swaping an M47 into the E30.

[christophbmw]

So has anybody done it, i thought it might be cool to make a bio-diesel car that would still be fun to drive. I have been thinking about stroking my DD 318is but why not go with a diesel. any info would help, thanks.

ps. ive been searching on the net for about an hour now on the subject and turned up empty handed.

[kowalski]

yeah, its something i never heard of... i know i was thinking about putting a cummins into the 56 belair me and my brother were restoring... but the wiring and purchase of the engine kind of ruled it out..

[StreetSpec_iS]

i had a look around, and couldnt see much. I also thought it would be an interesting swap. Some of the tuner versions of those motors get impressive torque.

[romkasponka]

I would like this setup http://www.spritmonitor.de/en/detail/164165.html

[dino245]

The best engine to use would be the M41 engine. It is not as technicaly advanced as the M47 but they are cheap and can be strocked and bored for more displacment and they do have some electronic control over injection timing and amount. It uses an early bosch system similar to the VW A3 cars such as golf and Jetta and early passat. The blocks are very similar and may even have the same mounting points. I too have thought of this idea considering how much US blood is shead for oil regardless of what the government says. Biodiesel is renuable and cleaner than other posibilities. The only problem is that you cut the cars fun factory by half. I have driven a few VW turbo diesels and they are SLOW.

[Froos]

Hmm, in EU I guess we are more used to driving diesels. Dont forget last 24H of LeMans was won by a diesel..
I owned a golf MkII GTD with intercooler and was hugh fun (light car)
I owned a golf MkIII TD w/h incercooler and was not fast at all..
I now own currently a 1.9JTD alfa 156 sw with a chip, breating 145Hp and i accelerate faster than with my MkIII Golf GTI i used to own. Also my moms Audi A4 1.9 has stock 130 Hp, thats w/h chiptuning, wheel spin in 2nd and 3 gear, chip would yield around 155hp. (Fwd so not to special). I mean (Turbo)diesels can be hugh fun, and very easy and cheap to tune. Plus they are very good on gas milage. All that said, my M42 is cooler than any of the other cars...

[kowalski]

diesels are the way of the future. When you can run 550hp, 1200lb/ft of tq, and still get 20-28 mpg with 6 and 7 liter diesels there is something to say about efficiency right there. Especially when you can make biodiesel for 13 cents per liter.

[christophbmw]

hmmmm. thanks for the replies, i thought for sure i would get flamed. the M47 is like 211HP/220TQ (something like that) so the fun factor would double in my opinion. I will probabally never get the money to do a swap like this, but its cool to see whats out there.

[Squawk Ident]

I haven't done it but it sounds exciting. The latest generation 2L diesels can get 200 HP with just a chip, and then who knows how much more with propane injection. On top of things, think of the TORQUE!!!!!

It might be as much fun as an M42 even if it would not sing as sweetly.

[Donkeyshins]

How in the heck would you find an M47 motor here in the states?  You've gotta think that it would be extremely expensive to import one from the EU...

To be honest, I'm tempted by this as well (even though I love my M42 motor) although it would be in an E36 (so mounting points wouldn't be as big of an issue).

-D

[christophbmw]

How in the heck would you find an M47 motor here in the states?  You've gotta think that it would be extremely expensive to import one from the EU...

To be honest, I'm tempted by this as well (even though I love my M42 motor) although it would be in an E36 (so mounting points wouldn't be as big of an issue).

-D

i know, thats the only thing stoping me. if i liked the E36 chassis i would just import an E36 to the states with the M47 in it from the factory.

[Donkeyshins]

I have an E36 (and I love the chassis - at least in the 318i / iS version - and I'm speaking as a former E30 owner).  Unfortunately, I think importing an E36 318d or 320d would be pretty hard due to Federalization issues.  It would probably be easier to just sneak an engine over and feign ignorance when the smog police ask questions.  :p

It's a nice dream, at least...

-Derek

[pinkyvsbrain]

Maybe I dont understand you the right way...but an e36 never had an m47 engine and an e36 was never build as a 318d or 320d. Not for the german market.
The e36 was sold as 318tds with an m41 engine.

There was a posting in the motorenforum of http://www.e30.de about swapping a 320d- or 330d-engine into an e30. One of the users said that it isnt so much trouble. Maybe it is interesting for someone.....

[ose30]

cummins into the 56 belair me and my brother were restoring

I used to own a 1957 Bel Air 2dht

[Donkeyshins]

Maybe I dont understand you the right way...but an e36 never had an m47 engine and an e36 was never build as a 318d or 320d. Not for the german market.
The e36 was sold as 318tds with an m41 engine.

There was a posting in the motorenforum of http://www.e30.de about swapping a 320d- or 330d-engine into an e30. One of the users said that it isnt so much trouble. Maybe it is interesting for someone.....

My mistake.  I saw that BMW had an M47-equipped 3-Series in 1999, but forgot that there were E46 models in 1999 (you could still get E36 coupes here in the States).  Drat.  I don't want an E46 - they're too boring and heavy.

-D