M30 swap & Handling? Need advise plz

[KrautnotRice]

I've got an M20 in my car now and I'm considering turboing the m20 or swapping in an m30. I'm setting the car up for handling, doing some weight reduction and redistribution. This car is being built to handle well in the canyons.
My question: The M30 being about 40 lbs heavier (from the research I've done) does it negatively affect the handling? And how much?
I'm hoping some people will chime in who've gone from M20 to M30 in their cars.

The goal for my car is to be as light and as well handling as possible.
Thank you in advance for sharing your experiences!

[Lurker27]

The lightweight b35 block mounted in position 3 is probably net positive for handling. if you delete AC it's a wash in weight anyway.

[wannaBMthree]

My experience, aftermarket suspension (stiff springs/struts/m3CAB/RTAB, etc) + z3 steering rack = beast on rails.

[Bearmw]

With enough attention to detail and a bit of money it could be a handling beast. I think fixed (i. e. cheap) camber plates are good bang for the buck if your strut towers aren't out of whack. Bushings, joints, and tires all have to be up to spec or better before going crazy on other stuff. How low are you wanting to go and is your decision based on handling or appearance? Low is alright but I love suspension travel and compliance where I drive cause the roads suck. I'm almost better with a rally suspension with the way they are torn up where I live.

[KrautnotRice]

The lightweight b35 block mounted in position 3 is probably net positive for handling. if you delete AC it's a wash in weight anyway.

Is there a lightweight B35 vs. regular / heavy block?
With "mounted in position 3" you mean you can mount it as far back as possible?

I'm keeping A/C for sure, otherwise I couldn't drive through the summers in S.C.
HOWEVER I'm relocating the battery from the nose to under the rear seat and going lightweight Odyssey battery,
that also about takes 40 lbs off the nose.

[KrautnotRice]

My experience, aftermarket suspension (stiff springs/struts/m3CAB/RTAB, etc) + z3 steering rack = beast on rails.

I'm with ya! I'm working with an E28 though. Steering box to 'rack conversion is already planned. Would be sweet to have a Z3 rack in an E28. I'm most likely fitting a RHD E39 steering rack up side down.

[KrautnotRice]

With enough attention to detail and a bit of money it could be a handling beast. I think fixed (i. e. cheap) camber plates are good bang for the buck if your strut towers aren't out of whack. Bushings, joints, and tires all have to be up to spec or better before going crazy on other stuff. How low are you wanting to go and is your decision based on handling or appearance? Low is alright but I love suspension travel and compliance where I drive cause the roads suck. I'm almost better with a rally suspension with the way they are torn up where I live.

I know all about bad roads :/
I'm not looking to go too low,
But the main reason for this thread was to find out if going from M20 to M30 there is a noticeable difference in handling?
I know the M30 is about 40lbs heavier in weight, but a bigger engine also has higher rotating / gyro forces that want to keep the car from turning.

[lukeADE335i]

The extra weight is noticable up front (mostly from the engine being longer) but the net effect on handling is not much. If anything, my e30 with Eibach springs / Bilstein sport shocks handled better with the M30 as it was more settled in the front end. With the M20 up front, the heavier springs made it a little jiggly in some situations - this was gone with the M30.

Does the extra power offset any negatives from the extra weight? Absolutely!

The e28 was made for the M30 from the factory anyway, so you won't have any problems - I'd say fitting it would make negligible difference - people rave about the handling of the e28 M5, and the M88 is heavier again than the M30.

[Bearmw]

The later B35 blocks are supposed to be lighter and more prone to cracking near the head bolt areas. That said, many have successfully run a B35 up to some very high power numbers with a turbo. I'm running a high output NA B35 without any issue but if I was going ALL OUT on a turbo I might use a B34.

As far as handling, you might want to copy what Alpina, Schnitzer, and Hartge did with their M30 E30's for starters and see how it feels and then tweak it further to your specific taste.

I realized I mistakenly assumed we were talking about an E30. My advice is ask your same question on mye28.

[McGyver]

The goal for my car is to be as light and as well handling as possible.

If the goal is to have the car as light as possible, you will do better to keep the m20 and turbo it. Its probably that you will add the 40-50 extra pounds an m30 weight by adding the turbo parts. You will also have a more powerful car.

That said, I have an m30 in my vert and it sits a little too far forward (position 2?). M30s are a lot of fun in an e30. The torque, feel of it reving up, and sound of the engine is just amazing compared to an e30. It just feels like so much more car, more solid if that makes sense.

So if your goal is to have the car as light as possible, go for turbo m20. If you don't mind the extra weight, go m30 and possibly turbo it. They really are amazing engines.

[KrautnotRice]

I appreciate the real world feedback.
I do want to keep the m20 and turbo it. If I went m30 it would be turbo'd too, so either way I'm adding the weight of turbocharging.
An e30 with m30 sounds fun for sure! :)

[TimeMachinE30]

The later B35 blocks are supposed to be lighter and more prone to cracking near the head bolt areas. That said, many have successfully run a B35 up to some very high power numbers with a turbo. I'm running a high output NA B35 without any issue but if I was going ALL OUT on a turbo I might use a B34.

As far as handling, you might want to copy what Alpina, Schnitzer, and Hartge did with their M30 E30's for starters and see how it feels and then tweak it further to your specific taste.

I realized I mistakenly assumed we were talking about an E30. My advice is ask your same question on mye28.

ACS had an M30 E30?

[Bearmw]

Schnitzer may not have made any m30 E30's I just assumed they had.

[TimeMachinE30]

ACS did M30s. Just not for the E30 chasis surprisingly. 2.7 without cat is the biggest motor you could get in the paperwork I have. I would have to look again but the option was over 6k DM.

[KrautnotRice]

The e28 was made for the M30 from the factory anyway, so you won't have any problems - I'd say fitting it would make negligible difference - people rave about the handling of the e28 M5, and the M88 is heavier again than the M30.

True, the M5 motor is way heavier but besides suspension, BMW did a ton of weight distributing to make the M5 handle well like the huge marine type battery in the trunk, large case diff, self leveling suspension just off the top of my head. Don't get me wrong, I'd love an M5...