E28 engine conversions?

[drivegerman]

so there is alot of info and pages on m50,54,s50 and so on conversions for e30s so what about e28s??? anyone have experiences or know anyone who has put ANYTHING but the stock engine in there. i have been thinking latley about a bmw v8 or even.. (dont hurt me ) a american v8 or anything else. i have also been thinking about putting a s54 or m54 in a 240z... am i crazy or what?

[Mike W.]

Well, you might be crazy, but not for thinking about engine swaps! But there are a few, there was a long thread recently about M52's into E28's, and someone here recently put a 540i V8 into an E28. Someone on First 5's recently put a Chevy V8 into an E12. But short of a performance V8, not much makes sense, performance wise. Just build a high compression 3.5 and you are close to 220HP, euro with 10:1 was 218, so short of a performance V8 you wouldn't get much. I think the famed Mustang 5.0's of a few years ago were only rated at 220HP, so why a major transplant for a better torque curve? Not to mention, how many people are willing to put 5K into a 3K car to have one that might be worth 4k to just the right buyer? This is at least partly a hobby for many of us, but few really feel a need to just throw money at a project without any chance of recouping it.

[drivegerman]

i was looking at specs and yes the m30 is close to the 540 engines. the only reason why i would put a 5.0 or a chevy 350 in is cheap parts but then you have to spend the time and money to convert it first. i was thinking of a m5 engine. an e28 with a v8 rumble would look and sound so good! can you squeeze a m30 in a e30? i thought about the 540 engine becuase ive seen someone squeeze it into a e30 and i thought hell if it fits in there its sure to fit in a e28. ive even seen a v12 in a e36. you never know, i could find a wrecked m5 or 540 some day.

[stuartinmn]

Here's a link to the e28v8 page. http://www.bmwe28v8.org/

[drivegerman]

nice.... too bad he put a auto in it. yeah with the fitment issues it looks like id rather put that ls1 since the sohc engine is fatter then a pushrod driven heads

[booker]

nice.... too bad he put a auto in it.

Uhhhmmmm.... It has a manual tranny.

[drivegerman]

it didnt before... look at the pictures step by step. after i was done looking at the conversion pics i realized he did put a stick in it but u can cleary see a AT

[Mark 88/M5 Houston]

drivegerman wrote:

u can cleary see a AT

You can clearly see a label that indicates that you should use ATF as the lubricant. If you look in the upper left portion of the photo you can see part of the clutch slave cylinder. To my knowledge a clutch slave cylinder is pretty much useless on an automatic transmission.

[bmw4aaron]

drivegerman

Stick to dreaming for a while and learn a few things.

[drivegerman]

whatever. i noticed it and i couldnt post again. why is there a ATF sticker on a stick? i dont need to learn a few things.

[drivegerman]

whatever. i noticed it and i couldnt post again. why is there a ATF sticker on a stick? i dont need to learn a few things. your forum needs to let people post more. i get 8 emails saying all these threads have had replys and they wont let me do anything. why is there ATF being used in a stick?

[pdx 528e]

whatever. i noticed it and i couldnt post again. why is there a ATF sticker on a stick? i dont need to learn a few things.

ATF is used in some BMW manual transmissions. It's also our power steering fluid.

[drivegerman]

i know about atf in power steering but isnt it kinda thin for sticks?? thats wierd

[pdx 528e]

i know about atf in power steering but isnt it kinda thin for sticks?? thats wierd

http://www.mye28.com/viewtopic.php?t=21977

[C.R. Krieger]

whatever. i noticed it and i couldnt post again. i get 8 emails saying all these threads have had replys and they wont let me do anything.

There's a required time delay between posts (and edits) in order to filter out nasty spambots from all of us legitimate posters. It's only a minute or two. Try some patience. If it won't take your submission, go "Back" and wait a moment, then submit it again.

[drivegerman]

i dont really care. i just dont like how people are attacking each other about the smallest things and it frustrates me alittle when people snap back because i said something wrong

"drivegerman

Stick to dreaming for a while and learn a few things."

i dont want to sound like a hippie but isnt the main purpose of a forum to help each other figure things out

[Mark 88/M5 Houston]

drivegerman wrote:

i just dont like how people are attacking each other about the smallest things and it frustrates me alittle when people snap back because i said something wrong

Two things to start with:

1. You are going to have to develop a thicker skin to survive on this board.

2. You are going to have to slow down and read the posts that answer questions that you may have raised. For example:

You can clearly see a label that indicates that you should use ATF as the lubricant. If you look in the upper left portion of the photo you can see part of the clutch slave cylinder. To my knowledge a clutch slave cylinder is pretty much useless on an automatic transmission.

[drivegerman]

yes i know about the thicker skin thing and i tried to edit my post right after i made it because i saw the slave cylinder but i think i posted this morning or late last night and the original pic was so pic my little screen only showed me alittle bit. i know not to just post "hey my car doesnt do this, or that" i search the forum before i post a question

[bmw4aaron]

yes i know about the thicker skin thing and i tried to edit my post right after i made it because i saw the slave cylinder but i think i posted this morning or late last night and the original pic was so pic my little screen only showed me alittle bit. i know not to just post "hey my car doesnt do this, or that" i search the forum before i post a question

I wasn't trying to be an ass by my post. I was just remembering your post saying since you can fit something in an e30 it'll fit in an e28. You're partially wrong, in that it'll fit, but it wont be nearly as easy as an e30. e30s to start off with have a rack instead of a big bulky steering box that gets in your way. secondly e30 frame rails are much wider apart then e28's, and e24's are an inch i think further apart than an e28. I have done an LS1 with a Tremec 6 speed manual swap into an e24, thats how I know these things. While the swap was not easy, having that extra bit of clearances makes all the difference in the world. It was a much easier swap than the 4.0L bmw v8. Mostly beacause the heads are much smaller, and the V is not 90 degrees like the BMW's. For a racing application I would choose the LS1 because with the cam low the center of gravity is lower. Not a whole bunch of weight up in the heads.

And finally about M30 specs are close to 540 specs, not even close. e28 M30s are 182, last gen M30s are rated at 208. M60 4.0L is rated 286. Torque pulls harder, and the best part of all, the car is still fast when the A/C is on.

Engine swaps shouldn't be thought of as a solution to get more power for cheaper, because it just isn't true. It's more of a coolness factor. You can spend the same amount I did, and turbo an M30 and make way more power. So unless you have some good fabrication skills, and can weld a hammer to a hickory stump, I would consider bolt on power.

[drivegerman]

see thats what i like to see. your educating me instead of insulting! i know some stuff about bimmers but no matter what im always learning and that right there will sink deep in my head. so what do you think about a m or s54 engine in a e28? a friend has a 95 m3 and im just waiting for him to wreck it (he doesnt know how to drive)

[bmw4aaron]

see thats what i like to see. your educating me instead of insulting! i know some stuff about bimmers but no matter what im always learning and that right there will sink deep in my head. so what do you think about a m or s54 engine in a e28? a friend has a 95 m3 and im just waiting for him to wreck it (he doesnt know how to drive)

S54 wouldn't an ideal engine to swap, mainly because with double variable Vanos, you will need to retain the stock engine management. As well as gettting the EWS brain, and misc that goes along with it to allow it to run. Then finally S54's have OBD2 meaning you have 4 oxy sensors, check engine lights, and strick emmissions. So if you alter or change it in any way you get a nice red check engine light, and possible a limp program.

An ideal swap would an a S50 from a US spec 95 M3. 96 and later US spec M3s use S52's, which basically instead of 3.0L's they are 3.2. Bored and stroked S50's, with a strict flowing intake manifold to conform with the OBD2 emission laws. S50's and S52 are basically the same motors, so you can swap an ealy OBD1 intake manifold from an S50 to an S52. and thats what everyone does. Bigger displacement of the S52 with the free flowing intake of the S50, and chippable ECU of OBD1. An S50 from the M3 would be fine. S50s love to rev, and S52s have a nice bit of torque.

Of all the engine swaps the S50/52 would be the easiest, since S50 blocks are basically the same as M20's, and since M20s came in e28's, an M50 would slip in with just as much modication to an e30, which is very little.

S50/52's all use the same head as an M50/52. only difference is the cams, and valve springs in certain years. blocks are fairly similar only difference being the bore size between the 2.5, 2.8, 3.0, and 3.2. There is enough material between the cylinders in the 3.0L block to bore it out to 3.2 spec. (did this when I rebuilt my S52 engine).

[rlomba8204]

Some here have actual hands-on experience, but fwiw my take is that unless you want to start spending some serious money, and have at least some experience with motor swaps, a better, simpler course is to work with the M30. Search the archives here, but there are some relatively straightforward ways to get more power from the M30 in a cost-effective way, including chips and a new differential.

Motor swaps can of course be a lot of fun. But it really depends on your skill level. Don't take this as an insult, but more as advice from a fellow enthusiast, but if you are new enough that you didn't realize that an M60 is seriously more powerful than the M30 found in the e28 535 (M30B34), I would start with a little less of an ambitious agenda. It's always easy to tear into a project (been there, trust me, that's how I know) and then realize you've bitten off a tad more than you can chew. Good luck.

[drivegerman]

S54 wouldn't an ideal engine to swap, mainly because with double variable Vanos, you will need to retain the stock engine management. As well as gettting the EWS brain, and misc that goes along with it to allow it to run. Then finally S54's have OBD2 meaning you have 4 oxy sensors, check engine lights, and strick emmissions. So if you alter or change it in any way you get a nice red check engine light, and possible a limp program.

An ideal swap would an a S50 from a US spec 95 M3. 96 and later US spec M3s use S52's, which basically instead of 3.0L's they are 3.2. Bored and stroked S50's, with a strict flowing intake manifold to conform with the OBD2 emission laws. S50's and S52 are basically the same motors, so you can swap an ealy OBD1 intake manifold from an S50 to an S52. and thats what everyone does. Bigger displacement of the S52 with the free flowing intake of the S50, and chippable ECU of OBD1. An S50 from the M3 would be fine. S50s love to rev, and S52s have a nice bit of torque.

Of all the engine swaps the S50/52 would be the easiest, since S50 blocks are basically the same as M20's, and since M20s came in e28's, an M50 would slip in with just as much modication to an e30, which is very little.

S50/52's all use the same head as an M50/52. only difference is the cams, and valve springs in certain years. blocks are fairly similar only difference being the bore size between the 2.5, 2.8, 3.0, and 3.2. There is enough material between the cylinders in the 3.0L block to bore it out to 3.2 spec. (did this when I rebuilt my S52 engine).

i know how simple it is to drop a m/s50 in a e30 but since e28s have steering boxes and the car is set up differant do you still use a e34 oil pan? what kind of motor mounts go with the new engine? with an e28 trans fit up to the new motor? i already know about the odb1 and 2 engines and there electronics but i havent found any sites about the conversion.