The Journey of Linda and Friends - the M20b31 Lives

[Bimmerguy91]

Finally got the car to the new place!

Now that it's here, I am heavily debating on what to tackle first. I'm leaning towards tackling the chassis first and knocking out all of the suspension/reinforcement/etc, and then moving onto the motor/swap once that is completed.

I think that is the best way to do it. That's what I'm doing. I did the front suspension right when I got the car. About to pull the rear subframe and do it as well as new brakes all the way around. Once that's all done and I have my S52 absolutely 100% ready to go then I will swap it in.

I think doing it this way you minimize your down time and the car is more prepared for having a significant increase in power output.

[Bimmerguy91]

I'm very excited to see how it all unfolds!! With long tubes, a good exhaust, s52 cams, and normal bolt ons, I'm very interested to see what it makes and how it feels in an E30 compared to an S52 (what I assume will be a negligible difference).

At that point you will basically have a 2.8 liter S52 with bolt ons so the difference in power between it and a similarly modded S52 should be directly correlated to the difference in displacement, 12.5% less.

[AWDBOB]

Noted! My fiancé and I closed today and we move in Saturday and I think she's underestimating the amount of space my parts/tools are going to take :D. Im digging the setup you've got going there.

Congrats! It doesn't really hit you until you start moving stuff in! I have a press that I haven't had the chance to set up yet too. I think with that along with a blast cabinet it will be a great little place to get stuff done.

I think that is the best way to do it. That's what I'm doing. I did the front suspension right when I got the car. About to pull the rear subframe and do it as well as new brakes all the way around. Once that's all done and I have my S52 absolutely 100% ready to go then I will swap it in.

I think doing it this way you minimize your down time and the car is more prepared for having a significant increase in power output.

Agreed! I think that's what I have settled on. That way I really get the chassis ready by giving it my full attention.

At that point you will basically have a 2.8 liter S52 with bolt ons so the difference in power between it and a similarly modded S52 should be directly correlated to the difference in displacement, 12.5% less.

The M52 is getting 3L internals! I know roughly what it *should* make, I am just excited to see the outcome :)

[Bimmerguy91]

Congrats! It doesn't really hit you until you start moving stuff in! I have a press that I haven't had the chance to set up yet too. I think with that along with a blast cabinet it will be a great little place to get stuff done.



Agreed! I think that's what I have settled on. That way I really get the chassis ready by giving it my full attention.



The M52 is getting 3L internals! I know roughly what it *should* make, I am just excited to see the outcome :)

Awesome so if it has 3.0 internals it should only have 6.25% less displacement and power :D

Are you using M54 internals? Do you already have them?

[AWDBOB]

Awesome so if it has 3.0 internals it should only have 6.25% less displacement and power :D

Are you using M54 internals? Do you already have them?

Yes and yes! I'm about to bring it all to the machine shop next week to get checked/balanced.

[Bimmerguy91]

Very nice! The M54 internals result in a slightly lower compression ratio than an S52 but its a very nice inexpensive way to build a nice powerful 24v motor. I actually have a complete M54B30 long block and M50 long block that I was going to build the same setup with but ended up buying an entire E36 M3 and parting it out. May still build it and put it in another car at some point.

[Bimmerguy91]

BTW I've been following your thread for a while. Love it! Any updates on the E30 M3?

[AWDBOB]

Very nice! The M54 internals result in a slightly lower compression ratio than an S52 but its a very nice inexpensive way to build a nice powerful 24v motor. I actually have a complete M54B30 long block and M50 long block that I was going to build the same setup with but ended up buying an entire E36 M3 and parting it out. May still build it and put it in another car at some point.

BTW I've been following your thread for a while. Love it! Any updates on the E30 M3?

Thanks, man! I was looking for an E36 M3 to part out but I just couldn't find something reasonable. Thusly, I went the affordable route with the motor in hopes to just build something functional that I could finish up swiftly and drive. Every car I've built my entire life up to this point I have built and sold, skipping the driving part, so this is the car I'm building just to drive, rather than just to build.

I am very excited- a guy on another forum made 292hp on an M52b30 with ITBs which increased my 'stoke' meter significantly. I couldn't find an S52 motor, no accessories, for under $2K and I will be in this entire swap about that (exhaust not included). BTW my comp calculations based on 36cc combustion chamber of the M52 showed it will be around 10.1:1, which isn't too bad of a drop, though I'm sure it'll be noticeable.

If someone made off the shelf pistons that were a little taller I'd definitely pick them up for the build so the b30 pistons don't sit as low in the cylinder, but I don't want to get custom ones made for sake of availability again in the future, time and price.

The M3 is good! Well, sort of. I sent it back home for my Father to work on because I didn't have a spot for it out here, and he hasn't touched it. Now that I have the house and don't have to risk parts being stolen I am shipping it back out and will get started on bringing her back. Now that I've owned the car for a while even though it's been in PA, I am getting extremely excited about the project.

[Jaker]

I am very excited- a guy on another forum made 292hp on an M52b30 with ITBs which increased my 'stoke' meter significantly.

Can you point the way to this? My M50B30 with lots done to it is making 270whp-240ft/lbs right now without ITBs.

[AWDBOB]

Can you point the way to this? My M50B30 with lots done to it is making 270whp-240ft/lbs right now without ITBs.

Yes, that build is here:

http://www.cliosport.net/threads/e36-track-day-hack-m52-m54-3-0l-engine-build.717773/page-19

I'd be interested in hearing more about your build!

[Jaker]

I remember seeing about that car now. Thanks for the reminder. I wonder what HP stat he's quoting: simulated/corrected crank horsepower, or something else. My numbers are Dynojet, so if the 15% rule is anywhere near accurate, I'm at about 317-318 crank horsepower and 282 ft/lbs.

I've posted my info somewhere else on the forum (don't have a build thread). Here it is again:

1993 325is - 2,380lbs no driver

3.0 build, M52 Z3 aluminum block, Vanos head
11.5:1 84.5mm Imagineering pistons (Paul Burke)
Metric Mechanic rally cams
Molnar rods
Ported head
1mm over valves
3.5" intake
540i MAF
Riot Racing 68mm TB
24lb injectors
22nd Productions remote tune (22rpd.com) on Bosch 413 DME
Lightweight S52 crank
UUC flywheel/M5 clutch
Raceland shorty headers
Custom 3" exhaust
Several oiling mods





I've just about finished bolting on a 75mm VC TB, I have a new custom made to my engine specs header and I'm in the process of converting to Megasquirt MS3Pro. I am seriously thinking about going to the RHD ITBs and doing a dual Vanos conversion. Want to boost this puppy up:

[AWDBOB]

I remember seeing about that car now. Thanks for the reminder. I wonder what HP stat he's quoting: simulated/corrected crank horsepower, or something else. My numbers are Dynojet, so if the 15% rule is anywhere near accurate, I'm at about 317-318 crank horsepower and 282 ft/lbs.

I've posted my info somewhere else on the forum (don't have a build thread). Here it is again:

1993 325is - 2,380lbs no driver

3.0 build, M52 Z3 aluminum block, Vanos head
11.5:1 84.5mm Imagineering pistons (Paul Burke)
Metric Mechanic rally cams
Molnar rods
Ported head
1mm over valves
3.5" intake
540i MAF
Riot Racing 68mm TB
24lb injectors
22nd Productions remote tune (22rpd.com) on Bosch 413 DME
Lightweight S52 crank
UUC flywheel/M5 clutch
Raceland shorty headers
Custom 3" exhaust
Several oiling mods

I've just about finished bolting on a 75mm VC TB, I have a new custom made to my engine specs header and I'm in the process of converting to Megasquirt MS3Pro. I am seriously thinking about going to the RHD ITBs and doing a dual Vanos conversion. Want to boost this puppy up:

Wow, you've got some serious work into that thing- I am impressed. Our motors will be on two different levels, but that power level is fantastic, especially for those shorty headers and no ITBs.

Dual vanos + ITBs you'd be well over 300whp.

I actually spoke with him about it- the 292 was crank HP. But he just did a stock bottom end transplant with new rings/bearings like I'm doing + ITBs. If I make 225whp (Dynojet) on this thing I'll be happy. I am staying OBD2.

I am curious- what is the availability like on those pistons? You didn't change rod length did you? Unless you lengthened the rod and moved the wrist pin up a bit to improve rod/stroke? If those pistons are available to drop onto my M54 crank and rods I'd likely go that route.

[Bimmerguy91]

I remember seeing about that car now. Thanks for the reminder. I wonder what HP stat he's quoting: simulated/corrected crank horsepower, or something else. My numbers are Dynojet, so if the 15% rule is anywhere near accurate, I'm at about 317-318 crank horsepower and 282 ft/lbs.

I've posted my info somewhere else on the forum (don't have a build thread). Here it is again:

1993 325is - 2,380lbs no driver

3.0 build, M52 Z3 aluminum block, Vanos head
11.5:1 84.5mm Imagineering pistons (Paul Burke)
Metric Mechanic rally cams
Molnar rods
Ported head
1mm over valves
3.5" intake
540i MAF
Riot Racing 68mm TB
24lb injectors
22nd Productions remote tune (22rpd.com) on Bosch 413 DME
Lightweight S52 crank
UUC flywheel/M5 clutch
Raceland shorty headers
Custom 3" exhaust
Several oiling mods





I've just about finished bolting on a 75mm VC TB, I have a new custom made to my engine specs header and I'm in the process of converting to Megasquirt MS3Pro. I am seriously thinking about going to the RHD ITBs and doing a dual Vanos conversion. Want to boost this puppy up:

:devil:

[Jaker]

I am curious- what is the availability like on those pistons? You didn't change rod length did you? Unless you lengthened the rod and moved the wrist pin up a bit to improve rod/stroke? If those pistons are available to drop onto my M54 crank and rods I'd likely go that route.

I don't know what Paul Burke's (Imagineering) status is these days. He's had some serious health issues in the last couple years. Last I heard he was stepping away from the industry for the foreseeable future.

Keep in mind that my pistons are designed and made with a "special" deck height in mind. The block I used had .090" removed to clean up some serious pitting (almost gouging) from an overheated motor/blown headgasket. I used the Cometic .140" headgasket to overcome some of this, but the ring pack had to be dropped down the piston a bit to prevent the rings from getting too close to/up into the headgasket area and the compression height is not the same as it would be for a normal unmachined iron block.

[AWDBOB]

I don't know what Paul Burke's (Imagineering) status is these days. He's had some serious health issues in the last couple years. Last I heard he was stepping away from the industry for the foreseeably future.

Keep in mind that my pistons are designed and made with a "special" deck height in mind. The block I used had .090" removed to clean up some serious pitting (almost gouging) from an overheated motor/blown headgasket. I used the Cometic .140" headgasket to overcome some of this, but the ring pack had to be dropped down the piston a bit to prevent the rings from getting too close to/up into the headgasket area and the compression height is not the same as it would be for a normal unmachined iron block.

Ah, so they were custom pistons after all. You should make a build thread so I can follow when you get the new setup dialed in!