BMW E36 Engine Q's

[Prodrifter86]

Well lads! is an 323i 2.5ltr engine the same as a 325 2.5ltr engine????????
checked it on wikapedea and it says something like there the same but i dont no

[DaveM-sport]

325 is an M50b25, 323 is an M52b25.

M52 has an alloy block while the
M50 doesn't.

M52 also has a very restrictive inlet manifold but the M50 o
ones fits and let's it breath much better.


Your best bet is to get a 325 engine (M50 and 192 bhp standard) or else the 328 engine as this has an M52 but when let breath better, re-mapped and maybe Shrick cams it'll be heading for around 250bhp (193 standard)

only trouble is with the alloy blocks if you get a headgasket problem, the engine can be more or less scrap and early ones had a nikasil bore issue so make sure you get a good late engine. Alot of people put the internals from scrap 328 engines into 325 blocks to make a 2.8

[PeterT]

moved to tech section!

[Prodrifter86]

thanks for the info lad!
and sorry pete i had the threads in general chat and thought it was deleated so i made a second 1! so u can deleat the other 1!

thanks

[skinny d]

Good info !

Thinking of an e36 myself .

[Prodrifter86]

so maybe a 328 wud be better cuz would i could get more bhp out of it?????

[DaveM-sport]

Yeah, 328 can make roughly 200-215bhp with just the 325 inlet manifold
220 with inlet and re-map

or 240-250 with both as well as US M3 or Shrick cams.


As mentioned the M52 can have issues with the nikasil bores if they werny fixed on a recall, symtoms are engine burning alot of oil.

And as it's an all alloy engine, if you do a headgasket there is a risk of pulling the threads in the block but that's worst case senario and if it does happen you can swap everything onto an M50b25 block.

Other thing about the 328 engine is that it's very light. Bare engine is only about 115kg )about the same as a 318iS engine!) whereas the 325 engine is 136kg so it helps handling alittle bit although it makes more of a difference when the engines are used in an E30 than an E36.

[sideways boy]

Fair play. thats some great information

[Prodrifter86]

Yeah, 328 can make roughly 200-215bhp with just the 325 inlet manifold
220 with inlet and re-map

or 240-250 with both as well as US M3 or Shrick cams.


As mentioned the M52 can have issues with the nikasil bores if they werny fixed on a recall, symtoms are engine burning alot of oil.

And as it's an all alloy engine, if you do a headgasket there is a risk of pulling the threads in the block but that's worst case senario and if it does happen you can swap everything onto an M50b25 block.

Other thing about the 328 engine is that it's very light. Bare engine is only about 115kg )about the same as a 318iS engine!) whereas the 325 engine is 136kg so it helps handling alittle bit although it makes more of a difference when the engines are used in an E30 than an E36.

nice that some reli good info thanks lad!