found a clean e46m3 motor

[tonytony]

well i dont know what the engine code is....anyway i was in search for a PS window when i stopped off at the local wrecking yard and i came across this engine. I thought man wouldn't it be nice to have that beast in my car, but i can't afford it and i woudlnt' know where to begin. so anyone know if this engine has been sucessfully swaped into the e30?

[Ray Smoodiver]

Not yet, check s14.net for a guy doing the S54 into E30 M3 project.

[bmwmike]

oh my, how much did they want for it anyway?

an e30 with smg would be very unique as well

[grapedrink]

oh my, how much did they want for it anyway?

an e30 with smg would be very unique as well

A little off topic but an auto E36 can have SMG with paddles and everything for around a grand.

[uofom3]

What did they want for the motor?

[Jand3rson]

Isn't the major issue that the motor is OBDII? IIRC, it's not any kind of straight-forward wiring job... :D

[808BMW]

I've always wondered, what do the top racing guys do as far as engine management in e46 m3's? Any standalone that does away with the BMW system entirely? MoTeC?

[James Crivellone]

Isn't the major issue that the motor is OBDII? IIRC, it's not any kind of straight-forward wiring job... :D

OBDII is not really the issue anymore, its the EWS systems that all the new cars have.

Assuming its the manual version and not SMG, the installation of the motor would be mainly limited by the amount of electrical work you would need to do on the car.

The easiest way would be to have the complete e46 m3 chassis and remove everything except for the engine harness, and the dash/vehicle harness...you basically remove everything that the motor does not need to run.

okay fairly simple, then you gotta retrofit the ignition key to allow the coded key to pass the EWS activation along to the ECU, at this point you need to customize the instrument cluster as well as teh new bmw's all run on a bus architecture, as compared to our older analog systems.

If you notice, most OBDII Swaps, as well as newer bmw engines (e39 m5, e46 m3, the m54 from the 330ci) all retain the factory electrical systems, all they do is tap them into the e30 chassis for power, and basically run both side by side.

Its one hell of a hackjob in my opinion, and if I were going to go batshit insane and run an S54 it would have aftermarket management to allow me to integrate it with any car I decide to put it in.


However for the price of the S54 (and its prolly a 2000 - 2001 motor (hello spun bearings)), the custom work to fit the damn thing, the electrical work to do it right, and the fact that you have a VERY expensive new motor to maintain. You could have one HELL of an S38 (E34 M5 Era) drivetrain that will offer as much horsepower, with half the headaches.

my

[DanGillan]

there's ways around ews, but yea, the electrical is the hack part in most of the swaps. its been done in an e36 a couple times, its only a matter of time until its done in an e30.

[FredK]

...the fact that you have a VERY expensive new motor to maintain. You could have one HELL of an S38 (E34 M5 Era) drivetrain that will offer as much horsepower, with half the headaches.

The S54 is no more expensive to maintain than an S38, or a Euro S50. They all require the valves to eventually be adjusted, and the water pumps are pretty much universally expensive. The S54 uses fewer rubber cooling hoses, so you're saving some money there when you have to do a cooling system overhaul. All the other parts are pretty reasonable (like oil filters, spark plugs, etc.)

Also, you can go to a stealer for a part and they MIGHT just have it (probably not, but you never know...), but if not, they can turn around and order it and you won't have to wait days for the parts to come in. Also, they won't look at you like you have a dick growing out of your forehead. :D

[Axxe]

If you use aftermarket engine management you loose the whole benefit of the double vanos of the S54, which gives it a decent amount of low end power. After driving an S54 powered Z3, I've fell in love with the instant power of the S54. And it idles well and gets great fuel economy if you're light on the gas (10L/100 on the highway at about 160 kph).

[jon volk]

Autronic SM4 will control dual vanos

http://www.autronic.com/page_files/sm4_kit.htm

[grapedrink]

With the amount of money and time it takes you could have an OBD1 S52 have the same power and be more reliable. The only thing I see that you would gain is the dual vanos.

[bmwmike]

A little off topic but an auto E36 can have SMG with paddles and everything for around a grand.

no an auto e36 with paddles is an auto e36 with paddles. SMG is a whole different ballgame. Im talking about an actual sequential gearbox, not this auto-paddle shifting pontiac garbage. Ive seen guys do that on X5's even

[Jon325i]

With the amount of money and time it takes you could have an OBD1 S52 have the same power and be more reliable. The only thing I see that you would gain is the dual vanos.

This would be the most straight-forward approach. I know that an US spec S52B32 converted over to OBD I is good for something in the low 270bhp range. Do a little port work, add some cams, and the appropriate software and you will be past the 300bhp threshold. The end result wouldn't be as exotic as having six individual throttle-bodies but it will be more reliable and nearly as powerful as an S54 or euro-spec S52.

As for the SMG box thing, to me that seems to be just more headaches in the making....especially when trying to swap it into an E30. I'm more of purist....just give me 5 or 6 cogs to shift and three pedals on the floor ;-)

Jon