Help me pick a motor....M30 BABY ! Advice welcome....

[george graves]

EDITED: to have prices...

FYI: I have 2 choices for motors for an m30 swap...you help me pick!

Motor 1: 1988 635csi with only 90k on the clock. This motor is motrontic 1.1. And came from an automatic tranny car. Location: OR, Price: asking $650 + pick up or shipping($200?)



Motor 2: The other came from a 1989 535i e34 auto with 140 on the clock. It's motrontic 1.3 Location: NC, Price: $unknown - haven't setteled on one...



Both cars have been sitting for a while. The first car has been test driven and proclaimed to "pull hard" by none other than our almighty Jordan. ;)

But being that I live in CA - someday I am going to have to deal with smog. I think it would be easier to do motor #2 (the car I am putting it in is a 1989 325is)

Oh I could just play dumb when I smog it and not take it to a "ref" station, just let it pass as if it was an m20 motor. Maybe with a new cat and O2 sensor the M30 would pass the m20 test?

The seller for the 140k e34 motor is being difficult. He wanted a $100 deposit just to go accross town and check the VIN and run a compression check for me. He hasn't done it yet (told him to wait) and will refund my deposit.

Motor 1 has not been compression checked.

I don't know? What do you guys think?

(PS - no replies like buy an m50/s50 - obviously I doing an m30 swap here...)

[Rob]

Re: Help me pick a motor....Advice welcome!

The seller for the 140k e34 motor is being difficult. He wanted a $100 deposit just to go check the VIN and run a compression check for me. He hasn't done it yet (told him to wait) and will refund my deposit.

Thats not difficult, thats shady as fuck, run away, I would. I'd got for the Oregon motor simply because its closer.

[KenC]

I rode in Joe's 635csi a day or so before he parted it. It definitely pulls hard. It scooted up to 100 on 1-5 pretty damn quick. It's only got 90k on the clock and he's asking a very reasonable price.

[george graves]

CA SMOG LAWS....

This is very straightforward - you must use an engine that is the same model or year or newer than the the veicle it is going into for the swap to be street-legal. Forget dropping in that dual-carb big-block you salvaged from your brother-in-laws boat if you started with a fuel-injected I-6. Sure it will have moer power, but you'll never get it certified. In addition the swap must meet the same or a more stringent new vehicle certification standard than the motor or body origianlly required. This means that you ca't pollute more than either the engine donating or receiving vechiles did new.

[KenC]

Well I guess it's really up to you then what you want to do about the smog check. If the first motor is out of the question due to smog regulations, then why are you considering getting it?

I'd agree with Roba nd say that the second guy is kinda shady... Perhaps you should keep looking.

[ejmpower]

I say take one of them, quickly, cause I want those 325i parts....and I want them yesterday....


Its a hard decision but I am sure it will all work out. Sorry that I dont have any new advice but you have been talking it over a lot with Ryan and I. I say go with the motor you know the most about, can fill in the details (like smog) later.

[Rob]

will the smog refs really know the difference between a m20 and m30? I mean a properly running m30 shouldnt pollute any more a M20....

[bimmerlover]

Given the info there.. I'd vote for the E34 M30.
If the price for it was given, I missed it.. but the 88 6er M30 is overpriced IMO.

[BS87]

Given the info there.. I'd vote for the E34 M30.
If the price for it was given, I missed it.. but the 88 6er M30 is overpriced IMO.

At 650, and has 90k on it? nahh.

This is very straightforward - you must use an engine that is the same model or year or newer than the the veicle it is going into for the swap to be street-legal.

So if you buy the 88.... Just tell them its from 89, which is the same year as your 325i... You really thing they will be able to tell the difference between an 88 and an 89 M30 with just a lookover?

[george graves]

They look for a vin mumber on the motor - and offten like to see a recipt for the motor wiht the same vin.

Another option is to *borrow* a vin sticker off an '89+ and slap it on the motor.

Does BMW engrave the VIN or is always only a sticker?

[Jordan]

The VIN is a sticker, and it is stuck on the top of the head.

[rs4pro3]

I'd go for the engine in Oregan, then just pull the Vin tag, tell them it came of a 89 model and they'll probally never know the difference.
It's best to buy and engine from someone who knows what they are doing and are willing to do those checks for you for no charge. When I was looking I found one engine closer but the seller had no idea what an m30 engine was so I went with an engine farther away, but the seller verified for me that it spun free and what not.

[Jordan]

I gave my word on the engine, and the seller Joe is a upstanding member of the online community.

What else do you need to know?

[F|2eeSTy|e]

I gave my word on the engine, and the seller Joe is a upstanding member of the online community.

What else do you need to know?

^^ It doesnt sound to me like he is worried about any of that - I think he is worried about having the smog testing done

:EDIT: heh, forgot to put in my vote - 88 with 90k from Oregon

[george graves]

I'm not so much worried about the '88 motor - they guy selling (Joe) is nice , and sounds like he knows what he is doing - and if I buy the motor I can say it's been "blessed" by Jordan...

These M30 motors are STOUT...like you have to messes up and run it out of oil to kill it. So I'm not too worried about the internals. The '88 motor is just not as desirable as a motrontic 1.3 motors...

Part of me thinks that I should just risk taking the car to a getto smog place that never sees BMW's ... Like they would ever know the difference - m20 vs m30? ...give me a break. It's just will suck if a cop ever asks to pop the hood, or tickets me to take it to a smog ref - I'll be up shit creek.