like new, I'm very chuffed.

...Problem is it's low on output (I've moved onwards and upwards over the years and so has the horse power of my cars).

I am entertaining the possibility of dropping an S50 in the well. It's not my bag, I'm no mechanic (I just want to drive it), so the work is going to be outsourced.

Can any of you hardcore Zoners help me to compile a checklist of 'things to consider'??? I know about the 'common sense' stuff, but as I'm running a cab, I want to know about stiffening and reinforcing... All that kind of stuff.

As a way of saying thank you, I promise I'll photograph the whole process and publish here for your feedback/approval/dissing.

Oh, before anyone suggests that I just go out and buy an M3... I've already had one, it was excellent and sits on a pedestal in my memory, but like banging your ex, it's a bit of 'no no'. Time to move on!

Best regards

Mark

[UweM3]

what do you think is your budget?

[srmalek]

i'm interested in this topic

[DanThe]

You could use something like this for the front end with a strut brace



I cant see why you would have a problem though TBH, a cab is never going to be a race car so just fit a tall diff and keep the heavy S50 flywheel/clutch setup for a nice drive

[alanpina]

Budget is CIRCA 2k for fitting. I've found an engine in Amsterdam on 33k for two thousand euros with shipping (you could eat your dinner off it), the car cost a fair bit, so that's my lot.

The steel cross-brace above looks well thought out, if not a little heavy.

If anyones got any shots of how the new mounts look when they're on, that'd be really useful too.

I'm just looking for the bespoke stuff, that an amateur would probably never think of.

Funny you should mension the flywheel... I was going to change it to an ali' nine pounder to help compensate for any stiffening poles/beams. Your thoughts on this issue will also be appreciated.

[UweM3]

your 2k budget will be almost eaten up just for the exhaust header....

[Jhonno]

2k for fitting is not going to happen. As Uwe says, exhaust header is 1-1.5k by itself.

You are looking at 5-6k all in DIY.. Then you end up with a big powerful engine in a floppy cab

An M52B28 swap would be much more suited to the car and budget

[alanpina]

2k for fitting is not going to happen. As Uwe says, exhaust header is 1-1.5k by itself.

You are looking at 5-6k all in DIY.. Then you end up with a big powerful engine in a floppy cab

An M52B28 swap would be much more suited to the car and budget

Good god, I paid that for the car!!! Obviously I haven't compensated for a need for bespoke parts.

My big mistake was trying to quantify the price of these conversions on the resale market... Complete cars from 5-8k. I thought that the owners would at least be breaking even... Sorry guys, I must sound like a bit of a tw4t.

Sounds like a total no goer, I'm too tight to commit anything like that sort of capital to this project. OK then....

The cheapest solution for 180rw hp?????

...It seems there's overwhelming approval for this configuration (but I don't trust the source as much as I trust this forum):

M52B 2.8 with an M50 intake, S52 cams and a good free-flowing exhaust.

Budget will go up to 3k as I can get hold of a good M52b28 easily and cheaply.

As usual, your comments are appreciated.

[Jhonno]

M52B28..

[e30rapidic]

I picked up this S50b30 US a couple of months ago to replace the 2.8 stroker in my e30 cabrio. Been working on it since January and hopefully (fingers crossed) it will be going in the car next week. I am waiting on my lightened flywheel so I can mate the zf trans to it before dropping it in.

I tore it down to a bare block, refinished and rebuilt....all new everything. The head had a crack so I picked up a replacement head and had it machined and rebuilt. I'm going to be running a 3.5 MAF, larger injectors and a TRM tune. This swap is quite popular so thankfully there are a lot of resources out there.

here's the car



here's the engine when I picked it up



here's the engine as it sits now, waiting to be mated to the trans.




We have owned the car since '87, bought the S50 and ended up spending quite a bit more than I expected. I do know that 2000 pounds won't get you too far, especially if you aren't doing the work yourself. I'm not planning on doing any subframe reinforcement but will check the subframe a lot. Its my fun car so that won't be a problem. I only put 660 miles on it last year.

[alanpina]

Thanks for the share. Fun car? I bet it is.

Looks like it'll be more cost effective to put the 2.8 in with a few mods, which I've come around to now (less worries about twisting the chassis too). Only shame is: It's an aluminium block, so forced induction is deffinitely out... Not sure that's a bad thing

[UweM3]

Thanks for the share. Fun car? I bet it is.

Looks like it'll be more cost effective to put the 2.8 in with a few mods, which I've come around to now (less worries about twisting the chassis too). Only shame is: It's an aluminium block, so forced induction is deffinitely out... Not sure that's a bad thing

scratching my head what your goal is, a "cheap" engine conversion or big power? the two very rarely go together.

the turbo and intercooler parts will eat your 2k budget
you talk about forced induction so why not just turbo the engine you have??

Have a read here http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... c&t=176571

[alanpina]

Not necessarily 'big power', just more power. I'm not as complicated as you think...

180 rwhp for 4k including donor engine??? This has got to be doable, considering there's recently been a couple of M52B28 conversions on Pistonheads for about 5k all in.

Thanks for the thread by the way, I'm just about to read it.

[toby]

What engine is in it now?

[alanpina]

Hi Toby, it's a two-five on 72k

[toby]

Firstly I bet your existing engine isn't set up well enough and it could do much better with a decent service and checking all the bits are set up correctly - TPS AFM/AFR valve clearances etc etc.

Don't bother with an engine swap. If you want it to be fast then fit a turbo to the existing engine. Or get the existing engine rebuilt to 2.7 or 2.8 and raise the compression ratio. You get some new parts for your money with a rebuild and not some old engine that's (maybe) a bit better than the one you have.

For £4K a turbo is the only bang for buck that you can do really for the most power. Get a small turbo with lots of torque and forget about chasing the high bhp figure. It will be quicker than all this other secondhand stuff you want to throw at it and with a turbo build at least you get some new parts and some of the existing engine rebuilt in with the cost.

An M52 B28 isn't really much faster than an M20 B25 despite it being popular and endlessly salivated over on this forum. It's still on old turd of an engine by now anyway. I mean how many are going to be as low mileage as the one you have?

[alanpina]

D'ya know what r'kid? I'm going to take your advice... Consider this thread closed. I'll give you a nudge when I start documenting the process... Actually, one last question... Whos gets the job? I live in Poole, is there anyone my side of London that any of you know of?

[toby]

http://www.fastbimmer.co.uk/

The E30Zone's very own Ant at A-Tech

[DanThe]

An M52 B28 isn't really much faster than an M20 B25 despite it being popular and endlessly salivated over on this forum.

Have you ever seen any of the santa pod meet times for both engines? 1.5 - 2 seconds over a 1/4 mile "isnt really much faster" ???
Got any M20 turbo times with costs to back up your theory??

[Dezzy]

An M52 B28 isn't really much faster than an M20 B25 despite it being popular and endlessly salivated over on this forum.

Have you ever seen any of the santa pod meet times for both engines? 1.5 - 2 seconds over a 1/4 mile "isnt really much faster" ???
Got any M20 turbo times with costs to back up your theory??

Any A tech M20 turbo's that have ran a proven 13.8?????


This is what a Cam'd M52 ran at pod 2 years ago.

I would bet there isnt 1 out there. No matter the build cost

[e30topless]

2 seconds on a 1/4 mile is quite a difference !
with your budget an M52 B28 is the way forward IMO

[Jhonno]

Hmmm 170bhp M20 vs. 230bhp M52.. And that's just bhp figures. Seriously, not a scoobies springs to mind!

[Dezzy]

After seeing with my own eyes the quality of conversion done by A tech. To a well known cabby ownd by an ex mod and a so call mate of the owner. I wouldnt go near the place.

Plus them trying to blame a well trusted zoner for the problems when all it needed was a lambda

[e30topless]

that cab was one sick puppy when i got it , the Leeds bus dusted me at the lights...

once again thanks Dezz for fitting the Lambda, and Dan for all the advice, once the Arsetech conversion was completed properly it was ace

the Pidgeon welded up zaust and burnt wiring was almost funny though ?

[Rav335uk]

After seeing with my own eyes the quality of conversion done by A tech. To a well known cabby ownd by an ex mod and a so call mate of the owner. I wouldnt go near the place.

Plus them trying to blame a well trusted zoner for the problems when all it needed was a lambda

I know of this too

[Jhonno]

As a flip side of the coin, Goosie's Ant A-Tech built 2.8 M20 with MAF is a peach..

[Ant]

After seeing with my own eyes the quality of conversion done by A tech. To a well known cabby ownd by an ex mod and a so call mate of the owner. I wouldnt go near the place.

Plus them trying to blame a well trusted zoner for the problems when all it needed was a lambda Rolling Eyes

care to elaborate more Dezzy ?? remember all I did was bolt the engine in, and plug the supplied loom into the C101 on the car.

iirc the engine in there now is NOT the original one fitted almost 5 years ago, in a mates rate "for a drink" weekend fitting, not done by A-Tech at all, didn't exist then, I provided tools, and a dry space to work in.

the exhaust was built from scraps in the workshop, never claimed to be anything other than that.

Oh dear, the zone is truly revolting

[Rav335uk]

[Dezzy]

After seeing with my own eyes the quality of conversion done by A tech. To a well known cabby ownd by an ex mod and a so call mate of the owner. I wouldnt go near the place.

Plus them trying to blame a well trusted zoner for the problems when all it needed was a lambda Rolling Eyes

care to elaborate more Dezzy ?? remember all I did was bolt the engine in, and plug the supplied loom into the C101 on the car.

the exhaust was built from scraps in the workshop, never claimed to be anything other than that.

Oh dear, the zone is truly revolting

I could elaborate much further and into alot of different cases. Only the fact that I have promised not to is making me bite my tounge.

Iirc the owner of said cab was told it wouldn't need a lambda as it's been deleted???
Also the person who sold the donk was to blame for it's sh1t performance, not the fact it was running in limp mode!
The worst of the tails I know to be true, really is revolting!!!

[Ant]

coolio

any comments to me in person ? you have the phone number should you wish to pursue theis further

might be worth stating that malcolm did 2 years of no issue motoring in that car prior to sale to yourself, MAF was knackered as supplied but dan supplied another FOC, the only thing deleted was the purge cannister, which had the correct resistor plug fitted from BMW .

THe 50+ other S50/M50/M52 conevrsions are all still flying about, still wish to claim shite workmanship ?

anoyone else care to comment, then please direct all complaints and BS to the Federation Of Small Businesses Legal Dept, quoting ref : 2152304

any work done to a price is just that, you want perfection it costs, something this place has yet to realise.

If its done to a price then compromises have to made , afterall, some people still fit M30 engine FFSK

Final word from me- bovvered !

[Rav335uk]

If its done to a price then compromises have to made , afterall, some people still fit M30 engine FFSK

Final word from me- bovvered !

MMM, little dig at me too in there.

[E30BeemerLad]

If its done to a price then compromises have to made , afterall, some people still fit M30 engine FFSK

Final word from me- bovvered !

MMM, little dig at me too in there.

it's only fair though

[Rav335uk]

What, for a

[DanThe]

Standard practise now Rav, no matter what the debate

[Rav335uk]

Standard practise now Rav, no matter what the debate

I'm used to it Dan, water of a Ducks back mate