What are you thinking about this setup?

[kovrol]

Hi guys. I leave in Europe and have a US type S52B32 E36 M3. As you know it has 240hp 320nm.....propably 250hp and 330nm az I see the stock american dyno datasheets. I dont want to swap to Euro M3, the 90% of them that you can buy is in shit condition, the overall maintainance is 2x-3x more then a US type....of course its a powerful engine but not for my wallet :)
So, I want to tune this car, I have it for 3 years now, and I saw a lot of tuners in USA...like Turner-Conforti, Dinan, AA, Eurosport and so on...
From these I have known a lot of things, and from Alpina (uses the same engine in Europe) too.
I thinking about the followings:
1. BMC CDA airbox 3,5" size (same as for Euro M3) (400$)
2. 3,5" HFM...I dont know which is good for me...as I heart 540I and euro M3 has the same sensort element the only difference is in the housing)...Porsche 803 is cheaper then 809...I can buy 803 in used for approx 150$, 540I and M3 is around 50-100$....809 is in horror prices.
3. I want to hold the ASC, so I need a size restrictor (adapter) for the 3" throttlebody...as I know it is 50$.
4. in the manfold question I cant choose...M50 is good above 5500rpm, but shit under 5000rpm...looses around 20-25nm and 10-15bhp. Schrick manifold is more expensive, costs around 400$ in used, Alpina has nearly the same manifold like schrick but it costs the same...euro M3 ITB fitting costs a lot of money too...so I have to decide between M50 and M52 (holding).
5. I have still fitted euro M3 exhaust manifold, Supersprint middle section with decat (not the straight pipe) and Supersprint Euro M3 Race muffler.
6. Costum tuning on dyno....RPM limit will be 7000rpm.
7. After these I will add 6spd M3 gearbox and 3.45 LSD.

Any opinions? What can I expect for? I think with M50 manifold I can expect around 235whp, without this I can expect around 220whp...

[ntonar]

I would not mod it and use the money to maintain a euro M3.

[idriveam3durrrr]

I'd do the Airbox, 803 MAF, M50 intake (I have one and could feel the difference instantly), euro m3 headers, top it off with the 6spd and 3.46 diff, sounds like a winning combo.

[kovrol]

I would not mod it and use the money to maintain a euro M3.

I understand your opinion, but swapping an Euro M3 costs about 2000$ extra cost if I sell my engine....with the euro engine you have to do for example yearly valve adjustment which costs about 300-400$...euro engines like "dropping out the rods" through the block and so on....my engine is in perfect condition. Most of the swappable euro engines are come from England and not in the best condition...they have usually 200k miles and so on, I have only 100k....


I'd do the Airbox, 803 MAF, M50 intake (I have one and could feel the difference instantly), euro m3 headers, top it off with the 6spd and 3.46 diff, sounds like a winning combo.

yes I think this will be the winning combo for me too....I will search for used Schrick or Alpina intake manifold in the next weeks/months, If I cant find I will mount an M50. I think this will be around 235WHP. You can search my car on youtub, search for KOVROL, euro SS exhaust system sounds awesome :)

[Volf]

Seems like a waste making the intake larger just to reduce it back to 3" again by leaving the asc in place.

And id go with the m50 mani

Sent from my DROID X2 using BF.com

[Moron95M3]

If you have that much money to mod the US car....couldn't you afford the euro?

[kovrol]

If you have that much money to mod the US car....couldn't you afford the euro?

this tuning costs half of the euro swap.
2 of my friends has euro 321HP M3, I felt that those engines are another world in HP range, but as I told the maintainence apporx 2x-3x more then my engine if I will use if tor approx 100k miles....
One of them just making it to supercharged, they are building it for 9months now....costs nearly 50.000$ for him, that will be a great car :) .... but he has butter income then mine :)

[hc1001]

this tuning costs half of the euro swap.
2 of my friends has euro 321HP M3, I felt that those engines are another world in HP range, but as I told the maintainence apporx 2x-3x more then my engine if I will use if tor approx 100k miles....
One of them just making it to supercharged, they are building it for 9months now....costs nearly 50.000$ for him, that will be a great car :) .... but he has butter income then mine :)

Why not just leave it alone and do maintenance so the car will be running good for a long time.

if you want more power, buy a supercharger. i wouldnt bother with bolt on mods.

[JCooper]

I understand your opinion, but swapping an Euro M3 costs about 2000$ extra cost if I sell my engine....with the euro engine you have to do for example yearly valve adjustment which costs about 300-400$...euro engines like "dropping out the rods" through the block and so on....my engine is in perfect condition. Most of the swappable euro engines are come from England and not in the best condition...they have usually 200k miles and so on, I have only 100k....

?
Valve shims definitely cost $2.00 a piece and you only need enough to keep the 24 buckets in spec! Half the time only a few are out of spec to begin with. You can definitely use some existing shims compensate for any other differences which makes it even cheaper!
&
About the rod bearings... obviously they'd drop look how long these motors have been around:shifty Just imagine 15-16 years of revving @ 8k for god knows how long??? VAC motorsports sells bearings for less than $300 iirc! That's a decent price to keep your bottom end healthy for a very long time.

EDIT:
Look how simple this is
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elKilUuKM8U&t=2m6s

[kovrol]

About VAC bearings, one of my 321hp M3 friends knows a guy who has 350hp S50B32 (tuning made in germany) 8.2k rev limit etc...his engine gone wrong about 1 year ago because of "non-factory" (not from BMW bought) bearings...now he search for a good used block:(
This was his car, 0-200 15sec :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veRvrh4vYjA&list=FL9oe4VPMugy1gpEIDVPudnQ&index=3&feature=plpp_video

[gradon]

I agree with your mods and agree with Volf on going with the m50 mani and delete the asc.

[JCooper]

About VAC bearings, one of my 321hp M3 friends knows a guy who has 350hp S50B32 (tuning made in germany) 8.2k rev limit etc...his engine gone wrong about 1 year ago because of "non-factory" (not from BMW bought) bearings...now he search for a good used block:(
This was his car, 0-200 15sec :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veRvrh4vYjA&list=FL9oe4VPMugy1gpEIDVPudnQ&index=3&feature=plpp_video

There are way to many factors that could result in premature rod bearing failure! I wouldn't jump to vac bearings being the cause to your friends bottom end failure right away!

[kovrol]

I agree with your mods and agree with Volf on going with the m50 mani and delete the asc.

yeah I think too that this will be the best way If I can spend only 1k$ for this.