engine and drivetrain M10 Vs. M20 - *flame Suit On*

[kid2002]

I need some advice. I've got an M20 freshly rebuilt as a 2.7i. New clutch, etc. etc.

 

After building this engine, I ended up getting a 1976 2002 AUTO for free from a good friend of mine. My natural thought was to take the 2.7i (That I JUST finished installing into my 300.00 E30 shell for hoonigan fun) and throw it into the 2002. I pretty much have a donor car ready to swap everything over that i'd need.

 

The ONLY issue for me is the engine mounts. I'm having a hell of a hard time sourcing a set, new or used. I've decided I DON'T want to take the engine mount fabrication up on myself. Piece of mind is huge for me and I just don't feel comfortable knowing my first experience with welding would be ENGINE MOUNTS.

 

My co-workers are purists. They keep telling me to just build a "hot" M10, and that i'll never regret going that route. I don't know much about the M10, and don't see how or why it would ever compare to an M20 - Stock for stock. One thing is for sure. If I decide to go M10, this is going to be a balls out build.

 

Mainly i'm looking for opinions in what I can do to make an M10 quicker/peppier than stock using other BMW parts. What's the magic formula for a budget "hot rod" M10 build? Sourcing parts is not an issue for me, so shoot me your sugguestions.

 

I REALLY want to drive this thing by Spring!! Thanks for the insight.

[AceAndrew]

There are just too many opinions on the M10 vs M20 ... it really is relative to the person and there's lots of coverage on it already.  I hate time crunches though, the end result is usually leaves the builder dissapointed in some way.
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A user friendly hotrod M10 prescription is:
38/38 downdraft weber
292 cam
9.5:1 pistons
header (Tii, IE, only02, stahl, etc) / exhaust

you can go up/down from there depending on your comfort level and budget (bigger cam, little more compression, sidedrafts, etc.)

[kid2002]

That's exactly the kind of info i'm looking for. Top Notch reply as always. Thanks, Andrew!!

 

Would those mods get you around 150-160WHP?

[M3M3]

not even close.  that combo won't even get you 120 CRANK hp....

 

just put your already built m20 in the car.  did you do a search on "M20 mounts"?   many threads with sources.

Edited November 20, 2013 by mlytle

[kid2002]

Yes I have. Its about at the point where I just need to dive in. :\

The sound of the M20 coming out of an 02 would be so magical to me.

[roadhog0]

2 cylinders... I personally like 4 cylinders in these cars. Not a big fan of the 6's. But that's my opinion...

[TobyB]

In then end, I think it's a matter of character.  The M10 is NOT a bad motor, but it's ancient, and to get M20 power out of it

in a streetable fashion you'd end up putting a turbo onto it.  Changing its character again.

 

If you like the M20, do it.  It's not horrendously hard, and the M20 is trucklike in it's torque.  Durable, understressed,

and hardly heavier than the M10.  You can pay someone else to weld- if you fab them up, it's not a complicated job.

 

If you'd rather have the 2002 experience, do an M10.  But it may not be all that you want it to be.  Or it may be perfect.

 

I left an F engine in my Land Cruiser.  And rebuilt it.  Because I thought it would be nice NOT to have a Chevota.

 

t

[morfiya]

m20 m20 do it no regrets here

[kid2002]

Thats what I'm leaning towards!

[13]

M20 hands down. Honestly if you want the power and something that runs like a modern car with efi, no turbos, no cammed out 4 bangers that need to scream at high rpm to make power, go M20

 

Im sure a good 95% of the people hate me on here for my build and my opinions on the matter of power, but its a good route. If you dont exactly want to put a six in, maybe look into an M42 swap, and turbo it for some extra power. Newer engine, modern-ish fuel injection, low boost but good power, cant see anything wrong in that.

 

Mounts were my biggest fear for the swap but with some help from the FAQ and my willingness to drop money on a welder and learn a new skill, im pretty much set to finish this thing nicely. I built mine for like $15 in scrap cutoffs from the steel shop (1/8th for the passenger side, and 1/4 for the drivers side. Keep in mind you will need to cut your tunnel if you do a Getrag 260 tranny, but you can save yourself a headache by using a e30 6 cyl 260 equipped driveshaft so thats one less headache.

 

Be prepared for the old guys to hate you though

[M3M3]

hey!  i am an old guy!  but obviously not a purist....

 

m20 is a great engine in a 2002. bulletproof, good tq, good power, cheap to maintain, simple FI system, etc.

[kid2002]

13. Your post is very inspiring!

I intend to just dive in. What diff are you running?

[Lebowski]

hey!  i am an old guy!  but obviously not a purist....

 

m20 is a great engine in a 2002. bulletproof, good tq, good power, cheap to maintain, simple FI system, etc.

Yeah, old guys like to go fast too! There is a lot you can do to a NA M20 to make more power too...

[Rocan]

I like the m10, but if you have the m20, then go for it. 

 

I think the 2002 is just perfect with a well built m10 with a mild turbo (7-12psi). Plenty of power, very simple to maintain and still plenty of room in the engine bay. 

[roadhog0]

7-12 PSI? PSH!! Not enough boost! Ya need one of these