Monday, May 20, 2019

Swapping v8 engine in your BMW





As far as engine exchanges are concerned, I am a bit purist; with few exceptions,
I prefer to keep it "in the family". The Chevy Smallblock exchanges are a particular
spine in my side; they have been stuffed into almost everything, from RX-7 to BMW,
a bit perverse.


But sometimes it's a V8 that's traded for something else. As someone with a weakness
for BMW's older V8 engines, I can understand why someone would want to trade theirs
for something a little less rigorous and requires a lot of maintenance. A little extra power
does not hurt either. I saw a lot of S52 stuck in the space where satan M60, and I can
not blame the guys who do that.


My problem is that I do not support the idea of ​​going back. If I had an aluminum DOHC
V8, I'd like to replace it with something similar - no push buttons for me.


Enter the Ford Coyote V8.




An evolution of the Ford V8 Modular, the new Coyote is equipped with variable-pitch DOHC
heads. These heads sit at the top of an aluminum engine block, reinforced by a large strap
and forged steel crankshaft.



Unlike Ford's previous aluminum DOD engines, cooling and temperature maintenance are
not a serious problem. Most variants have oil coolers; from 2011 to 2013, they are all
equipped with high-pressure oil jets to cool the pistons. These jets were finally dropped.
Ford says they are not needed. From my time in the Mustang community, I can tell you
that no news is good news.


The 5.0-liter Coyote is found in the new Mustang and F-150, with a power of at least 360
horsepower in the F-150 version and 460 horsepower (with 420 lb. of torque) in the current
Mustang GT. Best of all, the engine looks phenomenal - and it does not have a synchronous
chain guide made from eggshells.




Ask your brother-in-law about this; he will confirm it. (I can almost guarantee you have a
brother-in-law with a Mustang - everyone has it.)


You can imagine that buying a low-mileage Mustang V8 would probably be very expensive,
and you're right. The wrecked Mustangs do not miss (write your own joke), but these
engines are in great demand. An eBay Motors search puts the complete engines at around
five thousand dollars.


However, there is another option: the F-150. To save weight, the new F-150s use an
aluminum body, state-of-the-art technology for a large-format pickup with a case.
The only drawback is a body that is expensive to repair in case of an accident. For us,
this means that Ford trucks that are amortized are much easier than your average
Silverado or Ram. Since the F-150 is considered the best selling truck in the United
States, it is also very common. Ford began to cram the Coyote into F-150s starting in
2011, and these engines, with less than 100,000 km, can be used comfortably for about $ 2,500.


What distinguishes the Coyote V8 engine swap from the F-150 from the Mustang? Not
a lot, honestly; The F-150 has a lower compression ratio (10.5: 1 vs. 11.0: 1) and softer
and shorter cams. The F-150 also uses cast iron exhaust manifolds and less aggressive
air.


You will certainly consider making your own headers to mount a Coyote in your BMW, so
you will probably get some power there. The software melodies for the Coyote are as
numerous as you would have imagined for an engine in America's best-selling truck and
pony car. The same goes for bolted power. In short, there are good ways to spend the
$ 2,500 difference between a Coyote Mustang and a Coyote F-150.




But we put the cart before the horse, here. The question is, are you okay?


It's no secret that Ford's Modular V8s are wide and the Coyote is no different. However,
the BMW M60 and M62 are not quite thin either. You will probably have to loot an E34
V8 (like mine) for parts such as the remote brake booster and the coolant expansion tank,
and you will certainly have to be creative with the accessories.

Has it been done? Yes. The offensive on the tarmac poked a Coyote into a widebody E36.

There are others too. In addition to the usual changes in the exhaust and oil pan, they had
to move the steering column to accommodate the very large V8. Every inch of available
space is used. But at the end of the day, it worked, and they have a cheerful