BMW M60B30 Engine

1. Specifications
2. Overview, problems
3. Performance tuning

M60B30 Specs

BMW M60B30 engine reliability, problems and repair

After a long interval, in 1992 the BMW company presented a new series of V8 motors called M60. A younger, 3-liter version was named M60B30 and was intended to replace the “big straight-6 M30B30“. A basis for the creation of the small V8 was the M60B40, in the cylinder block of which a short-stroke (cast) crankshaft was installed (with a stroke of 67.6 mm., by contrast with 80 mm. for the M60B40), and the diameter of the cylinders was also reduced to 84 mm. (it had been 89 mm.) The pistons and rods were also modified.

The cylinder block heads of the M60B30 were reworked: the diameter of the intake valves was reduced to 32 mm. (they had been 35 mm.), and that of the exhaust valves to 28.5 mm. (from 30.5 mm.). The specs of the stock camshafts of the BMW M60B30 are as follows: duration 246/242 deg, lift 9.7/9.4 mm. The size of the stock fuel injectors of the M60B30 is 192 cc.
The M60B30, also still uses individual ignition coils, a 2-row timing chain, and a new intake manifold, but relative to the M60B40, the manifold’s channel diameter was reduced. The throttle body was also reduced to 70 mm. The engine control unit is a Bosch Motronic 3.3.

The M60B30 motor has been used on BMW cars with the index 30i.

In 1996, the release of series M60 engines was stopped, and the M60B30 was replaced with the newer and more contemporary M62B35.

BMW M60B30 engine problems and drawbacks

The pluses and minuses of the M60B30 motor do not differ significantly from the defects of the M60B40. One may read about them HERE.

BMW M60 engine tuning

The M60B30 with B40 Intake. Cams

It is worth saying at the outset that chip-tuning on the M60B30 is practically useless, no matter how significant the resulting changes.
An easy and uncomplicated way to increase the power of a BMW M60B30 motor is to get an M60B40 or M62B44 intake manifold (non-Vanos).
These components have wide ranges and can easily ensure supplementary power. You also buy a throttle body of a BMW M62B44 non-Vanos or an M62B35 non-Vanos. These throttles have a more optimized construction and a diameter increased to 80 mm. We also need to buy a K&N performance air filter for the stock body, and also a cat-back performance exhaust system. For everything to work properly, one needs to tune the stock Engine Control Unit. After these simple manipulations, your M60B30 will show about 250 HP.

To receive even greater power, it’s necessary to buy performance camshafts, for instance, ones with a duration of 258/258 deg, lift 10.5/10.5 mm. This will permit an increase in power up to 260-265 HP.

The M60 ESS Supercharger. S/C or Turbo

Those who like a really tremendous amount of power and boost will be interested in the supercharger kit ESS VT1. This kit uses a Vortech V3Si supercharger, and it has everything needed for bolt-on mounting. It can be installed on the BMW M60 stock internals, and it reaches a pressure of 6 psi (0.4 bar). With mods like this your engine will easily display more than 300 HP. This is a good choice for your BMW M60B30, but its price is fairly high.

Building a twin turbo on an M60B30 base would be no use. It would be much more effective to get a BMW M60B40 engine, make a Swap and upgrade it.

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