Engine tuneability
Engine tuneability
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V8mate

Original Poster:

45,899 posts

219 months

Thursday 24th June 2010
quotequote all
Can anyone point me towards info regarding the tuneability opportunities (or lack thereof) for the 1.9 E36 engine (M44)?

Thread updated Saturday lunchtime \/

Edited by V8mate on Saturday 26th June 13:45

StuB

6,695 posts

269 months

Thursday 24th June 2010
quotequote all
Some good supercharger coversions!

TheEnd

15,370 posts

218 months

Thursday 24th June 2010
quotequote all
There was a supercharger kit from a company called Downing Atlanta, but now discontinued, and sought after.
basically you are left with air filters and an exhaust for a bit of fun, and a remap which is notoriously tricky to carry out.

Cams are about, but still pretty expensive.

The best fun would be in suspension stuff i guess. 318iSs are raced in Class D of the Kumho championship, so it's not far off a budget race car for the road

V8mate

Original Poster:

45,899 posts

219 months

Thursday 24th June 2010
quotequote all
I saw a turbo on ebay (from Canada) but wonder if the left/right-hand drive thing would cause any probs. It's a grand too.


Have been offered a cheap 318ti and was wondering about the options available on it for my son to play tarmac warrior in - trackdays, possibly going on to something budget competitive.

TheEnd

15,370 posts

218 months

Thursday 24th June 2010
quotequote all
The turbo kits are a cheap or reconned turbo, and a manifold in most cases. the rest of the work all needs to be done which ends up costing a fortune.

coming as a "kit" looks great, but in reality all you get specific is an exhaust manifold with a flange on it, and considering the amount of other pipework you'll have to do, it's only one small step in the right direction.

V8mate

Original Poster:

45,899 posts

219 months

Thursday 24th June 2010
quotequote all
Thanks for the tip. I wasn't keen on spending a grand on a bag of parts anyway.

Is it worth going down the camshaft route or better value just to go for a 6-cylinder full-size E36 from the outset?

TheEnd

15,370 posts

218 months

Thursday 24th June 2010
quotequote all
probably better to start with something bigger.

If you have the compact already, a 6 cyl conversion would make a good project, and it'll cost about the same to fit a 328 engine rather than cams for example.
2.8 powered compact would be fun.

V8mate

Original Poster:

45,899 posts

219 months

Thursday 24th June 2010
quotequote all
No. Not bought yet. Hence asking in advance about options.
The compacts are just so much cheaper to buy; I guess the thread is providing the reason why.

Will carry on interrogating Google too.

V8mate

Original Poster:

45,899 posts

219 months

Saturday 26th June 2010
quotequote all
Right. I bought an E36 323i coupe instead.

Browsing wikipedia, it suggests that the 2.5 unit (1995-1998) produces 168bhp and an 8.0 sec 0-60. (M52B25)

But the same capacity engine previously (1991-1993) produced 189bhp, though the same 0-60 time confused (M50B25)

Does that mean there's 20bhp 'lurking' in this unit? And if there is, can I have it please smile and can it be used to reduce the acceleration time?

cpufreak

478 posts

238 months

Saturday 26th June 2010
quotequote all
Get a 325i inlet manifold, and then a remap.

TheEnd

15,370 posts

218 months

Saturday 26th June 2010
quotequote all
It'll have most of the torque and power of the 325 up until 4500-ish rpms, when the intake manifold becomes more restrictive and stops the party.

The fix would be to get a 325 intake manifold (be careful, as the smaller 320 manifold is very similar) and fit that.

You'll need to do a bit of modding, there's a hole or 2 underneath that needs blanking off, and then you add on a plate taken from your 323 manifold that has all the 323 fittings attached.

Bob will then become your uncle, and the job is a good 'un.

The clever reason behind this was you have an apparent 2.3 litre car with the torque of a 2.5

BMW have been doing this for quite a while now, 118d 120d and 123d all have a 2.0 engine for example.

V8mate

Original Poster:

45,899 posts

219 months

Saturday 26th June 2010
quotequote all
So why, when it was sold as a 325i was it not quicker to 60, in spite of having an extra 20bhp? Or is that an ECU issue?


ETA: Found this bag 'o bits to do the conversion.

Just need to find a manifold too now smile

Edited by V8mate on Saturday 26th June 15:34

TheEnd

15,370 posts

218 months

Saturday 26th June 2010
quotequote all
i knew there would be a guide somewhere
http://www.bimmerforums.co.uk/forum/f3/m50-manifol...

have a read through that, and see what you think.

as for 0-60s, the times quoted on the net are all over the place, wikipedia says 8.0 for 323 and 325 saloons, but the coupe in the list below is quoted at 7.3s vs 8.0 for the 323 again.


V8mate

Original Poster:

45,899 posts

219 months

Saturday 26th June 2010
quotequote all
TheEnd said:
i knew there would be a guide somewhere
http://www.bimmerforums.co.uk/forum/f3/m50-manifol...

have a read through that, and see what you think.
I'm think I'm going to have to hand the car over to a bloke who knows what he's doing! hehe

V8mate

Original Poster:

45,899 posts

219 months

Sunday 27th June 2010
quotequote all
Just what is the max RPM of an E36 engine? hehe

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSJ-HzNWJGM&fea...yikes

TheEnd

15,370 posts

218 months

Sunday 27th June 2010
quotequote all
I think those ones are set to about 8000rpm, and that engine is the S42, a 2.0 race version of the M42 / 318iS engine.

Despite cutting through the traffic like a rocket, it has less power than a regular M3.

V8mate

Original Poster:

45,899 posts

219 months

Thursday 1st July 2010
quotequote all
cpufreak said:
Get a 325i inlet manifold, and then a remap.
Is there an obvious way of differentiating the two manifolds? I don't want to order an M50 one only to find it has already been done smile

TheEnd

15,370 posts

218 months

Thursday 1st July 2010
quotequote all
There's bound to be a top view somewhere, but..



That's it from the bottom, an obvious giveaway is the M50 has runners that are straight, and the M52 splays out a little from a central point.

V8mate

Original Poster:

45,899 posts

219 months

Friday 2nd July 2010
quotequote all
Brilliant. Thanks.

Turns out the chap on the e36 forum who reworks the M52 manifolds and supplies big bore throttle bodies is only 15 miles from where I live. So guess where the car's going first? hehe