M54 Madness, the remix

[2mAn]

can I be first in line if you decide to sell the headers? :)

[hoveringuy]

Part of what I'm doing is expanding the envelope of the m54 engine. If I were contemplating an S50 or S52 swap, I could choose from three dozen proven configurations and know exactly what to expect from each one.

We don't have that much data on the M54 yet. I am very happy with my current configuration and *may* regret losing the DISA, although I think losing 5-7 torques will be more than offset by gaining a wide margin of power above 4000.

My biggest complain is that my motor is a currently a little breathless at that point even compared to how my M50 kept pulling until redline. The M50 had a certain fun factor that I'm missing in the M54, even with less power.

A 3.0 aluminum M52 would be very similar, except that it would still only have 12 degrees of intake advance compared to 20 on the M54 and there some other technical improvements. On the other hand, the head may flow better. Dunno... I haven't seen a heck of a lot of power from the exhaust retard but there is some.

I also really like the Megasquirt because I don't have some of the problems I had with the 413 ECU. Namely, I needed to bump the idle up on the 413 in order to keep it stalling with the lighter flywheel. The 413 had a hard time "catching" the falling revs with the lighter flywheel. The MS3 is really good at that stuff and has an incredibly smooth idle and idle transitions. Plus, having run both MAF and MAP on the same motor, I can say that MAP is good for a chunk of power over MAF; something the 413 can never do.

As far as the MS43, I have no experience with it and I think it's perfect for a stock driving experience. I believe it's starting to open up as far as tuning.

I will be getting off my butt in the next month to continue work on this. I've been slammed with summer work and just haven't had time...

[mike25]

There are more. :p I am in the process of putting an m54b25 in my E30 track car.
Ported head
m50 manifold
Shrick 272/256
Exhaust vanos welded
Headers
PS and AC deleted and removed extra (outer) crank pulley
Arp everywhere (except mains where I got creative)
Going to run MS3x
Planning to rev it to about 7500

Should be in the car next week.
Can't wait.

Interesting Shane, but using as a track car has a different set of objectives: low rpm torque is not required, so I understand M50 inlet in this application, maximising top end flow.

Is there an issue with the oil pumps in M54B25, as there is with M54b30, when revving to 7,500rpm on a prolonged basis?

How have you removed the additional outer crank pulley? Physically removed it? Or used an alternative single pulley?

[shanehutton]

There are more. :p I am in the process of putting an m54b25 in my E30 track car.
Ported head
m50 manifold
Shrick 272/256
Exhaust vanos welded
Headers
PS and AC deleted and removed extra (outer) crank pulley
Arp everywhere (except mains where I got creative)
Going to run MS3x
Planning to rev it to about 7500

Should be in the car next week.
Can't wait.

[mike25]

I'm not completely lost to the dark side; I'm convinced I get achieve 250whp on this setup and the increase in power across a wide chunk of the powerband is irrefutable. It's the same effect as headers which may cause a small drop in low-rpm torque but more than make up for it with a broad power increase.

Add the fact that the m50 manifold weighs significantly less and looks cleaner; I'm willing to be a guinnea pig.

Steve
Your first swap was so informative, I'm pleased you're prepared to blaze the trail again. I'm sure we'll all learn something new along the way.

Are you underestimating The Power of the Dark Side?

You are chasing power at over 4000rpm at the expense of torque between 1500-3750rpm - often where DD use power.
I'm left asking myself will this will be similar to an M52 (aluminium) 3.0 stroker though? In which case why not use a simpler chipped ECU?

This is not meant as a criticism, but is meant more as an open question of what do I do with my M54B30? I do not have your electrical knowledge, but was prepared to get a programmer to re-work my MS43 ECU (if it is properly possible? - and the jury is still out on that one as far as I'm concerned) so that I could run Dual Vanos + DISA to get the fabulous low torque of the M54B30.

Now you are advocating dropping DISA, and you often said Dual Vanos was 90% emissions, I'm now questioning whether to run my M54 as if it were an M52 which would be a lot easier from the ECU point of view.

Where's the benefit in a megasquirt M54B30 with M50 Inlet?
Fully controlled Inlet Vanos
Fully controlled Outlet Vanos (does this really help?)
Easier to self tune (if you know how)

Any others?

Keep up the fabulous work - it has been genuine pioneering!

I'm just surprised there have not been more M54 swaps, but suspect it is still the ECU issues causing the reticence.

[YZ86]

subscribed!

[CorvallisBMW]

I'm watching closely, very interested. Gives me ideas for my 330Ci...

[hoveringuy]

Steve

Are you still developing this engine for your DD?

Having followed your original blog all the way, I'm struggling to understand why you are now giving up on DISA? Once you got it set up, you repeatedly showed how it helps with bottom end torque, and how that helps make your E30 a better performing DD with a very wide flat torque curve.

The dyno graph you have posted reveals more by what you have not shown - the loss of torque below 3750rpm. This appears to fly in the face of everything you have endorsed in your current swap?

What has convinced you to go with the M50 manifold?

Please don't tell us you have finally been seduced by headline power figures, and higher revving engines??!!

You're right... DISA really does work. I'm still driving the original motor and the low-rpm torque is wonderful as it consistently chirps the tires. The downside with the entire intake is that I'm convinced it was optimized for transmission equipped cars driven by soccer moms that never rev above 4000 rpms. I remember when the car had the M50 and the way the power built into a crescendo was a very differenent feeling than what I have now.

I'm not completely lost to the dark side; I'm convinced I get achieve 250whp on this setup and the increase in power across a wide chunk of the powerband is irrefutable. It's the same effect as headers which may cause a small drop in low-rpm torque but more than make up for it with a broad power increase.

Add the fact that the m50 manifold weighs significantly less and looks cleaner; I'm willing to be a guinnea pig.

[mike25]

Steve

Are you still developing this engine for your DD?

Having followed your original blog all the way, I'm struggling to understand why you are now giving up on DISA? Once you got it set up, you repeatedly showed how it helps with bottom end torque, and how that helps make your E30 a better performing DD with a very wide flat torque curve.

The dyno graph you have posted reveals more by what you have not shown - the loss of torque below 3750rpm. This appears to fly in the face of everything you have endorsed in your current swap?

What has convinced you to go with the M50 manifold?

Please don't tell us you have finally been seduced by headline power figures, and higher revving engines??!!

[hoveringuy]

Updates?

Can you comment on if it's easier to swap in one from a e39 vs e46?

I have the head ready to go to the machinist, but seeing as how I'm about to drop over $20k on siding I would't have the money to pick it up for a while, so it will go to machinist in September.

The e39 and e46 motors are the same as far as the swap. There are a few differences between early and late M54s. Some have 4 studs per exhaust port and some don't. That's an issue for me, because my euro s50b32 headers don't have the larger flanges that tie 3 runners together; they have an individual flange per port and my new motor doesn't have 4 studs per port, so I'll be getting new headers.

[E30 Wagen]

Updates?

Can you comment on if it's easier to swap in one from a e39 vs e46?

[bimmerboy12]

Subscribed - thinking of doing an M54

[hoveringuy]

I borrowed the appropriate templates and cut the intakes to match the M50 manifold. With the right burr it took about 2 hours. Still need to plug the idle passages and do some minor work on the exhaust ports and then the head goes to the machinist.

The one on the left is done and the one on the right shows about how much material is removed. The blend goes about 1" into the port.

[hoveringuy]

Head is removed. Everything looks good except for some scoring on one of the exhaust cam journals. There was also enough loose carbon in each bore that I could vacuum it out; like a teaspoon of carbon was sprinkled on each piston.

Valves will be removed. Port will be matched to the new M50 intake manifold, the ports will be cleaned up a little bit (mostly exhaust!) and then the head will go to machinist for good valve cut and assembly.

[ForcedFirebird]

Awesome!

The OBD1 manifold drops torque, which you will notice. Seems like the don't "feel as fast" when you decrease torque, but this is going to be good, either way. The dyno graph you posted if from a thread I read recently.