Best Stroker Kit?

[Spiff325iS]

Hi,

Was wondering what your guys's and gals's opinions are on stroker kits. I heard they work really well, ofcourse they do... :)

Anyways, mainly i was wondering what company you would suggest makes the best Stroker kit, and i know most bore to 3.0L reather then 2.7 or 2.9L, i dont really want to do the Eta to i conversion cuz i already have an i engine. I was wondering what the best company you might think is best for M20.

only one i know of is :
Ireland Engineering
Metric MEchanic

[bwanac]

Change the title of thread... then we will answer.

[Jon325i]

In addition to the companies you have mentioned that supply stroker kits, Korman sells stroker engines.....but I don't know if they sell kits. However, their stuff is quite expensive. Another place that comes to mind (as far as complete engines are concerned) is http://www.racetep.com/bmw.html.....I've heard good things about them. Then there's always the build-your-own route. You have several cranks to choose from: Eta, 524TD, M50 and S50. With a 1mm overbore you will get anything from a 2.8L to a 3.0L depending on your choice of crank.

As for opinions on stroker motors: this board will have a varied voice. Some will praise them while others will tell you its a waste of money. Bottom line, ITS YOUR MONEY that's making this happen.....so spend it how you wish. Some of the pros and cons I can think of going with a stroker motor....

Pros: engine appears mainly stock, weight balance remains unaffected, no custom fab work necessary (pretty much a plug-n-play affair)

Cons: inefficient 2-valve head will limit output potential, for the costs involved you could do an M50 if you land some good deals, other areas of the drivetrain may need modification

I'm not sure which option appeals to me more since I have never seriously considered persuing either one. Both offer pluses and minus in my view, so I guess until the day comes where I'm faced to make such a decision, I will remain undecided.

Jon

[Chris E30 Cab]

Re: Best Stroker Kit?

Hi,

Was wondering what your guys's and gals's opinions are on stroker kits. I heard they work really well, ofcourse they do... :)

Anyways, mainly i was wondering what company you would suggest makes the best Stroker kit, and i know most bore to 3.0L reather then 2.7 or 2.9L, i dont really want to do the Eta to i conversion cuz i already have an i engine. I was wondering what the best company you might think is best for M20.

only one i know of is :
Ireland Engineering
Metric MEchanic

If money is not the largest concern then go 3.0L, but whatever you do make sure you get a piggyback unit for proper tuning.

I have the IE kit with a forged Cosworth crank, and would recommend them based on experience, but only if you get JE Pistons and thoroughly inspect them before installation.

Metric Mechanic guys are great, especially Jim....and from my conversations with him I would most likely purchase the parts from them if I were to ever stroke another M20. I don't know if they have a kit listed on their site, but a simple phone call to Jim will be worth your while....just tell him what ya want, and he'll probably make alot of suggestions, then settle on the price ;)

There are other kits available in Europe, MK Motorsports & MST Weismann come to mind, but they are waaaaayyyy overpriced, especially now with the weak USD.

[bmwannabe]

In addition to the companies you have mentioned that supply stroker kits, Korman sells stroker engines.....but I don't know if they sell kits. However, their stuff is quite expensive. Another place that comes to mind (as far as complete engines are concerned) is http://www.racetep.com/bmw.html.....I've heard good things about them. Then there's always the build-your-own route. You have several cranks to choose from: Eta, 524TD, M50 and S50. With a 1mm overbore you will get anything from a 2.8L to a 3.0L depending on your choice of crank.

As for opinions on stroker motors: this board will have a varied voice. Some will praise them while others will tell you its a waste of money. Bottom line, ITS YOUR MONEY that's making this happen.....so spend it how you wish. Some of the pros and cons I can think of going with a stroker motor....

Pros: engine appears mainly stock, weight balance remains unaffected, no custom fab work necessary (pretty much a plug-n-play affair)

Cons: inefficient 2-valve head will limit output potential, for the costs involved you could do an M50 if you land some good deals, other areas of the drivetrain may need modification

I'm not sure which option appeals to me more since I have never seriously considered persuing either one. Both offer pluses and minus in my view, so I guess until the day comes where I'm faced to make such a decision, I will remain undecided.

Jon

Is Korman even open, or are they just some mystical creature with badass shit thats uber- unobtainable..... There are no prices on the site, and i sent away for a catalogue, and it never came.

[Jon325i]

Korman is still around. They ran an ad on pg 44. of the Dec. '04 issue of Roundel.

As for why they don't list prices? How does the saying go..."if you have to ask, you can't afford it" :?

Jon

[bmwannabe]

yeah, i figd that much, i was just interested.

[Spiff325iS]

so then seems like the 3.0L IE kit sounds pretty good? Aslong as i get some good JE Pistons and Cosworth crank. Hopefully that doesnt run me too high. on SEAMbmw.com they recommend air fuel regulator, and air pressure regulator to have it run well, what are your opinions on this?

[mikeedler]

the IE kit uses the US model E36 M3 3.0 ltr crank, with a extra sleeve that fits the front of the crank to fill the gap (the seal is alot smaller on the 3.0ltr motor. you can also use the euro 3.2 crank but you need to clearance the block a little.theres many different ways of doing a stroker. the IE kit is really good, cause here in germany just order the crank from BMW is almost the same price as the whole kit. the only complaint about the kit is the (sleeve) that came with it was garbage, they sent a second, it was also garbage, so the machine shop over here just fabricated thier own. still yet to run the motor, so really cant say what it really feels like.

[Chris E30 Cab]

If you get the forged Cosworth crank that IE sells then you have no worries since it is custom made. BTW, I don't think Dave or Ted had problems with their cast cranks and they both used the IE kit.

And, yes, it is recommended to use larger valves in the rebuild, larger injectors & adj. fuel pressure regulator, among the other things I mentioned before.

I think the 3.0L kit w/ the forged crank will cost ya around US$2500-2700 depending on the extra charges for the forged crank (the kit normally comes with a modified cast crank I assume but never saw one since I got the forged Cosworth crank). All the other bits you'll need will probably cost somewhere in the neighbourhood of US$2000 more at most. It will also really depend on what needs replacing during the rebuild.

DON'T forget about a piggyback unit to tune the engine....after spending so much money on building an engine you need to maximize it's new power ;)

[Jon325i]

If you get the forged Cosworth crank that IE sells then you have no worries since it is custom made. BTW, I don't think Dave or Ted had problems with their cast cranks and they both used the IE kit.

I thought the IE 3.0L kit was based on a slightly modified S50 crank (which is a forged piece)? I know the M50 crank is a cast unit.

So what are the major benefits of the Cosworth crank from IE versus a modified S50 crank? I wasn't aware of the source of the crank that IE used in their stroker kit(s).

Jon

[Tony S]

the s50 is not forged the s52 is

[mikeedler]

the IE crank is BMW factory piece, with that piece of crap spacer/adapter thing up front.

[Chris E30 Cab]

IE offers 2 different cranks for their 3.0L strokers.....

a cast crank

and a forged crank

the cast crank comes with the 3.0L kit

the forged crank does not unless you pay more

[nando]

how much more was the forged crank?

is the 3.0l kit worth it over the 2.9l kit?