Please confirm is this a M52 with the M50 manifold?

Post Fri Sep 23, 2011 3:03 pm

Fingers Crossed!

Its a M52 with M50 Manifold ;)

Thx

Mark

Post Fri Sep 23, 2011 3:06 pm

Looks like it.

Post Fri Sep 23, 2011 3:07 pm

that looks like an m50 non vanos to me mate... my reason for saying this is the oil filter housing on an m50 is metal as per pic,,,, the m52 is black plastic....

danthe is prob the best person to ask but from where im sitting its m50b25 pal

diod they even do an m52 non vanos??? i didnt think they did

Post Fri Sep 23, 2011 3:09 pm

Hmmmm

I thought it could be a M50....

Ive was told buy the chap I bought it that it was a E36 2.8 lump so assumed it was a M52.

Is there much difference in output?

So I could have a 2.5 then

Grrrrr

Post Fri Sep 23, 2011 3:13 pm

on paper it doesnt look a big difference but when driving the 2 the difference is awsome!

m50 2.5 = 192bhp and around 180 lb ft
m52 2. 8 = 193 with standard inlet manifold and around 200lbft but add the m50 inlet and it shoots over 200bhp!!!

i did an m50 swap on mine over the winter and got borred after 5000 miles, one day i decided to go m52, sourced all the bits and next day she was an m52...... i added the m50 inlet and i couldnt believe the difference

Post Fri Sep 23, 2011 3:16 pm

Probably an early e36 2.5 lump.
Clearly no VANOS so can't be an M52.

Post Fri Sep 23, 2011 3:27 pm

Yep,
thats a 2.5 NOT a 2.8 dude

Post Fri Sep 23, 2011 3:34 pm

Just had this confirmed by the guy that did the install its a 2.5..... he was the owner before the guy I am about to buy the car from.

Hey ho.... time to knock some money off.

Is the 2.5 a good motor?

Should I just walk away from the car instead?

Post Fri Sep 23, 2011 3:36 pm

it is certainly a non-vanos head, so is from an early 2.5 M50. No vanos bulge on the front part of the cam cover and also the oil filler cap is located near the front on M52 and near the rear on M50

The only way that would be a 2.8 is if someone has fitted the 2.8 crank to an early non-vanos M50, which would run like a pig as the early Bosch ECU for the M50 probably wouldn't adjust itself enough to account for the longer stroke of a 2.8 and if you reversed this sitation and put a non-vanos head onto a 2.8 M52, I'm sure that would also fail to deliver the goods when the ECU is looking for a signal from the vanos unit.

My money is on M50 2.5 and the seller needs a good bumming!

Post Fri Sep 23, 2011 3:40 pm

As previously said...

Just confirmed it with the guy who did the conversion.

The guy I am / was / might now buy the car was wrong!

NOW the question is should I still buy the car? is the m50 2.5 worth it to build my track car?

Thanks

Post Fri Sep 23, 2011 4:28 pm

I think you should get it, grab a m52 engine then build the internals into the m50 block for a bulletproof engine ready to turbo/supercharge for an ultimate track weapon

Post Fri Sep 23, 2011 4:34 pm

Yep I have re-negotiated the price!

;)

She will be mine next week

Will chuck in the 24-valve M50B25 non-VANOS with 405 ECU code:
M50B25 non-VANOS; 10-15bhp gain, enhances torque and fuel economy, with 7000rpm rev limit.

Fingers crossed for more horsey!

Post Sun Sep 25, 2011 11:52 am

Would you mind me asking what you got it for in the end? I might be selling mine soon and have absolutely no idea what to ask for it...

Ps if it's for a track car it's not a bad choice as all the power it at the top end where you'll be spending all your time anyway!