If an M50 525 is your project car (archive)

the S50 is a route you can take. It should bolt in fairly painlessly, and will mate right up to the tranny. Computer harnesses from different years are a different story, the '95 OBD-I harness would work best. While you are swapping in an M3 motor, put in the M3 tranny as well, and then get a new rear end ratio.

Note that all of this I say is in reference to M3's, NOT M5's. Swapping an M5 powertrain into an e34 M50 engine bay would be a much larger undertaking, requiring entirely new mountings for accessories, completely different wiring harnesses, the list goes on. Since the M3's S50 is the same basic block, it's an easier swap.

As Don notes, BMW engines are not for the uninitiated and may not be the best learning engines or classroom examples. But if that is the project car you are planning on using or have to use, go for it. Document it and tell us about it, there are a few (like me) who plan on using cash like this someday.....

Micah O'C
'92 525iT

i need a used engine so that i can rebuild it. im taking a class at school and i have a 525i which is far from sporty, so im plannin on taking another m50 and overboring porting polishing etc etc, OR tryin to fit and s50. will an s50 mate with my 525i auto tranny? or will i have to get an m5 tranny too. either way i can do anything, we have such a rad shop. any of idea will be MUCH appreciated. i dont care if i make some engine then break it either cause ill have my engine im usin right now to put back in. thanks guys.
-justin

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