Is M50 worth the hassle??

[CrazyB]

I am building a weekend track toy, and I was curious if it is worth going from m20 to m50, as the power rating difference from the 2 is not huge. Does the m50 take better to upgrades? Can I build a na powerful m50 for cheaper then the M20.
As I do not have the money for the s50 but figured having a newer engine on the track would be nice, but curious if performance wise I will see a decent difference?

[etxxz]

there is a reasonable improvement considering how cheap you can get the engine and the potential it has over an m20... but imo s50 or s52 (even an m30) is where the swap is worth the effort.. you mention track. save your money for track time or invest elsewhere ie. suspension, seats, harness and maintenance. i'm glad i waited to buy the right gun.. once!

[Charlie]

M50 what? Vanos or non?

Non-vanos motor, I wouldn't bother unless the M20 is dead. A vanos motor however makes for a nice upgrade. There's a lot more mid & low end power, and the motor is practically maintenence free. A chip alone nets you over 200 hp, and S50 cams are a pretty simple upgrade.

-Charlie

[M-technik-3]

Agree with Charlie. Can be done on a budget but don't skimp on important parts.

[CrazyB]

Not planning on skimping on parts that is why I don't think i can afford the S50.
Only thing I am not sure of is is the transmissions. I don't think i want to keep my stock one as the whole idea of rotating it and bolts mismatching really does not sit right with me.
But I was wondering if the m3 zf transmission will bolt up to a m50 and could I still use my original drive shaft?

[namsayin]

Not planning on skimping on parts that is why I don't think i can afford the S50.
Only thing I am not sure of is is the transmissions. I don't think i want to keep my stock one as the whole idea of rotating it and bolts mismatching really does not sit right with me.
But I was wondering if the m3 zf transmission will bolt up to a m50 and could I still use my original drive shaft?

the zf will bolt up to the m50 but you will need a m3 driveshaft.

[balooshinakus]

An s50 is about 1500 more, anything an s50 will need an m50 will need. A lot of the cost is in random stuff not the motor. I vote to save up a bit more.

[bad_azz_bmr]

the zf will bolt up to the m50 but you will need a m3 driveshaft.

or a 328i auto drive shaft

[jakeb]

I went with the m50 first....coming from a m42. And a year later I now have a s52 in it.....much more fun.

I got a decent price on a e34 m50 so it already had everything I needed. So my idea was to start there and then get a s52 and swap it all over in time. That time was less than a year later.

Save a bit more and get an s50/2 unless you get a great deal on an m50.

Now I have a spare m50 that I would like to find a e34 touring to build up with lots of added pressure......boost

[mazur]

I would say an M50 is a waste a time unless your going turbo. I've been in an M50 with every bolt on plus M3 cams and it still lacks a lot to match the power of an S50/S52. But it's technically all in the stroke of the crank. An M50 with an S52 crank would be awesome, but I don't know how cost effective that would be.

[etxxz]

+1

[shiboujin]

IMO M50s are good if your current motor is dead or lacks 2 cylinders. Course you could be one of the cool kids and boost one. I made ~270whp leaking badly pre turbo on 8 psi. M50B25NV 0.140" MLS gasket

[e30s50dan]

Is M50 worth the hassle??

i ask myself this EVERYDAY !

[mazur]

Is M50 worth the hassle??

i ask myself this EVERYDAY !

Ahh, fun times I presume ;)

[MR E30 325is]

I just picked up a NV M50, and I am stoked.

Sure an S50 would be nice, but M50's are so readily available, it is a logical stepping stone if you dont have deep pockets.

I definitely want to do S50 though, just need to find the right one.