S54 advice and considerations

[VinniE30]

What do you guys think about 5 speed ZF vs 6 speed e46m3 Getrag?

Performance, reliability, durability, feel?

There are also some 6 speed ZF trans that would work such as the E86 one which was attached to an s54 stock. This one is also smaller than the e46m3 trans.

[Dean]

Meanwhile in Norway

Norway is not that far from UK or Germany, you could buy a good motor an take it back in a van! My house in England to Norway is a 13 hour drive! I'd do it for an M3 engine :)

[Jean]

damn..

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp3984Q2em1438Q2el2649QQitemZ270809823947QQsspagenameZSTRKQ3aMEWAXQ3aIT

I sorta feel bad for the guys who paid $2500 for an S52!

Meanwhile in Norway

[Dean]

damn..

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp3984Q2em1438Q2el2649QQitemZ270809823947QQsspagenameZSTRKQ3aMEWAXQ3aIT

I sorta feel bad for the guys who paid $2500 for an S52!

My thought entirely before I considered the S54. In the UK we have the S50 316bhp engine and if you discount the wiring harness and ECU the swap is similar money! As the S50 3.2 Evo engine is selling 2k and S54 2k-3k.

In the future we will see more E30/E36 engine swaps! As the S50/52 reserves dry up and more E46 M3's end up in yunk yards!

[Dean]

Had a go with the S54 race engine around Silverstone GP track (UK F1 track) and what can I say. Firstly it was in a race CSL E46 M3 chassis dry weight 1150kg with a 3.91 diff and running 386bhp with no vanos. Trust me wuth the different cams it was not noticable. We pushed a Porsche 996 GT2 Turbo, it barely pulled away in front, but even in the 46 chassis engine was good. With an adapter for wiring it should just fit straight into the car with different exhaust and uprated cooling system.

Problem will be needing a few bits custom made. I'm still in 2 minds whether I want a race engine in a road car though!!!

[Jason89i]

I have been VERY pleased with the DTA system. The real time tracking has been great with real time charting for road tuning. I have also heard VERY good results from the traction control system.

On a side note, my car is headed in a VERY different direction: drivetrain is coming out and will be sold.

30k mile s54 / dta s100 system (full drop out) for sale in october. Pm if interested.
20k mile s50(us) / dta s100 system ( full drop out) for sale in october. Pm if interested.

cheers jason

[nando]

damn..

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp3984Q2em1438Q2el2649QQitemZ270809823947QQsspagenameZSTRKQ3aMEWAXQ3aIT

I sorta feel bad for the guys who paid $2500 for an S52!

[Wanganstyle]

Yup that's it. You pretty turn off all the anti-lag parameters, and just use the maps. An aux output also activates when your on the second map.

The DTA GUI/documentation is extremely frustrating, I feel its a big limitation to an otherwise fairly capable standalone.

By the way, is anybody else having trouble having the cam tracking come up in the real time display?

I did not have issues with cam tracking showing up, but that could be my imagination. lol

the GUI is MOST frustrating, I have dealt with Japanese standalones (apex'i Power FC) that had full instructions in japanese (which I DO NOT understand) and I had a better time using it than the DTA (after the menu was switched to english).

IMO Japanese nintendo style GUI (with foreign language instructions I didnt bother to read) is easier to understand and interface than UK GUI.

as far as the DTA unit is concerned, its actually quite pretty- solid billet. Connectors are very stout also and easy to use - although the directions from DTA make u want to wire it backwards than actually wanted.

mapping for Alpha N is pretty straightforward once starting to play w/

[DaveSmed]

will check it out; but is a bit too difficult for me to use if I cannot find it easily!!!
How do you trigger the additional map?

I'm guessing wire a switch of sorts to ALS pin or additional imput pin and have that be the trigger?



reference the comment I made about UK GUI..... lol
Not at all as easy breezy as ecutek on a subaru or Cobb accessport.

Americans are spoiled by GUI such like apple provides.

Yup that's it. You pretty turn off all the anti-lag parameters, and just use the maps. An aux output also activates when your on the second map.

The DTA GUI/documentation is extremely frustrating, I feel its a big limitation to an otherwise fairly capable standalone.

By the way, is anybody else having trouble having the cam tracking come up in the real time display?

[trackjunkie21]

VANOS: sometimes you just need to go full retard.

Speaking of which, Dean are you going to pay someone to install this motor or are you planning to do it yourself?

[Dean]

VANOS: sometimes you just need to go full retard.

Speaking of which, Dean are you going to pay someone to install this motor or are you planning to do it yourself?

I did the 2.8 conversion on my own, only help was the wiring and pins. Mechanical parts don't scare me but if I'm honest the electronics in this set up make me apprensive as there are so many different options, I'm thinking of getting a race company in London to do most of the work when the time comes and I have paid for all the parts to do the swap. The problem is there are soooo many options, some run OEM ECU, others stand alone and others mix and match.

As I going to be investing ALOT of money in the swap I'm wanting the best for that money. I also have a friend who is an aero engineer and is keen to take the car and give the swap a go himself (he had an extreme E30 325iSE 4door and E30 325 cab and now owns a self built Subaru WRC road car pushing 500bhp). He loves engines like they were children.

I want the swap done by my 25th birthday in April next year! Thats the only definite

[Wanganstyle]

That's not true. It can run an additional switchable map. (look under the ALS section, it's buried in there)

will check it out; but is a bit too difficult for me to use if I cannot find it easily!!!
How do you trigger the additional map?

I'm guessing wire a switch of sorts to ALS pin or additional imput pin and have that be the trigger?



reference the comment I made about UK GUI..... lol
Not at all as easy breezy as ecutek on a subaru or Cobb accessport.

Americans are spoiled by GUI such like apple provides.

[Wh33lhop]

Intake cam went from full retard to full advance for a period of 500 rpms.

VANOS: sometimes you just need to go full retard.

Speaking of which, Dean are you going to pay someone to install this motor or are you planning to do it yourself?

[DaveSmed]

Waitwaitwait, DTA can only run one map ....?

If running a DTA ems one can save 1,000++ maps on your laptop BUT you can't hit a button on your dash and swap mapping on the fly.

It takes ~ 2 minutes to load a file if you have a track 100octane map and you drive to track on the 91 octane poop mapping; but the owner must have laptop and the patch cable handy to do this.

That's not true. It can run an additional switchable map. (look under the ALS section, it's buried in there)

[Wanganstyle]

Waitwaitwait, DTA can only run one map and cannot use an HFM?

If running a DTA ems one can save 1,000++ maps on your laptop BUT you can't hit a button on your dash and swap mapping on the fly.

It takes ~ 2 minutes to load a file if you have a track 100octane map and you drive to track on the 91 octane poop mapping; but the owner must have laptop and the patch cable handy to do this.

DTA is a UK standalone, Its not like a cobb axxessport that has a great american made GUI and interface anyone can just play with like a gameboy. There is a reason why the american made AEM EMS was so popular and took the largest overal market spot for full standalone EMS, same history repeated it self with the AEM that the Apex'i Power FC did in the 90's decade in japan.

HFM support is not standard on DTA s100, this would have been a godsend (IMO) when initally mapping the S54 engine. I "think" it can be added, but it was not in the menu option. I did not even try to mess with adding an HFM or adding knock to the DTA.

ABL has spent a decent amount of development time and moneyfor a knock sensing solution for the alpha n tuned S54+DTA, I have not used it nor seen it so will refrain from commenting.

Best would be to email alek about the specifics as he is the authorized dealer for DTA.