Need advice with 524td swap into e30

[roycem3]

I am new to 524td, so I would appreciate some guidedance as to a swap into a e30. Donor car was running up until about 5 months ago, when the body was wrecked. So, I bought some parts to do a swap into my e30. I don't have any experience with diesel engines. I have done m50 swaps into e30. What HP figures can I expect with custom intercooler and exhaust without any engine internal modifications? Any advice on upgrading to a vnt turbo? Besides getting the vnt turbo to work properly, what size is recommended?

Flywheel has been modified to make the tachometer work. Timing belt, tensioner, waterpump, and all the cooling hoses were replaced about 10k miles ago. Engine has about 100K miles.

Thanks for advice guys, parts are not for sale anymore. I am going forward with 524td swap into e30.

[Frybrid 524td]

I have for sale : 1) complete 524td engine with 5spd tranny attached. 2) 4hp-22 Auto tranny. 3) instrument cluster. 4) injection pump timming tool with dial indicater. 5) ECU for engine 6) instrument display above rear mirror.

You forgot to list prices or whether you are willing to ship items.

[bmw4aaron]

I have for sale : 1) complete 524td engine with 5spd tranny attached. 2) 4hp-22 Auto tranny. 3) instrument cluster. 4) injection pump timming tool with dial indicater. 5) ECU for engine 6) instrument display above rear mirror.

You forgot to list prices or whether you are willing to ship items.

ditto, would like to know price of engine only and willingness to ship.

[DieselBoost]

What HP figures can I expect with custom intercooler and exhaust without any engine internal modifications

this engine can take easily 400hp with stock internal parts
head gasket and head bolts are only weak parts...

but getting power like that isnt that easy...

but with these you can get easily about 250bhp
-stock engine (with mls gasket)
-stock exhaust manifold
-stock intake manifold
-3" exhaust system
-large intercooler
-bigger turbo
-modified injection pump with 12mm rotorhead

this car is built from scrap parts and with stock head gasket
with those mods
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWAt_Lhe8lc

[roycem3]

200hp + sounds very nice. I am sure the torque figures would be great. I plan to use this car as a daily driver, so I was thinking of trying a vnt turbo for faster spool up. What bigger turbo (vnt or not) do you recommend?

What is a mls gasket and where can I get one? I am looking for a raceware head stud kit.Where can I look for advice on how to modify the injection pump with 12mm rotor head?

If I decide to stay with the stock 10mm rotor head, but do the other upgrades, what power figures can I expect?

[DieselBoost]

head gasket can be found from thailand... (gasket to go)
mls gasket is made from metal layers like cometic...
you can use 12mm head bolts from m51 engine those are bit longer than stock ones but i used m21 washers to correct this difference.
thread pitch is same in 11mm and 12mm bolts... so you need only thread tap to make new threads to block....

vnt is good choice under 300hp engine...
but still you need a large one...
if you choose to use regular turbo...
holset hx35 is good one... with exhaust a/r 0.60-0.80
and you can use those "poor mans vnt" flaps
those are quite effective


with 10mm rotorhead... maximum power is about 200hp

[CoyoteStarfish]

A Holset HE351VE should work pretty well on our motor if you can control it electrically but it is a little large (from a 5.9 cummins)

I plan to get a Sprinter van Garret turbo. They use a vacuum actuated VNT but you can replace the vacuum actuator with a wastegate actuator and use manifold boost to control the vanes. I've heard those turbos are good for about 300-350HP and are small enough to spool tightly at low RPM. Only downside with that VNT is that it has many moving parts that can jam with soot VS. the Holset model which only has one moving part.

[roycem3]

Thanks for the information guys, I will look for the mls head gasket. The idea of a Sprinter Garret turbo may work nicely for my application. I am going to try to locate one.

Question for you guys, I didn't get the parts that help the ecu or ip compensate or adjust for low or high air density. I don't remenber the correct name of the parts, but I believe they are located on the firewall near the intake manifold.

Do I need these parts for the engine to run properly in sea level conditions. If I need them, what is the name of the parts? What are they connected to?

[DieselBoost]

you can forget those all ecu and electric shit if you buy mechanical euro injection pump

[roycem3]

The US spec 524td comes with mechanical pump, but uses ECU to control pump timing only from information gathered from coolant sensor, engine position sensor, and #5 injector.

What I was talking about is called altitude/boost compensator, but maybe it only came in the US cars.

[DieselBoost]

yes those are only in us versions...

in euro version only electronical part is fuel feed shutter solenoid
injection pump uses internal fuel pressure hydraulics for timing advance

coyotestarfish can tell more about those us versions...

[roycem3]

Turning my 524td engine for the first time after sitting for about 6 months. I wanted to make sure everything was ok before I started installing into my e30.

Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzU9jqbKjVw

[CoyoteStarfish]

Sounds good! Maybe a little advanced but I don't think you are using the ECU, right? Without the ECU or VP20 the IP goes to full dynamic advance, that is why it sounds so naily and harsh. Mine sounds exactly like this.