flake 0 Report post Posted November 20, 2009 (edited) hi everyone, my name's anthony. long time listener first time caller. i am in the process of organising a m50 conversion for my e30, reason being i'm pretty sure the engine in my 320 is rooted. a friend of mine has a wrecked e36 which he claimed to be a m50. turns out after attemping to pull the motor out (and not getting very far) me and nathan (forrest) notice it's a 323i. so we find the registration and see that it's a 1996 323i. now correct me if i'm wrong but isn't that a m52 motor? the displacement is still 2.5 even though its badged as 2.3 ie: m52b25. so the main problem is i can't use it for the conversion, i could but its auto so i'd need a manual loom and a bunch of other things which is way over my head and even then it might or might not work. so the question is can i use the custom extractors from the m52 on a m50, like is the exhaust plate stud pattern the same? just that i'll get them for dirt cheap and i need some extractors for the conversion. plus a another motor. help? Edited November 20, 2009 by flake Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mark247 38 Report post Posted November 20, 2009 (edited) You need m52 ones because they are stainless, m50 ones dont work because you cant mod them because they are cast iron. Standard, the extractors m50 or m52 will hit the steering rack. I wouldn't bother with a 323i engine because they are only 170hp.. a m50b25 is 20 more... Edited November 20, 2009 by Mark247 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
martyyn 2 Report post Posted November 20, 2009 Anthony if your serious about this I have a friend who's removing an m52b28 at the moment PM me if your interested. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flake 0 Report post Posted November 20, 2009 thanks mark thats what i wanna hear, i'll pull them off today. how did you modify yours to get around the steering rack? big hammer? i have a e36 rack aswell, will that affect anything. easier/harder? the previous owner (jimmy) did that. http://www.bimmersport.co.nz/forums/index....showtopic=21448 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mark247 38 Report post Posted November 20, 2009 (edited) thanks mark thats what i wanna hear, i'll pull them off today. how did you modify yours to get around the steering rack? big hammer? i have a e36 rack aswell, will that affect anything. easier/harder? the previous owner (jimmy) did that. http://www.bimmersport.co.nz/forums/index....showtopic=21448 I am not sure if the e36 rack will make much of a different. Maybe compare your steering rack with Nathans one, I assume his is standard. I got mine already modded by previous owner, they are not ideal tho.. the two flanges going to the rest of the system are not flush so it made modding the exhaust system even more annoying than it already was. Ever after that the steering still rubbed a bit then giving it the jandal around left corners. A light smash with a hammer on the manifold fixed this a bit but in the end Kerry removed the heat shield on the steering rack and now it's fine. I know a few people with no heat shield on their steering rack and it has never been an issue. Also how you space your engine mounts will determine how much you have to change the extractors. The man to talk to about modding the extractors is Troy, he did his own and they are a lot better than mine. I think he cut the bottom of all the pipes at top of the extractors ( right at the flange ) and folded it downwards which then moves it away from the steering rack, if you get what i mean? I'm sure there is other ways of doing it, I am not handy with a welder at all so I am not really the person who should be giving out advise about this haha. I'll PM you Troys details, but he is in aussie for a while so he might take a while to reply. He may have a photo he can send you. Edited November 20, 2009 by Mark247 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BM WORLD 1258 Report post Posted November 20, 2009 i agree dont bother with the 323i engine unless you plan on modifing it to the same spec as a 325i engine. or use 328i engine . you also need a sump and oil pump pick up etc from a e34 520i or 525i m50 engine. auto or manual doesn't matter , you can fit a manual gearbox to a engine that has had a auto fitted to it . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mark247 38 Report post Posted November 20, 2009 (edited) Here are some photos of how mine was. Since then I have raised the engine a few mm on both mounts which has both made more room for the steering rack ( heat shield still needed moving ) and it has also added a few more mm of much needed space between the inlet manifold and the brake booster. As you can see the flanges on mine are totally OTP so modding the exhaust system to fit was sh*t as, because we couldn't do it under the car because it was not on a hoist, so we ( actually Troy ) had to do it trial and error, but every time you welded it would heat and then warp.. so it just never wanted to line up.. These manifolds are good to look at because it teaches you how NOT to do it haha. you can fit a manual gearbox to a engine that has had a auto fitted to it . Yes you can Flake, but you will just have a big plug for the auto ECU you have to hide. If you were to do it properly though you would obviously strip all the unneeded wires out. I have also read recently on another forum that running the e30 gearboxs on m50s ( which makes them on a funny angle ) can actually cause oil starvation in the gearbox and wear it out... i havent had this issue yet but it can happen, Im not saying dont use your m20 gearbox, but if you can save up for a more suitable gearbox on the propper angle, say out of a e36 or e46 or something it would be a lot better. I think Kerry is running a e39 gearbox with a m20 driveshaft and it fitted.. so that's a nice surprise. He told me the 318i e46 manual boxs are the same as the one he has, just with different gear ratios.. and he has one i think i think in his yard.. so you might want to consider that Edited November 20, 2009 by Mark247 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kerry 10 Report post Posted November 20, 2009 I think Kerry is running a e39 gearbox with a m20 driveshaft and it fitted.. so that's a nice surprise. He told me the 318i e46 manual boxs are the same as the one he has, just with different gear ratios.. and he has one i think i think in his yard. the gear boxes have the same ratio mark 1-1 5th, on the other hand they have different sized output flanges, mine is a e39 523 manual getrag it has a larger output flange. same casing as all the later 1992 on getrag but stronger i belive . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BM WORLD 1258 Report post Posted November 20, 2009 yes thats rigt i have a ZF box from a e36 328i and it has a larger output flange than the getrags from the e36 318is 325i etc . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
