1988 525i Engine Swap possibilities...

[Punker]

Hi All,

Firstly I would like to say hello to everyone reading this. I'm glad to find such a place here in cyberspace where one can access such important info from so many sources.

I've just bought my second BMW - first was a E28 1985 520i - and it just happens to be an E34 - 1988 525i. I got an ok deal on it because the engine was blown, which naturally put me in search of a new engine. I have a few questions in this regard:

1. Can I have the original 12v M20B25 replaced with a 24v M50/M52 without any real difficulty, because there seems to be wider availability of the newer 24v version?

2. Can I have it replaced with a larger engine such as an M30 or dare I say an M54 if I can eventually get my hands on one?

I've seen that some ppl in this forum have done some extreme things but I'm just wondering what is within the realm of an average mechanic?

I would like to get the car into very nice shape and I do realize that learning the possibilities is a part of this process.

I have one more question... I've seen a front grill in which the center seems a little wider than my original, I'm just wondering if this is characteristic of newer models or if there's mods out there for this.

Thanks in advance to those who take their time to respond to my post.

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

Engine swaps are only limted by your imagination and your wallet.

m10:D , m20, m30, m50/tu, s38, s52, m60, m70......

The wide grill and hood is probably off a 95, or V8 model

[Coldaccord]

there is a ton of info on this subject. i suggest checking r3vlimited, they have a 24v section.

[Punker]

Thanks for the info. Unfortunately, my imagination and my wallet seem to be out of sync lately :-).