to 2jz....or not to 2jz. that is the question

[e-dirtym52]

I currently have an obd1 m52 e30 that is really starting to piss me off to say the least haha. I keep running into problem after problem and I just want to drive my damn car. So from what I hear the 1/2jz is a very reliable engine that doesn't have the BMW price tags. I can get a hold of a 2jz non turbo for 800 bucks that I know is in good rebuilt shape.

But my question is, is it worth it? Would you take a 2jz over an m52? And are there any swap guides out there for it or a parts list of what I need to get or make? Thanks for any insight!!

[AwakenNoMore]

Even being a fan of the 2JZ, I don't think it has any place in an E30. You have so many good choices from BMW alone. My personal opinion is to keep with the correct brand.

[illest318i]

I kinda agree with AwakenNoMore, BMW has lots of good choices S50,52 etc... I love 2JZ's myself, but not in a BMW. Other than that if I we're to get a 2JZ swap in my e30 I would go for a turbo'd one not NA.

Good luck

[Good & Tight]

I kinda agree with AwakenNoMore, BMW has lots of good choices S50,52 etc... I love 2JZ's myself, but not in a BMW. Other than that if I we're to get a 2JZ swap in my e30 I would go for a turbo'd one not NA.

Good luck

^^^^^ This

[Bimmer_man]

Why not just get a M30 and turbo that? just saying there are plenty of turbo builds for that engine. or do an S52 if you already have all the stuff from the M52 just get a S52 refresh it and drop it in.

[e-dirtym52]

Well the only reason I was thinking of a 2jz is because I have such easy access to it and I know its in great condition and ready to drop in and go. Plus I would turbo it myself rather than keeping it n.a.

[mohamed...]

m5x build just piss me off as they add a complicated engine with not that much more power. If you have turbo knowledge then turbo a m30. imo it will look better than a 2jz in the engine bay.

[Herr Faust Schinken]

m5x motors are really not all that complicated, its a very well known swap (well documented) and you can make power with them. the only thing about an m30 swap is they are really long makes fitting it in the bay and accessories (radiator, cooling fans,a/c,p/s) a bit more difficult to do

[e-dirtym52]

I didn't have too many issues with swapping the motor. Everything went fairly smooth it's just I keep having throttle issues. If you look back a previous threads you'll a see. So most of my issues are just with the engine performance and it not running correct and all that shit. As much fun as I had throwing my engine in its not treating me too well as of now haha

[Guam135i]

never

[lukeADE335i]

If it's just sensor & wiring problems you have, you'd be better off just sorting what you have in the car. You've already done the hard work.

Swapping a whole other engine from a different manufacturer with little documentation on how to do so is going to be waaayyy tougher than your M52 swap, which is virtually plug & play!

Assuming you have a 2.8 in there now with OBD1 (I presume M50 inlet etc), the 2JZ-GE is not going to give you any more power. They were rated at 220hp from the factory.

[berlow94]

You said not running right and reliability issues, and then you said an OBD 1 m52. lol
You just need some TUNING! OBD 1 computers are pretty god awful. Especially when you start throwing on different intake manifolds and bolt-ons and use a "chip" to try to make it work.

[e-dirtym52]

well I've torn it apart and ended up being off timed so I'm finishing that up now. I think the 2jz is out of the question now. It was just a consideration

[Wanganstyle]

well I've torn it apart and ended up being off timed so I'm finishing that up now. I think the 2jz is out of the question now. It was just a consideration

How were you able to assemble it without timing it correctly? Use of the Vanos setup tools is critical

I have had a 2JZ-NA that was turbocharged with a single turbo; the NA brain+piggyback fuel controller was really terrible with positive pressure. I ended up removing the single turbo setup and reverting the car to NA original spec; then it was a good engine - a 3.0L NA 2JZ will outrun a 2.8L m52; however the costs and benefits of the install really cancel each other out.

I wasn't done with boost for that car though; so I installed an entire JDM supra twin turbo 2jz-gte with harness and JDM map only twin turbo computer and then it was a very happy car.


if you already have a M52 installed the BMW computers can be tuned for turbocharging much better than the toyota units can; all the nicely done turbo supras are running a native Twin turbo ECU + serious piggybacks or a standalone EMS solution.

BMW turbocharging in an E30 with M52 has been done happily often, the fit of a slanted 6 is not nearly as nice as a straight 2j but the overall package of the BMW unit in a bmw chassis is quite a lot better.

Wiring the toyota brain is a pain compared to installing the bmw engine harness and an adapter

[e-dirtym52]

When I got the engine from a friend of mine he said that it was already properly timed. So my mistake on not checking it and if it was timed properly I'm not sure on how often those jump timing if they even can. But I ordered a timing kit and everything to make sure everything's aligned so I'm really hoping that this will put me back on the road. I also resealed the vanos while re timing. But since winter is coming up I figured if there was any better time to swap it back out then that would be it. But I'll just stick with this headache for now and see what I can make of her