Hello!!! New to Forum! and have some 318 performance questions!

[Frank E. Fingers]

Hello,

I am in Boston Ma. and am a pretty avid hot rodder, and am about to start on a build of my friends 1997 318ti. I worked at a race shop through college and have built alot of cars, including several turbo volvos that I had good success with. We will be doing all the head porting, engine building ourselves, only having the basic machine work and balancing done,,,,I am thinking build a stout shortblock for a turbo or supercharged application.

I would like to know if anyone makes the following parts, and if so a range of prices:

1. Larger intake and exhaust valves for the factory 318 cylinder head, are 4. larger seats needed, or can you go oversized valves with factory seats. Who makes valves and how much do they roughly go for?

2. Camshaft, who makes a nice aftermarket camshaft with an ideal lobe separation for a turbo or supercharger.

3. Supercharger or turbo kits, anyone make a header or manifold for a turbo? if so how much? and where can we get one.

4. Even if it is on the ragged edge, I would like to build something around 270 hp...and maybe even throw a small squirt of NOS into it....maybe even more power is available in an intercooled turbo application? Anyone running a big turbo and intercooler on a 318 motor?

5. Do they have steel cranks?

6. Do they have forged pistons from the factory?

7. Anyone make an aftermarket intake manifold? anyone weld up? modify a stock one to flow air more efficiently?

We are also considering,,,which I know many of you will cringe,,,dropping a V8 into it,,anyone make kits for that? I saw an LS1 into the same car before.....I am not worried about emissions per se and in fact thing that this guy who did the LS1 had even lower emissions that stock anyway as it was a newer engine...

I appreciate any and all help, please post responses here or email me at sfaboston@hotmail.com

[andyman7931]

go to bimmerforums.com, there's a guy there who built up an m42 stroker. He documented his work well and answers a lot of questions you asked here.

The stock intake manifold is really good, I wouldn't consider replacing it unless you went to forced induction. Also read the forced induction thread here, there's a thread about a new supercharger company developing an intercooled unit, hopefully they'll have something in the next couple months, they're looking for 270 hp if all goes well.