US s50/52 vs m30b35

[LowR3V'in]

:-x

[Wh33lhop]

300bhp is a lot on an s52. mike30 had a vac head, cams, 11:1 pistons, etc, etc, all the best, and i think he made like 280whp with some tuning left. find his thread, then ask him how much hit cost, then price an s54. or just stop thinking you need some arbitrary power figure when youve never even driven any swapped e30s.

Word. Even my chipped M50NV feels pretty quick when the car's empty. :p

[rThor432]

For what it's worth, a Euro S50B32 conversion is gonna cost around $7k and an S54 will cost around $9k--- Those are the minimum you'll pay with low to average parts cost doing all of your own mechanical work (assuming most garage mechanics can't tackle MSS54...). I can tell you that my very healthy 70k S52 with all of the bolt-on go-fast parts cost me $5k-ish. My new engine is closing in on the $10k figure--- fast.

This is my opinion based on extensive research of both conversions and the effect it's already had on my wallet..

[rThor432]

Word.

Ha, plus one. Good (great) point about the fact that he hasn't driven a swapped E30 anyway..

[lennon]

For what it's worth, a Euro S50B32 conversion is gonna cost around $7k and an S54 will cost around $9k--- Those are the minimum you'll pay with low to average parts cost doing all of your own mechanical work (assuming most garage mechanics can't tackle MSS54...). I can tell you that my very healthy 70k S52 with all of the bolt-on go-fast parts cost me $5k-ish. My new engine is closing in on the $10k figure--- fast.

This is my opinion based on extensive research of both conversions and the effect it's already had on my wallet..

yea i was referring to the prices being closer with a real extreme s52. one that was close to a stock euro or s54 motor in output.


OP, heres metric mechanic's m50-based list. maybe not the authority on 24v motors, but just an example for you. those prices on the right column are core deposits. if youre skilled you could build one cheaper but you see why it becomes impractical unless its a race car that needs to keep the same engine.


3200 HiFlo ST Sport OBD I or II 275 HP $8,995 $2000 - $3500
3000 HiFlo ST Rally OBD I or II 265-285 HP $8,995 $2000 - $3500
3100 HiFlo ST Rally OBD I 270-290 HP $9,495 $2000
3200 HiFlo ST Rally OBD I or II 280-305 HP $10,495 $2000 - $3500
3300 HiFlo ST Rally OBD I or II 295-315 HP $11,995 $2000 - $3500
3400 HiFlo ST Rally OBD I or II 305-325 HP $13,995 $2000 - $3500

[iXguido]

Ha, plus one. Good (great) point about the fact that he hasn't driven a swapped E30 anyway..

This is true. But seeing as I don't want to swap my motor twice when I decide it's time for more power, and I prefer n/a over FI, I want to do it right the first time. Appreciate you pointing out that fact though.

For what it's worth, a Euro S50B32 conversion is gonna cost around $7k and an S54 will cost around $9k--- Those are the minimum you'll pay with low to average parts cost doing all of your own mechanical work (assuming most garage mechanics can't tackle MSS54...). I can tell you that my very healthy 70k S52 with all of the bolt-on go-fast parts cost me $5k-ish. My new engine is closing in on the $10k figure--- fast.

This is my opinion based on extensive research of both conversions and the effect it's already had on my wallet..

I think I have settled on the euro s52, so now I gotta start saving my pennies for that. Thanks for helping me make up my mind! Hopefully I'll be starting an ix euro s50b32 build thread within the next 6-8 months!

There is no Euro S52. It's euro S50B30 (286hp) and S50B32 (321hp). Mind you, IIRC the latter was factory underrated, but they're still a very stout motor.

I stand corrected. So euro motor is s50 and NA is s52?

[xwill112x]

jesus christ. there is no uero s52. they only had s50's. a s52b32 and a s50b32 are COMPLETLY different.

[iXguido]

jesus christ. there is no uero s52. they only had s50's. a s52b32 and a s50b32 are COMPLETLY different.

In my last post I said euro is s50b32 and NA (North America) is s52b32. Sorry I should have said North America instead of NA. My bad!

p.s. please don't use the name of Jesus like that

[onaquest]

I stand corrected. So euro motor is s50 and NA is s52?

haha yep, to summarize (the years might be off on the char below, but u get the point)

e36 M3  
                      1994-1997          1997-1999      
North America         s50b32             s52b32
Europe                s50b32             s50b32

in other words, Europe never had an s52 motor. North America had s50 and then s52 motors.

[Wh33lhop]

haha yep, to summarize (the years might be off on the char below, but u get the point)

e36 M3  
                      1994-1997          1997-1999      
North America         s50b32             s52b32
Europe                s50b32             s50b32

in other words, Europe never had an s52 motor. North America had s50 and then s52 motors.

That chart is wrong. Should be:

e36 M3  
                      1994-1997          1997-1999      
North America         s50b30US           s52b32
Europe                s50b30             s50b32

I'm glad I did an NV swap before I did anything else. It feels sort of like riding a motorcycle: you want to learn on a shitty bike, so you can't get into too much trouble, and if you screw up it's no huge sweat off your back--then when you know the ropes you can get something nice. I swapped an E34 M50NV with everything attached, now I know the ins and outs of the car and the procedure, more or less, I know what it's like to swap in another engine and fire it up, and when I want to put something nicer in the bay (which I will at some point) I'll know what I'm doing.

Then again, that's just my take.

[flawdaboi407]

I raced a local e30 s50b30, zf trans, 2.93 diff vs my m30b35, getrag 240, 2.93 diff and won by half a car. He was pissed more cuz I had drum brakes lol. he was like all i saw was your drum brake and I was like WTF

[iXguido]

That chart is wrong. Should be:

e36 M3  
                      1994-1997          1997-1999      
North America         s50b30US           s52b32
Europe                s50b30             s50b32

I'm glad I did an NV swap before I did anything else. It feels sort of like riding a motorcycle: you want to learn on a shitty bike, so you can't get into too much trouble, and if you screw up it's no huge sweat off your back--then when you know the ropes you can get something nice. I swapped an E34 M50NV with everything attached, now I know the ins and outs of the car and the procedure, more or less, I know what it's like to swap in another engine and fire it up, and when I want to put something nicer in the bay (which I will at some point) I'll know what I'm doing.

Then again, that's just my take.

Yeah that makes sense. I'm thinking of just getting a NVm50 like you did just to get everything figured out in my ix so it's a direct bolt up later for my s50 swap. If I'm gonna spend that much money on the motor, I want to get it right the first time

I raced a local e30 s50b30, zf trans, 2.93 diff vs my m30b35, getrag 240, 2.93 diff and won by half a car. He was pissed more cuz I had drum brakes lol. he was like all i saw was your drum brake and I was like WTF

Video? How long was your "race"? Makes sence as both motors have the same torque, but the m30 gets it a bit sooner. The s50b30 should pull harder up top, so had you kept going he might/should have pulled ahead, which brings back to the question of how long the "race" was

[lennon]

Do you live your life a quarter-mile at a time?

0.5secs over the 400m is not such a huge difference when the motors are so different (in price and spec). Of course, this brings up the topic of drag racing BMWs and using an axe as a hammer, etc, etc...

[rThor432]

I raced a local e30 s50b30, zf trans, 2.93 diff vs my m30b35, getrag 240, 2.93 diff and won by half a car. He was pissed more cuz I had drum brakes lol. he was like all i saw was your drum brake and I was like WTF

Wow, I'd be pissed too. Euro engines are expensive. The conversion parts alone can cost as much as an M30 swap.. ha.

[FredK]

I'm not even sure why this guy was using a 2.93. That diff is for old people.

Also, he was probably granny shifting, not double clutching like he should have.