2 Blown engines in my 320 race car

Post Mon Jul 04, 2005 1:42 pm

I race in the Milltek BMW Series, it's a 1988 320i and I have been doing okay, running 3rd in the championship before the last weekend but...having blown at Croix testing on Friday (lap 2) my second engine this season I am looking for ideas for a replacement as this mean't I had two DNS this weekend, someone worked out it ended up costing Ãƒ”šÃ‚£7 a second excluding the cost of the replacement engine! I reckon the following:

1. Brand new 320 motor from BMW AG (2 weeks delivery, Ãƒ”šÃ‚£2k plus VAT less any discount I can wangle) and add a baffle plate
2. Re-build the existing 120,000 mile engine and baffle it better
3. Buy a re-con engine from GSF etc and get the bottom-end re-built (the weak link?) by a pro company
4. Buy a new short engine from BMW and add a re-built head
5. Buy a spare 320 car whole and a transplant the engine
6. Drop a 2.7 Alpina engine in a rev limit myself to 5.5k to save the engine

Ideas anyone? I am planning to go racing this car for at least another 2 years so don't mind paying more now to ensure improved reliability as I am pretty sure my lack of power at Silverstone and maybe Rockingham can be put down to the engine being on it's way out....which cost me places at both those events and a DNS for two races this weekend

Thanks for any ideas you might have

Post Mon Jul 04, 2005 6:19 pm

Are they brand new from Bmw then, i thought they would have still been recon. Perhaps not, i know all vaux engines are reconned and are on an exchange basis which may be a problem for you if its the same as bmw as you might not have the original sump??

Are there not engine size regulations in the competitions you enter as i would have thought putting a 2.7 alpina/hartge engine would have put you in a more competitive class.

Sorry i haven't been able to offer a sensible solution or one at all. But it might act as a BUMP.

By the way do you know why the engines have blown, you sort of indicated oil starvation as someone might be able to offer a good solution if they know what went wrong perhaps saving you Ãƒ”šÃ‚£Ãƒ”šÃ‚£Ãƒ”šÃ‚£Ãƒ”šÃ‚£'s now and later.

Cheers
Jon

Post Mon Jul 04, 2005 7:48 pm

Your allowed a 2.7?

Thats probably the best solution to be honest.

Get one built from a good company and add a good cam, dont go over 6000rpm.

Will cost around the same as to rebuild/buy new a 320i engine.

Its only the stroke thats different so your just using different crank etc etc....