Euro M3 Motor question.

[e30_kid89]

Originally Posted by Boots R

lol GTFO Dan. Or sell me your car.


To BigD/e30_kid: So all of those OBDI parts, I would be able to just pillage them from the m50 in my car now?

yes, most of em except the harness and ecu i guess (assuming your car is non-vanos)

[$500bimmer]

his car is almost non-bmw.......he drives a purple car lol

[propr'one]

Boots, you can use a 325i harness (aka the one you have in the car)

Most of the gains from the OBD1 conversion are just the manifold though, which you can do without the conversion if your car is already OBD2.

[TheMadChigga]

ls1 swap

[NickP]

Originally Posted by BigD

Possibly. There's a guy on E46fanatics who has swapped it into a friggin E30 (ie OBD0), so can't be that hard. On top of all that, he swapped in an SMG S54, which has been the cause of all difficulties (the transmission is stuck in safe mode because his sensors were wonky, he's probably fixed it by now, I haven't checked in recently). But he's not having to use a remote brake booster which I know is mandatory with the S50 becuase the manifold is so huge.

But regardless, it's cheaper, easier to get, straightforward to find replacement parts (even the super expensive bits - go find an S50B32 head if something goes wrong with yours) and significantly more powerful.

The e30's in limp mode because of the DSC system - it has nothing to do with SMG. It still hasn't been figured out AFAIK. All of the fully operational s54 engine swaps into e36 and e30 cars that I know of have aftermarket engine management. I think this added cost pushes the bang for buck arg back into the s50's favour. I also don't think there's that much of a power difference between an s50b32 and s54 - 20hp?

[BigD]

Originally Posted by NickP

The e30's in limp mode because of the DSC system - it has nothing to do with SMG. It still hasn't been figured out AFAIK. All of the fully operational s54 engine swaps into e36 and e30 cars that I know of have aftermarket engine management. I think this added cost pushes the bang for buck arg back into the s50's favour. I also don't think there's that much of a power difference between an s50b32 and s54 - 20hp?

I must be completely out of the loop. How much is the management system, and how much does the average S50B32 go for, all said and done to your door in Canada (assuming it will never break)?

[NickP]

Originally Posted by BigD

I must be completely out of the loop. How much is the management system, and how much does the average S50B32 go for, all said and done to your door in Canada (assuming it will never break)?

SIAS Tuning sells a TEC3 - around $2200 USD I believe its plug and play but I don't know the details. You can probably buy a Motec for less but you'll spend much more time and money getting the harness and sensors pieced together. You can get a euro motor complete to your door for 6k. I think punnzzells found one with the 6 speed trans for that price shipped.

[TheMadChigga]

LS2 to my door = $6k

[thinair]

The S50B32 is ODB2, it has one ECU.

Also, JazzM's Z3 with the S54 has the factory ECU I believe.

[Boots R]

Originally Posted by thinair

The S50B32 is ODB2, it has one ECU.

Also, JazzM's Z3 with the S54 has the factory ECU I believe.

Really? So it is possible to retain all stock ECU/DME.

At this point I have done some more research and found out some more details:

-s50b30/s50b32 have equal length headers, and will need custom exhaust work, or a euro exhaust
-the 6speed transmission will bolt up to a stock US engine, although a custom/euro driveshaft would be needed. (why, I don't know.)
-I've heard a new radiator might be needed. Either a euro rad or aftermarket aluminum rad.
-Due to the type of lifters, regular alve adjustment might be needed.
-s50b32 has EWS, and would be a simple swap for an OBDII car, but requires more wiring for an OBDI car, as you have to wire around the EWS.

Now my next question, Is there anyone on maX with a euro swap? What about an s54 swap? (Apart from JazzM/Tom).

I'd love to know what type of major hurdles needed to be overcome.

[e30_kid89]

i think the ONLY hurdle is the motor's electronics......everything will bolt in.

[BigD]

Originally Posted by thinair

The S50B32 is ODB2, it has one ECU.

Who told you this? Will has actually worked with these motors, he specifically said there are two engine computers to worry about due to the dual vanos. I'm not saying he's the definitive authority but what's the source of your information? Almost all of us have never even seen one outside of pictures, let alone handled one.

[BigD]

Originally Posted by Boots R

-Due to the type of lifters, regular alve adjustment might be needed.

It's anything but regular. You need a special tool (BMW only, and they don't sell them, you have to dig it up from the underground) and then you need the proper shims which I wouldn't trust anyone but BMW with and they are stupidly expensive (machined to the thousandth of an inch precision). A routine valve adjustment can run in the hundreds of $, and must be done at least bi-yearly, yearly if you drive it hard or else you will burn valves and require a head rebuild (valves are like 300 a pop, esp the exhaust ones).

[thinair]

Originally Posted by BigD

Who told you this? Will has actually worked with these motors, he specifically said there are two engine computers to worry about due to the dual vanos. I'm not saying he's the definitive authority but what's the source of your information? Almost all of us have never even seen one outside of pictures, let alone handled one.

There is only one ECU, I've seen it. Maybe the 94-95 had two. The M3 Evo I saw had one. None of the other dual vanos motors have two ECU's either (M52tu, M54, S54).

I personally have driven an M3 Evo, and they have a Hartge S50 euro motor on display at Raven too. Two totally irrelevant facts to the above issue though.

[ScotcH]

Originally Posted by thinair

The S50B32 is ODB2, it has one ECU.

Also, JazzM's Z3 with the S54 has the factory ECU I believe.

The s50b32 is NOT OBD2 ... none of the e36 Euro motors are ODB2.