The comprehensive DOHC engine swap thread.

[jrabbit]

has anyone used m52 2.8 with s50 cams and m50/s50 intake manifold ?

[permit]

You have to use the M50 intake if you're doing the OBDII-->I swap, so yes, a lot of people are using it. As for the cams, most people follow this "rule":

M50-->S50 cams
M52-->S52 cams

I have the S52 cams in my 2.8L.

[Ball325]

i just decided to do this project and started reading this thread and fell asleep at teh keyboard and woke up with key marks in my fore head. Great Thread! so much information i hve like 35 pages of stuff printed out so i can look at it when not on the computer.

I still havent gotten through it all but will the M50 plug from treehouse work for an S50 or will the wiring diagrams i saw on here work? are they different excuse me if this was already covered i didnt get there yet but thought id start getting some responses for when i do get to my own post.

Luckily we are doing this to a buddies racecar so i will now something about it before i start my project

also i noticed the e36 revs higher than the M20 i have an E30 M3 Gauge Cluster sitting around that came out of my racecar, would it be a good idea to use this for revs over 7000? i assume it works the same as the 3 series one but just cursious because i think it goes to 7500 or 8000 im not sure. also has oil temp instead of mpg

[permit]

It's late and I don't feel like reading all these pages to see if this was covered, but is there a larger throttle body that can be put on 24v's? I remember seeing a company selling an adapter plate to put a ______ TB onto the M50 intake.

[Brew]

Yes.
Dinan makes one (my motor just happened to have one installed when I bought it), VAC just came out with one, but its BIG bucks, and there is another company that makes one, can't think of the name.

No huge gains to be had, just slightly better throttle response.

[BeirBrennerE30]

another trans option: 6-speed from e46m3

you need...
e46m3 flywheel and clutch
e36m3 evo shifter crap
custom driveshaft
custom tranny bracket
e36(non-m) slave

its basically an e36m3 evo 6 speed with a larger input shaft and updated syncros... cheeper than importing an evo 6speed and can theoretically handle more power(if you are getting up into the 1000hp rage)

[Brew]

Thats definitely a future plan of mine, after I hit about 400whp and swap over to 5-lug and e36 m3 brakes. It would be awesome for having close ratios and reasonable highway rpms.

[pussy]

hi, need some help here.. this is a very good thread by all who has done the M50 swap and i have just completed the swap using the information gathered here. will post the pictures soon..

only thing i can't get working is the MPG meter..it's not working.. is there something left out for me to connect ? being searching the threads but can't locate a thread about it.

btw, it's a e30m40 engine converted to M50B25 non vanos..

appreciate the help here.

thanks.

[permit]

It's not gonna work correctly. Both the instrument cluster and OBC gauges won't work. I supposedly get 40+ mpg with my 2.8.

[tjhartge]

another trans option: 6-speed from e46m3

you need...
e46m3 flywheel and clutch
e36m3 evo shifter crap
custom driveshaft
custom tranny bracket
e36(non-m) slave

its basically an e36m3 evo 6 speed with a larger input shaft and updated syncros... cheeper than importing an evo 6speed and can theoretically handle more power(if you are getting up into the 1000hp rage)

driveshaft for the 6 speed: i used the front part from 328 auto, matched with the rear of 318 manual box, then the shaft was sent for balancing

plus the fact that you can have a wider range of rear axles, i used 3.45, thinking of using a 3.64 or 3.73 for track days, this way i can beat any m20s with a dogleg box because the multiplication of gearing are much higher

[tjhartge]

hi, need some help here.. this is a very good thread by all who has done the M50 swap and i have just completed the swap using the information gathered here. will post the pictures soon..

only thing i can't get working is the MPG meter..it's not working.. is there something left out for me to connect ? being searching the threads but can't locate a thread about it.

btw, it's a e30m40 engine converted to M50B25 non vanos..

appreciate the help here.

thanks.

you can theorethical trace the wires from where it originated when it had the original engine/ecu/sensors, then maybe transplant that part and interface with the m50 wirings
i believe the signals come from 2 source, one from the ignition coil and the other from pulses of the injector

unless someone has done extensive research on the signals/waves/current of the m20 and m50 ones, it maybe converted in such a way

[kylebes1]

hi, need some help here.. this is a very good thread by all who has done the M50 swap and i have just completed the swap using the information gathered here. will post the pictures soon..

only thing i can't get working is the MPG meter..it's not working.. is there something left out for me to connect ? being searching the threads but can't locate a thread about it.

btw, it's a e30m40 engine converted to M50B25 non vanos..

appreciate the help here.

thanks.

You can get the Eco guage to work, it will not be accurate with the e30 numbers, but you can get the idea.

I think it was the black and white (there is a white and black wire that does the speed reference, I believe, may be the other way around) wire from the e36 harness, to another on in the glove compartment. I will have to check, this may end up being the A/C on signal...

[permit]

I sent a PM to Stu with this question, but I think he's out of town, so I'm throwing it up here, and someone can help me out with it:

So I have a 2.8 now with S52 cams, HFM, shitty AA management, seriously shitty gas mileage (probably due to a possibly busted O2 sensor wiring that won't fix itself), and 21.5# injectors.

I have 17.5# injectors, Turner S50 chip with HFM/stock injector setup, and a fuel pressure gauge laying around my room...can all three of these things can go into my car without messing shit up? I know the chip is for a 3.0, so will I be running rich? Too rich? Will the timing be close enough to what it should be that the cams will still be effective?

What were the numbers again that I would want the FPR set at?

I don't want to spend time doing all this and then have it run worse, therefore, the questions.

[BDSax]

i have an m50, and people have told me to get s50 cams to put in it. i found a set for $500 intake and exhaust, but the milage is unkown.

also found an intake for $200

are these good deals??

[E30_pilot]

here's a quick question:

I did the z3 rack conversion on my e30, and now Im goin M50 (from a e34)
am I goin to have problems with clearance? Can i still use the modified high pressure I got from zionvilleautos?Or use the one from the e34?