Building a 400HP capable M42

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crazzy_hippo

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Building a 400HP capable M42
« on: October 13, 2008, 03:34:25 AM »
Hi Guys! I am new to this forum as well as M42 motors. I just bought an e36 318is around 2 months ago and is thinking of rebuilding the engine.

Right now, I am hoping to change it into something that could put around 400HP (turbocharged or supercharged). Of course, I do understand that the internals have to be upgraded.

I have done some research and read quite a bit about metric mechanic parts. Unfortunately, I think they are rather pricey and out of my league (no budget for it at all). An alternative is to swap in a M50B25 and turbocharged it but I prefer a light 4 potter rather than a heavy 6 potter. It will also make my car "unique" since FI M42s are rather rare out there.

I am wondering is there any alternatives to metric mechanic? I am hoping to get a 2.0L diesel crankshaft and some forged pistons and conrods thats cheaper and yet is able to do the job.

Thanks for the help folks!!

GrindCulture

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Building a 400HP capable M42
« Reply #1 on: October 13, 2008, 03:04:54 PM »
It's probably possible to do it cheaper than MM motors, but will it be cheap? No. You'll need to replace all the internals as well as getting a suitable manifold/turbo/intercooler and all relevant piping, new injectors, exhaust system blah blah blah as well as getting it mapped correctly. This means living mapping on standalone such as Megasquirt. Where abouts in the world are you?

Also just for your info, an M50 can be turboed/supercharged to 450bhp pretty easily on stock internals, and with that much power, who cares about balance and handling?
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deltaneo1

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Building a 400HP capable M42
« Reply #2 on: October 13, 2008, 04:59:16 PM »
well you could look into maybe getting a turbo of a volvo and intercooler too.. alot of people take the intercooler off those cars and use them because there alot bigger then there stock ones and alot cheaper ... turbo you could get from alot of places but you might have to rebuild one or fab up the header to take it... but with bigger cam, porting the heads and bigger valves, upgrade chip, high flow cat, bigger throutle body, and shave the heads down to up the compression you could get around there.. without a turbo i would think...


joe
« Last Edit: October 13, 2008, 05:18:15 PM by deltaneo1 »
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rob_e30

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Building a 400HP capable M42
« Reply #3 on: October 13, 2008, 11:39:13 PM »
Cheap, fast, reliable... pick any two.

That being said, I don't think you can build a 400HP M42 on the cheap.  You need to be up to 27psi of boost at 1.95L depending on your dyno.  I strongly recommend you only test on a Dynojet.

kowalski

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Building a 400HP capable M42
« Reply #4 on: October 14, 2008, 11:44:30 AM »
how reliable is your settup, and what kind of #'s are you seeing?
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Send $ to: kroeker.michael @ gmail.com

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GrindCulture

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Building a 400HP capable M42
« Reply #5 on: October 14, 2008, 04:04:22 PM »
Quote from: deltaneo1;58410
well you could look into maybe getting a turbo of a volvo and intercooler too.. alot of people take the intercooler off those cars and use them because there alot bigger then there stock ones and alot cheaper ... turbo you could get from alot of places but you might have to rebuild one or fab up the header to take it... but with bigger cam, porting the heads and bigger valves, upgrade chip, high flow cat, bigger throutle body, and shave the heads down to up the compression you could get around there.. without a turbo i would think...


joe


Unfortunately I don't think a Volvo turbo will flow well enough for you to be able to run enough boost to get to 400bhp.
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crazzy_hippo

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Building a 400HP capable M42
« Reply #6 on: October 14, 2008, 08:57:20 PM »
Thanks for the advice folks! I do understand that its not going to be cheap to build such an engine but the USD 9K price tag for the MM engine is just way too expensive for me. Not to mention shipping to my country is going to cost a bomb as well...hoho...

OK, perhaps I should revise my requirements. How about 300HP? I do want to stroke the engine to 88mm and bore it to 86mm. This should be good for slightly over 2L.

After that, I plan to supercharge the engine using an Eaton M90 charger and boost it to 1bar. With hotter cams (planning for catcams of ~280 degrees 11mm lift), a 4-1 exhaust and an aftermarket ECU (getting an Autronic SM2) I hope to be able to hit around 300HP.

I am thinking if there are cheaper alternatives for the internals. How about other brands like Wossner, Eagle etc. Do they offer more affordable parts compared to MM?

crazzy_hippo

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Building a 400HP capable M42
« Reply #7 on: October 14, 2008, 08:57:54 PM »
Quote from: GrindCulture;58528
Unfortunately I don't think a Volvo turbo will flow well enough for you to be able to run enough boost to get to 400bhp.


I think I am going to scale back to 300HP instead. That should be much easier to attain. Btw, I am aiming to use a Garrett GT28 turbo instead. This should give me enough boost.

My dream is to twin charge the M42 with a Turbo and Supercharger. But I think I will supercharge for now first...

318kid

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Building a 400HP capable M42
« Reply #8 on: October 14, 2008, 11:05:36 PM »
Quote from: crazzy_hippo;58555
I think I am going to scale back to 300HP instead. That should be much easier to attain. Btw, I am aiming to use a Garrett GT28 turbo instead. This should give me enough boost.

My dream is to twin charge the M42 with a Turbo and Supercharger. But I think I will supercharge for now first...


If you're using the GT28, that means you're turboing. I think a turbo would bring more power. But a S/C would be more fun at lower RPM's...
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GrindCulture

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Building a 400HP capable M42
« Reply #9 on: October 15, 2008, 12:45:14 PM »
Where do you live?

If you can get the car running on just LPG then you can run higher boost on stock internals, keeping the CR standard and therefore having better off boost throttle response, as LPG is less susceptible to premature detonation.
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deltaneo1

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Building a 400HP capable M42
« Reply #10 on: October 15, 2008, 01:06:44 PM »
Quote from: GrindCulture;58528
Unfortunately I don't think a Volvo turbo will flow well enough for you to be able to run enough boost to get to 400bhp.



I was talking more about the intercooler then the turbo....
Originally Posted by deltaneo1  
well you could look into maybe getting a turbo of a volvo and intercooler too..Alot of people take the intercooler off those cars and use them because there alot bigger then there stock ones and alot cheaper...turbo you could get from alot of places but you might have to rebuild one or fab up the header to take it...
New to BMW\'s .. Im a chevy guy..
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GrindCulture

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Building a 400HP capable M42
« Reply #11 on: October 16, 2008, 01:59:39 PM »
Ah, missed that bit dude :o
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Rogan

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Building a 400HP capable M42
« Reply #12 on: November 01, 2008, 11:23:42 AM »
Quote from: deltaneo1;58601
I was talking more about the intercooler then the turbo....
Originally Posted by deltaneo1  
well you could look into maybe getting a turbo of a volvo and intercooler too..Alot of people take the intercooler off those cars and use them because there alot bigger then there stock ones and alot cheaper...turbo you could get from alot of places but you might have to rebuild one or fab up the header to take it...

well, a volvo stock intercooler, from such as a 740 or so would struggle to support anywhere near 400hp.  I ran one on my old Merkur, years ago, with a Super60 Garrett, and at 24psi, I had a 4psi drop across the Volvo fmic.
and wriggled a scant 356whp using it, on a 2.3L..  
edit:  then it blew the plastic endtanks off!


as for your other post snippet:

Quote
but with bigger cam, porting the heads and bigger valves, upgrade chip, high flow cat, bigger throutle body, and shave the heads down to up the compression you could get around there.. without a turbo i would think...

Start by going EMS, deleting the MAF sensor, etc.  
Shave the heads down?  The M42 is 10:1 CR stock.  you want to raise the CR for a boosted application?  You ever fooled with turbo cars?  It's not that you can't turbo at 10:1 CR, you just have to factor in the odds of killing it, which are high.  Remember that shaving the heads also closes the proximity of the cams/crank, thus can throw off the geometry/timing.  Shave enough off, and you'll be chasing your tail for awhile, trying to correct for it - if you even can.  Been there, done that, on an NA motor a long time ago.  Now, I deck the heads just enough to make 'em flat!

My old Civic with B18C swap was 10:1.  I put a T3/T04E .60 on the stock bottom end, with EMS.  The best I could safely get was 310 @ 10psi and a lean 12.5:1 AFR, and that was with 50/50 meth injection on a .7mm nozzle @ 150psi.  The meth injection was the only thing that would allow me to run the AFRs that lean to make that power level.  I also feel the Honda B-series motor is much more efficient than the M42; not that that's a bad thing.  Just seems to have a much better B.S.F.C. than the M42, NA for NA.

I'm not trying to be a prick, but much of your suggestions in this thread are misleading, and/or way too general.  If you've typed incorrectly (which happens, I know), then I do apologize.

The Volvo turbo is a Garrett-based unit (with a non-standard T-3 flange) with a .42AR compressor, and a .48 turbine housing, and flowing roughly in the 200cfm range.  Hardly worth anything over 200hp on a 2.3L, let alone a 1.8.

A 400, or even 300hp 1.8L M42 would take, as previously stated, mucho bucks to pull off reliably.  you're talking forged crank (~500usd), stronger rods (300), pistons(300), lower compression, big injectors (~800cc/70lb/hr, $2-300), head porting (5-600), HVHF fuel pump 255lph (100), MAS or Speed Density conversion, full EMS (600 for MS, 1500 for something else), bigger TB (200), possibly block-work, clutch set (3-400), turbo manifold (5-600), BOV + EWG (700), big, efficient turbo (8-1200), fmic (2-400), fmic plumbing (150-200), wbo2 (300), head studs (150), and more internal parts, probably ranging totals of 4-800usd..
So an off-the cuff rough pricing puts such a build around 8-9000USD, and I'm sure parts have been overlooked here, as well as tuning, at roughly 150/hr for at least 4-6 hrs..

I've went through this process several times; most recently with my Subaru WRX.
I definitely don't know it all, or even most of it, but I can tell you I've spent many dollars, many hours, and broke lots of parts in the past, trying to achieve what shouldn't be done.  Now days, I tend to spend it up front, once, rather than spend less, more times :cool:

Also, as previously stated by GrindCulture, an M50 swap, even turbo'd, will be more torque, more power, for far less money, yet still have the reliability, if done correctly.

M50 working on now, in a 318is




the '69 is friggin sweet, btw!
« Last Edit: November 01, 2008, 11:31:07 AM by Rogan »
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asubimmer

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Building a 400HP capable M42
« Reply #13 on: November 02, 2008, 07:12:31 PM »
Ygpm op
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crazzy_hippo

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Building a 400HP capable M42
« Reply #14 on: November 03, 2008, 11:58:34 PM »
Thanks for the info. I have done up quite a fair bit of research and finally getting these parts. Perhaps 400HP is tough but 300-350HP should be easy to hit.

M47 88mm crankshaft
135mm eagle M50 conrods
MM FI pistons (still sourcing for alternatives)

MM is using 134.5mm rods + FI pistons to get 8.6 compression. To cut cost, I am getting eagle rods instead meant for M50 engines. They are 135mm and this should boost my compression a little (est 9-9.5:1). This should make the engine good for supercharging at 1bar. Then it should easily hit over 300WHP.