Differences between 3.6l and 3.8l engines and parts.

t33po · 15th January 2002, 00:00

M5ers,

Im in the market for a used E34 and was wondering what the major differences between the 3.8l and 3.6l engines are. A friend of a friend of a friend owns a rather well kept gray market import '95 with all the goodies(6spd, 18" parallel spokes, EDC removed, and chip) and was looking to sell it when he moves in late April. For any of you guys that know, i need to know what parts are directly interchangable and what parts are not. As is my understanding, the 3.8l is merely a stroked 3.6l and many parts are common.

My major concerns with purchasing this car are the availability and expense of 3.8l parts. Obviously not all parts are interchangable with the US spec 3.6, but I was concerned about the parts that do tend to break - gaskets, seal, hoses, and tidbits of the like.

I do want an M5 very sorely and do expect to pay a premium for parts and service, but I cant afford to get myself in a situation with a car that requires a months wait for parts, a severe premium for parts, and an additional shipping cost everytime something breaks.

For those of you who didnt know, the 3.8 engine never came t the US. The last M5 officially imported to the US was in 1993. This car is Avus Blue with gray leather interior. It has 26,000miles and an Ok service record, not as thourough as I'd like. Asking $28.5k for the car. Its really a steal.

thanks
T

raymondw · 15th January 2002, 07:27

Hardly a part has left unchanged when Motorsport designed the 3.8.

Different:
- Engine block (Increased bore and stroke, larger exhaust ports).
- pistions (CR 10,5:1 instead of 10,0:1, larger bore)
- Conrods (larger stroke)
- Cylinder Head (larger valves, larger intake ports, different ignition system (6 individual coils instead of rotor)
- exhaust manifold (larger in diameter)
- Cranckshaft (Larger stroke).
- DME (Version 3.3 instead of 1.2 Motronic)
- Butterfly valves (larger in diameter)

The same:
- Spark Plugs
- Camshafts
- waterpump
- for the rest hardly nothing

See http://bmwe34m5.com for more info

Raymond

t33po · 17th January 2002, 06:35

Thank you de Witt. The info should be enough to hepl me out. I will have a dealer look at the car and just see if many people are familiar witht the car. Guess Ill also look at how parts are priced for the car before i decide on anyhing.

Quick question: are you (de Witt) originally from South Africa by any chance? I was born and raised in South Africa and based on your name and some of the wording of your posts, I thought you might be from there.

thanks'
T

ChandlerM5 · 17th January 2002, 06:50

VR6, if you can get your hands on that car, BUY IT ! I would love to have an avus blue 3.8. not for a daily driver though. though it would be hard to resist to drive it every day! only 28k miles. De Witt is correct about the motor being very different. but with the low miles and some decent service history, it should be a safe bet.

What you do is find someone close to you who is a good, honest (hard to find) independent that only works on bmw's exclusivley. I have one who really loves my car, a 3.6 and misses seeing more of them in his shop so its a treat for him to work on it. Not that it couldnt be a daily, but if you can afford it , have something else to drive too!

Depending on the dealer near you, they might not even work on the car.(have heard of that happening here in L.A.)

Most of the guys here on the board know that the 3.8 was not available here in the states. I'll tell you though, if the car is clean, and really has only 28k miles on the odo, buy it !

just my 2 pennies

chandler
91 M5 blk grey int.
uuc short shift
dinan chip

t33po · 18th January 2002, 05:06

Like I said the car is a total steal considering the mileage and price it looks like a total steal. But the fact of the matter is that the first and original owner in germany kept poor records and imported the car in a less than legal way. My friend got the car back in '99 shortly after import with 13.5k miles on it. Basically the car has litle record of the first few years and miles. I've known the guy who owns the car now for about a year know and hes taken very good care of it and has very good records. The problem is that the damage that could have been potentially done by the previous owner will not show itself until the later days when I've had the car for a while.

Anyways, I'll only time and a good mechanic will tell if I ever get the car. You guys will be the first to know if i decide to get the car.

Thanks'
T

P.S. I'll try to get the seller onto this website and let him dip into this wealth of knowledge. Also, if i decide not to ge the car, I'll give you guys who are more willing and able to take on the financial gamble some contact info and let you take a stab at the car.

de Witt · 18th January 2002, 05:13

Uh, fellas, Raymond deserves the credit here. Look at who posted the information. Raymond is correct, also.

Just a heads up.

ChandlerM5 · 18th January 2002, 07:43

ooops ! sorry Raymond. credit who deserved it!

nice catch mr. moderator ! De Witt ?

Tells us ...... have you had any luck finding another car, or are you really just hanging out?

I dont know what I would do If I did'nt have something to romp on every once and a while like my ///M5 !

Something magical happens when you turn the key on an M5 in the morning, and that nice lopey cam is idling rough just like it's supposed to. then when both your temps are up, you shift into 3rd and throw down the hammer and that wonderful (secondary sound) barks from under the hood as the rpm's build effortlessly all the way up to redline screaming for you to pull back hard right into 4th, saying goodby to the world and welcoming a new day !

well, something like that anyway.

give us an update, I'm sure you are working on it, and just not letting us in on your secret ///M5 purchase.

cheers from Los Angeles

Chandler

de Witt · 18th January 2002, 14:32

It is a decision that I can't afford to screw up on. I don't like fooling around with such purchases or speeding them up just because. I'm in a information loop that tells me what is on the market in Germany. I'm thinking that I should go for a 1994 or 1995. So this is not a decision to be made overnight or even for that matter, in a few weeks. This will take a while, but the car will be perfect.

I know what sort of therapy the S38 is for morning apathy is. But my 525i does that now for me...sort of. Hey, I get my fix from here.

You can my current BMWs in the Owners Gallery.