E30 m20 3.1L 276whp NA

[digger]

A fellow Aussie building big power m20’s that people might be interested in.

https://youtu.be/uBJyIYByDM4

there’s a whole bunch of other videos on the channel worth watching

[hasa]

Nice to see serious action in M20 scene. Did he rebuild the RHD rockers, what was the reason for that?

[AWDBOB]

This channel is great- thanks for the share. Interesting that RHD made a file for their head work. Would be incredible if we were able to get that done across the pond here.

[hasa]

Interesting that RHD made a file for their head work.

Where is a file?

[AWDBOB]

Where is a file?

He's obviously not sharing it. GRR talked about it in a different video, that RHD is having another machine shop CNC port their M20 heads, meaning that they developed a file for said port work.

[hasa]

Ah ok, I understand now. Machine instructions for CNC. That must be based on some commodity blank head like AMC. I doubt they could copy welded 200/731 or something like that.

[digger]

Nice to see serious action in M20 scene. Did he rebuild the RHD rockers, what was the reason for that?

Atleast one reason was he changed out the needle rollers as at one point the supplier of them was supplying lesser quality ones with fewer needles 9 instead of 11 iirc. i also swapped out the needles with mine to the 11 needle german ones

[bangn]

thanks for the share, guy is super chill to watch. Bit scary the fiasco with his port work.

[Northern]

He mentioned making a video about the falling out between him and RHD in one video, but I didn't see him follow up on it anywhere specifically, but I guess he had some QC issues?

Edit: Just seems to be sprinkled across all the head/rocker/ITB videos

[reelizmpro]

Wow, that's awesome, I don't recall seeing anyone get higher numbers. I was a believer of NA engines for a long time but I always felt the one thing keeping M20 NA high horsepower development down was the fact it's an interference 2 valve engine. You could potentially have a lot of money/time go down the drain if the belt breaks at high RPM. Turbocharging is pretty much bolt on and can make great power with a stockish M20. If something happens, you just get another engine.

[digger]

Wow, that's awesome, I don't recall seeing anyone get higher numbers. I was a believer of NA engines for a long time but I always felt the one thing keeping M20 NA high horsepower development down was the fact it's an interference 2 valve engine. You could potentially have a lot of money/time go down the drain if the belt breaks at high RPM. Turbocharging is pretty much bolt on and can make great power with a stockish M20. If something happens, you just get another engine.

I know of 3 others that make more power (all in oz btw and porting done by 1 of 2 people). Timing belt breakage is not the issue

[hasa]

the fact it's an interference 2 valve engine.

This would mean that there is no point to develop any of the traditional American V8's including LS and Nascar engines (that actually have very high volumetric efficiency)

Of course there are numbers and numbers. I wish someone would build proper M20 ( 3.0 bottom, 210cfm head, rhd rollers ) and put it to engine dyno. I'd love to see when the engine output reach S54 level.

[bangn]

The thing thats kept development down is the cost to increase hp in that engine, given the large amount of engine options available and the ease of just dumping in an m50/52/54 for chump change brings it down to not being economical to continue with the m20 and some would rather put that money into something that has more future power on the table. Especially if they have killed their m20 and are faced with a full rebuild or a low K m52.

The ones that do push the m20 are those who love the engine for all its flaws and challenge themselves to see what they can get from it.

[digger]

This would mean that there is no point to develop any of the traditional American V8's including LS and Nascar engines (that actually have very high volumetric efficiency)

Of course there are numbers and numbers. I wish someone would build proper M20 ( 3.0 bottom, 210cfm head, rhd rollers ) and put it to engine dyno. I'd love to see when the engine output reach S54 level.

if I’m not mistaken this is a mainline dyno so this engine is already making in excess of s54 power with a street 286 cam

The thing thats kept development down is the cost to increase hp in that engine, given the large amount of engine options available and the ease of just dumping in an m50/52/54 for chump change brings it down to not being economical to continue with the m20 and some would rather put that money into something that has more future power on the table. Especially if they have killed their m20 and are faced with a full rebuild or a low K m52.

The ones that do push the m20 are those who love the engine for all its flaws and challenge themselves to see what they can get from it.

You’re m50/52/54 swap is making like 120 to 140rwkw

A high performance m20 is not cheap but a lot of peoples budget are wasted on parts that don’t make power. So focusing on the right parts will comfortably see north of 170rwkw and potentially significantly so

[hasa]

if I’m not mistaken this is a mainline dyno so this engine is already making in excess of s54 power with a street 286 cam

S54 is about 340bhp DIN. How would any M20 produce that with lousy cam like 286, considering that best heads are restricted to 210-215cfm (which translates to around 325hp) ? You need duration, lots of it to get the required volumetric efficiency.