cams?

[Mike M]

what kind of cams could you put into a non-vanos m50 for a reasonable price?

or would it just be cheaper to get the vanos unit and put m3 cams in?

[winfred]

http://www.bmpdesign.com/bmw/parts/catalog/engine_39.shtml


what kind of cams could you put into a non-vanos m50 for a reasonable price?

or would it just be cheaper to get the vanos unit and put m3 cams in?

[SlidingAlong]

You should be able to install an intake cam from a 1992 M50 on the exhaust side. Check the beginning of valve lift of the stock cam, then set the timing so that the swapped cam has the same starting point. This will give you a 240-degree cam with 9.7 lift vs. 9.0. Buy a Schrick non-VANOS 252 for the intake and you'll have the same timing as an M3.

This is planned for my car - just now getting to the point where I'm cam-limited.

[Mike M]

You should be able to install an intake cam from a 1992 M50 on the exhaust side. Check the beginning of valve lift of the stock cam, then set the timing so that the swapped cam has the same starting point. This will give you a 240-degree cam with 9.7 lift vs. 9.0. Buy a Schrick non-VANOS 252 for the intake and you'll have the same timing as an M3.

This is planned for my car - just now getting to the point where I'm cam-limited.


oh hm...i didn't realize the '92 had different cams. any reason for this?

[ryan roopnarine]

please keep us apprised of how this turns out. i've been interested in how effective that particular mod is WRT horsepower ( IE I WANNA DO IT TOO!).

OTE=SlidingAlong]You should be able to install an intake cam from a 1992 M50 on the exhaust side. Check the beginning of valve lift of the stock cam, then set the timing so that the swapped cam has the same starting point. This will give you a 240-degree cam with 9.7 lift vs. 9.0. Buy a Schrick non-VANOS 252 for the intake and you'll have the same timing as an M3.

This is planned for my car - just now getting to the point where I'm cam-limited.[/QUOTE]

[Gary M]

I also believe you need a modified chip that supports the new cams. The old chip will work, but to get the most out of the new cams requires a new chip.

[pyro]

You should be able to install an intake cam from a 1992 M50 on the exhaust side. Check the beginning of valve lift of the stock cam, then set the timing so that the swapped cam has the same starting point. This will give you a 240-degree cam with 9.7 lift vs. 9.0. Buy a Schrick non-VANOS 252 for the intake and you'll have the same timing as an M3.

This is planned for my car - just now getting to the point where I'm cam-limited.

Is this proven? How did he figure that out? Has anyone done it yet? Links? Sorry for all of the questions I have been wanting cams for a while so this seems like a good idea.

[RobPatt]

do a search in tech articles or archives on european car magazine website...

also..

see Bruno's www.bmwe34.net, look under registry and I think Brandon (?) has a 525 listed w/like 265hp... read the mods on that car which include cam swap (think it was non-vanos) and maybe there's his e-mail address?

and as someone said turnermotorsport website lists it as well....

i'm interested to do so w/my vanos model, but not until there's another reason to pull the head, and then i may have bigger fish to fry... it's just 'target of opportunity' for me... really hope not immediate!

cheers, Rob.

[pyro]

do a search in tech articles or archives on european car magazine website...

also..

see Bruno's www.bmwe34.net, look under registry and I think Brandon (?) has a 525 listed w/like 265hp... read the mods on that car which include cam swap (think it was non-vanos) and maybe there's his e-mail address?

and as someone said turnermotorsport website lists it as well....

i'm interested to do so w/my vanos model, but not until there's another reason to pull the head, and then i may have bigger fish to fry... it's just 'target of opportunity' for me... really hope not immediate!

cheers, Rob.

why would you pull the head to put in a cam?

[pyro]

Alright heres what i found out so far.


BMW Cam Swap
Do 1996-99 M3 cams work in the M50 engine?
Sadak Rinaldi Leite
Sao Paulo, Brazil

We spoke with Pete McHenry of Precision Performance in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. McHenry is a well-known expert on BMW engine swaps and parts interchangeability. He advises: The M50 2.5-liter VANOS cams are 228-degree duration, while S53 3.2-liter M3 cams are 252 intake and 240 exhaust. They fit fine and give a nice boost to the top end on a 2.5-liter M50. You can use the S52 cams with the M50 lifters and springs. The S52 uses smaller lifters (33mm vs. 35mm diameter) and conical valve springs with teeny retainer washers. Net saving with this stuff is 20 grams per valve. Get the S52 cam trays, lifters and springs if you can but the swap is OK with cams only as mentioned earlier. If you have a 1992 M50, you can switch the intake cam to the exhaust. Timing is 240 on both, but the intake has 9.7 lift vs. 9.0. Buy a 252 Schrick intake cam and you have the same cams as an M3 and only have to buy one camshaft.
--Mike Miller
Looks like im going to be buying a Schrick intake cam if i can find one for reasonable price. But a used intake cam from a junkyard would probably be alot cheaper. I know this is a dumb question but if someone knows it is worth asking, how much gains are we talking of haveing 2 intake cams?