M20 Turbo => M50 turbo fun.
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Going a new direction! Swapping in an m50. Anyone wanna buy a m20 with 128k on it? Also hooked to an auto trans so it was never over revved. Getting a m50 with 135k on it. Hopefully I don't have to replace too much. Too bad I just spent a bunch on money on that damn m20..
sk8 or die
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Rowleym said:
Going a new direction! Swapping in an m50. Anyone wanna buy a m20 with 128k on it? Also hooked to an auto trans so it was never over revved. Getting a m50 with 135k on it. Hopefully I don't have to replace too much. Too bad I just spent a bunch on money on that damn m20..
Why the change of direction? I love me some M20 but mine is healthy at the moment. No need for another one yet, otherwise i'd be after you about it.
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I get easily persuaded I think.. The m50 is more modern and parts are easier to find I guess? And I figured if I'm going to spend a bunch on machine work and stuff to have a decent motor, why not just start with the m50? I don't know. Tell me why not.
sk8 or die
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Your logic is definitely sound.
It would be silly to try and say the M20 is a better engine than the M50 but I think the point at which my jimmies become rustled is when someone has an M20 in a poor state of tune (see also too cheap to hunt down vac. leaks and replace old parts) swaps in a junkyard M50 and pretends the M20 was a total un-fixable pile and the M50 is a rocketship, when in reality, a tune up would have likely yielded the same performance increase.
One thing to keep in mind about the M20, is that in NA form, it was a very highly optimized engine for its day. The LS1 is praised for being such an optimized engine with only 2 valves per cylinder, but when you do the math, the M20 has a specific output very close or equal to that of the LS1 (depending on the version of LS1) and that is with an archaic EFI system and relatively low compression ratio. Being reasonably optimized means that there is not a whole lot to gain unlike a 350 chev with 190 hp which gains 100hp with a carb, manifolds, and a cam.
So yes, the M50 is a more advanced engine, has more area under the torque curve, is more refined, and capable of making more power with less sacrifice down low, but the M20 aint a bad gig either, especially when the cost of replacement is so low, especially when your snail-obsession gets out of hand.
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if you are like this guy and know what you are doing
you could have yourself a reliable turbo m20 with little lag that screams on the track.
A turbo M50 will make a little more power with less boost than an M20 and might be the better choice if you want to keep the internals stock.
If it were me I would probably do the M20 just because I feel that if the heat of the turbo caused a cracked head or if the bottom end blew out, another healthy M20 engine could be dropped in for hardly anything.
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I never even caught your name!
Sent from the future. Or my phone, who knows.
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Lol, I don't know if that was a good thing or bad!
I'm set on the m50 turbo now, so have no fear!
Sent from the future. Or my phone, who knows.
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I'm a little late on this post but, a stock m20 with stock head gasket, ARP's, stock intake manifold, and hx35 12cm will easily give you 400+ whp (with a good tune)...
It's proven to handle 1 bar (350whp) all day long.
If you grenade it, no big deal.
Also, TB size doesn't really matter when FI. Most either o-ring or weld, m20's weak point is the head gasket pushing out into the coolant channel. Specifically cylinder #6 (hottest). Unless you plan on detonating, you wont get far.
GL with your new m50.
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M20 on a stock head gasket will not make 400HP, nor will one without built internals, they take a little bit of boost alright but they don't make much power per lb of boost.
Sent from the future. Or my phone, who knows.
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GunMetalGrey said:
M20 on a stock head gasket will not make 400HP, nor will one without built internals, they take a little bit of boost alright but they don't make much power per lb of boost.
Sent from the future. Or my phone, who knows.
Not trying to thread jack OP I'm also not sure if it's against the rules to link another forum but here goes...
Here is just one instance. I know he isn't using the stock head gasket but he is using shitty MB head bolts AND stock internals...93 octane.
Stock motor w/ 208k miles.
head was rebuilt @ 185k (valve job minor port cleanup stock cam/springs)
Metrick Blue bolts and Cometic MLS
boosted for over 20k.
437whp/380ftlbs on 20psi
http://www.e30tech.com/forum/showthread.php?t=112167
This thread has a couple turbocharged m20's (with dyno charts) slightly different setups. A lot of them have stock m20's pushing 400whp easily.
http://www.e30tech.com/forum/showthread.php?t=113066&highlight=m20+turbo+dyno&page=2
It's been done and proven...
Again OP, GL with your build.
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