I have a question on how much hp I can make if I build a reasonable s52 motor. I have an s52 swap e30 and I am looking for a little more power. My motor was very used at the time of the swap and I did not have the budget to build it. I am looking at any budget friendly possibilities. I would even consider a frankenstien motor or forced induction or an s50. I am only really thinking I should stay with my motor because I could cut the cost of a new ecu and harness. There is a lot of information on hp numbers from different routes but a lot of it is conflicting and most of the info does not have a comprehensive build. Let me know what route you took. I would like the car to be a track only car with 350+ hp. I am okay with anything from a simple build of cams and full bolt ons all the way to a built motor with a turbo. Anything goes. Budget does matter but not at the expense of reliability.
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Your best bang for buck will be forced induction. Building a naturally aspirated 350+ whp engine is going to be expensive.
I've got a turbocharged M52B28 in my E30.
Even turned down at what I would estimate is 300WHP it is a riot to drive, and I'm looking at suspension/bushing tweaks to get the power down without wheel hop.
As the chassis is so light, you don't need a ton of power to go quickly. If you are thinking about a track-orientated build, I would focus on how the power is delivered rather then peak numbers.
I have a friend with a supercharged S52 E36 and it feels very torquey throughout the rev range. However turbocharger tech has come a long way in the 10 years since he built that car. You can now build a very responsive turbocharged setup with very usable power on-track.
Regardless of power-adder choice, you should strongly consider a standalone ECU. The prices these days are 1/10th of what they were 20 years ago.
'87 BMW E30 325is Turbo
'99 BMW E36 M3 - - - '98 BMW E36 328i -
This is exactly what I was thinking. I have seen a lot of praise for the new garret turbos and other oems doing turbo setups that have good power down low. I guess I was kinda wondering if I could get away with just cams but I dont think I will be satisfied. And I see a lot of “race motors that are expensive to build and maintain.
Also I should have mentioned but my car is a 318is with a 5lug swap and ground control coilovers. I do not want a crazy powerful car without supporting mods that will either break stuff or kill me.
I’d imagine I can get away with gaskets and studs on my motor and a turbo setup for under 5k.
My setup right now is obd1 manifold, injectors, and tune. I’m not looking for crazy power just a little more. I will look more into standalone ecus.
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Exactly. I have 270+/- whp and I feel with even 50 more I wouldn't be that much quicker. Aero kills me on the long straight, but most of my time is gained with the highest average speed around the back of the track, which is mostly corners and the short transitions between corners (and braking...)
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Oh I haven't thought much about this yet. Good suggestion. If I am already have a swap car wouldnt it be easy to do for cheaper than that. I’m not well versed on the s54. Would I need the updated trans and diff or would I be good for just the engine and ecu?Comment
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I would add a centrifugal S/C, as it’s less likely to over power the chassis89 E30 325is Lachs Silber - currently M20B31, M20B33 in the works, stroked to the hilt...
new build thread http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=317505
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