Come on guys & gals HELP me out!

[stevetigger]

Im taking the engine outta my cab and replacing it with???
So far there is
2.5 M20
2.5 M50
2.7 525e mock up
2.8 M52
3.5 M30

Everyone seems to have a different idea of which why to go! I just want to take my engine out and drop another in with minimum fuss! I know everyone will say the M20 2.5! Which is the right answer but I would like something different. The problem is.....in my mind NOT money but how EASY it can be done because I want to do it myself! I am a qualified mechanic but that was years ago, dont get me wrong........I can still tackle the job at hand but like I said earlier on in the post.....I want it to be easy. What do you guys & gals Think?? Im aiming towards the 2.5 M50 route but is it going to be easy putting a newer engine in an older car?? Who knows! Please help, im losing my marbles!

[Zayyan]

E36 M3 engine!

[HartgeH27]

Lost he MARBLES !!!!!!!!!!!!

[stevetigger]

Lost he MARBLES !!!!!!!!!!!!

I think, that was a great post.......considering im plastered!



But a serious post people!

[Andy325i]

I guess it all depends on how much you got to play with and what you can get for the money. M50 conversion is not a 5 min job (unless you have ALL the parts there and ready) but is a vast improvment over the M20 although a bit heaver. So I guess an M50 is a nice mid range swap


Andy

[Andy335Touring]

M30, but i would say that !

[stevetigger]

I can see 25 people saying 25 different combinations!

[maxfield]

M30 the bigger the better

[Andy325i]

I can see 25 people saying 25 different combinations!

Who us?!?!?!?!

Never!


Andy

[Moofles]

if you want minimum fuss, like you said, m20.

if you're happy to go m50, you may as well got m52 - it has a LOT more advantage over the m50 than the 1hp difference suggests....

[MONSPORT42]

If you want it easy it's got be M20. You'll get a very noticeable power hike from that and better all round driveabilty. No cutting and shutting and they are fairly easy to get hold of.
As a mechanic, I'm sure you could do the basics for a 2.7/2.8 conversion before it goes in and then you'll know you've got a good powerful lump that'll do 200k+ miles.
Whilst power is important I would also look at the weight difference. Anything too heavy and you'll upset the 50/50 weight distribution that BMWs are renowned for and you may also have to upgrade your suspension to carry it. You won't want to drive round in very powerful pig!!

[Chaos]

how about building an alpina spec m20 using the diesel crank etc - eg somewhat different from the normal eta 2.7 conversions that ppl tend to do.


then when its ready putting it in will be just as easy as any other m20.
costs to build will obviously be higher than an normal eta based 2,7 tho.

[TommyC]

I have no idea what to suggest for you steve cos i don't know enough about the different engines.

If i were you i would spend some time working out the best engine for a power hike with the least weight penalty (but that would probably be the most awkward to transplant i expect )

Whats the difference batween an M50 and an S50???

[sheldo]

i would have to say the same thing as chaos. you'll have one of the best sounding engines ever made in imo and it will be as close to the near 50/50 weight distribution that monsport42 talks of.

This will keep the car as near as original as possible, will surely be the easiest of conversions and you'll have a nice power and more importantly torque difference that you desire. If its good enough for ALPINA its good enough for me.

[Cotty]

E36 M3 engine!

Thats what I want eventually

[Andy325i]

Whats the difference batween an M50 and an S50???

About 129 BHP!!!! M50B25 is 193BHP where as the S50B32 is 321 BHP

Andy

[stoic]

How about this on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BMW-E36-325I-ENGI ... dZViewItem

E36 325i (200ish bhp) 2 days to go and he wants about Ԛ£750.

[stoic]

There's also a non-evo M3 engine on ebay going for peanuts coz its needs bearing shells (supplied with the engine). With that and a bit of your mechanical nous it's 290bhp for no money.

[Dan318-is]

I have no idea what to suggest for you steve cos i don't know enough about the different engines.

If i were you i would spend some time working out the best engine for a power hike with the least weight penalty (but that would probably be the most awkward to transplant i expect )

Whats the difference batween an M50 and an S50???

the m50 is the lump used in early e36 3 series cars, think of it as an update of the m20 if you will but no parts are the same. the s50 is the engine out of the e36 m3; single vanos and individual throttle bodies on a six pot monster. not to be confused with the the s52, the double vanos lump used on the e36 3 series evolution models with infamous vanos problems but 320 horses

steve, i think i should reitarate something Sal (m5pilot) once said. you need to ask yourself what you want out of the engine. Do you want it to corner as well as go fast in a straight line? is it going to be a track slag? or used for track and road? or jsut as a daily driver?

only once you have decided this should you consider what engine to aim for, imho

[stevetigger]

Well its my convertible that only gets used occasionally in the summer! I have another car for all year round use. I think I will do a good 2.7 M20, the reason for the engine swap is that since 19 years old I have had 325i Sports, this is the first E30 with a non 2.5 engine so it seems really slow, looking at the same dash but without the power when I put my right foot down, does that make sense??

So all I want really is my convertible to be like my old sports but with more power because owning seven 325i's for over six years.......you do get use to the power they put down(And you get good at drifting) thats why I keep thinking bigger like 3.5

But after reading all comments.....................Looks like a stonking 2.7 will go in!

I did ask Ant about a turbo for mine but For the costs a good 2.7 will peform very much the same. Maybe I should do the 2.7 then a turbo at a later stage when I get bored of the power!

[Richy325iTouring]

id do the e30 m3 straight swap less hassles

but that just me at the moment

[zaust]

go the same way as ant m20 + turbo..

[Dan318-is]

go the same way as ant m20 + turbo..

that thing is awesome