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Stage 2 Engine Swap! S38 Or S54? The Woes


DaveBMX

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Hi Guys!!

 

Not been on in a while as knock on wood my little 1502 has behaving herself. SO as some of you guys know i spent most of 2012-13 stripping her down and removing all the rust etc and rebuilding all the mechanicals brakes etc and then banging in an m44 as i was at the end of my money! I also added considerable structural reinforcements for the future. So now i'm wanting more power, A LOT more haha! So s14 is out as a screwed one in the uk will cost 5k IF you can find one and also im not far off stock m20 power at the mo. m50 is a possibility but even stroked to 2.9 its still not going to be nuts enough and may no longer have the stock reliability. 

 

So im looking at most likely an s54 from the e46 m3 where i would be getting 340bhp in uk spec but have no idea about gearboxes etc! after tackling wiring in the m44 im hoping the electrics wont be too much of a jump and also i have a 240lph fuel pump all installed ready. 

 

S38 is also a possibility from the old m5. there are a couple for sale in the uk for reasonable prices however not entirely sure on th real bhp figures of these engines however love the way they look! I would hope that as the s38 is an old engine that gearbox compatibility will be a lot easier but hopefully one of you guys will know the facts!

 

Im aware i will need to do a fair bit of cutting and welding up in the front aswell as possibly the firewall for both these engines and run  the bonnet on clips but as i've cut out and welded half the car anyway i'm not bothered! assuming also the steering box will have to go? 

 

looking forward to hearing what you guys think as any info at this point is very welcome!

 

 

 

 

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true Ian they would have a weight penalty and alter the cars balance. I have seen some impressive m20 turbo engines but not sure on their reliability? I probably need to start finding bare engine weights for comparison! i would however have to consider the added weight of the turbo gear, intercooler etc dont know how much that would offset compared to the power gain.

 

Dave

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Have you considered some of the new offerings like the n20?  4 cyl turbo making tons of power and tq in stock form

245 hp 258 tq  and retain a reasonable balance? They can be had for around 5k but sounds like you are in the UK so I dont know values there..

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Have you considered some of the new offerings like the n20?  4 cyl turbo making tons of power and tq in stock form

245 hp 258 tq  and retain a reasonable balance? They can be had for around 5k but sounds like you are in the UK so I dont know values there..

Man, that sounds like a great option these days.  $5K isn't cheap, but an S14 isn't much less, and would cost a lot more to rebuild.  Plus, the  N20 has 50hp more right out of the box!

Ian
'76 M2

'02 325iT

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Hi Dave,

 

A big 6 is going to make a big difference to the balance and feel of the car - if you want a point and squirt car then go for it, if you want to keep the balance of the original personally I'd stick with a 4 cylinder. Are you set on BMW power? And remember any of the newer BMW engines will need a stand alone ecu and mapping to make them work (££££).

 

N

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so much to consider guys! had a look for n20 engines in the uk for sale and have found one for 5500 which is a bare engine with no ancilliaries so would mean a lot of cash on top! Just had a look at m20s mattio and people are making some crazy power from them so that is a thought but if i were to go turbo i would probably just have a go doing my current m44. I suppose that would be an ideal bench to learn turbo on and then when it goes bang move up to a larger engine?

 

Ray that car looks nuts! looking around 3k in the uk for a stock f20c at the mo. so much to consider! I was looking at strong 6cyl engines as i liked the idea of fitting a stock engine with good power and leaving at that where as im completely new to turbo and home built stuff doesnt sound all that reliable. I am tempted however just to buy an old turbo and a rrfpr and have a go though!

 

To be honest Nick i would definitely prefer to avoid ruining the weight distribution of the car but i guess its all got to be a balance of cost, power and reliability. Ideally i'd think that 300bhp would probably be the most an 02 could handle while still being fun and not a killer haha!

 

regards

 

Dave

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To be honest Nick i would definitely prefer to avoid ruining the weight distribution of the car but i guess its all got to be a balance of cost, power and reliability. Ideally i'd think that 300bhp would probably be the most an 02 could handle while still being fun and not a killer haha!

 

regards

 

Dave

 

I'm more of a Chapman thinker - 200 ish horses and concentrate on weight loss and you've got the best 02 for shits and giggles. Unless of course you want to waggle your dangly bits at santa pod. 

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I'm more of a Chapman thinker - 200 ish horses and concentrate on weight loss and you've got the best 02 for shits and giggles. Unless of course you want to waggle your dangly bits at santa pod. 

 

 

I may need a translator.

 

:D

 

Or not!

Ray

Stop reading this! Don't you have anything better to do?? :P
Two running things. Two broken things.

 

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I may need a translator.

 

:D

 

Or not!

 

Queens English version "I would concur with the late great Colin Chapman of Lotus fame and believe that little more than 200 horse power is ample, especially if one concentrates on loosing a little weight in the process. Unless of course one wishes to brag about the length of ones phallus at the quarter mile proving ground otherwise known as Santa Pod."

 

Perhaps someone can provide an American version, google translate doesn't have the option.  

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