..

 

Wow that's going to be one fun car to work with. Why is the airbox so large? And let's see the front mount I/C!

 

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Huge Airbox seems to be very typical of newer BMW models...surprised the R53's was so small quite frankly

 

Very tidy. Allmost to sanitairy. Screams BMW in my mind... but overall, that's a good thing (IMO).

I just wish the cover on the turbo wasn't there. I'd like to see the little twin scoll displayed proudly up front. That hand emblem on the thing just screams "take me off" .

 

That's a pretty tight fit!

 

it kinda looks like a DOHC motor

 

Because it is. :smile:

 

realllly?!? interesting.. is the MC gonna be DOHC as well??

 

Yep.

 

this could be interesting for engine swaps

 

Quick question: Is the battery in the engine bay or still in the boot as the R53 was?

 

According the UK owners manual it's located in the upper left of the engine bay hidden by a cover.

 

In what way? New engine to old car? A different engine into an R56? What do you mean?

Yeah, you can see it in the second pic (and sort of third, too), just behind the windshield washer fluid resivoir.

 

Thanks for the pics, looks pretty sweet

 

You guys are getting all Volkswagen on me swapping 2.0 T engines in 1984 Rabbit GTIs and Caddys!!

 

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THE battery at the front is a good idea so that they can put a spare tire in the boot.

My questons is.....does it have indivdual coils for the spark plugs?

 

eh, I picked it up by hanging around with honda guys


oh, and swapping the new motor into the old car not worth it right now being a new motor.. but in the future

 

I like it so far. The downside is the strut towers still look weak, and that front mounted IC is screaming for damage.

 

Not saying it's impossible... but it would be a good trick.

A huge reason the new car grew (aside from the pedestrian safety stuff) was due to the new engine being quite a bit larger than the old one. It's mounted several inches farther back towards the firewall for this reason.

It's really an engineering feat that the new car gained ONLY 2.4 inches up front. Someone (I believe Gabe of White Roof Radio/MotoringFile was talking about it in detail) did the calculations of sticking the new engine in the R53 in the same locating as the curresnt set-up... then adding the "crush space" (my term) to the front end and bonnet. Ended up with 10-11 additional overhang in the front end. Say what you will about the new bulbous MINI... those BMW guys did pretty good with what they had to work around.

As far as the strut towers go... look to M7 tuning for the strut re-enforcement plates. Nice security for the price, and a must have if your going to 17" wheels or bigger.

 

interesting, I take it if thats the case.. the mounts would need to be swapped along with taking a few inches from the exhaust perhaps? (and that saying the current exhaust/headers would fit the new motor... would the r53 wiring harness work with it as well?

 

Don't know about the wiring harness... but I would be sceptical of the headers, too. Since the R56 engine is sitting 180-degrees from the R53's orientation (with the exhaust coming out the front) AND the turbo is mated up pretty close on the header unit as well (but then again, I was assuming you meant a turbo car so that might be a non-issue for you).

I guess I'm sure it could be done (anything is possible-ie. Honda V-Tec in a classic Mini)... but at what effort, time and cost?

 

Why is that a good idea... it's already a front heavy car.
I say it's a compromise.. :(

 

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