is a m50 swap worth it?

[BDSax]

my 89 3251 motor just runs like shit, and i was at the junk yard today and they have a 93 325is, said i can get the motor for $200. only thing is it has no tranny. i can always get one later, but i wanna know if its worth it? im doing some research now.

[matt]

I am so sick of seeing this question asked.

Mine certainly isn't. Who the hell spends $4k to swap in an M50? ME!

[mentaleeill]

for 200, its definately worth it for maintenance purposes alone.just make sure to change all the wearable items while its out and source all swap related parts. i did my complete swap for under 1k and dont regret a bit of it. runs quieter, pulls harder and no more damn timing belt to change. power gain isnt oh my god, but its definately an improvement over a bolt on modded m20. i plan to supercharge mine shortly.

why not use your e30 trans?, i did.

[cahomey]

4k is easily justifiable if you do a quality swap.
budget swaps will just cause headaches later down the road.

I spent like $700 on just refreshing my motor. Gaskets, sensors, WP, etc

The more you spend the less shit you have to deal with later.


Don't forget you get what you pay for. I would question the integrity of a motor selling for $200

[matt]

Well, I'm thinking I may turbo this motor later, so I want to do it all right the first time. M3 clutch, aluminum flywheel, S50 cams, brand new everything.

[mentaleeill]

4k on a m50?! why not get a s50. i paid 300 for my m50 with all accessories, dme and harness. sourced oil pan with sump for 180, booster for 50. new motor and trans mounts, belt, hoses, oil pan and valvecover gasket, plugs and oil filter, air filter, and all fluids and im around 1k. i did all work myself and the engine had 90k on it, i know it was actual mileage as i got it from a friend of the families. best thing to do is search all over for the parts you need, my friend paid 300 for the oil pan alone. car-parts.com is great place to lo look for used parts and i use discountimportcarparts.com for other stuff. they ship quickly and you have options with brands, i got all oem bmw parts from them.

[matt]

I am doing a lot more than just the regular stuff. Plus I bought pretty much everything new, OE, from a dealership. Plus a ton of mods and aftermarket stuff.

[cahomey]

DAMN metaleeill, you got a smoking deal on your motor.

[Erick]

So that black e36 was in fact a 325iS? You should get the steering rack too :)

[Brew]

Not worth it unless you're replacing a blown M20.

Save up for the S50, its worth the extra dough.

[2002maniac]

The only reason I would swap a M50 into my car would be in hopes of swapping in a Z3 2.8 w/cams later. I dont think I would pay more than $500 for an M50 though.

[matt]

The only reason I would swap a M50 into my car would be in hopes of swapping in a Z3 2.8 w/cams later. I dont think I would pay more than $500 for an M50 though.

That's about right. I paid $500 with everything. ECU, wiring, accessories, even the steering rack.

It only goes up from there...

[BDSax]

So that black e36 was in fact a 325iS? You should get the steering rack too :)

yeah, its a 1993 325is.

it is a U PUUL IT. so no matter what car, its a set price on the parts. the car was smashed in the front but the motor looked good from what i looked at.

im just wondering is it would be worth it to pull.

what would i need? all the wiring? Computer?

[cahomey]

motor, harness, dme

[KangamangusDriver]

I had a tired M42 in my car. Wanted more power!
So I bought an M50 from an autotragic 525i. Car was at a friends junkyard an appeared to be well maintained. Bought it for $700.00 with all accesories
I probably spent $2200 or less on my swap parts, maintenance, etc.
Labor was free, did it all myself.

Worth it, Hell yeah!!

More power and the gratification of doing the swap myself.
I would love to have put a s50 in but didnt have the cash at the time.
Just graduated college.
It all depends who you ask.