Turbo in E36

[h22lude]

Can a 318 or 325 E36 be easily turbo'd? Will I need to do engine work to make it reliable or can I just put the turbo on and get it tuned with low PSI?

[Jd886]

If your going to work with one or the other, get a 92 325i. You can stroke it and hone the cylanders to 3.0L. You'd need certain things (an S50 crank, rod's, M3 cams, etc) So yes, you'd want to do engine work, plus the pistons in the M50 engines (the 325) don't work well with FI. You'd essentialy have the S50 (95 M3) engine, but with proper internals and have spent a lot less money. I would only do this if you plan on going with standalone engine management.

[h22lude]

Yeah I would plan on doing some type of standalone. So a stock E36 motor is not good for FI?

[ovlov28]

a stock E36 motor IS good for boost, marco has a stock motor (albiet M3) and is running over 400 hp at the rear wheels on 11psi, a 325 with just an AA supercharger kit has 260 at the wheels

[orijinal_poser]

make sure you build your engine right

[h22lude]

So the stock motor can take the FI at low boost?

[orijinal_poser]

it can took boost to a certain level, after that it goes boom

[Jd886]

The M3 engines are good for up to about 400-450hp through FI. I've been told by several differen't people that the rods won't withstand 400+ hp for a long time. They will eventualy bend. You can do it, but still you know you won't be able to do much. If you put new rods and pistons in, the sky is the limit.

The 325 engines aren't good becuase of the design of the pistons. I believe its because they are flat or aren't flat, I forget why. But you won't be able to take a stock 325 engine and push it past 300+hp. If you were to get it that high, you'd have spent more money than just originaly swaping an M3 engine and putting a stage 1 turbo kit one there.

Remember, you can take an M50 non vanos engine and stroke and bore it to 3.0 liters. Drop some M3 cams (300 used) and an S50 crank (anywhere between 250-600) and all new internals, you could easily boost that baby to 600-700 hp if you felt the need to do so. A certain someone on Boostjunky (has 2 of the top ten turbo'ed BMW's) has told me something with boosting that has stuck with me: "if you do things right, the sky is the limit" and his two 600+hp cars can verify that statement... oh and let me say he spent a far amount less than other people with that power... which I also intend to do

[orijinal_poser]

Originally Posted by Jd886

The M3 engines are good for up to about 400-450lbs of boost.

i'm thinking you mean 400-450 hp? but how many lbs. of boost are you talking about? the most i've heard that stock m3 engine internals can take is about 6 lbs safely.

[Jd886]

Opps my bad, I meant they can take about 400-450hp through FI. I'm tired... partied all last night and then worked a nice 10 hour shift. I'll edit it.

[orijinal_poser]

lol, ok, just wondering when i saw triple digits next to pounds of boost.

[caracas_e30]

I would certainly not recommend taking an m3 motor to 400+hp. That is scary for a motor with stock internals. In my opinion, max power with boost with stock internals should go around 300-350 at the wheels, depending on the condition of the internals. If you rebuild the motor correctly and get lower compression pistons etc etc...you can safely boost the motor enough to reach 400hp. But remember that FI is a High maintanence deal, you are not going to be enjoy this day after day after day without problems. 400hp is a lot....yet with the correct process and motor setup, the sky is the limit


yet suddenly there is a limit.....how much money are you willing to spend, that is the real limit and if you have sufficient funds lying around for just about anything, then you can get yourself a ridiculous motor built.

[h22lude]

Could a built 318 engine handle boost?

[cannah]

its been said that the 318 engine with stock internals can take around 7 psi.

[h22lude]

is vanos or non vanos better for FI?