My E30 has been feeling sluggish for almost a year now, so I've been looking at options.
First idea was to replace the head gasket on my oil-leaking M20; I found a drip on the exhaust side between the headers, and I'm adding a quart of oil maybe once a month. So I bought an M20 head, a complete gasket kit, timing belt, water pump, head bolts... the whole top-end kit. I disassembled the head, ready for a light machining and testing by my local engine machine shop.
But that head has been sitting in my garage and my car still leaks. Instead, I've nearly abandoned that idea because I did a compression test, and my #4 cylinder is pretty low. I poured in a little oil and the reading spiked up to normal (bad rings confirmed). So refreshing the top end won't really solve my sluggish engine; the whole motor could use a refresh.
With that in mind, I looking into 24v swaps. I've been sitting on the idea for months, waiting for something magical to happen.
As such, when a friend mentioned he had an S52 for sale, my attention was drawn. Described as "needing a bottom end rebuild," for $600 which included the motor & auto trans & ebay headers and complete harness, I thought
"Yeah, I can tackle this. How bad could it be?"
I bought the motor. It was night when I first saw it/picked it up. Just as a precaution to make sure oil didn't spill everywhere, I undid the oil pan bolt to drain whatever might be there. Only a few drops of water came out. I thought "okay cool, the oil's already been drained." We loaded the engine in my car and I took it home. (Yes, an S52 does fit in the passenger compartment with the seat taken out, if you were wondering.)
Upon disassembly, the reason only drops of water came out was because the milkshake mixture was clogging the rest of the oil from draining. The cam journals were scored from metal debris. Where from, you ask? This motor spun a rod bearing. And all that bearing material cycled through the motor, tearing up all the critical surfaces. Unrelated, but some of the exhaust threads in the head for those studs are jacked up, from when the previous owner ripped them out and reinstalled them for his shitty headers.
My "friend" (the seller) isn't about to give me my money back. So I basically have a heavy paperweight. I was able to sell the e36 oil pan though, so that was nice.
Given the circumstance, I researched and learned an M54 crank and rods will perfectly replace my torn-up crank and rods. So went to the junkyard with a buddy, and spend 5 hours tearing apart a 330. For less than a hundred bucks, I have a "new" crank and rods.
This news is fine and all, but I still need to replace the cams. I know I need to replace the cam trays too. I'm not sure if I should get a new head, due to a few of those ugly exhaust threads. Maybe it's not a big deal.
Naturally, I will check the head and block for cracks, so at this point I can't even assume the worst of my troubles are over. Right now, all I really have worth value are the M54 parts.
I've been sitting and reading for hours and hours, and I've learned this crank can be used in any of the M50/S50 engine to increase throw/displacement. What I haven't fully understood is the effect this has on compression ratios and the differences in piston/wrist pin height.
On top of all this, I do have the goal of BAR'ing this car, because being legal in CA has the benefit of not being fined/impounded. But I don't have any paperwork regarding the S52, nor am I certain I have all the other necessary emissions equipment. I don't believe this motor came with the EGR pipes coming off the headers...which weren't factory anyway.
Since it feels like I'm sitting on a goose egg, I'm seriously bummed, and disgraced with myself for what was essentially an impulse buy disguised as a good deal.
Questions I'd like answers/suggestions for:
1) Given the scenario, what might you do? Start over? Scrap what I have? Sell what I have to save up and buy a complete setup to BAR it? Or keep what I have to assemble a complete S52?
2) I'm also stuck in thoughts, wondering if I can find a clean/documented M/S50, and then drop in the M54 crank to gain that extra torque, and still pass it legally under the CA ref? As long as the emissions equipment and tailpipe readings are legal, what does it matter if the crank is different?
3) In the meantime, should I return my attention to the M20 head, clean it up, reassemble it, and pop it on my car while the S52 stares at me every time I am in the garage? A part of me still sees no point in installing a clean head on a tired block.
I am so tired of reading incomplete threads across multiple forums. I've spent weeks reading & researching and this is what I've amassed. Please suggest relevant ideas...
First idea was to replace the head gasket on my oil-leaking M20; I found a drip on the exhaust side between the headers, and I'm adding a quart of oil maybe once a month. So I bought an M20 head, a complete gasket kit, timing belt, water pump, head bolts... the whole top-end kit. I disassembled the head, ready for a light machining and testing by my local engine machine shop.
But that head has been sitting in my garage and my car still leaks. Instead, I've nearly abandoned that idea because I did a compression test, and my #4 cylinder is pretty low. I poured in a little oil and the reading spiked up to normal (bad rings confirmed). So refreshing the top end won't really solve my sluggish engine; the whole motor could use a refresh.
With that in mind, I looking into 24v swaps. I've been sitting on the idea for months, waiting for something magical to happen.
As such, when a friend mentioned he had an S52 for sale, my attention was drawn. Described as "needing a bottom end rebuild," for $600 which included the motor & auto trans & ebay headers and complete harness, I thought
"Yeah, I can tackle this. How bad could it be?"
I bought the motor. It was night when I first saw it/picked it up. Just as a precaution to make sure oil didn't spill everywhere, I undid the oil pan bolt to drain whatever might be there. Only a few drops of water came out. I thought "okay cool, the oil's already been drained." We loaded the engine in my car and I took it home. (Yes, an S52 does fit in the passenger compartment with the seat taken out, if you were wondering.)
Upon disassembly, the reason only drops of water came out was because the milkshake mixture was clogging the rest of the oil from draining. The cam journals were scored from metal debris. Where from, you ask? This motor spun a rod bearing. And all that bearing material cycled through the motor, tearing up all the critical surfaces. Unrelated, but some of the exhaust threads in the head for those studs are jacked up, from when the previous owner ripped them out and reinstalled them for his shitty headers.
My "friend" (the seller) isn't about to give me my money back. So I basically have a heavy paperweight. I was able to sell the e36 oil pan though, so that was nice.
Given the circumstance, I researched and learned an M54 crank and rods will perfectly replace my torn-up crank and rods. So went to the junkyard with a buddy, and spend 5 hours tearing apart a 330. For less than a hundred bucks, I have a "new" crank and rods.
This news is fine and all, but I still need to replace the cams. I know I need to replace the cam trays too. I'm not sure if I should get a new head, due to a few of those ugly exhaust threads. Maybe it's not a big deal.
Naturally, I will check the head and block for cracks, so at this point I can't even assume the worst of my troubles are over. Right now, all I really have worth value are the M54 parts.
I've been sitting and reading for hours and hours, and I've learned this crank can be used in any of the M50/S50 engine to increase throw/displacement. What I haven't fully understood is the effect this has on compression ratios and the differences in piston/wrist pin height.
On top of all this, I do have the goal of BAR'ing this car, because being legal in CA has the benefit of not being fined/impounded. But I don't have any paperwork regarding the S52, nor am I certain I have all the other necessary emissions equipment. I don't believe this motor came with the EGR pipes coming off the headers...which weren't factory anyway.
Since it feels like I'm sitting on a goose egg, I'm seriously bummed, and disgraced with myself for what was essentially an impulse buy disguised as a good deal.
Questions I'd like answers/suggestions for:
1) Given the scenario, what might you do? Start over? Scrap what I have? Sell what I have to save up and buy a complete setup to BAR it? Or keep what I have to assemble a complete S52?
2) I'm also stuck in thoughts, wondering if I can find a clean/documented M/S50, and then drop in the M54 crank to gain that extra torque, and still pass it legally under the CA ref? As long as the emissions equipment and tailpipe readings are legal, what does it matter if the crank is different?
3) In the meantime, should I return my attention to the M20 head, clean it up, reassemble it, and pop it on my car while the S52 stares at me every time I am in the garage? A part of me still sees no point in installing a clean head on a tired block.
I am so tired of reading incomplete threads across multiple forums. I've spent weeks reading & researching and this is what I've amassed. Please suggest relevant ideas...
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