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Which engine would you choose for a swap?

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  • Motheye99
    replied
    Originally posted by nando View Post
    yeah, it reminds me of the dodge 225 slant 6. you couldn't kill that thing. I saw one in a junkyard with a 6" hole in the block. I bet it still ran too..
    They call it the power tower. They're pretty legendary.

    Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

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  • nando
    replied
    yeah, it reminds me of the dodge 225 slant 6. you couldn't kill that thing. I saw one in a junkyard with a 6" hole in the block. I bet it still ran too..

    Leave a comment:


  • djjerme
    replied
    Originally posted by nando View Post
    I like M30s, they are old school cool, and tough as nails
    You wanna know just how tough the M30 is: After another car (full tube frame stock car) ran headlong in to the front of mine, taking out the radiator and pushing the whole front end of my race car in, I fired it back up after the collision and didn't see any smoke and everything looked good, so I continued to race for 2 more laps at full throttle. But then the smoke came and I limped back to the pit and parked it. The radiator had been punctured and lost all coolant on the initial hit, and I was running 2 and half laps at full throttle with no coolant.

    I was still able to fire the car up and drive it in the trailer, and we actually moved it under it's own power 4 more times until I got it back to my place earlier this year to disassemble the car. Upon tearing the motor apart, every piston was missing pieces on the crown edges, the cylinder bores had bits of piston melted/fused in to it, but the head gasket had held, and all the bearing surfaces were fine. Head surface was checked and is flat and no cracks.

    They are a tank.

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  • nando
    replied
    Originally posted by digger View Post
    stock M30 is a bit weak especially for its size, hypothetically it has more torque potential because it's a bigger engine and there's room more much more cubes if desired. On some of the mild builds the torque starts at 200+ from 2000rpm and never lets off. Paul Burke used to be the man.
    Power potential is probably about the same on a built engine as it has a big bore and can fit a huge inlet valve and flow essentially what a smaller bore 4V does.... Pursuing that too much distracts from the torque delivery as the valvetrain has some limitations (unless you get some radical custom parts) that will affect drivebility and lessen some of its strengths.

    totally different style of power delivery though so certainly a matter of preferences.
    N52 makes peak torque at ~2000rpm as well (thanks to advancements like vanos, VVL, DISA, etc). It's like having the same flat torque curve only with a more compact engine that weighs like 150lbs less, and it revs to 7000rpm stock.

    I like M30s, they are old school cool, and tough as nails - but I wouldn't personally want one in an E30. Actually, it would be really cool to dump it into some old American rat rod..

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  • djjerme
    replied
    Originally posted by flyboyx View Post
    this is one of those threads that when it was first posted i figured it would die after about 9 entries or so. how it has made it all the way to 162 is almost unfathomable.?
    Because this has been one of those threads where it was allowed to venture off topic, but it was beneficial. Almost kind of an information dump for all of us on the pros and cons of motor swaps. It's been civilized, and informative.

    If only the rest of the world could discuss topics in the same decorum...


    :)

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  • Northern
    replied
    I'd probably say:

    4-cyl: K24 (assuming swap kit comes out for a reasonable price, and I can use a ZF320 or G260)

    6-cyl: many options depending on goals/resources: M52, S52, M54, S54, N52. Probably wouldn't consider others.

    8-cyl: LS scaled to budget, going from $300 junkyard aluminum 5.3 variant thru to crate motor. T-5 on a budget to versions of the T56/TR6060.

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  • Northern
    replied
    Originally posted by varg View Post
    Bang for the buck? I'm still trying to figure out why anyone would go through all of the trouble of a V8 swap for an engine that makes <300hp, has next to no aftermarket, and limited NA performance potential.
    Preach.

    I had an M62 for a while and it's just sad that there's nothing you can really do besides firing an older intake manifold on and buying an M60 to harvest the heads from. What else are you going to do? custom headers? $2600 VAC cams? It's a dead-end engine unless you intend to boost it, but I don't want to think about availability of pistons/rods/gaskets, or packaging a turbo(two?) with a DOHC V8. Exception being if you wanted 300HP and the characteristics of a V8, and one of them fell into your lap.

    An LSx makes so much more sense for weight/power/cost/aftermarket, only downsides are T56 cost, and from the perspective of a semi-purist who gives a stamp of approval for same-brand engine swaps.
    Last edited by Northern; 07-24-2019, 09:06 AM.

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  • flyboyx
    replied
    this is one of those threads that when it was first posted i figured it would die after about 9 entries or so. how it has made it all the way to 162 is almost unfathomable.

    i think the only viable swaps today for an e30 would be an m/s54 or m6x.

    swapping in the 4 bangers listed are quite silly for the reasons that have been posted above in multiple entries.

    yeah...an s14 would be cool but it is economically irresponsible and unfeasible considering other choices availible. for that kind of money you could have an s62 and 400 ponies.

    why would anyone go through all that trouble if you cant add at least 80hp?

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  • Wolfman
    replied
    1. S14 in a 2002
    2. M54 in a daily e39 530i
    3. M42/44 at the end of a really long rope, attached to a boat

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  • E30 Wagen
    replied
    I remember researching roller rockers for the m30 and that there was a guy on the 2002 forums who was developing them but I don't think he ever finished. I was always really curious how substantial an improvement that could make to engine breathing and efficiency, but no doubt would be very expensive like the rhd m20 kit is. I just loved the m30 in the e28 535i 5 speed I had for a short while, and the Alpina m30 cars are really something to behold.

    Leave a comment:


  • djjerme
    replied
    Which of these 3 engines would you choose for a swap? M54, M42/M44 stroker, or S14

    Depends on the engine mounts used. In the racecar I had to the beat the firewall to mount it further back for a little better position balance wise and more space in front.

    My Alpina B6, the Alpina mounts (which is what a 333i is) it’s mounted further forward, so yes, they didn’t bash the firewall. The radiator is a custom Alpina piece and mounts forward, and they only used an electric fan mounted in front of the radiator. No, they didn’t come with AC originally, but several were retrofitted.

    As for rev’s, the 2.8 will grab rpm’s quickly and it’s redline is 6.5k. The M30B34 I’m putting in the racecar, is stock euro bottom end, ported head and will be running 308 cam with just HD rockers, redline will be 7000. M30’s can topend just find, these ain’t GM straight 6, still over square motors.


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  • justinpirie
    replied
    I don’t think you need to beat the **** of the firewall to get the M30 in, especially if you put it in from below on the subframe. Going in from the top is tight. The 333i lost a/c or power steering- I can’t remember which, to fit into the e30.

    Nice thing about the M30 is you don’t have to relocate the booster. What are the clutch issues you speak of?

    It’s one of my favourite e30 swaps too!


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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  • digger
    replied
    Originally posted by nando View Post
    M30 is more period correct - but the N52 is much lighter, makes more torque and has way more power potential. So it's more about what you like than anything.
    stock M30 is a bit weak especially for its size, hypothetically it has more torque potential because it's a bigger engine and there's room more much more cubes if desired. On some of the mild builds the torque starts at 200+ from 2000rpm and never lets off. Paul Burke used to be the man.
    Power potential is probably about the same on a built engine as it has a big bore and can fit a huge inlet valve and flow essentially what a smaller bore 4V does.... Pursuing that too much distracts from the torque delivery as the valvetrain has some limitations (unless you get some radical custom parts) that will affect drivebility and lessen some of its strengths.

    totally different style of power delivery though so certainly a matter of preferences.

    Leave a comment:


  • Motheye99
    replied
    Originally posted by nando View Post
    M30 is more period correct - but the N52 is much lighter, makes more torque and has way more power potential. So it's more about what you like than anything.
    M30 is like a big block chevy and a N52 is a All aluminum V8 with VVT and the works.

    Leave a comment:


  • nando
    replied
    M30 is more period correct - but the N52 is much lighter, makes more torque and has way more power potential. So it's more about what you like than anything.

    Leave a comment:

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