WTB: M20B25 Long Block

[gnhovis]

Anybody have a decent used motor you want to sell? Broke a rocker and needed to replace the head gasket in my old one anyway. Either need to drop in a new motor or sell the car. Haven't decided which. Anybody know a good source of used engines in the MD area? Got a quote of $1000 plus $250 shipping for an engine from California with a 2 year warranty.

[woodym3]

George, you're not replacing it just because of the broken rocker are you? Have you checked with Ed York?

[gnhovis]

Not just the rocker. Ed had it on the Dyno today. It's been way down on power for a while. On the recent dyno day it pulled only about 125 hp. Ed was working on the tune today and had it up to about 135. He recently built a couple of ITS motors that he was able to get up to 170. The head gasket is leaking at the front of the engine, along with (yet another) cam gasket and rear main seal. I changed the cam gasket and rear main seals only about 5000 miles ago, about the time we noticed the leak in the head gasket. The head gasket has just gotten worse since then. So I've been weighing my options for a while, this just forces the decision sooner than later. I figure I have five options at this point:

1. Drop a new head in and fix the two seals at the same time. A decent head costs about the same as a decent used engine. That's going to cost me at least $2K, but it should be a stronger engine (but sitting on a block with 230k miles.)
2. Drop a decent used engine and just drive it until it too dies. Rinse and repeat. I have a lead to a supposedly low mileage engine with a newish head for a reasonable amount. Figure in 5-6 hours to do the swap and that's about $1500-$1600, cheaper than #1, but no guaranty of a better engine than I started with.
3. Go all in and have Ed build me an ITS motor. That's at least $5K. Hard to justify dropping that much on an E30 unless I'm going to do the full Monty and build a racecar.
4. Punt. Sell the E30 and invest the $1500 I don't spend on a used motor on bigger injectors for the MINI and try to get it up to 210 whp. That might be a good excuse to buy a new car to use as my daily driver instead of the MINI....

[woodym3]

I guess if I were in your shoes I would chose #2 or 4.

[mcoupemindy]

If you are going through the hassle, why not drop a more modern engine (S50/52) in there? You'll get all the power you need.

Also, I'm no expert on the e30 chassis or M20, but you've got to be incredible to do a full motor replacement in 6 hours. Maybe it's just insanely easy?

[Nick325xiT 5spd]

It's really easy. Disconnect the front struts, cooling, fuel hoses, exhaust, driveshaft, shifter. Push the wiring harness out of the glovebox. Drop the subframe with the engine and transmission out the bottom. Reverse.

[mcoupemindy]

Thanks Nick. Maybe I should get an e30 for my next car - haha.

[Nick325xiT 5spd]

Honestly, the E36 isn't really any different. And you don't have to take the damned hood off all the time.

But yes, I like E30s. Can't wait until I get the S50B32 into the M3 project.

[bimmer325imt]

yep runing into same issue out here in Phoenix AZ. I have a U fix it garage which allows me to swap engines with all the tools and tech help similar to the Chapter DIY events at my disposal. Now comes the hard part and that is finding a good used engine from a reliable source. Although the more engine swaps you do the better you get at it and the less time it takes. Yahoo! Well I will let everyone know what my results are out here in the southwest. Also if anyone knows of someone who is selling a good used bimmer please let out son know by contacting hime at 443-473-7679. He is living in the baltimore, MD area. Thanks