BMW M30 or “big six” history: The BMW M30 engine was one of the most sophisticated and advanced six-cylinder engine of its time. Known as the big six, the M30 made a significant contribution to the reputation of the BMW production cars for almost three decades. They were built as BMWs response to the small-block Chevrolet engines at that time. Between 1968 and 1994, they proved to be the most reliable and fuel efficient engines for BMW. They were used on several BMW cars; the early E3 sedans, the 5 and 6-series of the 70s, and the larger wheelbase 7-series of the 80s. The last six-cylinder BMW M30s were used in the E32 and E34 in the early 90s. The six-cylinder inline, Single Overhead Camshaft (SOHC), 12-valve M30 engines were chain driven with manually adjustable valves. The cylinder was built with a revolutionary triple hemispheric head, and a swirl action chamber. They were petrol driven engines equipped with an overhead camshaft, and a crankshaft with seven main bearings and 12 counterweights. They were produced with power ratings between 150 hp and 250 hp, with a corresponding torque of 160 ft.-lbs. to 280 ft.-lbs. With 100-millimeter spacing between cylinder centers, the BMW M30s were very durable when well maintained. Between the years 1968 and 1994, the BMW M30 was produced with engine displacements ranging from 2.5 liter to 3.5 liter. Amongst these, there were three distinct displacement ranges that were most popular: the 2.5 liter to 2.8 liter, the 3.0 liter to 3.2 liter, and the 3.5 liter models. The M30 engines with displacements between 2.5 liter and 2.8 liter were produced between 1979 and 1981. These were built primarily for the BMW E24 628i. While the 2.5 liter engine produced 150 hp at 5,500 rpm with a torque of 158 ft.-lbs., the 2.8-liter engine gave a marginally high output of 184 hp at 5,800, with 240 ft.-lbs. of torque. The 3.0-liter and 3.2-liter versions of the M30 were introduced in the year 1976. The 3.0-liter B30 with 188 hp and a 9.0:1 compression ratio was the most popular during this time. It was built for the popular BMW E24 6-series of cars until 1979, and continued in production with the E32 and E34 models in 1994. The 3.2-liter, also built for higher power variants of the 6-series, topped out at 252 hp at 5,200 rpm, with as much as 280 ft.-lbs. of torque at 2,600 rpm. The 3.4-liter M30 came into production in the mid-1980s. They powered the E24 and E28 series in the late 80s, and were the primary engines used on the BMW E32 7-series and the E34 5-series. They were produced in several variants, and gave a power output in the range of 211 hp to 248 hp, with 224 to 280 ft.-lbs. of torque.
Posted on: Thu, 17 Oct 2013 21:39:01 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015