$50 camshaft upgrade solution for M50/M52 engines

Cheap camshaft upgrade solution for M50/M52 engines.

If you are on the budget and want to upgrade camshaft on your M50 engine, then there is a $50 solution to this.
Get intake camshaft from M54b30 engine. These are sold for cheap at E46 forums. People upgrade to ZHP cams all the time so their stock cams are on sale for $25 to $50.
Get the intake camshaft from 1992 M50 non vanos head and you will use it on the exhaust side. The timing tool block will not work, so before you remove your stock cam mark the points of the lobe peak location on the cam caps. You can find this at junk yards for $15 to $25.
Cam specs will be
Intake 240 duration 9.7 lift
Exhaust 240 duration 9.7 lift
Not as hot as S50/S52 cams but close enough(in my opinion S50/s52 cams are just too agressive for 2.5 and 2.8 L engines, they deliver more peak power but reduce power on low rpm)

For the intake cam you will need to get 96+ cam tray with lifters and caps, you can mod the M50 cam tray if you are realy cheap, M54 trays will work too. If you have the option of getting M54 intake camshaft sprocket with hardware, get it, it is lighter and better than M50/M52 intake sprocket hardware. Do not remove vanos gear from the cam, just shorten it down with the grinder 5mm. And cam tool will work with M54 intake cam.

This photo shows, M54b30 intake camshaft with hardware installed on the M50 head. M54 uses just one spring washer, it is made to reduce the vanos rattle and to tighten the vanos on/off thrust, similar to M52/S52 hardware but more simple and lighter.

So ZHP cams would also be compatable for M50/M52's? Interesting.

I'm surprised more people didn't comment on this. Definitely interesting.


I'll keep it in mind. Thanks for posting.

Very nice. I'm glad somebody is willing to dig in and discover this kind of stuff.

Hmm... I think I know what I'm doing for part of my turbo build...

Wow this looks awesome.


Thank you. This might work without vanos....

Yes would this work for non vanos m50? Otherwise looks like ill be spending for a used s50 cam.

diggin it.

just a question, though. what and where are you grinding othe vanos gear?? just the end (where it appears there used to be a torx bit??)


df

Very interested..
Could you post a video of this running?

Do you have any dyno numbers?

So basically to get this to fit in my m52 i just have to grind down the m54 cam?

Originally Posted by HakenTT

Cheap camshaft upgrade solution for M50/M52 engines.

If you are on the budget and want to upgrade camshaft on your M50 engine, then there is a $50 solution to this.
Get intake camshaft from M54b30 engine. These are sold for cheap at E46 forums. People upgrade to ZHP cams all the time so their stock cams are on sale for $25 to $50.
Get the intake camshaft from 1992 M50 non vanos head and you will use it on the exhaust side. The timing tool block will not work, so before you remove your stock cam mark the points of the lobe peak location on the cam caps. You can find this at junk yards for $15 to $25.
Cam specs will be
Intake 240 duration 9.7 lift
Exhaust 240 duration 9.7 lift
Not as hot as S50/S52 cams but close enough(in my opinion S50/s52 cams are just too agressive for 2.5 and 2.8 L engines, they deliver more peak power but reduce power on low rpm)

For the intake cam you will need to get 96+ cam tray with lifters and caps, you can mod the M50 cam tray if you are realy cheap, M54 trays will work too. If you have the option of getting M54 intake camshaft sprocket with hardware, get it, it is lighter and better than M50/M52 intake sprocket hardware. Do not remove vanos gear from the cam, just shorten it down with the grinder 5mm. And cam tool will work with M54 intake cam.

This photo shows, M54b30 intake camshaft with hardware installed on the M50 head. M54 uses just one spring washer, it is made to reduce the vanos rattle and to tighten the vanos on/off thrust, similar to M52/S52 hardware but more simple and lighter.

+ m54 rotating assembly

3.1 super stroke monster..



You have to remove 5mm from the business end.. (?)
Is this guesstimation.. or measurement?

Nicely done, definitely interested in doing this when I get a chance.

I'd like to know where to find one of these for $50, I've been looking for one for over a year and haven't found one for less than $350. I can find used M3 cams for less. Anyone know where I can find one for a decent price?

Thanks for the info

I thought e46 was more differenter.