Originally Posted by Death2Theft (Post 7265192)

German engineering isn't reliable?

Originally Posted by lowside67

Some people have asked about the fitment of the LS1 in the BMW and what it will do to the handling of the car.

This photo courtesy of Vorshlag is the best I can find demonstrating an LS1 installed in an E36 BMW. Technically this photo is of an LS1 installed in a Z3 engine bay but the Z3 engine bay is identical dimensionally in every way to the E36 3 series except that the Z3 is 2" longer in the very front section which you cant really see in the photo.

http://l23.sphotos.l3.fbcdn.net/hpho..._4815799_n.jpg

Edit - another photo courtesy of Vorshlag, this one in a 3 series identical to mine:
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-a...91_5797872.jpg

As you can see, the motor will fit neatly next to the stock brake booster and master so nothing has to be changed there (ABS unit has been moved further forward and I will have to do the same in my car). Steering is also unchanged with one exception which is the stock BMW linkage between the steering column and the rack includes a big rubber connection point which is very close to one of the rear headers which would not stand the heat coming from the header. Luckily Vorshlag makes a very nice drop in aluminum linkage replacement which not only will deal with the heat but will also have the benefit of removing one of the points of "slop" in the stock steering arrangement.

The motor itself is actually lighter than the 6cyl it replaces by almost 20lbs with a full host of accessories thanks to its aluminum construction (although the T56 6-spd transmission is almost 30lbs heavier than the BMW 5spd so its a wash) and, as an added bonus, sits lower in the chassis and more rearward than the I6 (the V8 is completely behind the front of the shock towers as you can see while the I6 BMW motor extends almost another 4" forward).

As the days tick on I am getting more and more excited about this swap and am really looking forward to it, although everytime I identify a project that will have to be tackled, several more pop up, this really is going to be a project with 3 or 4 major steps and about a million "little" ones.

-Mark

Originally Posted by Death2Theft (Post 7265192)

Dont be shy now what are you really trying to say? German engineering isn't reliable?

Originally Posted by Death2Theft (Post 7265582)

So the ultimate driving machine isn't designed for that... then what is?

Originally Posted by Death2Theft (Post 7265192)

Dont be shy now what are you really trying to say? German engineering isn't reliable?

Originally Posted by Volvo-brickster (Post 7265619)

Im pretty sure he used to rock a tuned S4 amongst other things...don't think he is biased.:)

Originally Posted by R.A.R.E.01 (Post 7265885)

Is this M3 orange?

Originally Posted by lowside67 (Post 7265268)

Interesting timing... I am actually in the process of an LS1 swap (which will grow into a lightly built LS6 once I blow up the "donor" motor) in my E36 3 series.

Originally Posted by dangonay (Post 7264845)

This is in a race car. An LS7 new with tranny would cost same as the M3 engine alone. Mounts are easy to weld up and making a driveshaft from the new tranny to mate with the diff would also be easy. Engine runs on a Pectel ECU so no problems making it work with the LS7. And the LS7 tuned would be 600HP whereas a tuned M3 barely makes more than a stock M3 since it's so highly tuned from the factory.

Then there's the reliability factor..
Posted via RS Mobile

Originally Posted by Captain Bondo (Post 7266059)

What sort of racing class/series is it that having an engine block from a different manufacturer than the chassis is acceptable?

Originally Posted by dangonay (Post 7265108)

Looked at other motors. The guy who tuned this engine is the same guy who did the first ever BMW V10 aftermarket tune. That engine, some may remember, went into an E30.

Originally Posted by Great68 (Post 7265190)

I get a laugh at the "old technology" comments, I assume that is in respect to some perception that overhead camshafts are some sort of "new technology".

Originally Posted by Rich Sandor (Post 7265956)

You can be 'that guy' who tries to do something different and original, but it always winds up costing wayyy more, taking way longer, and being less reliable.

Originally Posted by originalhypa (Post 7268677)

:eek:

Thank Honda, Toyota, and Mazda, and the fact that most of us cut our teeth on SOHC and DOHC import engines. The first motor I ever built was a 283, and it was a slug compared to the second motor I ever built which was a 4AGE from a Toyota GTS.

The "old tech" comes from the materials used, and the finishing of the final product. After a million+ SBC's were produced, not too many were finished like a mass produced import motor.