engine and drivetrain What is the general feeling on non-BMW engine conversions?

[ricortes]

You need two cars, a Nissan with a DET and your BMW.

[AndyS]

Hope to be driving it this spring. left hand drive though.

[gracer]

Here is a S2000 swap that just need a little cleaning up. http://portland.craigslist.org/clk/cto/2803605196.html G

[gretchen72]

I owned a 91 and 92 SE-R. Even the plane jane SR20 is a great power plant and will give you a 40% bump in output. They are great motors parts are plentiful and are well supported in the aftermarket. I say go for it but do a nice write up for the rest of us.

If only BMW was so well supported in the aftermarket area.

[gretchen72]

Go drive an M42 then think easy mods get close to 200hp and a 1000 lbs less in an 02 put a 410 possi in it and grin.I am told 4 door m42's are cheap.I really want the motor out of old blue in my 16oo Touring. but old blue will about pay for the shipping of the touringto the states.

I've driven an M42 powered e30, it's a great engine. With a turbo it would be a contender to the SR20DET, but only just, and for 4 times the money...

[gretchen72]

You could always put an all aluminum chevy V8 or a blown chevy 4

V8 you reckon? Why not an LS2? 6.0L in a 2002... This is crazy talk.

I'm amazed no one has mentioned 6's though..?

[gretchen72]

Don't think you need rack and pinion for either an S14 or m42

right hand drive remember - so possible to build a tubular manifold round the steering box and columb, but difficult.

The sr20 however has the exhaust ports on the other side, so will have lots more room and should be able to keep the stock RHD steering box set-up.

The exhaust is always a problem on RHD BMWs for steering and brake master cylinder location too.

It's all too tight in there for the 2002 box. Rack & pinion is a pretty common conversion. I might even go power steering???

[gretchen72]

I really want to put a single turbo 13b in a 2002. There's something about as high revving turbo motor that I love. Plus it weighs less then a stock m10, so thats two upsides. The only thing I don't like is that it is not a BMW motor.

I have also though about putting a cosworth or turbo Volvo twin cam in an 02. But who knows a balls to the wall m10 is pretty amazing too.

13B, yes, now we're talking! Maybe not BMW, but German designed. Mind you so is the 4 stroke and the diesel, so, pretty much anything qualifies by that rationale...

There are lots of options out there. I'm still waiting for the suggestion of a 6, and considering BMW built a prototype 6 cylinder powered 02...

[gretchen72]

My Hybrid Folvo engine is mental too 2.3 Ford block (German Ford ) Volvo twin cam head ( Cosworth ) Turbo etc , 5 speed Ford trans , lots of potential.

Nice! You know, I really think people would cane me for the SR20 suggestion...

[gretchen72]

You need two cars, a Nissan with a DET and your BMW.

Have you ever seen how f'ing ugly Nissan Silvia's are??

[gretchen72]

Hope to be driving it this spring. left hand drive though.

Now there's the 1st argument to make me really consider M42 over SR20, but the RHD factor is really hard to get around...

[gretchen72]

Here is a S2000 swap that just need a little cleaning up. http://portland.craigslist.org/clk/cto/2803605196.html G

Nice! The most serious NA 4 cylinder in the world! F20C was a considered, but they are rare and once again, the wrong way around for RHD...

[jdamm]

my mates have bin at me over this aswell and keep pushin for the sr20det option,have thort about it alot but when i bumped into a mach 1 escort at the local garage with a brand new 2.5l cosworth motor sitting in the engine bay i just about creamed my pants!!! mercedes did it with the 190E,could be bmws turn.that escort did sound amazing when it took off tho!good luck any way and be sure to post some pics when you get it done. julian

[MAD02]

I owned a 91 and 92 SE-R. Even the plane jane SR20 is a great power plant and will give you a 40% bump in output. They are great motors parts are plentiful and are well supported in the aftermarket. I say go for it but do a nice write up for the rest of us.

If only BMW was so well supported in the aftermarket area.

I currently own a '92 Nissan SE-R and I love it. Above 4000RPM the SR20DE comes alive and pulls hard. Some say that with a cold air intake, exhaust and minor ECU upgrades the SR20 will easilly put down 160HP.

Im seriously debating going SR over the M10 turbo I planned for first.

Decisions, decisions.........

[Pierre]

I am not a purist but there is something to be said about BMW motors. In my opinion, they are a significant reason why we like our Bimmers.

An M20 fits, it's cheap to buy, build and modify, it has a lot of potential for serious horsepower AND it's a BMW. Furthermore, the swap have been done numerous times ( I did one) and many of the quirks and bugs have been figured out and sorted.