e36 engine conversion

[ozzy 0]

hi

my e36 320i's engine and trans are on the way out so this calls for a new engine, since my backround with cars has been mainly japanese cars which i have built mainly for the purpose of drag racing a euro is a new thing for me. at the moment i am disappionted with the std power of a 2l engine so i have been thinking of some options for a new engine that can be popped in.

my aim is about 350km at the rear wheels some things that i have thought of so far are

- cheapest - lexus v8, would probably bolt some turbos on the side, i no this has been done before

- rb25det out of r33 skyline , 2.5 l straght six with turbo

- rb26dett out of skyline gtr, im pretty sure this hasnt been done before so would be unique

these options are what i have thought of purely because i ahev a japanese car backround and knowledge of modifcations

so, are there any bmw engine options i should be considering?? has anyone attempted any conversions as mentioned above?? and where can i find information about any such converisons?

any info/ideas/opinions would be greatly appreciated, thanks matt

[Palazzo 479]

I'd go either of the first two, although I thought the RB25 would have been the cheapest/easiest option?

I talked to Advanced Imports about this a few years ago (when they existed by that name) and they mentioned the RB25 as the easiest option for decent power and reliability. Was looking at less power than you are though.

Good luck with it.

[conrod 1]

M50 or M52 engine turbocharged will get those numbers easily,as it is a bolt in job it saves you having to make the darn thing fit! Go here for all the info you need.

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=150

Edited September 22, 2006 by conrod

[TronSpec 0]

Flag the m50 or m52 bmw motor. Mate if you were considering putting a rb26dett in it wait cause you can buy a s52 3.2ltr m3 engine. These are hand built 320hp N/A's. Turbo that!! I've seen on the net people getting 800hp on standard internals....

If you gotta a beamer put a beamer motor in it.....

Or a rota but not a f**king japper motor (even though theiy have good cheap power and reliabilty)

[ozzy 0]

thanks for the info guys,

how much is one of the beamer engines mentioned above??? the reason being im a uni student so money is going to be a key,

at the mo im leaning towrads a v8 (around 800 bucks) and then bolting two t04e'(700 a peice) turbos onto it, possibly a supra 6 speed box as well, ill run a microtech computer if change from a bmw engine for ease of running euro/jap stuff together, after some fueling and manifold etc im thinking a could prob produce around 350kw for under 5 grand, doing most of the work my self and leaving mounting the engine/wiring and tuning to professionals

have always loved to own a gtr engine in something but these are far more expensive, would like to keep it bmw engine but i have always been under the impression these were expensive, i know they are sound engines that can make good power, at the moment im still looking at the options, the comments have been greatly appreciated

[conrod 1]

the reason being im a uni student so money is going to be a key,

at the mo im leaning towrads a v8 (around 800 bucks) and then bolting two t04e'(700 a peice) turbos onto it, possibly a supra 6 speed box as well, ill run a microtech computer if change from a bmw engine for ease of running euro/jap stuff together, after some fueling and manifold etc im thinking a could prob produce around 350kw for under 5 grand, doing most of the work my self and leaving mounting the engine/wiring and tuning to professionals

Sorry dude, but my advice at this stage is don't bother even THINKING about the sort of numbers you are quoting for the sort of change you are going to spend, you are miles off the mark! "money is going to be a key" is the antithesis of your hopes and dreams! Reading through your posts it seems you have never attempted a conversion of this sort before, and trust me, it will cost a sh#tload more than your best estimate. Enthusiasm is a great teacher, I know that as much as anyone, but V8's, twin turbos, RB26DETT's etc all cost money to buy, and even more money to fit and get running properly. Edited September 22, 2006 by conrod

[lilme 0]

hiya,

im in the same sort of situation as you are, that is very keen on getting more power in my 320i aswell posibly turbo or just a new engine, heres some rough quotes i got from SDeuropean, (all for just the engine)

M50B28 (2.8L st6) $4500

M60 B40 (4L V8) $5500

M73 (5.4L V12) $4000 -- my favorite at the mo!

i would say your budget above would need to be doubled, but ive never actually done it myself so i could be wrong but i have just been doing alot of research latley into it. altho i give you ful credit for thinking about it and if your engines already out then its too late to turn back so good luck!!! i have been told there is a book out there called maximum boost by corky bell that is definatly worth a read if your thinking of turboing something!!

there is a guy on bimmersport who is worth talking to his user name is 325GRANT when i mentioned that i was considering turboing he was very helpfull, which as good as it is to have these forums to get help, not every one is as helpfull as you would hope.

hope some of this helps in some way

[Yuen 16]

I've always wanted to make my E36 320i fast too, but lately I've been thinking... sell all the mods, and save up for a while, and get an actual M3, you can get an E36 M3 for cheap, E46 M3 for relatively cheap in a few years, or even a 335i will be possible if you save up for a while. Get the real deal and save the headache In the end all the money you spend modding your car will be close to what you pay for a fast car that came like that stock.