Precautions using 9000 RPM E30 M3 on the street?

Precautions using 9000 RPM E30 M3 on the street?

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alexwagner

Original Poster:

65 posts

160 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2016
quotequote all
Hello,

I have bought this fairly extreme spec car:
http://www.stelvio.dk/uk/product_det...aster&m...
Not from Stelvio but from the person who bought it from them a couple of years ago.

I am wondering about the precautions to take and the durability one can expect from such a spec, in strictly street use on empty country secondary roads. One mechanic informs me that I should avoid cold starts and constant load cruising like the freeway, due to the piston tolerances.

I would have thought that a race-spec engine would last incomparably longer in a road application than in race conditions (where engine life is often counted in hours), right?

Main internals are:
- Bloc is 2.5L evo III with oil spray nozzels
- Crank and oil pump are 2.5L evo III
- Crank bearings are BMW Motorsport
- Pistons are JE forged Group A endurance pistons with 12.6 compression.
- Rods are 595g BMW Motorsport items.
- Cams are BMW Motorsport 320 / 308 operating BMW Motorsport springs and Evo II valves (37 mm inlet, 32 mm outlet)

Engine was built from all new parts by a BMW mechanic with road use in mind. It is described to be built for 10.400 rpm but was limited to 9000 rpm for safety.

Since the seller bought the car from Stelvio, the ECU was changed to Emerald K6 standalone in order to achieve better flexibility. Rev limiter is currently at 8800 rpm. Power is in the region of 270-280 BHP.

So, what particular precautions, if any, should I take for street use, compared to a less extreme S14?

Engine has only done 4000 Km (approx 2700 miles) in street use so far. What kind of total road (not track) mileage can I expect before a rebuild? 50.000 miles?? And when will I know a rebuild is due? Blue smoking due to worn piston rings?

Thanks,

Alex

alexwagner

Original Poster:

65 posts

160 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2016
quotequote all
W8PMC said:
Linky not worky.
http://www.stelvio.dk/uk/product_detail.asp?mode=master&maID=295

alexwagner

Original Poster:

65 posts

160 months

Wednesday 8th November 2017
quotequote all
It's going awesome, thanks!

Went for a week in september with Petrolhead Tours in the Alps and Pyrenees. The E30 managed to stay ahead of all the modern machines, such as McLaren 12C, Ferrari F12, Audi R8 V10, not to mention modern generation M cars like M2, M3/M4...

Agility is key, plus a sweet handling balance that allows every scrap of grip and performance to be used.