BMW Engine Transformation [M52B28] M50 Motor Restoration Timelapse | E30 Build | 045

BMW Engine Transformation [M52B28] M50 Motor Restoration Timelapse | E30 Build | 045
Here's what I used in this video:
@teslongusa Borescope: www.amazon.co.uk/Inspection-T...
Locking Oil Pump Sprocket Nut: ebay.us/j02vYv
Meyle Metal Water Pump: ebay.us/HYQdsO
Aluminium Thermostat Housing: ebay.us/zLwSaz
NGK 2288 / BKR6EK Spark Plugs: ebay.us/hZ8pWo
Valve Cover Gasket: ebay.us/mk5Ys9
Oil filter Housing Gasket: ebay.us/BBj0du
Crank Position Sensor: ebay.us/9pqteS
Goxawee Rotary Tool: ebay.us/NwUQC3
Wire Brushes: ebay.us/7vjoX2
Hycote Black Engine Enamel: ebay.us/yjbI62
K2 Gold Brake Caliper Paint: ebay.us/vwt8cP
Hondabond: ebay.us/qEHmct
In this BMW E30 build series video I focus my efforts on restoring the M52B28 engine on it's stand. This was a lot of work so the manual sections I have run as an engine restoration timelapse.
Following the strip down and inspection of this 24 valve motor previously, I decided that there's no good reason to want to strip it down entirely and rebuild it with new rod bearings etc. It looks good to go.
However, from a cosmetic standpoint, its in a very sorry state with decades of build up baked onto it. This is the main thing I needed to address before the M52 engine could be swapped into my E30 engine bay.
The first thing I did was refinish the sump and the oil filter housing. I started by wire brushing these items with my Goxawee rotary tool, and followed up by using a silver VHT paint finish.
After some frustration I switched over to a silver brake caliper and wheel type paint which gave a much nicer satin finish. I refinished the power steering pump in black paint while I was at it.
With these curing, I turned my attention to the engine itself, the first problem I had was a snapped exhaust stud. Knowing that something like this can very quickly turn into a show stopping problem, it seemed right to tackle it before applying any engine enamel paint to the block.
I attacked the broken stud by welding a nut onto it and turning it out, which worked very well. I then removed the remaining studs, some of which were also quite stuck.
With that out of the way, I fitted a choice modification to the oil pump. A wire-locking oil pump sprocket nut. M52 and M50 engines have a known issue with the oil pump nut backing off over time. If the nut works its way off the oil pump will have no drive which can starve the engine of oil and destroy it very quickly.
To solve this, you can drill and wire-lock the nut to the spokes on the sprocket, but thats difficult so you can buy a kit with a pre-drilled nut.
I switched my oil pickup to my modified E34 sump one which is shortened to suit, and following that remasked the bottom end of the engine.
At this point I set about wire brushing the block and the head of the engine using my rotary wire brushes. This was a long and painstaking job getting into all of the intricate shapes, but luckily because this M52 is an aluminium block, it'd remained in surprisingly good condition with none of the rust scabs you'd generally find on an iron block motor.
Following that I washed the engine to remove any remaining grease and wiped it down with panel wipe ready for the Hycote black engine enamel paint, which was a treat to work with giving a lovely gloss finish.
Following a night of curing, I came back into the workshop to start unmasking and I'd had a delivery from the guys at Teslong in the shape of a new borescope. Excited to check the bores of the engine I gave it a try.
The extra LED brightness and camera resolution meant I could see in the combustion chambers in more detail than before and I noticed some light scoring in some cylinders. Not enough to alarm me though.
I then fitted the sump with Hondabond 4 to ensure no future leaks and painted the head of the engine in a gold brake caliper paint. I selected gold as a fun nod to BMW motorsport engines of the past.
After another night of curing I unmasked and got the new crank sensor, new metal water pump, and new aluminium thermostat housing. I also refitted the alternator, and power steering pump, water pump pullet and the new 1555mm aux belt. Finally I refitted valve cover with new gasket, NGK sparkplugs and coil packs. I'm over the moon with the result and the engine is gleaming like a new one.
For more helpful how-to guides and restorations: www.spannerrash.com/
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#m52b28 #m52 #bmwe30 #e30build #e30

[@dhilankerai3585]

Engine looks great. You’re getting closer and closer to a driving e30 again. Keep em coming!

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thanks man, another step forward indeed! Can't wait to be enjoying the car on the road. 😃

[@cdeprima1209]

I say be sure to use straight 30 weight oil to prevent rod bearing wear, everthing else is just too light and results in early rod bearing wear and pass this tip to others!

[@SPANNERRASH]

I think BMW's recommendation for these engines is 10w40. I'd be reluctant to switch from that but I'm no expert.

[@TheNorthernmunky]

Brilliant as always mate

[@SPANNERRASH]

Cheers mate 😃

[@VisionAi777]

Nice work 👍

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thank you mate! 😁

[@Dudeiculas]

Brilliant job 👏

[@SPANNERRASH]

Cheers! 😃

[@chrisrawle2967]

Congratulations on nearing 10k. Engine looks great

[@SPANNERRASH]

Cheers Chris! Approaching an exciting milestone with the channel as well as the E30. 😃

[@veikovrklv]

Nice and clean.

[@SPANNERRASH]

Cheers!

[@mxbrndl]

Nice work mate, very informative. I am actually doing a M52 e30 conversion myself. Your videos are helping me a lot !

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thanks man, I hope your M52 build is going well too, glad to hear the vids are useful. 😃

[@_________Rema____________]

extra work man :)

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thanks man 😁

[@BadE30]

Great colour choice on the head! Looks well😎

[@SPANNERRASH]

Cheers dude, feeling pretty pleased with myself on how it turned out. 😁

[@BadE30]

@@SPANNERRASH great minds think alike! At least I will be able to see how it looks with yours once done, I won't be too far behind hopefully..

[@cdeprima1209]

I say retorque head bolts while you have a chance; tty head bolts may loosen over time; I heard 65 ft-lb maximum; worked for me! I say use Red Rustoleum primer to kill and prevent any rust and act as a boat cathode! Cheers!

[@SPANNERRASH]

Very interesting suggestion checking the torque for the head. It never even crossed my mind but I can see some sense in it for sure.. I'm at the point of starting to fire this engine up now so might be a little late but I will bear that in mind going forward. Cheers! 😃

[@michaelperez8223]

Beast!

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thanks Michael 😄

[@jay-peephillips2349]

Great work, good job to you both, that engine looks clean

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thank you Jay, I was really happy with the outcome!

[@vagkos3060]

Engine turned out great !! Also the upgraded you did to it , like the metal water pump propeller or the aluminium thermostate housing , or the wire in the oil pump bolt they are amazing !!! Keep up the great work my friend !!!

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thanks man! I think I selected some subtle but choice upgrades for the M52. Hoping they serve me well. 😃

[@polloloci21]

Love that gold color.

[@SPANNERRASH]

Cheers! I was happy with how it came out 👌

[@DigwithAthelstan]

Looks awesome, although you should wear a mask. Not 100% but those oil pump bolts i have read that they can have premature failure if over or under tightened. No idea how but apparently the shaft can fail. Really think you should remove head and rebuild. Its little work and few £ to do with ease now 🙂

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thanks Martin! And I definitely agree about the mask, that was unwise of me. Really hoping a slightly overtight one will be okay regarding the oil pump nut. 😅 Hopefully the lockwire and the red Loctite will seal the deal permanently on that. I don't think I tightened it enough to upset the shaft itself. I know what you mean about taking the head off, believe me I'd love to, but I can't stop myself and if I'm going to take the head off, I might as well do a full rebuild with new rings and shells etc. And at that point I'll probably never actually finish this car. 😂 With the removable front core support having the engine back out shouldn't be a big deal. I'm expecting to have it back out for a rebuild down the line. But lets see if it can be a working car first!

[@shifty1927]

Cool build 🔥🔥🔥 Been thinking about building my e30 with some spare engines and parts. I have a calypso 97 328i sedan that was the 1st 1000whp and 9 second example. But we built it 15+ years ago and been itching for a new project. Got my 87 325is from when i was in high-school and a 97 528i thats just been sitting in the driveway. Would build the e39 if their were more lsd differential options for it.

[@SPANNERRASH]

Sounds like a match made in heaven, you should build the E30, slap the E39's M52 into it 😃

[@shifty1927]

@@SPANNERRASH i have a few m52s and zf transmissions laying around. When I built the e36 they were like 300 or less. No one knew the m52s potential until after we had made 600+whp on the stock engine. Everyone else was doing s50/s52s at that time. Also did you make that oil pan yourself? Looks great.

[@SPANNERRASH]

@@shifty1927 Wow yeah they are known as very strong engines but that's impressive! Although I'm planning to run mine NA for simplicity (and it's how I like my driver's cars). I think 200-225bhp in an E30 will be loads of fun on twisty UK B roads. It won't set any quarter mile times though! 😆 Sadly the sump is not my own work, I wish I had the aluminium welding skills to do that sump - maybe one day! It was a second-hand bargain I picked up. Not really sure who did it but I believe originally aimed at an E21 M52 swapped car. Hopefully it wont cause me any issues with oiling being much shallower, but wee will sure find out! I'll have to get an oil pressure gauge and keep a keen eye on it.

[@lupulflamand5673]

You really are a perfectionist. You took this perfectly clean engine to the next level. Now I feel bad about saying that I will whash my car tomorrow for over one week. I will wash it tomorrow. This time for real.

[@SPANNERRASH]

Haha thank you Lupul! 😄 With some things, I can't resist putting in a bit more work to get it to the next level. I'm really glad I did for this engine. So happy with how it came out! I should wash my daily driver a bit more regularly too though. 🤭

[@mcjjordan]

On my e21 box i had to drill 2 holes in bellhousing so can access the 2 sump bolts in future

[@SPANNERRASH]

Really?? Not heard about that before, sounds extreme. Which gearbox are you using?

[@mcjjordan]

@@SPANNERRASH standard e21 box-

[@Moocow444]

Great video, great series, and great content! You gained yourself a new subscriber, thank you for this series!

[@SPANNERRASH]

Welcome aboard mate, really glad you're enjoying it! 😃

[@e30_318is_project]

Engine looking really fresh! Watch the last video of m539 restorations. He put a new thingy in the oil filter housing. The oem is plastic, and he had a replacement from aluminium i guess. Worth watching!

[@SPANNERRASH]

Ohh interesting, I will check that out, love that guy's work! The one-way valve in the filter housing looked and felt good to me, so I left it alone. Hope I don't regret that. 😅 Cheers!

[@mcjjordan]

Ive always drilled a small hole in thermostat at top . otherwise bleeding the system is nearly impossible

[@SPANNERRASH]

Yeah I did consider that actually, but as its a much earlier opening thermostat I decided to just go with it as is. I reckon I'll get it bled up one way or another.

[@mcjjordan]

@@SPANNERRASH i fitted the lower temp aswell otherwise the temperature gauge would of read high aswell - tap the sensor not the block by the way

[@rodsjames9298]

Just a tipp next time use the 2bkr6equp" spark plug

[@SPANNERRASH]

Hi mate, is that also an NGK plug? Whats the difference?

[@rodsjames9298]

@@SPANNERRASH Yes , ngk and it helps smooth the idle ,better ignition

[@mcjjordan]

When i cleaned my engine i couldnt get it anywhere as clean as you did - so i didnt paint as didnt want to paint over dirt

[@SPANNERRASH]

It took a seriously long time to get right into all the corners but I knew it was my one and only chance to do it which drove me on. 😂

[@ioijiopjkiopjkp]

Really good video, great seeing all the detail. I actually broke my torque wrench trying to tighten my oil pump nut, mine doesn't work in reverse either.

[@SPANNERRASH]

Cheers! Omg you must have been giving the oil pump nut some grief if you broke the torque wrench! 😆 Did you not strip the nut? Apparently most don't work backwards, but I had no idea until now...

[@mariosnikolaou5212]

Awesome job but mate I can't stand watching you grinding all that corrosion off the block and just inhaling it all in....

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thanks Marios! Yeah that might not have passed the health and safety inspection to be honest, quite unwise but I tend to get carried away in the moment. Maybe I should try a higher quality mask and I'll be able to keep it on rather than it irritating me. 😅

[@bigdfig6083]

Wow, after that much cleaning, I woulda left the alloy alone and maybe just a quick buff w some scotch brite on a drill r die grinder to liven it up some. I've got the US market M52 so iron block, but if my block was Aluminum I'd for sure be showing it off! Nice build and thanks for the slew of uploads.

[@SPANNERRASH]

I see your point but my experience with aluminium like this is that it corrodes a lot, especially if freshly roughed up and cleaned. It gives off a white powdery flaky corrosion, and I suspect that wouldn't take long. So I decided to go with the coatings to keep it looking fresh for as long as possible. Maybe doing the block silver would have created a similar effect, but to be honest I'm really happy with how it ended up looking black and gold. Glad you're enjoying the series! 😃

[@AllTorque]

This was, without doubt, the most enjoyable M52b28 video I have ever watched on here! As a fellow BMW enthusiast (and crap youtuber) the content, style and presentation were next level. I know not everyone likes these kind of detailed videos but it was an absolute joy to watch and 45 minutes flew by. I've got a Z3 and 328i with this engine and the end result of yours looks amazing. Tempting to give a cosmetic transformation a good go. Where are you based btw? I'm going to indulge in a few more vids of yours right now!

[@SPANNERRASH]

Awesome, really glad you liked the vid! It was hard work to get this result but totally worth it in the end. If you ever have your M52 out of the car, then why not?? We're based up in Yorkshire. 👍

[@whatleytom]

shorts need a refresh as well 😅

[@SPANNERRASH]

100% Tom 🤣 I think they're finally done these bad boys. Served me well.

[@CYMRU619]

Looking good, it's coming along nicely. Make a note of the engine number while it's out of the car! It's stamped on the side of the block at the bottom. I had to provide DVLA with an engine number to register the engine swap with them.

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thanks mate, and great tip about the engine number. There are a few codes on it and I got pics of them all after the block was cleaned up. Not actually sure which one is the engine number but I'm sure it will become obvious with a search. 😃

[@CYMRU619]

@@SPANNERRASH No worries. It's stamped right at the bottom of the block on the intake side, should be an 8 digit number.

[@SPANNERRASH]

@@CYMRU619 Perfect, cheers man!

[@MissChristineC1990]

Nothing, and I mean nothing beats Hondabond! 🔥

[@SPANNERRASH]

Yep! It really is the secret sauce. The old man has sealed the unsealable with it in the past! 😂

[@user-wn5mc2jq6h]

Nice work, although gaskets work without that liquid gasket you've used on oil pan and oil filter housing, not sure if it's necessary, thanks for your video, cheers from Chile 🇨🇱

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thanks Carlos! I always get a bit paranoid about sump leaks so like to be belt and braces with the Hondabond 4. Amazing stuff. Even if unnecessary, it won't do any harm.

[@benfidar]

Exactly the things I did with my m52. Runs brilliant now. Not worried about overspray?

[@SPANNERRASH]

Awesome I hope mine runs the same - the signs are good so far! General overspray in the workshop? Yeah it's annoying, but its less annoying than painting outside most of the time. 😂

[@user-wn5mc2jq6h]

The NGK spark plugs (made in Japan, because there are some made in Brazil) are the best you can find for your engine, good idea to stay with the 2 electrodes)

[@SPANNERRASH]

I've always been happy with NGKs in the past, I think they're a good choice for the M52. Glad you agree with me on sticking with the OE type plugs. 👍

[@grahamparker9470]

If there is no RUSSIAN writing on the box they are fake and last about 6 weeks before a misfire starts..I buy bmwgplugs made in Germany NOT RUSSIA as supplied by some main dealers!!😢

[@SPANNERRASH]

@@grahamparker9470 Interesting I will see if I still have a box to check that out.

[@mariospantouvanos4645]

I have an m42 on my e30 and I recently cracked the oil sump. Ive temporarily repaired it using some jb weld like substance. Now I've watched your video I'm considering getting another sunp and having it modified for more clearance.

[@SPANNERRASH]

Dang, I don't remember the M42 sump sitting so low in my 318is, or is yours totally slammed? 😆 I'm hoping my shortened sump for M52 works well, I'm sure I'll report back on it in the future, hopefully not with oil starvation. 🙃

[@mariospantouvanos4645]

@@SPANNERRASH I don't know if it's considered totally slammed, but I'm on bilstein B8s and Apex springs. I don't know if it makes a difference but my car is an 85 with an m10 originally

[@SPANNERRASH]

@@mariospantouvanos4645 Oh nice, have you checked your engine mounts to make sure they haven't sunk a bit? A sump guard might be a good thought too. I think I'd explore both of those before a modified sump. But then again you've got a damaged sump you could replace... 🤔

[@mariospantouvanos4645]

@@SPANNERRASH well, I'm not losing any oil now so for the time being it's fine. On the next parts run I'll be getting a sumo though. The engine mounts don't have excessive play in them so I don't think they've sunk. A sump guard is a good idea, along with a cross brace for more chassis stiffness.

[@corneliuseybers1254]

Meyle, only brand that is BETTER than OEM!! The header paint is weak because it needs extreme heat to melt/bond/cure... I made the same mistake... Great job! Thanks for the vids!!

[@SPANNERRASH]

Yeah, can't believe BMW only provides plastic impeller water pumps when they are known to fail over time. Had to upgrade! The gold paint on the header is for brake calipers so I'm hoping it will stand up to some serious heat. Fingers crossed on that one. 😁

[@mcjjordan]

Have you looked at the oil filter housing valve?

[@SPANNERRASH]

Promise I did mate, the spring is firm that keeps it closed and it looked in good condition to me. Hopefully, I don't find myself taking it back off any time soon. 😄

[@mcjjordan]

@@SPANNERRASH i found it worn so could sit not square so not sealing

[@SPANNERRASH]

@@mcjjordan Interesting, I'm confident mine will seal, it looked totally square and seated firm closed on its spring.

[@sniblobmw]

👏👏

[@SPANNERRASH]

😁 Cheers!

[@Kris-82]

Wonder if that paint on header will handle. Honestly doubt it

[@SPANNERRASH]

Hi Kris, we will find out in good time! It's brake caliper paint so in theory it should be able to handle some serious heat cycles. We will see about that though.

[@aniluzun2321]

Hi bro . Whats your offer about flywheel and clutch kit . Im running with m52b28 + zf 5 speed with m54b30 dualmassflywheel and clutch kit .

[@SPANNERRASH]

Hi Anil, I'm running the Getrag g240, and to pair that with the M52B28 I used a lightened single mass M20 flywheel and clutch kit. I believe you can use this same clutch kit if you're using a ZF 5-speed as an upgrade. Or you can use the normal dual mass one that would have come on an M52. I'm not sure about the M54 one. It might work though.

[@gregwilliams7227]

Thoroughly enjoying the build from Australia, and super impressed with your diligence, dedication, skills and ideas… One question and a comment… For the sake of a couple of tenners and while you have easy access with the engine out, are you going to replace the front and rear crank shaft oil seals prior to dropping it in? Unfortunately I don’t have welder or blow torch to extract broken studs, so the way I’ve dealt with them in the past was using a left-handed drill bit to drill down the centre of the bolt, combined with a ‘Ridgid screw extractor’ (and liberal amounts of WD-40). Worked really well

[@SPANNERRASH]

Awesome thanks Greg, really glad you're enjoying the build. Funnily enough I was fully intending to replace the rear main seal but the wrong one turned up in the post. I had a good look at the one on the car and thought I'd leave it as it's bone dry and looks pretty new itself. Hopefully I won't live to regret that! 😅

[@breaddy1]

What oil pan is that?

[@SPANNERRASH]

It's a custom E34 front sump. I think more popular among E21 engine swaps. Not something you can buy off the shelf sadly. I picked it up second-hand when it came up locally.

[@tshidisegangmasango4075]

where can i get that oil pan?

[@SPANNERRASH]

I wish I knew, I picked it up locally second hand. A good find I think!

[@user-oj6xh1qp3y]

Bad Parts meyle is 💩💩💩💩

[@SPANNERRASH]

Never had an issue with Meyle parts personally, why the bad rep?

[@Abigailrp]

Hi, writing from my GF YT account, pro engine builder here, love this series, subbed and try to comment. Just a few tips though, engine must be cleaner inside than outside, on last video the ports and bores seemed outstandingly filthy, have a feeling you are pushing your luck and risking the motor. Absolutely no muck can enter the port and piston cyl area, specially the swarf like stuff we saw on your dads borescope. Was the Rocker cover cleaned before installing, on the edit it looks like it wasn't, this is another problem as muck can be lodged in there and find it's way into the cams and tappets... I know cleaning is a bitch but its 80% of engine reliability. I'm in the process of installing a m30 in a e30. thanks for your videos, they are very informative and detailed, love them just as much as Stretens content

[@SPANNERRASH]

Ahh cheers! Yeah the ports had a surprising amount of dust and crap in, but nothing that should cause any damage, its just fluff really that should burn in an instant. The only thing I'm not quite as sure about it the little chunk of gasket in the cylinder. I'll likely put some time into trying to hoover out that and anything else. There's definitely no metal swarf in there. Regarding the plastic rocker cover, I actually put an ungodly amount of time into trying to clean it, and a lot came off, but its just heavily stained and will never be truly clean again. I will consider replacing it. But other than looking bad it was completely clean of any debris before going back on. I'm confident after its run for a split second it'll be golden. We'll find out of I'm wrong I guess. 😆 Glad you're enjoying the series!

[@Abigailrp]

@@SPANNERRASH 🤞

[@parvizakhundov4347]

The thermostat is not installed correctly! There is an arrow on it that should be set up.

[@SPANNERRASH]

Well spotted, I had to change it soon after I got the engine running as the thermostat housing leaked and I damaged it in disassembly. The second one I installed correctly for sure as there was a clearer arrow on it!