BMW 170ci Engine Specs

Bore, stroke, displacement and compression for all 3 BMW 170ci engines, compared side by side. Plus rod ratio and head specs where published.

At a glance

Displacement	170 ci
Cylinders	6
Bore	3.307–3.386"
Stroke	3.150–3.307"
Compression	10.2:1
Advertised power	169–193 hp
Years	1979–2000

Engines in this family

Engine	Displacement	Bore × Stroke	CR	HP
M52B28	170 ci	3.3071" × 3.3071"	10.2:1	189–193
M30B28	170 ci	3.3858" × 3.1496"	—	169
M52TUB28	170 ci	3.3071" × 3.3071"	10.2:1	193

Factory cars with a BMW 170ci

• BMW 5 Series: 1979, 169 hp; 1980, 169 hp; 1981, 169 hp; 1997, 190 hp; 1998, 190 hp; 1999, 190 hp; 2000, 190 hp
• BMW 3 Series / M3: 1996, 190 hp; 1997, 190 hp; 1998, 190 hp; 1999, 190 hp; 1999, 193 hp; 2000, 193 hp
• BMW Z3: 1997, 189 hp; 1998, 189 hp; 1999, 193 hp; 2000, 193 hp

What varies across the family

Both bore and stroke vary across the family, so these are separate castings rather than variations on one block.

1 of 3 are oversquare — bore larger than stroke, which favours revs over low-end torque.

Each engine page carries rod ratio, mean piston speed, bore/stroke character and cylinder head specs where published, and links into the calculators with its dimensions already filled in.

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