BMW m2 Touring - 1973 s14 powered 2002

s14/drive train install

My engine (euro spec 2.3 with around 200bhp) was fully rebuilt by the previous owner and had only done about 4,000 miles when I bought it. People have reliably got over 250bhp from these units and as time and money allow it's my aim to do the same.

Here you see it first wedged in my car - the block of the s14 is a direct descendent of the m10 used in the 02 series and with a 2002 sump (baffled to stop oil starvation) it mates right up to the standard engine mounts. I've used urethane mounts to reduce the tendency for these engines to rock all over the place.

The 16 valve head and large plenum chamber dominate the engine bay, but it doesn't actually use much more space than a standard Tii. The twin RHD servos had to be lowered and a custom manifold had to be made to clear the steering column - more about this here.

It's great looking engine and doesn't weigh much more than the original, which means the 2002's sweet handling is unaffected.

This is the finished article - a neat installation. The strut brace is currently not fitting flush to the inner wing in order for it to clear the plenum, but I've purchased some US spec spacers that were used under the wing at the top of the strut in order to raise the ride height of the headlights for legislation reasons. Mounted on top of the wing they should make the perfect washer for the brace. This pic was taken before the adjustable camber plates were installed.

Below you can see the new fuel line - a stone guard was fitted before I hit the road.

The electric fuel pump, from a BMW 3.0 CS, sits under the Touring's boot floor, along with the relocated battery. I've lost the spare wheel, but could squeeze one in if I wanted. I figure with quality alloys and modern tyres most punctures can be fixed with tyre weld. Future plans include a space saver 'get you home' spare, which will be mounted where the rear seats are - it's becoming a 2 seater with the fitment of a full roll cage.

The gearbox is a 265 Getrag - the European close ratio model with a dog leg first. As you can see below this unit is larger than the 2002 unit it replaces and a new transmission tunnel had to be fabricated.

An oil cooler sits in the nose, just infront of the Kenlowe fan that keeps the e28 sourced radiator nice and cool.

The one part of the engine bay that doesn't look right to me is the top radiator hose - here you can see it loops round the distributor and is an unsightly mess of clips and hoses. It works fine, but it's something I'll sort out in time.