Great information.. i was just wondering if the original (e30 320i,stock) 2.0L could handle a turbo ?...
The E30 came with a tired old M20 motor, a 12v, inline six. Lucky for you, some really smart people figured out how to easily swap in the 24v series of motors from a variety of cars. It’s fairly cheap as well as fairly easy to do. A few weekends in your garage and you should have an updated E30.
- M50 – a 24 valve inline six. Introduced in 1992, it made 189hp and 181tq
- M52 – the replacement to the M50, introduced in 1996 as an OBD-II motor. Most swappers opt for the 2.8L version, at 191hp and 203tq. These are great forced induction motors if you’re planning on turbocharging your swap later.
- S50 – This comes from an M3, specifically the 1995 OBD-I M3. It’s power figures, 240hp and 225tq, make it a popular swap.
There are other swaps available. This is just the quick and simple list. If you’ve got a big wallet and technical know how, look at the S62B50 from the E39 M5.
E30 Swap Guides
Since most of the parts needed to do this swap are OEM, I won’t be talking too much about “kits” here. But there are a lot of great resources available out there for people interested in this swap.
- E30 Swap and Wiring Information – RM European has posted an excellent guide including engine installation and wiring.
- If you’re interested in this swap there’s really only one resource you’ll need: the E30 DOHC wiki.
- Here’s a quick and dirty E30 M50 swap parts list
E30 M50 Swap Parts
- If you’ve got large pockets and want things done right and easily, Project Orca by Zionsville Auto, is a complete E30 M50 swap kit
- AKG Motorsports has created a few products for the E30 swap. They have motor mounts and a plug and play wiring harness adapter to make things go smoothly.
- Treehouse Racing also manufactures E30 swap parts, such as a modified brake booster and swap harness.
If you need any more of a reason to start buying parts for this swap, consider this:
photo provided by DigitalK
Gonzalo Sanchez
October 20, 2011 at 12:35 amNice color. I have a metallic blue E30 and I want to give it some balls the inline six is great it just doesn’t pack enough. I’m just 16 so I’m not full of money but I want a lot of power like 300 horses sounds really good. Any suggestions
Admin
October 20, 2011 at 3:04 amHi Gonzalo. I should first say that the BMW in the video isn’t mine.
If you’re looking for 300whp from the M20 your best bet it to turbocharge it. You could piece together a kit as you go along which helps defray the cost. Buying used parts from the forums (e30tech.com and r3vlimited.com) will also help. The M20 with a headgasket and headstuds should be able to hold up to 300whp.
Gonzalo Sanchez
November 20, 2011 at 7:27 amSorry for the late response. My cousin also has a e30 and he told me he put a m60 off
A 340i I think. I can’t remember. Well he then put a brembo brake system. But as i said I’m 16 so brembo is a little off my budget. If I would do that swap would u recommend a different brake system or can I keep it stock.
Admin
November 21, 2011 at 2:58 pmAn M60 swap off the 340i is possible. Here’s a great link: http://www.rtsauto.com/e30-bmw-m62-v8-swap-3/
As far as brake swaps go, I would avoid spending too much. New rotors, pads and fluid should suffice for most street driving. If you’re planning on tracking the car, brake upgrades may be worthwhile, just remember, if you slap a large kit on the front and keep the rear stock, your brake bias may change and have a detrimental effect on braking.
asmund
January 1, 2012 at 10:30 pmHey
Great information.. i was just wondering if the original (e30 320i,stock) 2.0L could handle a turbo ? Is the original a m20 engine? and also would it be clever for me if I am looking for a larger turbo and more hp to swap the engine to an m50 ?
i am quite a fan of e30′s but I have no practical or theoretical experience withing this subject unfortunately..
kindest regards
Admin
January 6, 2012 at 9:05 pmIt’s possible. Sadly, I don’t know enough about the stock 2.0. Start out by deciding your goals. If you’re shooting for 400whp, you’re better off swapping in most cases. If you’d just like a little power increase you may be fine with the stock motor.
In general the M20/M50 are probably OK up to around 250whp, maybe more. The S50 should handle a good bit more, closer to 375whp, possible more if you push it. After that you’re looking at a forged rotating assembly, which can get pricey.