M54. Let the foolishness begin.

[SpecM]

m54 = 15-20# heavier. m50/52 head will not fit m54 block.

cheers, jason

ohkay, just dreaming anyway!

[Jason89i]

whats the weight of an m54 compared to a Al m52?

could an m54 block work with an single-vanos m50/52 head?

m54 = 15-20# heavier. m50/52 head will not fit m54 block.

cheers, jason

[SpecM]

whats the weight of an m54 compared to a Al m52?

could an m54 block work with an single-vanos m50/52 head?

[windnsea00]

Much smoother rev-band.

[matt]

BMW motors make the power BMW wants them to make.

Then I come along and give you the rest of the power back. :twisted:

This is another company's performance chip vs our custom tune that actually gets 100% of the performance out of the motor. Both motors are 100% stock M50TU.

[windnsea00]

Throw the ZHP cams in there, makes it enjoyably peaky :) I bet Schricks would be nice also.

While I'm a big E46 fan, I was never too blown away by the M54's and their small jump from the M50/M52's. I found it interesting that the E36 325i was rated at 189hp and the E46 325i was rated at 184hp. I know the E36 325i was the top model until the 328i and the E46 325i wasn't but still you would think even with the OBDII restrictions at least it would meet or exceed the previous generation's output for the same size.

[hoveringuy]

I'll post more about it when I get the thermostat, but it's a custom one made by Zionsville.

The stock thermostat isn't so much computer controlled, it's a mechanical thermostat with some electrical adjustment. The ECU commands a heater element in the thermostat under certain conditions (high speeds, high external temps, etc.) to increase the cooling flow. The mechanical part of it is set to 105 degrees in normal driving.

Would you want a 105 degree thermostat??

It's integrated into the plastic housing and can't be changed. Also, M50 ones won't fit because of a different head design and clearance issues with the dual VANOS.

This is in line with the fact that 90% of the "improvements" in the M54 are actually just emissions and fuel consumption related. The other 10% are performance.

[matt]

What kind of thermostat are you putting in? You know it's not actually electronically controlled, it just has a temp sensor at the thermostat. I think you can just put on the M50/M52 stuff probably.

[Gobig_us]

Nice work. Subscribed.

[hoveringuy]

dual VANOS, ready for timing

Head is back on, cams are re-installed using the tried-and-true Pelican method.

The dual-VANOS is a little more complicated but I have it all together and am waiting on the timing plate that sets the depths of the two plungers for the proper timing.

Overall, it's very close to putting the M50 together with a few small differences.

I also have a special thermostat on order to replace the stock computer controlled one.

[hoveringuy]

Time Sert

Time Serts are in and the head is torqued down. I'm not a smoker but I sure could have used one waiting between the first 90 degrees and second but thankfully it held and didn't yield.

The Time Sert is a full 30mm insert that comes to within 1 1/2 mm of the top. The other option is a 24.5mm one that is recessed 6mm like stock or the generic head repair version that Baum Tools sells, which is 24.5mm that comes up to the top. I chose the 30mm because of potential weakening of the aluminum and I can use all the surface bite I can get.

I also measured the old bolts compared to the new and they were from 10-30 thousands longer. Wow!

[hoveringuy]

I agree, flux core wire isn't the best for this. Once I have it done I'm taking it too my buddy's house who has a Tig. It's plenty strong but ultimately the weak part is the metal tab on top so that's why I need a second attachment point.

Also, I forgot to mention that this motor has piston oil squirters! That's a nice unexpected bonus.

[PiercedE30]

Yea, I would have definitely TIG'd that.

[mattdk318i]

those welds concern me. But overall it looks good.

[hoveringuy]

Fabricating the oil pickup

After some research I decided that I need to keep the M54 oil pump. It has higher capacity and pressure needed for the dual VANOS plus it's newer so it must be better. The E34 pickup is useless on this pump so I need to fabricate a custom one for the E34 oil pan, which will fit just fine.

I made a model of the oil pan using some wood. Oak. German oak harvested from the Black Forest. BMW told me to do it this way so it's Ok.

The original pickup had a nice 90 degree bend that I harvested and welded to the attaching flange. Cut the pipe, add the pickup bowl with the metal screen. Amost done. It's not the best welding but I've always felt that if you put enough slag on anything it will hold. Argon is on my shopping list.

When I get it all done I'll test fit the pan with some playdough in the bottom and see how close I am to the right clearance.

I'm not comfortable having the pickup held with only one bolt at the top. It's secure but acts like a resonating pendulum and I've heard about this thing called metal fatigue that makes me want to add a second point of attachment. I'll ponder that over a beer tonight.

I've taken the stock windage tray off and will use the one in the E34 pan exclusively. In this picture you can see the triangular re-enforcing tabs that BMW added to tie the bearing cap to the side of the motor. I guess that's a provision for the aluminum block flexing more?