BMW M60

The BMW M60 is a V8 DOHC piston engine which was BMW's first V8 in over 25 years and was produced from 1992 to 1996. It was replaced with the M62 engine.

Development

Development of the V8 engine began in 1984,^[1] and the engine was committed to production in 1986. Some 560 test engines were built throughout the development program. The design made extensive use of CAD to minimize size and weight.

Design

To reduce weight, the engine uses aluminum for both the engine block and cylinder head, and a plastic intake manifold.^[1] Nikasil plating is used for the cylinder liners (see below). The sintered connecting rods were made as a single piece and then fractured in order to ensure a closer fit.^[2] Total dry weight of the engine is 203 kg (448 lb).^[1]

The M60 engine has four valves per cylinder and double overhead camshafts, driven by a dual-row timing chain.^[2] Valves had hydraulic lash adjustment to reduce maintenance, and the camshaft chain drive was self-adjusting. There was no distributor, each cylinder having its own ignition coil. Fuel injection and ignition are controlled by the Bosch Motronic 3.3 system.

The M60 was offered in two sizes: the 3.0 L M60B30 and the 4.0 L M60B40. The two had very similar design, but neither block, heads, nor crankshaft were interchangeable.

Models

M60B30

The M60B30 has a bore of 84 mm (3.3 in) and a stroke of 67.6 mm (2.7 in),^[1] for a displacement of 2,997 cc (183 cu in). Compression ratio is 10.5:1, giving an output of 160 kW (218 PS; 215 hp) at 5800 rpm and 290 N·m (214 lb·ft) at 4500 rpm.^[3]

Applications:

• 1992-1995 E34 530i
• 1992-1994 E32 730i
• 1994-1996 E38 730i

M60B40

The M60B40 has a bore of 89 mm (3.5 in) and a stroke of 80 mm (3.1 in),^[2] for a total displacement of 3,982 cc (243 cu in). Compression ratio is 10.0:1,^[2] giving 210 kW (286 PS; 282 hp)^[4] at 5800 rpm and 400 N·m (295 lb·ft) at 4500 rpm. It had a forged crankshaft.

Applications:

• 1993-1995 E34 540i
• 1992-1994 E32 740i
• 1994-1996 E38 740i
• 1992-1996 E31 840i
• 1993-1998 De Tomaso Guarà

Nikasil damage from high-sulfur fuels

BMW used Nikasil- an aluminium, nickel, and silicon alloy- to line the cylinders of the M60 engines. In fuels with high sulfur content (such as used fuels sold in the USA, UK and South America), the sulfur damages the Nikasil bore lining, causing the engine to lose compression.^[5]

In the USA and UK, sulfur rich fuel is being phased out.^[6][7]

See also

• BMW 8 Series (E31)
• BMW 7 Series (E38) from 1995 to 1996
• BMW 7 Series (E32)
• BMW 5 Series (E34)

References

External links

• http://www.usautoparts.net/bmw/engines/nikasil.htm details of the Nikasil problem
• The UnixNerd's BMW M60 engine page with photos, history and common problems.