Swap Cost Comparisons: M30vsM50vsS50vsS52

[BeirBrennerE30]

obd1 s52us, s54 or s62... if you not gonna swap one of those in your just better of turboing the m20 imho

[PУCCKAЯ_e30ka]

honestly, to me it seems that there are more m50/s50 swap links and sources... not much about m30 'cept for e30.de, anyone care to post some links about the m30 swap?

[smonkbmw]

you forgot the in between. m52 with s52 cams. so far im in it 4000 including motor.

[PУCCKAЯ_e30ka]

How much heavier is the M30 than the M20 or compared to the S50/52 engines?

i would like to know that as well!

[Garageaholic]

honestly, to me it seems that there are more m50/s50 swap links and sources... not much about m30 'cept for e30.de, anyone care to post some links about the m30 swap?

i would like to know that as well!

To answer both of your questions, go to www.jaredsquires.com

There is a great writeup in "no decal performance" under 1990 335i section.

That's 1 writeup.

You can also refer to this forum. I would be more than willing to help ANYBODY willing to do an M30 swap IN DETAIL. Not to mention, i learned from Rs4pro3 about what's around and alot of other dinosaurs here.

I was thinking of doing a writeup myself, but I would have no place to host it online.. hint hint... (offers?)

[PУCCKAЯ_e30ka]

that's a great link!

[PiercedE30]

I have been working on my M50 for about 2.5-3 months straight now and I'm finally on the last leg of putting my motor together. I did tear the ENTIRE motor down and have a lot of machine work done. I am replacing EVERY gasket in the motor and bearings so that I would have a practically new engine. I am also building the motor that I want the way I want it. All my gaskets/bearings/whatever are also being bought at cost and not list since I work at a German vehicle shop and we use WorldPac for all of our parts.
I think I am some where in the 4-5 thousand range with the cost of the car. I still have to buy a clutch kit, ARP main studs, head gasket, one camshaft, motor mounts, and a few odds and ends.

[X2theZ3]

How much heavier is the M30 than the M20 or compared to the S50/52 engines?

The m30 is about 15 lbs heavier than the m50/s50.

[HST]

I'd say a boosted M30 would be the tits.

[Ray Smoodiver]

Boosted alloy block M52 > all.

[SpunkyE30nOk]

Boosted alloy block M52 > all.

boosted M30> all....the block from the M30 is the same block for the M88/S38 and racing versions of the M30 in the late 70s were making over 450hp at the crank, w today's technology im sure you can get that and more reliably from a M30. The M30 is a tried and true work horse. Sure a M52 revs to 7000 w a chip a m30 revs to 6600 rpm w a chip but has so much torque its not nessecessary. I love the way a M52 sounds...sweet and serine. But the M30 w a free flow exhaust burps, and gurgles like it means business, (b/c it does). The M30 is more of a masculine raw motor.. while the M52 is effiecient, sweet, tidy motor

[BeirBrennerE30]

Boosted alloy block M52 > all.

until it blows... alloy block is not good for boost..

turbo s54 sounds better than them all... and at more power

[BingM3]

Less my S14 engine (sold for $ 3,700 with tranny)...my conversion came to about $ 5,300 with everything including E34M5 clutch and UUC Flywheel...My s50/tranny only has 32,000 miles...wait time for entire conversion...2 weeks over at Azevedo

[george graves]

The M30 is more of a masculine raw motor.. while the M52 is effiecient, sweet, tidy motor

Very good way to put it.

[euroshark]

Very good way to put it.

Not to mention that the M30 takes boost like it's nothing... Stock internals can handle as much boost as most people would consider throwing at a 3.5 liter motor that lives in a street car... We are talking 400rwhp easy with the TCD stage 2 and stage 3 kit (coming soon?).