BMW S38B38 engine

With a displacement of 3.8 liters, the s38b38 engine was developed to provide the B36 with high performance. It is distinguished not only by its good power, but also by its large cylinder diameter, which is 1.2 mm larger than other engines. To increase displacement and power, the piston stroke was changed by 4 mm. Supplied to the Austrian and Swiss market bmw s38b38, was distinguished by the presence of a ceramic catalyst. The manifold used in its production was also used in the production of the s38b386 engine.

The changes made to the engine made it more powerful and stronger. As a result, the car with this engine is able to accelerate up to 327 hp. The intake and exhaust ducts in this motor were also changed. Their sizes were slightly increased, and all plugs used in the unit became owners of high voltage coils. At the same time, the motor was deprived of the distributor rotor and high voltage wiring. After a while, the ceramic catalyst used in the production of the motor was replaced by a less heavy metal Emitec catalyst.

But not even the weight of this catalyst is the main advantage. Unlike its ceramic counterpart, it provides increased exhaust gas flow. The fuel management system was also replaced after a while. If the Bosch Motronic 1.2 system was used at the beginning of production, it was later replaced by Motronic 3.3.

S38B38 engine specifications

Advantages

And although the duration of production of this motor was only three years, during this time it was actively used in the production of as many as 6 BMW models. If you pay attention to the s38b38 characteristics, it will become clear why even now many fans of good driving want to have this engine in the car:

• This unit has a horsepower output of 340 kW/rpm;
• Compression ratio 10.5;
• The maximum number of revolutions per minute is about 7250;
• Torque 400\4750;
• The total weight of the unit is 151.2 kg.

Disadvantages

Among the impressive list of breakdowns, there is the possibility of cracks in the cylinder block in the machine. There is also always a risk of overheating. Cracks occur near the threads where the cylinder block bolts are fixed. This failure is caused by oil in the threads and frequent disassembly of the machine. Detection of this breakage is easy. Its presence is immediately reflected in increased antifreeze consumption and the presence of emulsion in the oil.

The only option to get rid of this failure is to install a new unit. The s38b38 motor overheats in only three situations. The radiator is clogged, the pump or the thermostat. Sometimes this trouble also occurs in the case of a plug in the cooling system. In addition to these frequent types of breakdowns, the S38 engine can also have problems such as:

No crankshaft operation during engine startup. There are three causes of this failure. In addition to the failure of the starter, the cause of this breakdown can be a poor fixing of the terminal or disconnection of the ground tire, which is present on the body of the engine;

• Uneven cold start of the engine, may indicate that the battery is discharged, there is a breakdown in the ignition system or there are failures in the fuel injection system;
• Problems with the operation of the fuel injection system can also manifest themselves in the frequent shutdown of a freshly started engine and vibration during revs increase.
• The last disadvantage of this engine is the wear and tear of the elements that make up the timing system.

Chip Tuning

To quickly and easily make your engine more powerful without supercharging, all you need to do is purchase a few important parts. First, you’ll need to buy Schrick 280\280 camshafts with springs. In addition to these items, you will also need 440 cc injectors and a sport exhaust with cold intake.

The manifold in the motor will also need to be replaced with a 6-2-1 model. When all of these parts are installed, the engine will need to be tuned. If everything is done correctly, the motor speed will be increased to 380 hp.

If you want to make the motor even more powerful, then only the installation of a turbo or compressor can help. Of course, in addition to these elements to make s38b38 turbo will have to spend on the purchase of ARP studs, gaskets KBC, receiver, Garrett GT42, be sure to buy it with a manifold. In addition to the above assortment, you will also have to buy some pips, westgate, 6630cc injectors, and an intercooler.

The last thing you will need to buy is a bloof and an 85mm exhaust. After inflating 0.5 bar, the engine will produce up to 500 hp. But even this is not the limit for such a motor. If you buy more forged pistons and H-shaped connecting rods, then after some changes in the operation of the fuel system, you can eventually get up to 600 hp. It should be noted that if you use a compressor to increase power, then in the end, on standard pistons, the engine will produce about 450 hp.

This engine is installed on the following models:

BMW M5 (E34)