Port and Polish

[hsvbama318ti]

I have spent over $8000 dollars on **** for my car and it is still slow as piss compared to what I want. It is time i get into what will really do something and that is internal engine modifications. I want to port and polish and get my head reworked and I was wondering if any of you might be able to help me in if there are any negative side effects to this and what the performance gains could be. I dont like turbos and superchargers on an engine that already has a 10:1 compression ratio and i just like natural aspiration more anyways but I may have to do that as well. My friend has an 88 325 and I used to smoke the hell out of that car but then one day he pulled up and had 10psi running and a split second system and is now running low 8s in the 1/8 mile. ****!!!!! Thank You.

[L84THSKY]

Finally.......some objective criticism. Now I just need to read through your mod list and see what's in your car.

Originally Posted by hsvbama318ti

I have spent over $8000 dollars on **** for my car and it is still slow as piss compared to what I want. It is time i get into what will really do something and that is internal engine modifications. I want to port and polish and get my head reworked and I was wondering if any of you might be able to help me in if there are any negative side effects to this and what the performance gains could be. I dont like turbos and superchargers on an engine that already has a 10:1 compression ratio and i just like natural aspiration more anyways but I may have to do that as well. My friend has an 88 325 and I used to smoke the hell out of that car but then one day he pulled up and had 10psi running and a split second system and is now running low 8s in the 1/8 mile. ****!!!!! Thank You.

[m44ic]

If you are going to do some internal modding and want to stay a N/A car you should consider raising compression and a good port and polish of the head always does good things. Hope this helps

[hsvbama318ti]

Thanks! I Love the car I just need more power! But I know most of my modifications are suspension to try to get the car to handle like it is on rails.

[L84THSKY]

So the lightweight flywheel did nothing?

Originally Posted by hsvbama318ti

Thanks! I Love the car I just need more power! But I know most of my modifications are suspension to try to get the car to handle like it is on rails.

[Andrew_Debbie]

Originally Posted by hsvbama318ti

I have spent over $8000 dollars on **** for my car and it is still slow as piss compared to what I want.

Other than the chip, you really haven't done much for engine performance.

Port and polish will help, but there are other things you can do to make the motor breath better. Dinan high flow throttle body and a true cold-air intake would be my next step.


If the rings and bearings are good, pulling the head isn't a bad idea. While you have the head off for a port and polish, consider getting a street or mild race camshafts. Might as well put on new valve springs, lifters and fuel injectors while everything is apart.

This is not a very good dollar per hp value but you keep your NA M42.

You don't want a DASC. The other best way to get a lot more power is an engine swap.

You could also put your car on a diet. Empty any cargo out of the car. Take out the hatch cover, the rear seat, the carpet. If you have power seats, sell them and get manual sport seats. Remove the A/C. Consider ditching the tools and spare tire and move the battery to the rear.
Might as well keep the door panels, they don't weigh much and it is nice to be able to close the door.

[derekva]

There is a gent in England on www.e36coup.co.uk who is doing an ITB setup using 2/3 of an S50 Euro individual throttle body setup (Throttle body parts 1&2 and 5&6). Here's a picture of the throttle bodies and here is the thread about the ITB setup.

-Derek
'95 318i (a Ti with a trunk and improved rear suspension)

[Andrew_Debbie]

Originally Posted by derekva

There is a gent in England on www.e36coup.co.uk who is doing an ITB setup using 2/3 of an S50 Euro individual throttle body setup (Throttle body parts 1&2 and 5&6). Here's a picture of the throttle bodies and here is the thread about the ITB setup.

-Derek
'95 318i (a Ti with a trunk and improved rear suspension)

Interesting read. Wonder if that will be better or worse than the Dinan throttle body. Using ITB means no more DISA.

[derekva]

Looks like he's putting a new set of cams, doing some head work, new chip, etc. along with the ITBs. Alone they probably wouldn't do a lot, but if you make modifications that require more airflow to function properly, then the ITB setup would be a good way to go.

I'd love to build an S42 motor for my car (e.g. 2.0L motorsport version of the M42) and have a few 328's and M3's for lunch at the track.

-Derek
'95 318i

[AlaskaBlue]

That is cool. BMP Desing sells ITBs, but they cost a lot...Those guys on that thread seem to be pretty serious about their M42/44 engines.

[Andrew_Debbie]

I don't understand spending thousands of dollars getting a NA M44 to noisey 180HP and giving up all chances of passing emmissions at the same time.

For the same price a DASC gives more power and keeps the car smog legal.

[barische]

jsut swap out that 4 banger and slap on a turbo charged e36 3.0 liter euro spec engine u will be running 300 hp at the crank and get the euro 6sp tranny man that would be a beast

[AlaskaBlue]

if you have a turbo charged 3.0 euro spec motor with 300 bhp there are some major problems with the engine. A stock euro 3.0 makes 286 at the crank stock. I would say 400 bhp with a modest a modest turbo kit. That would be fun.

[hsvbama318ti]

I appreciate everybodys help and useful opinions i know i will look into the throttle body but I know that will bring minimal benefit. I guess most of my money that I have spent has also went to the handling and transmission aspect of the car but I will make my first step today and change out the 2 1/2 piping that I had put on back to 2" straight through due to the lack of backpressure and therefore power. My next step will be the cams and headwork but I may get the head shaved as well and there goes the turbo and supercharge options because I already have 10:1 as do all of you with the m42 and that would possibly put the compression through the roof thus eliminating the use of the mosselman kit or the dasc. One tip that may be useful to all of you running the turbo or dasc setup is the use of split second products. Just to give you all an idea of how beneficial these products are my friend has an 88 325is with a custom turbo setup running 10psi and the only other mod being a split second system. He has factory exhaust and air setup. It is truly a sleeper, not even any suspension or wheels or anything. He runs mid 8s in the 1/8 mile.

Again thank you all!!!!

[Andrew_Debbie]

Originally Posted by hsvbama318ti

My next step will be the cams and headwork but I may get the head shaved as well

Depending on the amount of lift in your new cams, you may have piston to valve clearance problems if you shave the head. You should ask about piston to valve clearance when you buy the camshafts.


BTW I think doing the handeling and brake mods first was the right thing.

No point in having all that power if all you can do is slide into a tree.