That is a very good question! I don't know, I have not even looked. My other thought is a Metric Mechanic 2.2. 155 hp and 145 ft lbs torque. Does anyone have experience with this M10 based motor from MM? GR
Paul: I am planning to change the automatic trans fluid in my wife's 328is (man 2/98,, 95K miles). I got the filter kit, pan bolts, Esso Lifetime fluid, crush washers, etc. I have the bentley manual. So I think I am all set to go to change the fluid. I have to work outside to do this. Will the cold weather cause any problems for me (PA). I know the trans needs to be warm (not hot or cold). Any tips you can give on this procedure? Thank you for the great advice! GR
My best tip is to make friends with someone that has a lift inside Make sure you have a fluid transfer pump and a helper. I believe that your wife's car has the GM trans (correct me if I am mistaken) with two pans. Get one of those big square transmission drain funnel things to catch all the fluid. Place it in your drain pan on a large piece of cardboard under the car which should be on ramps or on flat, level surface on GOOD jack stands. Loosen fill plug. If yours has a drain plug, then loosen that (I can't remember.) Remove the front pan, it'll be messy. Remove rear pan. remove filter and let things drain for a while as you enjoy an Irish coffee. Your neck and arms should be pretty sore right now. Clean all traces of the pan gasket from both pans and the trans surface. I use a razor blade, and sometimes have to break it in half to get the surfaces between the two pans. I clamp it in a pair of good needle nose vice grips. Make sure not to gouge anything. Clean the metal shavings from the magnet in the bottom of the pan. I use a little sealant on the gasket, but only very little. It is not absolutely necessary, but I do it anyway. I like Yamabond 4 (does not set up hard like RTV) or the very thinnest skim coat of black RTV you can manage. I mean thin. If that crap gets in your trans, you will be mad. Anyhow, reassemble. I tend to fill both pans halfway before installing them, but that is not easy on the ground- it is not super essential, but if you don't you have to pump in more fluid by hand. You will be hating life as you install a gazillion locktite coated bolts. Do not under or overtorque them! I find if you go by the book, they are mildly undertorqued and will weep fluid. If you go too tight, you will kill the gasket. The weather should not be a problem, because by the time your assistant starts the car and runs it through the gears once (foot on brake,) you top up and check while it runs in park, assistant runs through gears again (foot on brake,) and you check and top up yet again, and maybe a third time, it will be the correct temperature for you. Make sure you use a good wrench on the fill plug when removing and finally tightening it or you will bugger it up and hate life. If you think you might mess it up, buy one preemptively. It may take between 6-8 qts if you let it drain long enough.
All around goodness, eh? Well, the M30 is at or near the top. Versatile, torquey, lots of parts, can be turbocharged, bored, stroked, abused, etc. M50/S50 (and also M52/S52US) are vying for top position. They have proved that they can handle all kinds of abuse, modification, etc, and make plenty of power but are more expensive to mod because of dual cams. M20 is 3rd. M70 (and all derivatives, esp S70) are actually great motors, but suffer from taking up lots of space in the engine compartment. One day, though, I will make a mid-engined car with a V12 (E30 maybe or 318ti?) M60/62 are actually great motors too, but they lose points for maintainence costs. S14 falls just out of the top 5. Too peaky for street use. Have to drive it like you stole it all the time. Smae for S38/M88. They are great motors because of the M30 ancestry, but they are full of their own problems that make owning them sometimes an unhappy proposition. Don't like the M54 due to longevity issues. Some people like the M10 (I am so-so on it.) Anything newer, I don't have much experience with.
M54 already has longevity issues? Aren't they almost the same as the M52TU? Say it ain't so! I have two of them in my stable! Please elaborate on this..........
Thanks Paul!!! You are the best. This is the confidence I needed! I have read the bentley a number of times and they are just so cautious. Kind of annoying, the old bentley on my e30s doesn't have that tone. I have quality jack stands and floor jack, so jacking is not an issue. I have had this car up a few times now. I also bought a new fluid pump, since I used MTL in my old one. Yes I believe I have the GM unit. It has the two pans. I am ready to tackle this beast now! Thanks again!!! GR
I think I am pretty good to go. Really my main concern was needing to have a warm transmission to do the change. I think I warm it up a little before hand, maybe around the block a couple times and then do the change. Thanks for the tips on the razor blade, etc. I have been afraid to use a razor blade to remove a gasket in the past. I will be careful. Thanks again!, Grant
Grant, Paul - can you run the car in gear without damaging the halfshaft u-joints? For an E30, I think the Bentley manual claims doing so with the rear suspension at full droop might harm the u-joints, but I don't know if that might apply in this case.
Foot on brake the whole time Granthr! Just cycle up and down the gears a couple of times between top-ups to run the pump and fill the valve body. Sometimes you have no choice but to run them in gear at full droop, but it is not good for them, and you should only do it when there is no other choice and you have a specific reason.
Paul and MGarrison. Thanks for the extra tip, I hadn't thought of that. I will not run the car in drive with rear at full droop. I will just go through the gears with my foot on the brake like you said! Don't want to mess up those expensive half shafts!! GR
http://www.bimmerforums.com/engine_faq/ M50- twincam, M20 based architecture (shares bearing sizes and bore spacing, and other stuff) M50TU (technical update) has VANOS M52 OBD2 version of the M50TU BMW was one of the only (if not the only) manufacturer that increased the displacement of every motor sold in the US to cope with the restrictions caused by the switch to OBD2. This helped them keep the same power output after the change and helps bottom feeders and frankenmotor builders get great engines for swaps. Not fond of the M52TU (aluminum block) or the M54 (electronic throttle.)
The M54 is still silky smooth IMO. Hey, if Mike Miller drives around with a M54, then I feel safe and secure .
It is just an evolution of the M52, but the aluminum block cannot handle the abuse, and the electronic throttle is very expensive when it dies, which it will. Mike Miller the Tech Talk guy?
