3.5l worth it?

[Stitche30]

hey guys done the head gasket on my 318is and cooked the motor, Im looking at a few options. One of them is a v8 swap, In Australia its hard to find the 4.0l for cheap. There seems to be an abundance of the 3.5l is it worth doing this swap?

[frankenbeemer]

Here in the USA it is a popular swap, and there are quite a few threads here to guide you through it. FrankM E30 has a free searchable PDF file with details. Info on that ITT: http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=231570

You might want to check with some of the Aussie members of the board to get info on licensing and inspection as I believe that varies from state to state in Australia.

[Stitche30]

Frakenbeemer thanks for your quick a informative response, whilst i have been looking at the m30 swap what i ment which i shouldve elaborated is the 3.5l v8 the m60b35 is it worth it?

[Jonsku]

There's no 3.5 variant from M60, they only come in 3.0 and 4.0 litre capacities.

The newer V8, M62, comes with either 4.4 or 3.5 litre capacity.

Basically all of those swaps are the same, though newer engines are a bit more complicated with all the electronics etc.. IMO the smaller ones are not worth the hassle, go straight for "big power" (=largest displacement). Anyhow, you could build it up with the smaller engine and once everything is sorted out, swap a larger displacement engine in there..

[Stitche30]

Right, so it'l be the m62 I'm buying then, is there hassles with the oil pan. I'm thinking i might just put a cheap 3.5l in for now or fork out the cash for the 4.0l. I have seen these wiring issues, but there is enough on the net to get my head around it.

[MonkeyMadness]

Do it.. You can always upgrade to a 4 or 4.4 later!
but you'll always have a V8..!