Introduction
Originating in Europe, the M20 Engine made its
way into the E21, 320/6 and the 323i. In 1982, the
US market received this engine in the 528e and in
1984, the 325e. Most of the M20 engines we rebuild
are installed in ‘87 and later 325i E30s - a favorite
well built model that is fairly light at around 2750
lbs. Our current HiPerformance “Baby Six” M20 engines range from a 2900 HiFlo Sport at 205 HP up
to a 3200 HiFlo ST Rally at 240 HP. See graph page 3.
Power gains from bolt-ons are usually moderate.
Large power gains come from within the engine itself. It’s done by increasing displacement, compression, head flow and camming. Lighter reciprocating
and rotating parts also enhance acceleration.
One of our 2900 Sport Engines will advance the
2750 lb. 325i to the performance level of a E36 M3.
Install a 3200 Rally Engine and that 325i is comparable to an E46 M3. See Chart 2 immediately right.
Because the E30 is fairly light, it can be revamped to
take corners faster than many other heavier BMWs,
making it an excellent track car. The drivetrain is identical to the Big Six’s of that era, so it has no trouble
coping with the added displacement and horsepower.
We offer several Ultimate Transmission rebuilds and
Variable Limited Slip Differential options to further
maximize the acceleration of your BMW.
Who are these Engines For?
All the MM Sport and Rally Engines described in
these pages are designed for daily driving as well as
track use. They run on pump gas, deliver close to
stock gas mileage, pass emissions, no loss in driveability, have a minimal noise increase, idle smoothly and
require only minor tuning in order to run right! The
average BMW enthusiast will experience only slight
behavioral differences between a stock engine and the
MM engines, except acceleration. Ours are FAST!
Metric Mechanic “Baby Six” M20 Engine Series - Revival of the Fittest! ........... 1
M20 Specification and Pricing Chart ........................................................................ 2
Reliability Before Performance ..................................................................................... 3 - 5
How Does an Engine Come to the End of it’s Life?............................................... 6
How Does Metric Mechanic Greatly Extend Engine Life?..................................... 6 - 7
2900 & 3200 Sport and 3200 Rally Pistons............................................................... 7
Bottom End Components of Metric Mechanic Sport and Rally Engines.......... 8 - 9
Evolution of the Metric Mechanic M20 Stroker Engines...................................... 10
M20 Crankshaft Use Chart.......................................................................................... 11
Metric Mechanic M20 Rods......................................................................................... 12
Metric Mechanic M20 Oil Pan Modifications.......................................................... 13
M20 Super ETA Performance....................................................................................... 14
Metric Mechanic M20 Sport and Rally Pistons....................................................... 15
Metric Mechanic HiFlo ST Sport/Rally Heads........................................................ 16