E30 with mustang 5.0 engine, HANDLING

[yodasbmw]

Hey guys,

I have a 2.7 liter 86es
looking at the 91 mustang gt 5.0 liter

Done some seaching in these forum but haven't found a lot about the handling after the swap. Noob when it comes to bmw's. I'm looking into the swap with the help of e30v8.com as many have. My question mainly is in regards to handling. I'm assuming the v8 will be heavier and so then it will throw off the great balance that the e30's have. Are there some major delete's to do in the front to offset the difference in weight? I'm talking to someone to do the swap. He let me know that there may be a 200 pound difference. I love speed but I love handling also. Looking to track the car at SCCA and willowsprings in LA. Any help would be appreciated!

[jeepywave]

yes he is about right its around 200 lbs heavier, but with gt40 aluminum heads thats about 45-50 lbs weight savings, ac delete saves a little more weight. It tends to over steer a little more as more weight on the front and the added torque. The biggest obsticle is breaking you have to find a way to slow down this monster bbk or etc also you will lose the brake booster. for a track car that is the biggest thing you will have to overcome.

[iansane]

Where did this 200 lbs heavier figure come from?

[yodasbmw]

Thanks jeepywave, yea, ac delete should help some with the aluminum heads as my ac doesn't really work anyways lol.

I'm assuming im losing the brake booster cause of the engine size? noob q probably. And yes I do value braking.

iansane: the v8 block versus the six that is in there. I was trying to find actual weight numbers for both engines...not as easy I would have thought.

[JGood]

From what I have read: The 5.0 is about 450lbs and and m20 is about 250lbs. The m60 is about 300lbs.


You can do a remote booster, or a custom pedal setup and run dual masters, or hydroboost, or maybe come up with your own solution. Everyone talks a lot of crap about the remote boosters, but I'll be honest, I've yet to have a single issue with mine. I bolted it in 15k miles ago, and haven't touched it since. It looks factory, uses factory parts, is strong and reliable. Maybe it's not for these shaved bay kids, but for a driver, it works well.

[yodasbmw]

For me as long as it works I don't care. my engine bay doesn't have to look 'clean' at all as long as I get from point A to point B, fast and reliably.

Thanks for the engine weight info JGood, I took a look at your car and wow!!!

[iansane]

From what I have read: The 5.0 is about 450lbs and and m20 is about 250lbs. The m60 is about 300lbs.

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=99913

Looks like 180kg or ~396lbs.

[Killacortes]

M20s a fat bastard. Needs to go on a diet

[JGood]

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=99913


Looks like 180kg or ~396lbs.

Makes sense. The 302 figure I found was a short block, probably no belt driven accessories, intake/exhaust manifolds, flywheel, harness, etc... It's probably more like 550-600 fully dressed and wet.

[jeepywave]

remote booster is awesome it is something i have really wanted to do seems like one of the best ways to do it

[jalopi]

My 302 only weighs 32 more pounds than my m20b27 did.

very streetable.

The car also likes to go sideways, a LOT.

All of this. Also, no idea why people think a 302 weighs as much as a chevy big block... the 302 is pretty small actually.

[eurotrash]

So not sure where people are getting the figures. The 302 is about 80lbs more in stock form and the weight is distributed towards the front with an inline 6. The 302 moves 2 cylinders back over the back of the front axel. By the time you put an alum intake heads accessory mounts and water pump it actually prob weighs less and def has a better distribution.

[jalopi]

I don't know... I feel like I must've put on a little bit of weight on the front end. Maybe not a lot, but I think my car sits a tid bit lower in the front now.

Also, the t5 is probably 20-40lbs heavier than the getrag.... either that, or I remember lifting the getrag being easier for some reason.

[eurotrash]

Tranny only matters for over all weight not so much distribution as it sits behind the front axel and close to the middle of the car. Ive got an m20 in my current car and i havent noticed a dif in handling . Obviously it oversteered more but that was right foot induced. I could throw it in just as hard and it didnt want to come around any more then the m20 car does.

[jalopi]

Ive got an m20 in my current car and i havent noticed a dif in handling.

I can still easily do 45 on those "25 mph" offramps with a little bit of wiggle room left. Used to do 50 with the m20 in there, but I was also four years younger at the time and way more reckless.

Damn... the lesson here kids is that only owning a beige toyota for three years makes you drive like a bitch