M30 vs S50 swap question

[rosphill]

Hey, I have a 1987 325E that the engine is getting a little long in the tooth (265,000 miles) and has lost ALOT of power. I want to do a swap at some point in near future. How much power can one get out of a M30b34 realistically, and how hard of a swap is it ? Is the M30 swap cheaper ? It sounds like you could get as much power out of the M30b34 as you could an S50 maybe?
Thx

[e30s52]

search! there are tons of threads like these.

[learningcurve86]

i haven't ridden in an s5x car, but i have an m30b35 and i love it. the 87 is a VERY easy electrical swap... i used the harness from my is with minimal adaptation. wiring took... 20 minutes(?)

caution: the minute you finish your swap you'll want more. I've done <2k miles and i keep looking at turbos

[E30SPDFRK]

Realistically, you can probably get about 215 out of a m30. The only real power adder that you can do for cheap is a chip- stuff like cams and exhaust don't really do much for how much they cost. If you really want to make power though, m30's take to turbos very well.

As for initial cost, a m30 will be way cheaper than an s50, but the s50 will be much faster.

[RickSloan]

if you want to go FI then go b34 if you want a solid power gain from a NA motor go b35 and never look back, its a great swap and a ton of fun to drive.

plus if you get a donor e28 or e34 you can do the swap super cheap and part out the car to make the rest back.

i picked up an e28 for 550 bucks and parted it for all the money back and swapped the motor into my car. all you really need that the e28 doesnt have is an e34 oil pan and pump.

but search this section alot and you will find all the answers you need!

i just looked at your post again and you already have the perfect driveshaft for the swap!

[yert315]

If you have the funds, go s50/s52. They are much faster and you can get ~250 to the wheels with cams, chip, and other bolt ons. This will be an expensive swap though.

If you want to get a swap going on the cheap, go m30. b34 or b35 doesn't matter. You can turbo either, one doesn't make much more power than the other. With a chip, you can get just under 200whp or so.

[e30s52]

You could do a m52 swap with a turbo and make more power then the m30/s5X

[LowR3V'in]

somebody should race and find out. :)

[rosphill]

The M30b35 sounds like a beast. I tend to prefer FI over NA though. I see some interesting part outs with M30b34or M30b35 on Craigslist so going to keep my eye on those. Wish I could find a cheap E28 parts car.

[Lurker27]

A well tuned M30b35 is about 200whp, 210 at the very most. M30s are all about torque though!

[Good & Tight]

somebody should race and find out. :)

I have a B34 any S50 guys wanna run and find out?

[RickSloan]

I have a B34 any S50 guys wanna run and find out?

lawlz

[Van Westervelt]

I have walked a few m30 swaps, and that was with a slipping clutch, lol.

S5x will cost more, but there are more parts readily available as e36s are a dime a dozen.

M30 is good and you get a decent bang for your buck, but it is what it is. For a torquey cruiser, m30, for a fast lil bich, s5x.

[BTP325ic]

m30 is the shit.

[JoeMadoo]

I have a B34 any S50 guys wanna run and find out?

record those races please