Which engine would you choose for a swap?

[JimmyP]

Do you get any chatter and excessive vibration with the lightweight flywheel?

Chatter I dont experience.
There was very little change in vibration with stock driveline mounts, but those are so mushy.
When I went to the E21 trans and Bimmerworld Gruppe N engine mounts, yeah if got pretty rowdy.
I personally dont care much about that much, I have a pretty high tolerance for NVH if the car is fun to drive.
With the lightweight flywheel, stiff mounts and stiff bushings throughout the suspension its like a go kart.

[e30austin]

24v exhaust is pretty raspy, yeah. I do think M20s sound better overall. Actually, I don't really like loud exhausts at all - induction noise is where it's at IMO.

The older I get, the more I agree with you on the loud exhaust part.

[Staszek]

24v exhaust is pretty raspy, yeah. I do think M20s sound better overall. Actually, I don't really like loud exhausts at all - induction noise is where it's at IMO. The S54 with the CSL airbox is the best sound ever (except maybe the S70 V12).

The popular mod with new BMWs is muffler deletes. Literally, people cut off the muffler on their mom's old 328i. It sounds horrible, probably what people are thinking of when they say the newer cars sound like crap. Then they pay extra for a tune that makes them backfire, or if it's new enough, to "enhance" the fake engine sounds coming through the speakers. God, BMW sucks these days...

Agreed, that is why I love my S65 the induction noise is intoxicating!

The S54 with an xpipe removes all the rasp.

Everyone thought I was crazy putting in an E36 M3 exhaust with my swap thinking it would be too quiet, I think its perfect, quiet when at idle and normal speeds and wakes up very nicely when punched.

I also dont like loud exhausts. Getting old:)

[nando]

The exhaust on my 330i is completely stock. Somebody gave me a mid pipe (no cats) - I thought about it for like 10 minutes, realized I'd have to cut stuff, and was like, nahhh. I'll save it for the E30.

[325e '87]

:loco:

Hahaha, I don’t think I’ve been hanging around here long enough to call anyone crazy but I’m sure glad you and Austin didn’t let that comment slide.

[JimmyP]

If you guys are making a case for engine sound, obviously you are all too young to not have ever heard a race S14.

There isnt a better sounding engine than "maybe" the P60B40.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tR-wOK85ruw

[digger]

most s54 where you hear the exhaust sound rubbish, the S52 even worse, i am not sure the m20 is any better TBH. all of them sound better with quieter exhausts.

[Motheye99]

Race s14's are atleast 25-30k. And p60 is non existent, you'd be better off getting a Juud V8.

https://youtu.be/cyqJxXolico

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

[Slybeanx]

Why the M54> the M52? Isnt the M52 real easy to swap?

[nando]

Because it's heavy, underpowered and really old. If you're fine with a 200k junkyard swap, good for you..

[digger]

alloy block m52 with S52 crank would probqbly be acceptable. Still has the povo spec vanos though

[nando]

Alloy block M52s are extremely rare here.

[Andrew325is]

We seem to be getting engine sound and exhaust sound mixed up. The exhaust sound on the built M20 in that video sounds awful. Maybe the engine sounds lovely, but you can't hear it becomes it's enveloped in the exhaust sound. IMO the S54 engine sound is very nice and that's what I was referring to, but I've heard very awful sounding exhaust on S54 cars. I can't hear the M20 much in my car. It's not a loud engine the way it is and combined with sound deadening and the stock exhaust it doesn't sound like much, so I agree there that it sounds lovely (or rather the lack of annoying exhaust sound is lovely.)

The sound of that race S14 is beyond lovely.

[Andrew325is]

Why the M54> the M52? Isnt the M52 real easy to swap?

That's a good point. The M52 is right in there. Pretty close to the stock S14 by the numbers. I guess I should have just labeled that poll option as "Alloy block M5x".

[Andrew325is]

Alloy block M52s are extremely rare here.

Not really. There are 2 pages of listings for Z3 2.8 engines on car-part.com at auto wreckers around the country and 7 with under 100k miles. Plenty of salvage part cars too at the various auctions.