Hi guys, (I know you guys are probably sick of this newbie question BUT)
I basically have a spare m20b25 engine complete just sitting in my garage which I wanna have fun and make use off
So I'm thinking to turbo it, look for a clean or near clean e30 and do engine swap, brakes, suspension etc.
I think I have watched everything on you tube to get an idea of what I want
And I'd like to achieve a reliable late 375 to 400 Bhp usable monster.
QUESTIONS
1) Are there any guru's on hear I should be boring with detailed questions lol
2) maybe there are some good sites maybe someone could show me what would help me do even more research.
4) is there a guide somewhere and a m20b25 turbo conversion parts list that you guys recomended so I can price it all up?
3) from what I understand:
Standard internals can handle upto 400bhp ??????
( all I would need is Apr head bolts and upgraded head gasket)
Which turbo would give me a nice wide torque band, (I heard a g20 turbo maybe)??????
Engine management ( I'd like it to be custom to my engine because I'm thinking it the best way forward ???),
what would I need to invest in and would I have to teach myself how to tune before I turn the key for first time (which I'm ok with)
Do I need to upgrade anything like the fuel pump, guessing injectors, the diff, if so any idea what too.
Please help
Thank you in advance
M20b25 turbo ?
Moderator: martauto
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jimmyspeed
- E30 Zone Regular

- Posts: 848
- Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2007 11:00 pm
- Location: riding a wagon wheel west
There Loads of info on this site if you search you will find start to finish builds - don't discount other engines as you can just pick and choose the good parts from others peoples projects
When I looked into my ongoing project I used to google image m20 turbo ect to find interesting blogs- e30tech and bimmerforum also have good info the tech one has a run through guide.
Its worth getting a good tuning book and reading through it'll explain how to size everything up and give you a better understanding off what's involved I got the forced induction tuning one by graham bell
The borgwarner/holset turbos seem popular for bigger power engines. If you specifically want torque you'll go smaller to stop the lag. It's possible to calculate your desired turbo after you know your engine spec and ensure it won't surge. All info in the book am sure it's online as well
I'd say you Definetly need a standalone - you can run a map sensor which is great for boost as well as control boost pressure an a host of other sensors to help tune
As for other upgrades/parts. clutch, injectors, fuel pump,, brakes, medium diff or torsen, intercooler, larger rad if it's pre facelift, turbo oil feed, external wastegate, improved ignition, steering rack faster, Camber tabs , charge pipes, new exhaust system the bigger the better, turbo manifold. And a descent engine an she'll to stick it too
When I looked into my ongoing project I used to google image m20 turbo ect to find interesting blogs- e30tech and bimmerforum also have good info the tech one has a run through guide.
Its worth getting a good tuning book and reading through it'll explain how to size everything up and give you a better understanding off what's involved I got the forced induction tuning one by graham bell
The borgwarner/holset turbos seem popular for bigger power engines. If you specifically want torque you'll go smaller to stop the lag. It's possible to calculate your desired turbo after you know your engine spec and ensure it won't surge. All info in the book am sure it's online as well
I'd say you Definetly need a standalone - you can run a map sensor which is great for boost as well as control boost pressure an a host of other sensors to help tune
As for other upgrades/parts. clutch, injectors, fuel pump,, brakes, medium diff or torsen, intercooler, larger rad if it's pre facelift, turbo oil feed, external wastegate, improved ignition, steering rack faster, Camber tabs , charge pipes, new exhaust system the bigger the better, turbo manifold. And a descent engine an she'll to stick it too
-
ross_jsy
- Married to the E30 Zone

- Posts: 7307
- Joined: Sun Jul 12, 2009 11:00 pm
- Location: Jersey, C.I.
And to answer a few questions, e30tech and bimmerforums have some great boosted sub forums. e30tech has a complete and useful guide here:
http://www.e30tech.com/forum/showthread.php?t=74816
Parts list depends on your power goals. At 400 I would recommend forged low comp pistons, forged rods, a complete rebuild goes without saying, a decent clutch, i/c etc etc, the full list is massive, get reading.
You are going to need standalone. VEMS and megasquirt are reasonably priced. You can get cheaper systems if you want to build it yourself and more expensive if you want extra features. The best thing is find out what a decent local mapper knows how to use and go from there. I wouldn't recommend learning to map your own car.
You are going to need larger injectors and a fuel pump as a minimum. Also the ignition will need adapting with coil packs so you can adjust ignition timing. There are several ways to do this.
http://www.e30tech.com/forum/showthread.php?t=74816
Parts list depends on your power goals. At 400 I would recommend forged low comp pistons, forged rods, a complete rebuild goes without saying, a decent clutch, i/c etc etc, the full list is massive, get reading.
You are going to need standalone. VEMS and megasquirt are reasonably priced. You can get cheaper systems if you want to build it yourself and more expensive if you want extra features. The best thing is find out what a decent local mapper knows how to use and go from there. I wouldn't recommend learning to map your own car.
You are going to need larger injectors and a fuel pump as a minimum. Also the ignition will need adapting with coil packs so you can adjust ignition timing. There are several ways to do this.
- Blackacerim
- E30 Zone Newbie

- Posts: 25
- Joined: Sat Sep 07, 2013 11:00 pm
Ok. Thanks guys for the feed back. Looks like I got a lot of research to do.
- motormanmick
- E30 Zone Regular

- Posts: 259
- Joined: Sun Nov 02, 2014 11:00 pm
- Location: Coffs Hbr, Aust
A must read when you are turbo/supercharging, a little old but nothing has really changed, we just have more modern electronics, explains everything, cheers.
http://www.fusca.net/wp-content/uploads ... _boost.pdf
http://www.fusca.net/wp-content/uploads ... _boost.pdf
