Should I swap my S14 for an S50b32

[etxxz]

I will take your word and experience. Maybe there's an e30m3 owner out there nice enough to let me drive it on the track specially if he asks if he can drive mine... my car is basically an e36m3 dressed up as an e30 and its balanced 49/51 and 2660lbs with driver so idk what i would be looking for.

purists will hate me

[M-technik-3]

Should have said something to Brendon or known wrencher.

We need a tool loaner section with rules for each region. Miss BFc DC local as guys were always willing to help out each other.

[M-technik-3]

I will take your word and experience. Maybe there's an e30m3 owner out there nice enough to let me drive it on the track specially if he asks if he can drive mine... my car is basically an e36m3 dressed up as an e30 and its balanced 49/51 and 2660lbs with driver so idk what i would be looking for.

purists will hate me

I have a swapped car as well. It's been done since 02 as fun as it is, I can tell the differance in the weight between the M3 and it. An my swap car is on J stock complete all the way around so it amplifies mistakes.

The good if you choose to go m/S5X it's reversible.

[FredK]

Yeah, I might have done that for a more expensive tool, like a B90 bearing puller. And yes, you can tell a difference in turn-in right away between the two engines.

[Jason89i]

I will take your word and experience. Maybe there's an e30m3 owner out there nice enough to let me drive it on the track specially if he asks if he can drive mine... my car is basically an e36m3 dressed up as an e30 and its balanced 49/51 and 2660lbs with driver so idk what i would be looking for.

purists will hate me

If i still had my s14m3, you would have been welcome to a couple laps!

2660# 51/49 is awesome. Rarely do you see something that close to an s14m3.

I never got around to verifying f/r%, but the zinno 2.5l was +/-2650 (full tank, no driver, spg seats, cf airbox.) here are some others ..... http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/show...ghlight=weight

Here's my buddies converted car (2550# w/ schricks) chasing me (2650# s14m3) around a short track. Similar car prep. You can see where he gains, you can see where i gain. Now, before you start critiquing my driving... yes, there is some room for improvement.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryrHoiynboU

Of course, at this point, you probabily think i am a purist. well, im not. actually far from it.

I used to be in your shoes.... "ok, whats 60lbs" ..... until i actually got a ride in 1990m3's car. I was shocked how well it stuck. That car hooked where my car would have been in the weeds. I had to own one. There really is a difference. But, alas..... I just could not get over the buzzy torqueless lump. I want to have my cake and eat it too. so, here's the next one......

but its all about personal preference. If you want a garage queen, daily driver or track car. each one looks different. For junkyard_sal, he wants a daily driver w/ the occasional track day. Cant really think of a better daily driver than a s50b32 in an e30. im not really fond of the s14 as a daily driver. Ive shared a few pms with him. Ultimately, its up to what he wants.

cheers, jason

[Schneller 3er]

OT: Jason, "rose" looks great in Sterling. I can't wait to see it done completely. I will be calling you soon, to get the wire harness sorted out on my car ;)

[Jason89i]

OT: Jason, "rose" looks great in Sterling. I can't wait to see it done completely. I will be calling you soon, to get the wire harness sorted out on my car ;)

let me know when your ready.
"rose" comes out of the body shop this week. like a kid at christmas.

[junkyard_sal]

Here is the update.

You guys ready for this the PO called me yesterday asking for his plate back after selling me a car with a blown motor! You can't make this shit up. I am going to give it to a Baltimore gang banger.

Now on the motor. I have a few leads on donor S14s. Fred did you ever get leakdown numbers?

I am sticking with the S14 or I would sell the whole car as is for 10K

[DaveSmed]

An S50B32 swap at this point in time doesn't make the most sense. If I were to do it at this point in time, I would do an S54. Either way you look at it, you are looking at a minimum of $10k.

Very, very true.

FWIW the local race shop is pushing the S54 over the S50 due to an easier swap.

They are almost certainly on crack, or are mixed up.

FYI I was thinking I needed to rebuild my S50 B32 and new rings were about $700, new CP pistonts were about $1k). Sounds like you will need a head job with valves as well.

S54 isn't easier or less expensive than an S50 B32, just parts are easier to get (marginally). You need to get an aftermarket ECU or get the kit the Bimmerworld sells to use the stock ECU (cost for that is about $3500 obviously that doesn't include the motor).

Don't forget exhaust valves for a S50B32, @ $200 PER VALVE. it and the S14 are BOTH expensive if internals are needed. That said, the newest S14s aren't all that new anymore....

The ECU for the S54 is where the cost/complexity factor comes in to play in a major way. The S50 is not OBDII compliant, so it lacks many of the emissions monitoring ancillaries that make OBDII conversions such a pain in the ass. Problem is, the dual vanos takes most of the typical workarounds to this problem off the table. Standalone engine management that can run both cams is very expensive, and the OBDI DME simply won't work. That said, things seem to be changing on the standalone front, and that option may suddenly become affordable very soon.

Expanding on that, The S50 is difficult to get as it wasn't sold here, and it is a discontinued engine. Supply of low mileage examples is decreasing, and prices for them are increasing. The S54 was, and they made a whole bunch of them and made them until recently with the demise of the Z4M. Lots of good canidates, and easy to find. Couple that with the possibility of affordable standalone, and the one major obstacle is gone....

If you want a garage queen, daily driver or track car. each one looks different. For junkyard_sal, he wants a daily driver w/ the occasional track day. Cant really think of a better daily driver than a s50b32 in an e30. im not really fond of the s14 as a daily driver. Ive shared a few pms with him. Ultimately, its up to what he wants.

+1, it's everything you would ever possibly want in a daily. Very civilized performance.

[nrubenstein]

One option is the M54B30. It's the same weight as the S14, so you'll get close to the original weight distribution.

But I'd keep the S14.

[7pilot]

If you have a rust free chassis, keep it stock.

I do my own work, so I have the best of both worlds.
Because My M3 is pretty rusty, I have no qualms about swapping out the fresh rebuilt s14 and tossing in an s52US.
From personal experience I can say that if you keep your s14 parts and keep them organised, you can reconvert back to s14 power in less than 18 hours.
I'm using the S52 for two track seasons, then reconverting back to s14 after picking up another vanilla E30.

If my chassis had been rust free, I'd have left it stock and would have retired it from track despite loving that S14 at 7500 rpm in third on the straights of BFR and Gingerman.

A nice rust free s14 example are getting too rare and valuable to use at the track, no matter the delicacy of the dynamics and handling.



m

[M-technik-3]

Seven month old thread guys.....I think Sal has made up his mind about what he plans to do at this point.

[hoveringuy]

One option is the M54B30. It's the same weight as the S14, so you'll get close to the original weight distribution.

Hallelujah!

(although the M54 isn't as good as a track motor)

[7pilot]

Hallelujah!

(although the M54 isn't as good as a track motor)

How many miles so far?
Problems with heat/cooling?
why is it an inferior track engine? Please Explain:D

m

[hoveringuy]

How many miles so far?
Problems with heat/cooling?

I have over 13 months of daily driving and 10,000+ miles. NO issues whatsoever in cold weather, hot weather, summer stop and go, etc.

why is it an inferior track engine? Please Explain:D

m

I don't track the car and I haven't driven an S14, so the opinion is just that. I suppose with ZHP cams it would be fine on the track. Shrick even better.

I'm doing 210 rwhp with stock cams and full M3 OBD2 exhaust. I think 240 with ZHP cams, headers and exhaust is attainable and it would still weigh less than iron DOHC.

I would actually love to see a track M54 and I'd still like to do a car swap with someone driving an S50/S52 to get a good apples-to-apples comparison.

Anyone?

Edit: I did correct the power dip by changing the DISA switchover point.