Is the S50/S52 swap really worth it

[Wanganstyle]

Wait, so can we have some input from people running an S50/S52 on a track? Which is the better motor, S50 or S52? All this talk about S2Ks vs swapped E30s in straight lines is totally boring!

Newer bigger better all day.

S50 is band aid patch in the 1995 lineup


Our car is a m50; it gets pulled on by e30's with m30 swaps in the straights. My grocery getter e36M is the practice car with a stock s52

the e30 with me did 2:15 in lemons enduro traffic on practice tires at bwillow.


Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2

[jdirty]

i love the balance of my m42 e30 but the oil pan clearance is fucking terrible on a lowered car. As dumb as it might sound to some people, that's pretty much one of the reasons i'm planning to do an m54b30. lightweight 24v and a slightly better oil pan clearance.

[I8UR911]

I'm building a M42 stroker right now (2.0L, 11:1 comp. ratio, 279/274 cams, supertech valve springs, lightweight lifters, pnp headwork, 19lb injectors, lightweight flywheel and potentially itb's). Doing it because no one does these, already done a S50 swap and the balance of the 4 cylinder is so much better than a heavy 6 (cough, cough, e30 M3, cough). The motor I'm building should rev to 7500-8000 rpm and will make 180whp in a 2400lb car.....that'll be pretty quick :) .....maybe faster than some S5x cars?????

Do whatever floats your boat. Anything you do can be easily reversed if done right the first time.

Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk 2

[nyChris]

i love the balance of my m42 e30 but the oil pan clearance is fucking terrible on a lowered car. As dumb as it might sound to some people, that's pretty much one of the reasons i'm planning to do an m54b30. lightweight 24v and a slightly better oil pan clearance.

If you want to keep the balance of the m42, and get oil pan clearance. Look into an sr20det.

[nando]

Or even better, m54b30 :p

[digger]

id be looking at a M10 engine if wanted a nice simple 4cyl, properly done will be a screamer

[d.dalseno]

If you want to keep the balance of the m42, and get oil pan clearance. Look into an sr20det.

This.
Sr20 is worth looking into. Light engine and a huge range of aftermarket parts.

My old j spec s15 had a mildly modified sr20, would eat s2000s for lunch.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

[evandael]

i would suggest the honda f20/f22 or k20/k24 series of motors over the sr20. hell, i'd suggest a ka-t over the sr20. USDM engines = more supply = cheaper parts = more power for the money

people are putting k20/k24's in longitudinal applications such as the s2000 by way of a trans adapter/custom flywheel. they make more power and torque than the f20/f22.

i looked into a k20/k24 swap with the s2000 6-speed. it could be done with custom engine/trans mounts, manifolds, trans adapter/flywheel, modified oilpan/pump, and a hondata k-pro. toss in some valve springs, cams, and a tune and you could see 240whp from that little 4-banger. the aftermarket for these engines is huge!

for all that money though, you could have a supercharged s52 and 6-speed with over 300whp and tons more torque. granted it would be near 200lbs heavier, right where you don't want it... i suppose it would just be a different kind of tool. sledgehammer vs. scalpel.

[jdirty]

If you want to keep the balance of the m42, and get oil pan clearance. Look into an sr20det.

That's some of the reasons..
Like OP.. i'd rather make it worth my time.
I actually looked into SR20s too but personally, i would like it to be BMW for smog purposes.

Or even better, m54b30 :p

Yeah! Since mine's not gonna be tracked to even worry about the oil pump shaft shearing issue.

[Wanganstyle]

I

i would suggest the honda f20/f22 or k20/k24 series of motors over the sr20. hell, i'd suggest a ka-t over the sr20. USDM engines = more supply = cheaper parts = more power for the money

people are putting k20/k24's in longitudinal applications such as the s2000 by way of a trans adapter/custom flywheel. they make more power and torque than the f20/f22.

i looked into a k20/k24 swap with the s2000 6-speed. it could be done with custom engine/trans mounts, manifolds, trans adapter/flywheel, modified oilpan/pump, and a hondata k-pro. toss in some valve springs, cams, and a tune and you could see 240whp from that little 4-banger. the aftermarket for these engines is huge!

for all that money though, you could have a supercharged s52 and 6-speed with over 300whp and tons more torque. granted it would be near 200lbs heavier, right where you don't want it... i suppose it would just be a different kind of tool. sledgehammer vs. scalpel.

If you have ever experienced a unrestricted raw s54 the honda engines would have 0 allure. Happy 300rwhp+ with stock engine +mapping on garbage cali 91 octane pump fuel

Same stupid high rpm status (cams pull to 8500rpm), 6x itb and more instant torque than s52 can ever dream of.

Also the install is just clean as hell- s54 is lovely to look at and hear.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2

[TimKninja]

Well ill share my opinion. It depends what you want out of your car .

I bought my 325is last June and sold off my 318is . I initially bought the 325is to 24 valve swap. But after a few months of driving the 325is I was happy with it, 25 MPG and the M20 was actually pretty ballsy. It had 260k on it and it still felt great.

Well come winter time I got rear ended, got $1900 for my car I payed only $1700 for . Then a forum member who is local to me found a wrecked e36 m3 , I payed $700 for it and had a basically free s50 swap out of it. Ended up spending most of the money I got from insurance on stuff the car really needed .

Well fast forward til now. I'm broke, my car is fast. The gas mileage isint great (22mpg, mostly highway) it's loud, the quarter panel still has a dent . It's not geared right(stupid ZF Trans is geared Wayyyyy to short even with a 3.25 diff)'but it's rediculously fun. Retardedly fun. I don't know why people say that s50 swaps are disappointing . It's almost a bit too much power for the e30 . The engine in my car has 198k on it now , and it's still rediculously fast.

There are sometimes I miss the m20. The gas mileage was excellent, everything was geared right, it wasn't loud. Maybe that's just the old man in me.

[JMPAuto]

I had an m50 then s50 and currently running s52 on our track car and all I can say is that s52 is better than the s50. Not by much but can get you that extra second off your lap times instantly. We run the same suspension on all 3 motors and same tires. Best we did so far was 1.57 at Buttonwillow running Hankook C51 225/45r15 with minor aero.

[ZekeTheSneak]

If I were to do it again, m52 turbo.

[golde30]

Well fast forward til now. I'm broke, my car is fast. The gas mileage isint great (22mpg, mostly highway) it's loud, the quarter panel still has a dent . It's not geared right(stupid ZF Trans is geared Wayyyyy to short even with a 3.25 diff)'but it's rediculously fun. Retardedly fun. I don't know why people say that s50 swaps are disappointing . It's almost a bit too much power for the e30 . The engine in my car has 198k on it now , and it's still rediculously fast.

Maybe that's just the old man in me.

really? the 3.25 is too short? its just a waffleswaffleswaffleswaffles hair shorter than the getrag260 with 3.73. maybe go for a 3.15 or a 2.93?


EDIT: wtf, we cant say c u n t ?

[e30rapidic]

It's almost a bit too much power for the e30

whaaatt? no such thing! 8)