Dazed, Confused but determined

[OldWolf]

SSmiley 323i 08.jpg

Please pardon an old American V8, I6; VW air & water cooled hot rodder's confusion now that I have a BMW project.

Vehicle:

1999 BMW 323i production date 4/1999 (E46) base model 5-speed

Current Mods:
Coil overs in the front
Koni Yellow's in the rear with adjustable spring perches and camber adjusters
18" M series wheels

Next project is either swapping in the entire 330i engine and 6 speed transmission OR stroking the M52TUB25 to 3.0 litters. There is no replacement for displacement.

I am leaning toward putting crank, rods, pistons, head from a M54B30 onto the M52 block. But, if just swapping the engine would be easier I'm up for that. I've researched the oil pump and harmonic issues with the longer stroke crank. An ATI balancer, an oil pump upgrade kit and oil an baffle should handle most of it. Not allowing it to rev over 6500rpm is another. The 6 speed transmission is only for my personal pet peeves. I hate an engine buzzing over 2000rpm at 70mph. A rear gear replacement and the 6-speed will resolve that issue.

Thoughts? Helpful advice?

BTW, I only paid $900 for the car so I don't mind spending a little money.

[dworthy]

Welcome to the Forum!

Yes, finding a wrecked 330i with the driveline you need would be the easiest way to go. Just keep in mind that somethings like the diff are different in the 330i vers the rest of the model line. Best thing to do is look at the parts catalog to see what is compatible: www.realoem.com

[Muzz258]

Its cheaper to change the engine than to do a stroker. The cost of gaskets for the stroker will go a long way towards paying for the 3.0 L engine.

The mechanical work is straight forward. Do your research on the electrical side of the job. Options like installing the 3.0 L DME with EWS delete is one way to go. Another is to Flash your existing DME with 3.0L software.

Also consider what you want to do with the accelerator peddle. Your 323 is early drive by wire and still has an accelerator cable. The 3.0L will be true fly by wire and have an accelerator sensor. You will have to change to the 3.0 L accelerator system if you want to use the 3.0 L inlet manifold and MAF.

Have fun with your project.

[KZOO325i]

Sounds interesting, keep us Posted. Enjoy Peace.

[OldWolf]

Thank you!

Welcome to the Forum!

Yes, finding a wrecked 330i with the driveline you need would be the easiest way to go. Just keep in mind that somethings like the diff are different in the 330i vers the rest of the model line. Best thing to do is look at the parts catalog to see what is compatible: www.realoem.com

[OldWolf]

Is there a disadvantage to using the existing manifold? I have heard some things about oval vs D shaped ports. Is there a performance version that can be purchased from some place like Dinan or elsewhere? I'll be changing the cams anyway for maximum midrange. I'm also curious about the Dual Vanos interchangeability.

Its cheaper to change the engine than to do a stroker. The cost of gaskets for the stroker will go a long way towards paying for the 3.0 L engine.

The mechanical work is straight forward. Do your research on the electrical side of the job. Options like installing the 3.0 L DME with EWS delete is one way to go. Another is to Flash your existing DME with 3.0L software.

Also consider what you want to do with the accelerator peddle. Your 323 is early drive by wire and still has an accelerator cable. The 3.0L will be true fly by wire and have an accelerator sensor. You will have to change to the 3.0 L accelerator system if you want to use the 3.0 L inlet manifold and MAF.

Have fun with your project.

[dworthy]

This might also help you with your journey: https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/

So the best thing to do if you plan on doing all the bolt-on's you can get is to have the car tuned by a professional with a dyno. The can tunes as I like to call them are okay, but to get the best bang for your buck, get it professional done.

[OldWolf]

Thanks and already on the list!