The most Powerful 2.5

[6potWil6pot]

Just musing about it and im just wondering, if you were gonna go the whole hog of engine conversions and stuff then it probably means your on a quest for POWER and nothing but the best will do. Not sure what that says for 4 cyl engine swaps tho!

[Moofles]

The M52 even with Ԛ£1500 thrown at it would be lukcy to make 230bhp.

i know this is your opinion sal, and this kind of statement is true on most n/a engines, but the m52 is different and that kind of money will get you about 250hp. doesn't happen much over here, or i don't hear of it, but m52 tuning is quite commonplace in the states (not as an engine conversion or anything, but if you already have that engine).

[Karan]

The M52 even with Ԛ£1500 thrown at it would be lukcy to make 230bhp.

i know this is your opinion sal, and this kind of statement is true on most n/a engines, but the m52 is different and that kind of money will get you about 250hp. doesn't happen much over here, or i don't hear of it, but m52 tuning is quite commonplace in the states (not as an engine conversion or anything, but if you already have that engine).

pls explain how Ԛ£1500 will get u that as this is something id consider nxt yr maybe on another car.... sounds good if possible... do u have info adam?

[astondg]

Only problem with V6 engines is that they can't be perfectly balanced, unlike inline 6 engines which can.

There might not be much in it, but having a perfectly balanced engine leaves more potential for power than having an unbalanced engine.

Yeah but with the 190 to 200kW (255 to 270hp) that I know this engine can get quite easily it's getting more than people seem to get from the M52's. I think that would probably be enough for an E30 anyway, at least for what I want. The engine must be fairly balanced to rev to 8500rpm from the factory and I can always get the internals professionally balanced.

Aston

[Moofles]

The M52 even with Ԛ£1500 thrown at it would be lukcy to make 230bhp.

i know this is your opinion sal, and this kind of statement is true on most n/a engines, but the m52 is different and that kind of money will get you about 250hp. doesn't happen much over here, or i don't hear of it, but m52 tuning is quite commonplace in the states (not as an engine conversion or anything, but if you already have that engine).

pls explain how Ԛ£1500 will get u that as this is something id consider nxt yr maybe on another car.... sounds good if possible... do u have info adam?

sure mate - first off you know the reason this is possible on the m52 is due to its restrictions, it is a 2.8 after all...

in the states, there is a kit you can get that will give you approx 250-260hp, and it costs about Ԛ£1000 i believe - made by someone well known can't remember who right now though!

ok so the kit consists of 4 things:
- cold air intake (i think this probably has the least effect of all the things)
- m50 2.5 manifold (the kit comes with a necessary adaptor, though)
- US spec S52B32 cams (basically a 3.2 m52)
- chip - or "software" as it just gets flashed or something. This is the bit that will probably add the extra Ԛ£500 over here, as the mapping may be different.

anyway, that's your lot! no idea what stuff like bored out throttle bodies will do, i know alpina527 whats his name does them, but it may help.

[M5pilot]

yeah dream on with 250-270 bhp!

People have done this over here and got a max of around 230bhp. Thats after adding US spec M3 Cams, M50 2.5 Inlet manifold, Bored out throttle Body to suit, Cold air feed and a remap. Stil doesnt really turn the M52 into much of a revver.

I dont understand people who tune M52's e36's either, want a more powerful car? BMW already make one.....go buy that! Youll save money!

That lot is going to cost a fair bit of cash over here with the labour for installation of the cams + labour for remapping. That alone is a realistic Ԛ£1000.

Why Bother?? Just stick in a 300BHP engine in the first place for a higher initial investment. Then you can tune the M3 engine a bit

Anyway, everyone to their own. If someone wants to waste their money then thats entirely upto them.

[hoshy]

Why Bother?? Just stick in a 300BHP engine in the first place for a higher initial investment. Then you can tune the M3 engine a bit

Anyway, everyone to their own. If someone wants to waste their money then thats entirely upto them.

fair points but some people just tune for the fun of tuning. I guess it's the people who just throw money thoughtlessly at it that you're talking about though.

[Turbo-Brown]

Only problem with V6 engines is that they can't be perfectly balanced, unlike inline 6 engines which can.

There might not be much in it, but having a perfectly balanced engine leaves more potential for power than having an unbalanced engine.

Yeah but with the 190 to 200kW (255 to 270hp) that I know this engine can get quite easily it's getting more than people seem to get from the M52's. I think that would probably be enough for an E30 anyway, at least for what I want. The engine must be fairly balanced to rev to 8500rpm from the factory and I can always get the internals professionally balanced.

Aston

It's not so much a case of getting them professionally balanced as changing the laws of physics to enable a configuration other than inline six, 60degree V12 or 90degree V8 with Xplane crank to be perfectly balanceable.

It's a minor point I know but I'm just picking holes

[astondg]

It's not so much a case of getting them professionally balanced as changing the laws of physics to enable a configuration other than inline six, 60degree V12 or 90degree V8 with Xplane crank to be perfectly balanceable.

It's a minor point I know but I'm just picking holes

but it is a perfectly valid point if ultimate smoothness is what you are looking for. I'm not trying to make anyone like what I want, and I'd happily have an M3 with it's 3.2 inline 6. Very nice engine.

The V6 engine I am thinking of might not be ultimately as smooth as an inline 6 but it is known for it's smoothness and with an 8500rpm redline and the tunability it already has I wouldn't want anymore anyway.

But go ahead and pick all the holes you like . Where's the poke out tounge emoticon?

Aston

[Moofles]

yeah dream on with 250-270 bhp!

well i wouldn't say as high as 270hp, not heard anyone get that yet. i did say this is your opinion and 250-260hp is mine, i did look in to it a LOT because i owned that engine (oh, btw, im talking about the single vanos m52 not double vanos - which is harder to tune). There are plenty of people who have done this group of mods on bimmerforums and some of them have got rolling road print outs.

i'm certainly not going to say your opinion is wrong, because a) it's opinion and b) a few months ago it was the other way round!

[6potWil6pot]

The whole debates a difficult one, you could probably go faster for cheaper by grabbing a Jap turbo and chipping it!

[Moofles]

i agree with mr soon-to-be-4-pot

this thread seems to have gone from making a powerful 2.5 to just getting a bigger engine to just getting a more tuneable car! in the same way it's better to just go get an m3 evo engine or above, if you are gonna do an engine swap, its EVEN easier just to ditch the car and go get a turbo'd car...

[6potWil6pot]

Well ive got nothing more to add to this thread except...



vrrroooooOOOMMM! PTTSCHHHHH!!!!!

Btw m00fles, get back to work you @$$hat, it maybe Saturday but no excuse to browse the zone!

[Moofles]

i have nothing else to do....


maybe that's why everything's breaking around me!

[6potWil6pot]

Must admit this threads got me tempted, altho im probably downsizing to something more managable (in every respect), the lure of Jap turbos is strong, altho id prolly go the S14 route and not like Turbo Russ and his MR2 *hiiiissss!*

[Moofles]

for me, gt-r or rx-7 if i didn't have (comfortably, so if it breaks it's no prob) enough money....