2.9 M20 into the 323i

[lasvegascop]

So it's been a while.....

Got any updates? How's the engine? Anything you would've done differently?

I am thinking about the stroker now too and you were the first one that came to mind I wonder why? hahahahah

Not sure if I should go bullistic like you or should I? The S50 crank and rods than the custom pistons....hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

I would love to keep that budget under $1500 or so??? What do you think??? Need some words of wisdom sir......

[vtbimmer]

10+ years of talk. I wonder if it will ever be on the road?

[lasvegascop]

10+ years of talk. I wonder if it will ever be on the road?

That thing better be on the road!!!!!

[SVD115]

i just read this thread, from start to finish...only to find....
nothing.
no finish
no engine running and skids up the street...

just nothing

[jjgbmw323]

i just read this thread, from start to finish...only to find....
nothing.
no finish
no engine running and skids up the street...

just nothing

Soon my brothers: I am por 15 the underside of the car. The 3.0 liter engine rests in the engine bay, all thats left is some wiring and some hiding of the brake lines. We need to wash out the chromed intake manifold, and mount it. I have all the parts, Damon knows I want to make it to the Bav Auto show.

Also have some new gas tanks, they should be now big deal, and a used laptop to run the Miller ECU.

Come to the show and shine in at BAV AUTO and come visit the car, and me.

And I plan to hang on to this car for as long as I can, so it will be with me baring no major accidents, and complete the shows around here. I want to get it out to Bimmerfest on of these days.

Meantime I have repainted and rebuilt my 2003 GTI with 20th edition lips, BBS RCs, and a fresh paint job,
and built a second Grey 2.8 VR6 MK2 Golf, that will have 9 inch borbets and a Supercharger, but the BMW is my first love.

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Ski - the expensive part of going to 3.0 liters or more are the pistons.
The 86 mm S50 crank can be gotten for aprox $300, and I got 5 M3 rods for cheap, the 6 rod I paid about $100, you will need to get a special adaptor to mount the crank to the M20 block but that can be made by the machine shop, and you need like a 1989 or 90 block.

I have spent money on all new plus 1 valves, that are ferrara, the billet rocker arms from the UK, a competition port and polish and motorcycle behive valve springs from Metric Mechanic.

My pistons where the weisco ones that Metric Mechanic sells with reliefs in the tops for the timing belt failure, it will not warp the head, and they are slightly larger than 86mm, as my previous 2.8 was fubar, we sent those out to weisco to make them for the new engine. If you keep the head stock to cut the costs down, thats where you need to spend money is on the custom pistons. I also used ARP head bolts, and ARP connecting rod bolts.

You can go to the 89 mm S52 crank but this reguires custom rods, and pistons not worth the expense to stroke past 3.0 liters as S50 engines can be had for cheap.

I would go S50 turbo and more hp, but I want the car to look similar to stock and to keep the dogleg tranny and diff for now.

[lasvegascop]

Beautiful!!! Thnx for the info ... My block is already a '90 so all good there I'll see if I can grab a s50 crank and rods as a paired unit.... I'm willing to spent the $1000 for the pistons..oh well.

So IE can do custom pistons too, does anyone know if they cut them like MM to prevent valves hitting in case of belt failure??? Or is that patented by MM??? I wonder? IE can do em for $880.... Good price

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i just read this thread, from start to finish...only to find....
nothing.
no finish
no engine running and skids up the street...

just nothing

Joe is very active member of this forum and extremely helpful.... I personally only wish I lived closer so I could learn and help with his project!!!

He'll get her done

[jjgbmw323]

Beautiful!!! Thnx for the info ... My block is already a '90 so all good there I'll see if I can grab a s50 crank and rods as a paired unit.... I'm willing to spent the $1000 for the pistons..oh well.

So IE can do custom pistons too, does anyone know if they cut them like MM to prevent valves hitting in case of belt failure??? Or is that patented by MM??? I wonder? IE can do em for $880.... Good price

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Joe is very active member of this forum and extremely helpful.... I personally only wish I lived closer so I could learn and help with his project!!!

He'll get her done

The S50 rods are 135 mm length - can be had with the crank or without, I got them from a different place than the crank. The crank is out of a 1995 e36 M3, *86.5 mm, I used a wooden box to protect the crank in shipping. Let me know if you want to use it its heavy but there is no way that the crank can be damaged.

Ski - yes JE makes pistons, but I used the weisco ones. If they can find the build specs on mine, which where a few years ago, they could replicate them. CR is about 10:5:1, bore 1 mm over stock, 86mm. You really dont want to go bigger on the bore than that.

Blush - helpful eh? Love the e21 and my friends online...do what I can to help.

As I say don't spend money on the valves or the top end other than a cam, as it does not really make that much of a difference. The real power is in increase in displacement to 3.0 liters.

[SkiFree]

So IE can do custom pistons too, does anyone know if they cut them like MM to prevent valves hitting in case of belt failure??? Or is that patented by MM??? I wonder? IE can do em for $880.... Good price

No IE won't make them like MM, its not that they are a "patented" design , but rather I believe it to be compromised in ways I wouldn't design a piston. Have been working on some new M20 piston designs for the last couple weeks, got the first ones in here a couple days ago.

[lasvegascop]

No IE won't make them like MM, its not that they are a "patented" design , but rather I believe it to be compromised in ways I wouldn't design a piston. Have been working on some new M20 piston designs for the last couple weeks, got the first ones in here a couple days ago.

Ok.....I can buy that what you're saying, but on other hand, have you heard of any failures of the MM pistons?? If not, than they must be using thicker dome?? Or??

Hmmmmmm.... I might shoot them an email and see ?? I wonder
if or what they say?

[jjgbmw323]

No IE won't make them like MM, its not that they are a "patented" design , but rather I believe it to be compromised in ways I wouldn't design a piston. Have been working on some new M20 piston designs for the last couple weeks, got the first ones in here a couple days ago.

Jim at Metric Mechanics has interesting designs for maximum flow and surface turbulence.... which results in expensive engines like the M20 rally sport costing 12k but awesome! . However since my old engine used Metric Mechanic pistons and was junked do to piston slap....I redid it using the same design sending a piston to them to copy and build with the S50 components. As long as the the new piston designs have reliefs cut in them for timing belt failure I suppose its OK...but I am inclined to go the route I did with MM style and Weisco over J&E....or other brands....


PS I have seen a baby six 2.7 liter Metric Mechanic engine in a 323 and it was so ballsy and fast it was unique and made the 323i into an object of lust. I can only imagine how fast a 3.0 or 3.1 liter made by Metric Mechanic is. This was before you could buy the S50 or S52 crank and they figured out you could use these to stroke the M20.

[jjgbmw323]

Just a little update. New Gas tanks have been fitted. And manifold is on....with injectors and hartge valve cover...the breather hose outlet under the manifold is kind of blocked by the plastic on the fuel rail...not sure if this is due to the fact I am running 21lb injectors:

And now for something you all have been waiting for...I need to find some quality red or blue wires...
who sells these?

[

[BIMMERBOYZ]

According to your signature, your car should have 800hp.

[Tom D]

three year tread, not much done, I'd say his car will make 5hp.

[jjgbmw323]

three year tread, not much done, I'd say his car will make 5hp.

Lol. Wow - the kidding never stops on this board. I am thinking blue wires....

[lasvegascop]

My build is a long one too....In some areas I wish I took some time and researched a bit. Like going with the 3.0 M20! I would've saved me ton of cash, but I think in order to do a master piece, I had to practice on something smaller....Money spent on education is priceless huh?

Car looks good brother!

[jjgbmw323]

Question which model can I use for a spin on oil filter? I want to not run the oil cooler

[jharrel]

I know the 2.7 block I had from a 325 e had the spin on oil filter. I think any early 325e had that. I can probably find the part number and send it to you

[jjgbmw323]

Yeah the e21 323i engine I tossed had it as well. Oh well I will see if i can find another one, maybe from that or from an eta. Thanks JHarrel.

[lasvegascop]

How come you don't want to run the cooler? The more power you make, the more heat it will generate.... Plus that extra half or 3/4 of a quart of oil always counts!

Then again, it's only my opinion... I know you live in a cooler climate but still. Shoot, Germany is not that warm of a country and they still designed that cooler for a reason....

[SkiFree]

How come you don't want to run the cooler? The more power you make, the more heat it will generate.... Plus that extra half or 3/4 of a quart of oil always counts!

Then again, it's only my opinion... I know you live in a cooler climate but still. Shoot, Germany is not that warm of a country and they still designed that cooler for a reason....

I agree, while the E34 M20's did not use an oil cooler nor the 325e's, and 323i's you mentioned, it still does not apply straight across to a stroker setup running forged pistons. I'm finishing up a part number list for a thermostatically controlled remote oil filter cooler kit. If you'd like it just PM me.

and that number for the hollow bolt is 11112140435.

[jjgbmw323]

I agree, while the E34 M20's did not use an oil cooler nor the 325e's, and 323i's you mentioned, it still does not apply straight across to a stroker setup running forged pistons. I'm finishing up a part number list for a thermostatically controlled remote oil filter cooler kit. If you'd like it just PM me.

and that number for the hollow bolt is 11112140435.

The oil cooler does not sit properly in the e21 engine bay. I had thoughts about getting a universal oil cooler. I talked to JDB, whos white 323i my car is modeled after. He does not run an oil cooler for this reason. Neither does Jester. He calls it an oil cooker.

[SkiFree]

The oil cooler does not sit properly in the e21 engine bay. I had thoughts about getting a universal oil cooler. I talked to JDB, whos white 323i my car is modeled after. He does not run an oil cooler for this reason. Neither does Jester. He calls it an oil cooker.

I'm confused as to how mounting an aftermarket cooler would be the deal breaker? there are a lot of different sizes to choose from. To reiterate I'm referring to a remote mounted filter, thermostatically-controlled oil cooler setup that uses a Setrab cooler. NOT a used oem oil cooler, or ebay special of questionable functionality.

My opinion is simply to help keep your oil from being cooked as well, take it as you wish.

[jjgbmw323]

I was talking about the 325i one. Not sure what aftermarket one to use and how to mount it
So that it works properly.

[SkiFree]

There aren't any off-the-shelf kits yet, but I'm working on one. that's why I offered to send you the parts list to do it correctly.

[lasvegascop]

The oil cooler does not sit properly in the e21 engine bay.........

Brother...I'll have to totally disagree with you on this one....To me, the cooler belongs in the E21!
Please check post #36
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...r#post23462302

Yes, you do have to have one oil hose custom made and weld couple tubes together, but if I did it, you should too....nothing special there.....