M/S50 w/ early (big) M20 starter

[Beej '86 325es]

I've got my starter I'm using with my Getrag 260 (2/86 production). It looks like the block needs to be ground down a little by this screw hole under the starter. Does anything mount here? Is it ok to just grind away at the extrusion from the block?

[FredK]

Nothing mounts there, at least not on the complete engine I have in my garage. No brackets or engine mounts bolt in there. Not sure about grinding though. It's probably OK.

That starter sure is gynormous!

[Skafrog]

Yup, thats normal

[Beej '86 325es]

cool, thanks guys. Maybe I'll get that done this weekend. Then all I need is to find an E34 M50 oil pan and I can have the engine rebuilt.

[BimmerToad]

Opt for the later model M20 starter and save 10 lbs

[Beej '86 325es]

How much does the later starter weigh? The one I have weighs 13.5 lbs.

[BimmerToad]

Your bigger starter weighs ~14lbs? The one I was going to use weighed ~20lbs, while the later one weighs ~10lbs. The $10 bathroom scale might be a bit off.

[Beej '86 325es]

Haha- my digital bathroom scale wouldn't weigh it by itself, so I just stood on the scale, then added the starter. I would have thought it was closer to 20 pounds though. I'd hate to have to buy a new starter though, this one's only got about 15,000 miles on it.

[BimmerToad]

If you know it's a low mileage good starter, I'd say use it.

I originally got a big M20 starter when I did the M20 flywheel conversion on my M42, before I realized I could go to a starter shop and have the pinion replaced from the M42 starter for the M20 flywheel. M42 starter with M20 pinion eventually died on me after I swapped in the M52, so I ended up coughing up the cash and getting a late model M20 starter.

The early M20 starters are much bigger because they're direct drive, where as the later starters are gear reduced.

[Adrian_Visser]

anybody know if there are even lighter reduction geared starters that couldbe adapted to be used? itd probaly be more trouble than its worth though to save like 5 pounds eh

[Rev Engineer]

Yeah. That old e30 starter is heavy! Can the e30 pinion be swaped over to a s50/m50 starter??

I had to grind quite a bit off that casting to get the 325 starter to fit. I didn't have an angle grinder so I took my electric bench grinder and used it as a hand tool. Kinda dangerous but it got the job done.

[Beej '86 325es]

OK, update. Here is the grinding necessary to fit the old M20 starter. Not too bad really...