M5 transplant

Need technical Q/A then you're in the right place

Moderator: martauto

User avatar
midnight
E30 Zone Regular
E30 Zone Regular
Posts: 328
Joined: Tue Aug 15, 2006 11:00 pm
Location: NW London

Post Tue Aug 29, 2006 3:59 pm

how much of a Bas***d would it be to fit an m5 engine into an 320iSe (e30), and what kind of money would i be looking at for all the bits, and could i use the 3 series running gear or would you have to mess around trying to fit the m5 running gear
Image
User avatar
Kos
E30 Zone Team Member
E30 Zone Team Member
Posts: 15448
Joined: Tue Jul 12, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: London / Cyprus

Post Tue Aug 29, 2006 4:31 pm

which M5 engine ??

3.5 286bhp

3.6 315bhp

3.8 340bhp

5.0 V8 400bhp

5.0 v10 507bhp

the first 4 have been done

the 3.5/3.6 and 3.8 are pretty much the same to do, karan a guy on this forum is just finishing his

and the V8 has been done buy a guy called glen
Last edited by Kos on Tue Aug 29, 2006 11:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Geeman
Married to the E30 Zone
Married to the E30 Zone
Posts: 7641
Joined: Sun Jan 09, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: Grimsby, Lincolnshire

Post Tue Aug 29, 2006 4:37 pm

typo dude... 3.6 = 315bhp :wink:

All awesome engine transplants though... 8)
E30BeemerLad
Married to the E30 Zone
Married to the E30 Zone
Posts: 16806
Joined: Mon Mar 28, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: Norfolk

Post Tue Aug 29, 2006 4:42 pm

i think it has to be assumed it would be one of the 6 pots and prob not the original 286bhp lump.

But reality check is that you are gonna be into between £5K-£10K before you are finished
M5pilot
E30 Zone Addict
E30 Zone Addict
Posts: 4968
Joined: Sun Jan 30, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: Luton

Post Tue Aug 29, 2006 5:40 pm

Good luck doing it and keeping it cool.

I looked into it myself as I have a spare M5 I could have used the engine out of. Was quickly put off by people who have experience in dealing with these cars. I had a good long chat with Demlotcrew about it and was told about all of the problems.

Put a 4.4 V8 in it instead.

Sal
Andy335Touring
Married to the E30 Zone
Married to the E30 Zone
Posts: 7144
Joined: Sun Jan 09, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: Long Eaton,Nottingham

Post Tue Aug 29, 2006 9:47 pm

Whats the problem with keeping them cool ?
User avatar
Kos
E30 Zone Team Member
E30 Zone Team Member
Posts: 15448
Joined: Tue Jul 12, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: London / Cyprus

Post Tue Aug 29, 2006 11:35 pm

Geeman wrote:typo dude... 3.6 = 315bhp :wink:

All awesome engine transplants though... 8)
cheers mate !!

its been corrected!
Fushion_Julz
E30 Zone Camper
E30 Zone Camper
Posts: 1295
Joined: Tue Jun 07, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: Blackwater

Post Tue Aug 29, 2006 11:56 pm

But reality check is that you are gonna be into between £5K-£10K before you are finished
at that sorta price, I'd be tempted to leave it in the M5 and use that!

E34 M5 is a proper fast car and can be found for £5k without too much hassle (3.6 versions)
1987 Henna Rot M3 (was 195bhp CAT..now more and no cat)
2001 E46 330i SE Touring (manual)
M5pilot
E30 Zone Addict
E30 Zone Addict
Posts: 4968
Joined: Sun Jan 30, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: Luton

Post Wed Aug 30, 2006 9:01 am

E34 M5 is also much better Balanced than an E30 with an M5 lump in it.

Sal
Demlotcrew
E30 Zone Team Member
E30 Zone Team Member
Posts: 13329
Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2004 11:00 pm
Location: East Anglia

Post Wed Aug 30, 2006 11:41 am

Andy335Touring wrote:Whats the problem with keeping them cool ?
You cant fit a good sized radiator and the engine bay cant flow enough air. The whole car starts getting really hot (three quarters with fans on inside and the leccy one on full chat on the rad)

Theres just not enough space.

Andrew
Geeman
Married to the E30 Zone
Married to the E30 Zone
Posts: 7641
Joined: Sun Jan 09, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: Grimsby, Lincolnshire

Post Wed Aug 30, 2006 11:43 am

... but there's enough room for a V8 / V12 in there... surely THAT will have even worse problems, right?
Demlotcrew
E30 Zone Team Member
E30 Zone Team Member
Posts: 13329
Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2004 11:00 pm
Location: East Anglia

Post Wed Aug 30, 2006 11:51 am

Very different engines, but yes they also suffer from heat problems.
But the V8 leaves space for a good sized rad.
And the V12 is a narrow bank block which leaves space
round the engine for air to pass. Im sure Dibs will tell you
how much there is to sort out with the V12 install to make it road worthy.

Andrew