hey guys, i found this '95 m3 3.0L for sale in my area, and am really interested in picking this up. but ive been looking arround on the net and researching them for a while and have found some 3.2's. is it just the year or the model that makes them different? which is better?

'95 is a 3.0L w/ OBD1, '96-'99 is a 3.2L. w/ OBDII. Put a 3.2L in a '95 car and you'll get more power. Generally the 3.0 motor is cheaper than the 3.2.

In order to get more "power" out of the 3.0 (which was only in '95 m3's) you have to go after market, which isnt that hard.

In order to get more "power" out of the 3.2 ('96-'99 m3's) you can go aftermarket, you can also put on an OBDI manifold, throttle body, and fuel rail which will give you a little more power, but you will lose a little torque low end.

Both motors have the same 240 bhp number. The 3.2 is infact a 3.2 due to the stricter emission systems on obdII and it had to be a larger capacity motor with the new emissions restrictions to make the same power as the obdI 3.0.

Converting a 3.2 obdII motor to obdI is where you will gain a lil power, not just dropping it into a 95 chassis.

Converting a 3.2 obdII motor to obdI is where you will gain a lil power, not just dropping it into a 95 chassis.
Converting a 3.2 OBDII to OBDI is the same as putting a 3.2 in a 95 chassis (since 95 cars are OBDI). I'm very familiar w/ it, I've done it twice...

Converting a 3.2 OBDII to OBDI is the same as putting a 3.2 in a 95 chassis (since 95 cars are OBDI). I'm very familiar w/ it, I've done it twice...

Or putting the 3.2 into any obd1 chasis. You can still run the obdII intake mani obdI, but anyone doing the swap would know better..

Converting a 3.2 OBDII to OBDI is the same as putting a 3.2 in a 95 chassis (since 95 cars are OBDI). I'm very familiar w/ it, I've done it twice...
It all depends on your version of "putting" an s52 into a 95. You can put an s52 in and leave it OBDII. Converting it to OBDI is where you get the extra power. Which is not what you said in your first post. You just said "putting" it in, not "converting" the s52 to OBDI.

I outlined what converting the s52 parts to OBDI that are required for the power gains.

Afterall, this is an e30 m3 section, not e36, so why would we be talking about "putting" it into a '95 m3? :rolleyes

edit- Oh yeah, and I have done it too. Just into an e30 chassis, which is the section this thread is in, despite the posters question. As far as I can see, he is looking at a 3.0 or 3.2 powered e36 m3. Not "putting" or swapping motors from or to anything.

So, again, to directly answer the original posters question assuming no motor swaps are taking place...
Get a 96-99 m3 and swap out the intake manifold, throttle body, and fuel rail from an OBDI car. Doesnt have to be an m3, it could be from a 325i. You will just want to either keep or put the same rate injectors that were stock on the 3.2. This will be an end result with more HP than stock and is a very common modification. Or you can go leepic's way and buy a 95, then a 3.2l s52 and swap it in then sell the 3.0l s50. lol, seems like more work, not to mention money, and the exhaust system is better on the 96-99's.

It all depends on your version of "putting" an s52 into a 95. You can put an s52 in and leave it OBDII. Converting it to OBDI is where you get the extra power. Which is not what you said in your first post. You just said "putting" it in, not "converting" the s52 to OBDI.

Why would you need to 'convert' an S52 to install it in a '95 when the '95 car is already OBDI? You're reading too much into what I posted.


I outlined what converting the s52 parts to OBDI that are required for the power gains.

Afterall, this is an e30 m3 section, not e36, so why would we be talking about "putting" it into a '95 m3? :rolleyes
The original question included a little uncertainty about distinguishing the differences about the E36 M3. Excuse me for trying share a little information.

edit- Oh yeah, and I have done it too. Just into an e30 chassis, which is the section this thread is in, despite the posters question. As far as I can see, he is looking at a 3.0 or 3.2 powered e36 m3. Not "putting" or swapping motors from or to anything.

So, again, to directly answer the original posters question assuming no motor swaps are taking place...
Get a 96-99 m3 and swap out the intake manifold, throttle body, and fuel rail from an OBDI car. Doesnt have to be an m3, it could be from a 325i. You will just want to either keep or put the same rate injectors that were stock on the 3.2. This will be an end result with more HP than stock and is a very common modification. Or you can go leepic's way and buy a 95, then a 3.2l s52 and swap it in then sell the 3.0l s50. lol, seems like more work, not to mention money, and the exhaust system is better on the 96-99's.
I never said "do it this way" or "that's the way I did it". I started w/ a '95, put a '96 motor in it, and sold the '95 motor, easy.

I think you need to look back at the original poster and his question.

I don't think this had anything to do with a swap. and just simply not even knowing that 95's are 3.0 and 96+ is a 3.2l

just in the wrong section thats all

My point exactly. If he is just looking for mere power numbers, without doing a full swap, he should get a 96-99 and convert the intake manifold to obdI, as I stated.:banghead:

Ive had both...In my E36M3 OBD1. You cannot run OBD2 in a 95 M3 OBD has to do striclty with diagnostics and emissions nothing to do with the actual metal chunk called the engine...

Both are fine motors. the 3.2 has slightly more torque down low due to the little bump in compression. the 3.0 pulls slightly better up top due to the manifold and slightly more agressive cam's. The longer stroke of the crank makes the 3.2 seem not as free a reving motor. Not bad but it is noticable.

I drag raced my buddies 97m3 vs my 95 when they were both bone ass stock. Pretty much under hard accelaration the cars are dead even.

One thing making the 96+ cars "seem" faster is the fact they have a 3.23 gear in them not a 3.15 like a 95...This REALLY shows up in around town driving under light to mid throttle. The gearing really helps.

Stick a 3.38 gear in and holy cow! It feels like the gear the car was suppose to come with. Yes I have one in mine. HUGE improvement.

If you get the FI bug a 95 is easier to get tuning for. There are a few ecu tuners out there who can burn a chip for the FI on a 95 car.

So if its a clean nice 95 go for it. The 96+ cars are slightly heavier due to more sound material. And the 96+ come with the "safe" set up so you don't back into a ditch;)

DISPLACEMENT not compresion;)

E30 groupie, your posts are so extraneous. YOU HAVE TO CONVERT THE ENGINE TO OBDI to run in a obdI car.

Haha. You can run the engine as an OBD-II engine in an (OBD-I) E30 if you want to. There are a few people that have done it.

Ultimately the 3.2 will allow you to maximize power output. Cammed S52s put out around 262 whp with a stock head, cammed S50s around 245 whp.

Haha. You can run the engine as an OBD-II engine in an (OBD-I) E30 if you want to. There are a few people that have done it.

Ultimately the 3.2 will allow you to maximize power output. Cammed S52s put out around 262 whp with a stock head, cammed S50s around 245 whp.

OKAY let us all be clear on this YET AGAIN...

The ENGINE is not an OBD anything....It is an S52 ENGINE 3.2 liters, the S50 ENGINE is a 3.0...

OBD is the electronics used to control the dam engine NOT the engine itself.

Saying you can run a OBD2 engine, in an OBD1 car is false since the ENGINE is not the electronic part of the equation...

OBD= On Board Diagnostics V1.0 or V2.0 This is not a BMW thing... hence the engine is not an OBD anything.

Man this gets old....Like beating a :deadhorse:

ENGINE = METAL
OBD = ELECTRONICS

Can we PLEASE keep thsi straight....

And a S52 will not make 262 with JUST cams...takes a wee bit more than that..

Haha. You can run the engine as an OBD-II engine in an (OBD-I) E30 if you want to. There are a few people that have done it.

Ultimately the 3.2 will allow you to maximize power output. Cammed S52s put out around 262 whp with a stock head, cammed S50s around 245 whp.
A s52 with obdII sensors will not connect to a obdI wiring harness, the conversion is just a few simple sensors and a plumbing mod.

You can put a obdII wiring harness in 20 year old motorcycle and run it as obdII, but why would you.

But my point is that you cant run a m52 lump with obdII sensors with a obdI harness.

OKAY let us all be clear on this YET AGAIN...

The ENGINE is not an OBD anything....It is an S52 ENGINE 3.2 liters, the S50 ENGINE is a 3.0...

OBD is the electronics used to control the dam engine NOT the engine itself.

Saying you can run a OBD2 engine, in an OBD1 car is false since the ENGINE is not the electronic part of the equation...

OBD= On Board Diagnostics V1.0 or V2.0 This is not a BMW thing... hence the engine is not an OBD anything.

ENGINE = METAL
OBD = ELECTRONICS

And a S52 will not make 262 with JUST cams...takes a wee bit more than that..
I wrote the S52 is an OBD-II engine. That was just an extreme oversimplification. My post clearly favored brevity, but alas I boiled it down too far. I should have been more descriptive. :stickoutt

It just so happens that when the Siemens DME that controls both the M52B28 and the S52B32 was introduced, it coincided with the introduction of OBD-II, which is a US Federally mandated standard to diagnose emissions and related subsystems. OBD-II is just a generic term, a misnomer, if you will, that has come to mean M/S52 and later engines. Of course, a 1998 Hyundai Accent has OBD-II, and so does a 1997 M3.

Maybe what I should have said is, it is possible to run the Siemens DME in an E30 and also a 1992-1995 E36. It is not the most advisable thing to do because of the lack of tuning ease. However, if you just had an M/S52 engine, complete, and didn't want to buy $500+ worth of a Bosch 413/506 DME and its compatible sensors and an M50 manifold, you could.

I was also assuming the S52 already had all of the bolt-ons (24lb inj, 3.5" HFM) plus M50 manifold, usually heavier valve springs, and software with a higher redline. Nobody JUST puts cams in, at least I hope they don't. This package comprises "all of the bolt ons." If it doesn't require changing the metal (porting, cutting larger valve seats for +1 valves, etc) of the engine, it's a bolt on.

This thread is awesome, because I bet JH420CFK hasn't read a dam word we've written. :D

Since everyone is getting technical on what everything needs to be called why are we calling the US 3.0l an S50? Aren't those euro motors?

I see what E30 groupie is trying to say as well as ggray. You guys are saying the same thing in just different ways. Either way, the poster of this thread just needs to do some research. There are tons of write-ups about this swap... assuming your looking to do a swap and not just asking which motor is better.

ok fine, S50 US. :D

I think your all forgetting the the OP hasn't posted a single other comment. your misinterpreting his entire question. it was not related to motorswaps what so ever. If he didn't even know there was a 3.2 and all he's doing is shopping for what year to buy I doubt he will ever do a swap.

I wrote the S52 is an OBD-II engine. That was just an extreme oversimplification. My post clearly favored brevity, but alas I boiled it down too far. I should have been more descriptive. :stickoutt

It just so happens that when the Siemens DME that controls both the M52B28 and the S52B32 was introduced, it coincided with the introduction of OBD-II, which is a US Federally mandated standard to diagnose emissions and related subsystems. OBD-II is just a generic term, a misnomer, if you will, that has come to mean M/S52 and later engines. Of course, a 1998 Hyundai Accent has OBD-II, and so does a 1997 M3.

Maybe what I should have said is, it is possible to run the Siemens DME in an E30 and also a 1992-1995 E36. It is not the most advisable thing to do because of the lack of tuning ease. However, if you just had an M/S52 engine, complete, and didn't want to buy $500+ worth of a Bosch 413/506 DME and its compatible sensors and an M50 manifold, you could.

I was also assuming the S52 already had all of the bolt-ons (24lb inj, 3.5" HFM) plus M50 manifold, usually heavier valve springs, and software with a higher redline. Nobody JUST puts cams in, at least I hope they don't. This package comprises "all of the bolt ons." If it doesn't require changing the metal (porting, cutting larger valve seats for +1 valves, etc) of the engine, it's a bolt on.

This thread is awesome, because I bet JH420CFK hasn't read a dam word we've written. :D

I think all my posts favor brevity, most especially when there is a dead horse involved..
Well constructed post fredk

I think your all forgetting the the OP hasn't posted a single other comment. your misinterpreting his entire question. it was not related to motorswaps what so ever. If he didn't even know there was a 3.2 and all he's doing is shopping for what year to buy I doubt he will ever do a swap.
Pretty sure I stated that a couple times up there. ;)