What engine for my E30

[pauly24]

Your right, 2j would be the way to go if putting in a straight 6, but then i would be capable of something in the vicinity of 10 gazillion watts of power, wont have any traction and be front heavy = awesome race car :knock:.

look at the photo of the 1uz race car, is that the brake booster at the front of the engine bay? talk about clearance problems.

guess if i like the car that much i can build up internals and go bigger turbo for the extra power, see how it goes.

Driving down to Sydney pick up the car on sunday, then can start the strip.
This is really going to fuck with my final year at uni haha

PS: the e30 came with 6's and they would of have been cast iron, wouldn't they compare in weight to an rb25det/2j?

[Marv]

You need to do some research mate. Try reading up on the e30s at www.r3vlimited.com and www.e30tech.com.au

The inline six BMW engines are iron block alloy head 12valve jobs. Don't make huge sick power but seem to do well in "race cars" with the right mods (and BMW engines are no more expensive to build than a Jap engine)

an aluminium M52 or M54 engine is quite light, has a much better DOHC head, more cubes (2.8 and 3.0L options in 52 & 54 engines) than the older sohc m20 engines. A worked M52 will make 200rwkw and won't sound like a truck (like an sr20)

[BMWTurbo]

Chap I know in NZ has fitted a 1jz to his E30 and used it for Tarmac racing and says that it wasn't nearly as bad handling wise as he had potentially thought it might be.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZszRDRPQ3E

But this would not be my suggestion for a real track car...

[pauly24]

The outright price of an M52 motor will be much higher than an sr20det.

The M52 will need cams and headwork along with a full aftermarket ecu system

The sr20det just needs the turbo boosted, and ill be running nistune.

The cost of the M52 will easily be double, especially by the time I factor in the transmission, and the power levels will be the same.

I have nothing against the M52, like i said i had one before in my e46 and i loved the engine, revved nice and sounded good.

If you can throw some numbers at me and make it sound viable then i will do it, but i just dont think it can stand up against the sr20det for cost effectiveness. Especially when the power is going to be the same.

[260BC]

Cost effectiveness? Its a BMW what has 'cost effectiveness' got to do with it? Pleb

[pauly24]

i'm a uni student, my meals have to be cost effective.

[morerevsm3]

You need to do some research mate. Try reading up on the e30s at www.r3vlimited.com and www.e30tech.com.au

The inline six BMW engines are iron block alloy head 12valve jobs. Don't make huge sick power but seem to do well in "race cars" with the right mods (and BMW engines are no more expensive to build than a Jap engine)

an aluminium M52 or M54 engine is quite light, has a much better DOHC head, more cubes (2.8 and 3.0L options in 52 & 54 engines) than the older sohc m20 engines. A worked M52 will make 200rwkw and won't sound like a truck (like an sr20)

stock M20 with a low boost turbo setup will make 200rwkw on dyno dynamics, M52 will only get there on dynojet NA (dynojet = ~flywheel horsepower)

[Marv]

Stock M20 will make that power for a week, or if "services" include replacing bottom-ends.

M52 + M54B30 crank, milled pistons, solid lifters, cams, ITBs, locked Vanos will make 200rwkW. Turbo would be easier way of making power, though.

[Madhatr]

no it wont. Plenty of guys with over 300hp on their turbo setups and they are stable as anything on the original bottom end. 400hp is about the point where the stock bottom end tends to be a bit of an issue, its usually rod bolts that are the problem, especially on high mileage motors.

Can I just point out a flaw in your above marv? a 3L crank will pretty much be unheard of down here, $1500+, you might even struggle to find out here at all (probably want to sell you an engine). Likewise, purchase + shipping to aus isnt going to be cheap either, if your reply is to say get one from the US.

There is nothing weak at all about the m20 bottom end. All the crap about cranks breaking, etc is rubbish.

[pauly24]

the m20 in it, is a 2.3L, makes 110kw, so whats that about 85kw at the wheels?
How in the hell are you going to put a turbo on that and make 200rwkw's?
not a chance in hell without extensively modifying that motor or having it last 1 day.

There was a 2.8L M52, the guy was asking 3000 for the engine. Gearbox say another 1000, then all the internal mods for a 200rwkw NA motor another what 2 grand? Full aftermarket ecu another grand.

So say 7 grand for 200rwkw M52 and thats a conservative estimate.

SR20det engine $700, gearbox $600, t28 turbo off rb25det (Series II for ball bearing) $400, nistune $500 = $2200

say 7k vs 2.2k for same power.... hmmmm tough decision! lol

[Marv]

Can I just point out a flaw in your above marv? a 3L crank will pretty much be unheard of down here, $1500+, you might even struggle to find out here at all (probably want to sell you an engine). Likewise, purchase + shipping to aus isnt going to be cheap either, if your reply is to say get one from the US.

Actually, that is a load of crap, Rod. M54B30 cranks (same as S52 US E36 M3 cranks) regularly cost ~$US200-$US350, depending if they come with rods and pistons. Shipping with insurance was $125, though that's slow boat-spec. If you know where to look you can find M54 cranks out here, though they're expensive - much like all BMW parts it seems. Hopefully I'll have one in my hands for my E30 soon enough.

Anyway, it sounds like Pauly made up his mind for truck motor love from his first post.

the m20 in it, is a 2.3L, makes 110kw, so whats that about 85kw at the wheels?
How in the hell are you going to put a turbo on that and make 200rwkw's?
not a chance in hell without extensively modifying that motor or having it last 1 day.

There was a 2.8L M52, the guy was asking 3000 for the engine. Gearbox say another 1000, then all the internal mods for a 200rwkw NA motor another what 2 grand? Full aftermarket ecu another grand.

So say 7 grand for 200rwkw M52 and thats a conservative estimate.

SR20det engine $700, gearbox $600, t28 turbo off rb25det (Series II for ball bearing) $400, nistune $500 = $2200

say 7k vs 2.2k for same power.... hmmmm tough decision! lol

Something I can't work out is why you didn't just buy an S13/S14 or an R31 Skyline?

[TT]

skyline turbos don't bolt on to sr manifolds all that simply and with the plastic (basically) intake wheel and ceramic exhaust wheel, don't know why you'd bother.
an S15 turbo will be about same price and you know S15's with stock turbo at about 16-17psi have made bang on 200rwkw and be straight bolt on to stock T25.

only reason you wouldn't buy a silvia in the first place is to:

a.) be different
b.) have a project

[morerevsm3]

Stock M20 will make that power for a week, or if "services" include replacing bottom-ends.

M52 + M54B30 crank, milled pistons, solid lifters, cams, ITBs, locked Vanos will make 200rwkW. Turbo would be easier way of making power, though.

stock 3 litre M3 makes ~160rwkw, mine with carbon plenum, alloy flywheel, Alpha N, and extensive exhaust mods made 200rwkw@7800rpm, M52 won't get there without spending double what an S50B30 would cost

[Marv]

$10k and it won't make 200rwkW? Righto.

[pauly24]

R33 Series II skyline turbos has metal turbine not ceramic. Series I has ceramic.
I thought the S15 was still a T25 sized turbo?

Marv as i said before, throw some numbers at me, cost of engine + gearbox + plus mods needed to get to the 200rwkw number and we will take it from there.

Prove me wrong and ill put a beamer engine in there! Getting any BMW engine making the 200kw number at the wheels will cost twice as much, if not, dont say "your wrong", prove it with some numbers please.

This isn't a thread about being nostalgic or keeping "true" to the bloodline of the car, its about getting the most power to the ground for cheaply as possible while building a reliable race car. Anything that doesn't meet that criteria is a waste of money in this car and could be spent on better things.

Silivas are gay, have had a skyline already (still gay), and I want a project to work on, you know, that hands on feeling?