engine swap

[joshua.e.gearheart]

i love my car but, its getting a lot of mile on it. so, im trying to get info on engine swaping. if anyone could help me that would be great, i know nothing about this subject. i guess what im trying to find out is... whats the biggest engine i can put in? where is a good place to find one?

[1996 328ti]

I think you can stuff a V12 in there.
But anything from a 2.5 to 3.2 will fit. An E36 chassis is an E36 chassis.

[2ndBimmer]

The most common engine swaps are with the 6 cylinder 2.5 and 2.8 liter engines and the 3.0 and 3.2 liter M engines.
And yes, I did read a story of one company who put in the 5.6 V12 from the 8 series into a 3 (there goes any semblance of 50/50 weight distribution).

[J!m]

I have done the swap to a 3.2 in my car, and have a helpful document available to assist the instal.

I've been extrodinarily busy lately (I still owe a form out now... sorry)

but if you would like a copy, I will TRY to get you one as well.

J!m

[joshua.e.gearheart]

yeah i would love a copy. im in iraq right now so i'm not going to be doing any of this anytime soon but, im trying to do as much research on it as i can while im here.

[318tibimmer]

Hey there J!M I would like a copy if you could send me one too. Thanks :)

[Panzer_M]

For the biggest swaps I haven seen it would be with Hartge that does the 5.0 conversion on E36 and e46 compacts.

I kinda wouldn't mind a TurboDiesel, that would be different.

[joshua.e.gearheart]

i can just throw a 3.2 M engine into my car??? what about the tranny, can it handle that??

[1996 328ti]

Not for long. If you do the engine you need to do the tranny. Eventually the diff will go too.

[J!m]

Diff goes in short order. Tranny holds up well, if oil is changed frequently.

[eurospec]

I am in the process right now doing a engine swap. I have a 3.0 eurospec motor s50 from europe. It will have 300hp with the minor upgrades. This is one serious motor.