Cabby questions... Track days? Big Engine? Cage?

[redcar]

which engines can you get 200+bhp put of into a 1.8 convertible, without getting really complicated. and spending a absolute fortune.

whats the best way to go about this, tuning a engine, putting a turbo on, or just a big engine 2.5 etc.

an M52B28 can have 200bhp+ put out of it very easily. Info is in the m50/m52 section of the forum.

[matt86]

so the are in e34's and the early e36's, what parts would you need to put in a 93 1.8 convertible?

would I need ecu, gearbox, exhaust and engine? or do i need loom aswell and if so how long and hard is it to fit the loom?

How much would someone do this for labour?

thanks

[walrus1968]

The M50 is an ok motor but nothing to get worked up about.

If your going 24v in an E30 your going to want M52B28 at the very minimum IMO.

Can you explain why the m52b28 engine with 193bhp would be so much better than a m50b25 with 192 bhp....whats the difference apart from the 300cc differnce..

an explanation would be appreciated

[Alex]

The M50 is an ok motor but nothing to get worked up about.

If your going 24v in an E30 your going to want M52B28 at the very minimum IMO.

Can you explain why the m52b28 engine with 193bhp would be so much better than a m50b25 with 192 bhp....whats the difference apart from the 300cc differnce..

an explanation would be appreciated

More torque i belive, The 2.8 is strangled with there manifolds fit an m50 item and you should have well over 200bhp

[walrus1968]

The M50 is an ok motor but nothing to get worked up about.

If your going 24v in an E30 your going to want M52B28 at the very minimum IMO.

Can you explain why the m52b28 engine with 193bhp would be so much better than a m50b25 with 192 bhp....whats the difference apart from the 300cc differnce..

an explanation would be appreciated

More torque i belive, The 2.8 is strangled with there manifolds fit an m50 item and you should have well over 200bhp

just done a wiki

280 N·m (207 lb·ft) @ 3950 ----->M52B28
245 N·m (181 lb·ft) @ 4700 ----->M50B25

can some kind person explain why they record them at different revs....is it purely as that is the value that returns the max torque for that particular engine??

[Rav335uk]

M30 is best sutied to a Cab imo.

Sod the M5X's

[matt86]

M30 is best sutied to a Cab imo.

Sod the M5X's

Guessing this is what you have Rav?

I'm getting confused with all the m50, m52, m20 etc etc

whats a m30 and how easy is it to install and what parts are needed? did you do yours yourself?

cheers

[Rav335uk]

M30 is best sutied to a Cab imo.

Sod the M5X's

Guessing this is what you have Rav?

I'm getting confused with all the m50, m52, m20 etc etc

whats a m30 and how easy is it to install and what parts are needed? did you do yours yourself?

cheers

M30's are Torquey, better for a cab.
Easy install, motor comes out of the E34 535i, no need to look for sumps, dipsticks etc......
Only thing is that the manual boxes are getting difficult to find, but you can use an M10 box.
About 3/4 days conversion on a budget.
Take alook at the M30 section int he Engine swaps.

[MJJ_ZX6RR]

whats a m30 and how easy is it to install and what parts are needed? did you do yours yourself?

Matt,

I am 20 miles from Stroud if you ever want to come take a look at my M30'd cab. It is SORN and not MOT'd (I am preparing it for sale, slowly) so I cannot take you for a drive in it. Rav is right though, the M30 is a lovely engine in a cab. Mine, with a chip and a BTB exhaust made 249 crank HP on Fritz's rather optimistic dyno, so probably 235-ish is right for a nicely sorted M30.

It is not a chasing redlines top-end screamer, it is all about mid-range grunt, but the way it destroys rear tyres is a lot of fun.

A lighter, revvier M5x would probably be slightly quicker round a track, and will stop for fuel less often, but an M30 is more fun in my mind. Properly bullet-proof engine too.

Martin.

[stew72]

my 318 cab is totally standard and in pretty good order throughout and there is no way on earth I'd consider a 200+ bhp engine conversion let alone turning it into a track toy, it would inherently be a complete comprimise.

[MattTheHat325]

Can you explain why the m52b28 engine with 193bhp would be so much better than a m50b25 with 192 bhp....whats the difference apart from the 300cc differnce..

an explanation would be appreciated

More torque i belive, The 2.8 is strangled with there manifolds fit an m50 item and you should have well over 200bhp

just done a wiki

280 N·m (207 lb·ft) @ 3950 ----->M52B28
245 N·m (181 lb·ft) @ 4700 ----->M50B25

can some kind person explain why they record them at different revs....is it purely as that is the value that returns the max torque for that particular engine??

The rpm number is where the engine produces it's peak torque figure. The m52b28 makes it's peak torque earlier in the rev range than the m50b25, and it makes almost 30lb more of it. On the road the difference is night and day. 2.8 is much quicker and 220/230+ bhp is had relatively cheap and easily. The 2.8 is a square engine, meaning it has an identical bore and stroke, both being 84mm. This means it's a very versatile engine with bags of low end grunt and a screaming top end. It also has an alloy block which provides obvious weight saving advantages meaning sharper handling and turn in, and what's more it's much better on fuel. M52 FTW.

Look in the engine swaps wiki and have a good read up on different engines and their individual characteristics, stacks of info around.

HTH

[walrus1968]

More torque i belive, The 2.8 is strangled with there manifolds fit an m50 item and you should have well over 200bhp

just done a wiki

280 N·m (207 lb·ft) @ 3950 ----->M52B28
245 N·m (181 lb·ft) @ 4700 ----->M50B25

can some kind person explain why they record them at different revs....is it purely as that is the value that returns the max torque for that particular engine??

The rpm number is where the engine produces it's peak torque figure. The m52b28 makes it's peak torque earlier in the rev range than the m50b25, and it makes almost 30lb more of it. On the road the difference is night and day. 2.8 is much quicker and 220/230+ bhp is had relatively cheap and easily. The 2.8 is a square engine, meaning it has an identical bore and stroke, both being 84mm. This means it's a very versatile engine with bags of low end grunt and a screaming top end. It also has an alloy block which provides obvious weight saving advantages meaning sharper handling and turn in, and what's more it's much better on fuel. M52 FTW.

Look in the engine swaps wiki and have a good read up on different engines and their individual characteristics, stacks of info around.

HTH

thank you for that....very interesting..the e46 with the m52b28 engine in i had was a beast and a great drive...i can see what you mean when im comparing the many bmw's ive had with different engines in. Ill check out the wiki as well..keep forgetting its there tbh

[MattTheHat325]

E46 will be a m52b28tu, this one has double vanos and is a slightly different machine again. For e30 conversions it is more hassle than it would be worth for a few reasons, so the e36 lump is the one of interest should you want to do a swap. All the m52 range also have more advanced management and as such require reprogramming of the ecu rather than the cheaper chipping of the m50's ecu.

Facts and figures aside, all engine swaps have many differing factors specific to that individual owner/car/engine, budget being the biggest factor usually! Crack a can open one evening and a couple of hours can easily be lost in the wiki section and engine swap section. You see projects from all walks of life and budgets, from one end of the scale to the other, but you can learn something useful from every one! The zone is a fountain of good proven knowledge when you have a good root around!

Happy reading

[fowler]

You want to to turbo the m40 in ther already makes a bloody good conversion nippy as hell

[matt86]

What bhp would that give and rough cost of the conversion? Cheers

[redcar]

Just sr20 it, light engine, plenty of torque and plenty of powers.

[ImysE30]

M30 Turbo it like me

[Dezzy]

M30 Turbo it like me

How's that going then Imy? You finished it?

You were taking it to last years Pod weren't you?

[bodger]

twin engine redtop ftw

[ImysE30]

M30 Turbo it like me

How's that going then Imy? You finished it?

You were taking it to last years Pod weren't you?

See you there this year !