Help identifying engine

[vibsa]

Hello all,

Found a engine in a barn and wanted to get you all's expertise. Afraid I am not a BMW guy myself, so thought this would be a good place to start.

Some details:

• Definitely from some e36
• Casting number on head 1738400
• Based on casting numbers, looks like it is either M50 or M52

Questions:

• How should I distinguish in more detail if it is, say, M52? As in, how would I know M52B25 vs M52B28, etc

Images:











Thanks!

[vibsa]

Hello all. I'm looking for some guidance regarding an engine I found in a barn.

Specifically, what flavor of Mxxx is this? I think it is an M50 or M52, but where should I check to get the detail?

Details:

• Quite sure this is from an E36
• Based on casting number on head (1738400) looks like it is likely M50 or M52?

Images:






Many thanks in advance!

[XnWarden]

Pull a spark plug and stick an extension or screwdriver in the cylinder and measure the stroke

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

[Eric93se]

Its not an m52. Coils are wrong, VC looks metal, intake runners look like m50.

[Ghost129er]

M50


M52

A quick Google Search could have showed you this. It looks like an M50 (according to what I have) since the oil fill cap is at the rear of the engine than the front where in the M52 it's in the front.

[vibsa]

Thank you all for the assistance here! @Ghost129er tbh I did do this same search but didn't notice the fill cap, thanks for pointing that out.

Any thoughts on distinguishing between M50B20, M50B25 and M50B25TU? I am thinking it is almost certainly one of the last two just given how much more common 325 was, but playing the google game I am not yielding differentiable results.

[importbanana]

I might be wrong on this one but the way I understand the M50 wikipedia page, M50B25 are always without vanos and therefore don't have the vanos bulge at the front, and M50B25TU had vanos and therefore the bulge.

[323i E30]

Might be easier since the engine is out: https://www.ge39.com/files/zeigeinfo.pdf

[JDStrickland]

Thank you all for the assistance here! @Ghost129er tbh I did do this same search but didn't notice the fill cap, thanks for pointing that out.

Any thoughts on distinguishing between M50B20, M50B25 and M50B25TU? I am thinking it is almost certainly one of the last two just given how much more common 325 was, but playing the google game I am not yielding differentiable results.

The M50B20 would be found in a 320i, not sold in the USA.

The M50B25 is an early engine that has no VANOS and is not found in the E36 (with the possible exception of very early 1993 models), the M50B25TU is the engine used in the USA E36. There is also the M52 which is an OBD2 engine used beginning with the 1996 model years.

With the E46, the M52 became a Dual VANOS engine, designated as the M52TU, and came in both 2.5L and 2.8L displacement.

You can go to Wikipedia and find information on the various engines used in the E36/E46, and other models also.

[importbanana]

btw am I the only one who can't see the original poster's photos?

[JDStrickland]

btw am I the only one who can't see the original poster's photos?

No. I see where he said there should be photos, but I do not see any. I see pics in Post #5 that clearly show how to identify an M50 vs M52.

[MParallel]

I see post 1 pics. M50 no doubt. With Vanos.

[Ghost129er]

btw am I the only one who can't see the original poster's photos?

You guys probably have Imgur links/etc blocked somehow or it might be that I browse Imgur so I see their stuff here cached somehow, idk, anyways it's resolved and etc so all Gucchi.

[Hallatauer]

There should be a VIN plate on the back of the head.... from there you should be able to identify the car and engine displacement.