M50 w/blown headgasket for $100?

[Ryan...]

Hey guys, been thinking of doing an M50 swap for a while now, but around here BMWs aren't very common, and used motors dont pop up very often.

I found a guy with an M50 out of a 95 e34, it has 210k miles on it, and he pulled it because of a blown head gasket.

The motor comes with no wiring harness.

Just wondering if this seems like a good idea, or a good starting point.

[gp.plus]

Almost worth it just for the oil pan and pick up. Grab it.

[Matt-B]

yea, alt, oil housing, etc, if its bad, you will make $

[Sagaris]

If the M50 can be salvaged I would only consider swapping it into a 4cyl car or an eta unless you have a 300k mile + m20b25 that has poor compression. But like the others said, it could be a way to make some extra money.

[Ryan...]

Ok I'll probably grab it then. Its a from a 92, non vanos.

My m20 actually runs very nicely, but it does have 250k miles on it.. No ticking, and it still gets 24-25mpg hwy which is better than my last 325i.

[87e30]

Buy now, ask questions later.

[e30s50dan]

My first swap was an non-vanos. One revving bitch

[herlsy]

Got my complete motor for $175 with a blown HG, theres a good chance you'll have a slight warping on the head. If you plan on replacing the HG and using the motor, just inspect it or get it inspected by a shop. Definitely worth 100 bucks in parts.

[Chris916]

if you replace head gasket you have to replace head bolts as well, so factor that into your cost

[jrdeamicis]

The pan and oil pickup is worth it. And there is a couple other parts that are worth it. If the head is straight (which it may not be).

[Ryan...]

Ok thanks guys! I'll be picking it up relatively soon, and he's giving me the wiring harness too.


So assuming the motor can be salvaged, all I would really need for the swap would be the following:

E36 engine mount arms
E28 motor mounts
E34 throttle cable
E21 brake booster

- sort out the wiring harness
- modify the brake booster I believe
- something about shaving off a bit of the flywheel?

I'll read the stickies tomorrow but I believe I have most of the bases covered..

[sleepingbeauty]

Buy now, ask questions later.

yesss…