engine and drivetrain Restoration About To Commence. Need Opinions.

[gerry.parisi.165]

I am about to start restoring a 73 baikal 2002. Can't wait. However I am torn as to what to do with the engine possibilities. I drive about 10000 km a year and regular 2 times a week.

Should I restore 2l original

Or

Upgrade to 6cl BMW power unit

Or

Go nuts with a lazy v8 from another marque and battle the engineering issues ...

Please let me know your opinions .. Love this car but want it to be only car going forward so has to be reliable.

Thanks guys.

[adawil2002]

Restore to original. Maintain the value of your car.

[John_in_VA]

The original 2-litre engine is certainly reliable, and reusing it will be kind to your restoration budget.

[GoFaSSter]

I like A and B, but not C. 

[M3M3]

+3 on the M10

 

or, put M42 in it.  DOHC 4cyl, little bit more power than M10, modern EFI and engine management for reliability and driveability,  well documented swap.

Edited October 7, 2013 by mlytle

[Mike Self]

Modest tweaking on an M10 (slightly hotter cam, like a 284, some higher compression pistons and a nice 2bbl Weber) will yield 115-120 DIN hp or so and will give you a nice boost in power over stock, without compromising either the car's originality or its balance. The latter is part of a 2002's charm.

If you're bound and determined to do an engine swap, an M42 or M44 would be a good choice for additional (but not excessive) hp without spoiling the car's balance...

cheers
mike

Edited October 7, 2013 by mike

[AceAndrew]

Using the M20 does not need to throw off the cars balance any more than the puny but tall M42 does if it's set up properly.

 

As said above, I like both A and B but not C.

[mikebontoft]

What do you want to do with it? for me, that question is a constant battle throughout the whole process!

[gerry.parisi.165]

Thanks guys for the info.

Mike I am only using the car two days a week up to 10000km a year.. Drive to golf once a week and the odd road trip.

The rest of the car will be immaculate. The main concern is that it has to be reliable. Being in Australia AC is also a must ... So any extra power would be good.

[gerry.parisi.165]

Thanks guys for the info. Looks like I have a lot of reading to do.

Mike I am only using the car two days a week up to 10000km a year.. Drive to golf once a week and the odd road trip.

The rest of the car will be immaculate. The main concern is that it has to be reliable. Being in Australia AC is also a must ... So any extra power would be good.

Thanks guys for the info. Looks like I have a lot of reading to do.

Mike I am only using the car two days a week up to 10000km a year.. Drive to golf once a week and the odd road trip.

The rest of the car will be immaculate. The main concern is that it has to be reliable. Being in Australia AC is also a must ... So any extra power would be good.

[gerry.parisi.165]

After some initial reading. It seems the m20 2.5L six from a 325i might be the go. Best if both worlds.

[13]

I'd say M42/4 route would be probably the smoothest running and easy to do swap, but if you want a bit more power, and don't mind chasing around for parts and cutting into sacred sheet metal, go nuts with the m20b25 swap.

I'm going m20 route for the power and efi. My biggest reason was from day one I wanted more power. For me the m10 with a 32/36 weber, and exhaust just didn't seem to match what the chassis could do. For the price, the m20 swap makes more power for the price compared to any non turbo m10, let alone the added advantage of running regular fuel, efi, and well... It looks way more bad ass in the engine bay lol.

But I digress, if you plan on just tooling around on casual drives once in a blue moon you probably won't mind the M10. It's a solid little engine and usually is never too fussy. If you feel like it just doesn't quite give you the thrills on the straights as it does in the bends, give it 2 more cylinders and prepare to fabricate. Either way, build it for you and what you want. It is so annoying to see people too scared to get there hands dirty removing old oem stuff because they are worried about resale value, the cars will never be rolling across Barrett Jackson alongside half million dollar Superbirds or anything like that.

[M3M3]

M20B25?  regular fuel?  my recollection is that it ran on 91+.  at least that is what i ran all mine on.

unless you are talking about the M20 Eta engine, which ran on regular.

[thehackmechanic]

A lot of the appeal of vintage cars, like 2002s, is simplicity. I am NOT a purist, and I have nothing against fuel-injected engine upgrades that result in more power (and, likely, better gas mileage, and, certainly, lower emissions). But having just replaced that freaking plastic coolant pipe in an M42 engine in the 95 318ti I bought for my youngest son, and having to remove the squid to take the intake manifold off... the idea of installing this level of complexity in a nice simple 2002 for only the modest power gained, is a deal I would not make. The M20, at least, gets you more grunt, and is a simpler engine in terms of its intake, wiring, and plumbing.

 

Another thing about engine swaps is that you are the repository -- and the ONLY repository -- of all the swap knowledge, of all the compromises and adaptations you made. If you don't do all your own work, you need to find someone to understand, maintain, and repair it. My 3.0CSi has a 3.3 out of a 533i with an L-Jetronic injection system out of an E12 528i. I like it, but boy if something craps the bed in the middle of nowhere and I can't figure it out (which hasn't happened) and I have to get a flatbed to some shop, there's some 'splainin' to do.

 

All of this is why, after years of farting around with Webers and cams on 2002s, I went with an early '72tii, sorted out its fuel injection, will keep it largely stock, and will keep it forever.

[gerry.parisi.165]

Let's get one thing straight... I love this little car and don't imagine resale will ever be an issue.

Just don't want to do a lot of work and bugger it up.

Thanks again.