Hi Veeky Forums, in this thread
archived.moe
I had a conversation with some anons about theE36 lineup of BMWs.
Now I've got to ask for some experience:
Does some user here have a 325i/323i/328i?
Have you tried turbocharging it?
What did you change on it?
What issues did you have?
What did you watch out for when you bought them?
All Input is welcome.
Key words are nikasil issues, manifold Swap mod, vanos (efficiency and reliability) and LPG engine
>Does some user here have a 325i/323i/328i?
325i
>Have you tried turbocharging it?
No that's unnecessary
>What did you change on it?
Undid some shitty mods like awful aftermarket wheels and shit
>What issues did you have?
None really.
>What did you watch out for when you bought them?
Checked the cooling system and CV joints which checked out (plus the cooling had been overhauled a few months before I bought it)
Service it regularly and you'll be fine. The ones that bitch about reliability are the ones that let it go way over the service interval.
Would you recommend the E36s with i6 engines reliability-wise? Thinking about getting a really cheap one with >200k km / >125k miles or even >300k km / >190k miles to learn some basic stuff and for hektik skids.
they're pretty good but make sure its been maintained. an abused car will break pretty easily no matter what it is.
Why do you think turbocharging is unnecessary?
Would you trade in your engine for a M52 if you had the chance given its lighter weight and VANOS?
I'm not really an expert on this topic but if you check the thread linked in the OP you can learn that the i4 engines are underpowered as fuck, but most people say they're pretty much indestructible.
I'd say don't waste your money on an 316/318.
I know, I have seen several old i4-E36s. Mostly driven by people who desperatly wanted a BMW but have to struggle to afford even the smallest engines.
As the car is meant to be driven hobbywise and not as dd I've only looked up on the 325 and 328, rwd and 0-100km/h in ~8s seems decent for some cheap fun.
Thanks, as soon as I sold my current car I'll look around. Too bad a lot of E36s are owned by fuccbois around here.
I drove a 328i for about 5 years. Making sure all the parts of the cooling system is refreshed with updated parts is absolutely crucial. Other than that, I really liked that car. Other problems were pretty much in accordance to its age. I had to replace the control arms, clutch slave cylinder, fuel injectors, alternator, water pump, and radiator in the time that I had it. I owned it from 189k to 225k.
The 318s aren't too bad, I had one back when I was dirt poor and wanted something different from the usual speedboy cars like a Celica or other Jap stuff. It may have been slow as shit but easily impressed people were easily impressed by it, including some girls I knew.
>friend of gf was pretty in love with the car
>wanted to get one exactly like it
>crashed mine after a few months
>she wanted to buy the wreck and restore it (she had parents that would buy her anything and pay for anything)
>offered me 5k for it even though the engine was fucked, the front was smashed in and the steering was bent
>couldn't sleep at night letting that shit happen
>insurance payout ended up being 4k anyway
It also handled pretty well too.
used to own a 316,i, 318i, 323i, e46 328ci, e46 325i
about the e36 323i:
the biggest issue I had is rust.
Bought a very rusty example but it was mechanically good. After 250k miles the engine and transmission was still going strong
>Does some user here have a 325i/323i/328i?
i own an 325i e36 convertible M50B25 Non Vanos
>Have you tried turbocharging it?
not yet but as soon as money starts flowing i will
>what did u change on it?
engine swap (was a 318),coilovers,3.73 lsd,brakes,wheels etc
>what issues did u have?
rust,rust rust,it's not that bad but i have to repair some spots,also the car is heavy being a convertible so i would like to delete the softop and rock a hardtop everyday.inb4 hurr durr buy a coupe,the convertible is the most beautiful e36 ever and i think it drives better than a coupe,it feels sturdier.
I have a us spec 325is. Cold weather package so heated seats and LSD.
I have not tried turboing. Probably won't because it has 193,000 miles.
My water pump went. My OBC doesn't work and it's currently running rich because of a bad o2 sensor (code 1222)
I'm redoing my suspension since it was lowered by the PO and it clunks pretty bad. Also could use new mounts I guess.
Look out for rust and cooling issues. I redid my cooling system while the water pump was being replacdd. Runs nice and cool. Seems to retain heat very well? I could leave it off for a couple of hours and come back to it barely cooled off. Maybe that's just the characteristics of a cast iron block.
'92 325i
Nope
Replacement shift knob because the old one was practically broken, and new floor mats because the previous owner's mats covered the pedal.
Had to replace the coolant tack, oil filter housing, replace transmission mounts and flex disc, bleed power steering system, and replace the tail lightbulbs. The total for all those repairs was roughly $1.5k. Also, the trunk harness broke on mine, causing a bunch of wires to get exposed. I occasionally get a "BRAKE LIGHT CIRCUIT" error from time to time that doesn't actually mean anything.
Check for rust near the fuel tank, since that's where it tends to build up on E36s.
M50>M52
Literally just picked up a 1996 328i 4door sedan. Has a short throw shifter(reverse likes to pop out so parking can be a bitch) but it's an unbelievably fun car to drive(hit 230kph or ~140mph on the autobahn first time driving it). Has new exhaust, coilovers, sway bars and more...its a dream to drive bro!
I've just got a 320i Touring off a mate, it's stunning but I'm selling it because i'm 20 and the insurance is £5,500.
He's right you know.
No need to get buttraped by Dr.Vanos when it dies.
>don't waste your money on a 316/318
Listen to this man. Buying a 4 cylinder BMW is the biggest mistake anyone can ever make.
>handled pretty well
True.
Is it really that much of a reliability issue?
Don't the advantages outweight it?
I see lots of 325 owners, kinda surprised me.
I remember you senpai :3
Does someone have a short summary of what the nikasil thing was about?
I've got a 1991 325i sedan.
Non-vanos and everything.
>Have you tried turbocharging it?
No, but it been working on a small parts list with an experienced tuner, just enough to know where to look.
>What did you change in it
As of yet just AP reaching coilovers and silly 18inch wheels.
Getting all the rust n shit fixed for free in a couple weeks.
>What issues have you had?
Currently have high CO emissions, apparently I need a water temp sensor.
>What did you watch out for?
Non vanos and mechanical soundness.
318's are ok. Had a 318is and a currently own a 318ti. They're fun to smash around the city or backroads and go rev-happy, but eventually youll be looking at swaps, and depending where you live, it's easier to just buy the 6cyl m- or not.
Why did you choose to take the M50 that doesn't have VANOS?
What were your reasons?
(Its me, OP)
Didn't feel like the torque difference justified the increased risk.
Keep it simple.
Also, m50s have thicker valve stems and springs, which is more forgiving when I finally slap an hx35 or 40 on it.
I own a class ii 318is from SA, been such a fun car to own but i'm a little stuck with the direction I want to take it.
The car's biggest weak point is just the amount of power it has and I feel like if i did the usual upgrades like CoP conversion, exhaust, lightweight flywheel, although it will help it be more peppy it will not bring me as much power or sound as nice as a stock m52 (198hp).
I think im going to swap in a m52b28 + m50 manifold and be done with the car the only thing I really like the 4pot motor for is how light the damn thing is, you can fly through corners and feel 100% planted at high speeds. Our m52b28's are alloy blocks so it shouldn't add that much.
Grab an M50 instead, iron bottom end and head has no Vanos to worry about.
god damn muricans this car feels like a rocketship in yurop where most of the cars have 60-100hp
Don't want an iron bottom cause turboing a right hand drive e36 is a nightmare either go custom manifold or crazy expensive ones from uk.
for staying NA or using a SC I just dont see it worth swapping from OBDII to OBDI and getting a heavier motor. Plus I don't know much about wiring, so i've read sticking with your OBD version is mostly plug and play when it comes to swaps.
new zealand man, everyone here is in skylines/silvias/evos/subies with 300+ I feel like the slow one hahah, 250hp I think is a fun number.
>318i
>Rocketship
Even to this yuropoor bastard the poor thing feels slow.
I own an E36 328i (Australian spec, so RHD, alloy block M52 single-VANOS) and owned a 1994 E36 320i.
>Have you tried turbocharging it?
No. Firstly, because it's beyond my current expertise, tooling and space; and secondly, because the general consensus is that M52 alloy blocks don't like boost. This is from a combination of things, namely cooling issues leading to block warp, weak, non-sleeved nikasil bores, and overall inferior structural integrity. There are some Euros who've boosted alum M52s, but reliability is greatly compromised beyond 300hp unless you get iron sleeves and bomb-proof the cooling system. You're just better off starting with an iron block for boost as I believe weight savings are below 20kg.
>What did you change on it?
3.15 torsen LSD
Z3 steering rack
E39 staggered wheels
E46 power seats
Plan on doing an M50 manifold swap
>What issues did you have?
With both E36's, the power steering hose clamps and sump gasket began leaking shortly after purchase. The window-lifting mechanism and tacometer also broke on the 320i (the latter was just a solder joint), followed by a spark plug shaking loose. My 328i currently suffers from fender surface rust due to a previous owner's attempt at paint repair.
>What did you watch out for when you bought them?
Cooling issues, rust, leaks, VANOS problems.