1996 318ti

How much work is this ?!? Is it worth it ?!?

Ever been done ?!?

thanks...

(p.s. I did search... no find)

-Me.

I suppose it is possible, but may be costly.

I would check for the un-used mounting points under the dash for the clutch pedal. Then compare the 'hump' under the console to that of a standard shift ti.

If it looks good, it should be a matter of scouring the books for correct part numbers and/or junk yard scrounging for mechanicl as well as trim parts.

Might be easier to find another car...

I agree. Sell it and find a ti with a stick.

Find a new car? That's crazy!
 

The brake and clutch pedal are on the same carrier. Just swap out the auto pedal for this assembly. Locate the correct master and slave cylinders for the trans, find a trans, get the shift linkage and boot/trim and you're good to go. If you've got a good deal on an automatic car that you like, why get rid of it?
I'm researching this swap right now myself but don't give in to the idea that it can't be done. If you use a 6-cyl trans, you'll need to modify the guibo or flange on the driveshaft. Other than that, it's a bolt-in to any 318ti and it's probably just as easy as finding a good deal on a stick car. Plus, I'd imagine most of the auto cars lived easier lives than the manual cars anyway.
Just my $.02.

BAv auto has the entire kit. Ive looked into it and the retail is $1500 but if you buy through one of the guys on bimmerforums he said he could sell it to me for $1200 for everything needed for the swap. My only concern is that the auto trans is tied into the computer? So if were to swap, would the comp has to be refiqured too, or ?????

Separate Module
 

I'll have to verify this but I'm under the impression that there's a separate module that controls the transmission. The only electronic issue I can think of is if there are different speed sensors in the auto and manual. I doubt it, though. After winter when I can bring my old 2002 out of the garage to drive, I'll be doing the conversion. Hopefully there's some more info by then...

I had a friend that did it.
 

I had a buddy that just did an automatic to manual conversion. He is on the forum look him up "Boosted318IS" He bought a kit that was all incusive and then labor was like $600. I don't know how much the parts were you need to ask him. I saw it though, and when I drove the car you'd think it was stick the whole time.

-Chad

Brett Anderson at Koalamotorsports.com quoted me $5k to do the conversion-I was stunned and could not figure out how it could add to that much unless he was shipping a tranny from Germany in a gold crate. Good info Slikbrik/bmwM3 on the kits available.

Knowledgeable local people...
 

There are a lot of people around that know a lot more than we give them credit for, I think. My local BMW yard quoted me just over $600 for the parts to do the conversion, including a good trans with a warranty.
Even if the swap took two days by a professional and I paid an independent German repair shop $70/hr, I'd still be into the swap for under $2000. If I took the car off the road for the weekend (or week if I got in over my head) I'm looking at well under $1000. I think a lot of people get caught up in the idea of having a tuner who's built a racer or a magazine car working on their car or sending them parts.
The guys who repair these things every day for a living are a great resource for mods, even if they don't approve of them for their personal cars. Don't overlook your back yard...

and $1200 doesn't seem bad
 

Just wanted to add that the $1200 price that bmw///m3/// was able to hook up for the parts doesn't seem bad at all since you're pretty much guaranteed anyone selling a kit isn't going to send you junk for fear of getting a bad rep.

Also thanks to ZeroG for the link to his friend.

Thanks for the props, 96cali. :joy: It's threads like this that will eventually get the info out there for people daring enough to try the "not so mainstream" stuff...even if none of us really have all the answers right now ;}

Sorry for getting off topic...just wanted to say thanks.

Bimmerforum has a 10 page thread about doing the swap. There is a parts list available in the thread. Zionsville motorsports also sells a complete kit. I think it is about $1300 for e36's but an extra $200 or so for the TI (different length drive shaft, I think). I will also be attempting the swap this winter.

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...ad.php?t=79886

Hope this helps!

Just got a quote...
 

Eurodepot just gave me a quote of $1295 and that's specifically for the ti and includes everything (including new parts where necessary...clutch, etc). My local yard is trying to source the parts from different places to save me money but that could take weeks...this kit could be here in days after I decide to order. They also mentioned that the M50/M52/S50/S52 will bolt right to the trans if there was an engine swap in the car's future in case any of you would be concerned about that.
Everything I've read says 10 hours is reasonable for a job like this so I'm thinking I could start Friday night and drive it to work on Monday morning. 20 hours seems like enough time for a DIYer. Just have to talk my wife into it...she keeps saying how perfect the car would be with a 5-spd and, working for a BMW dealer, we got it on trade for a STEAL so it's economically not a big deal to drop the $1300. But you know how people can be when their precious car is potentially out of commission for a few days!!! Hmmm...a weekend of worry or a lifetime of complaining about the automatic?!?! Maybe I should just take my chances! :twisted:

Just talked to a few tuners...
 

The "pros" all seem to have the same concensus: It won't be that hard, but you need to change the computer and harness to make it right (read: 50 state legal with no CEL) on an OBDII car. That also means reflashing to match your keyed ignition or swapping in that stuff from the donor car.
So add those to the list if anyone is thinking of this on a 1996 or newer car.

Hi guys, this is a real good thread, Im thinking about doing the same. I have a 96. It would help if you guys posted the web links so I can look this stuff up. Or if you can give me some phone numbers. Now when you talk about around $1500 for everything does that include the transmission itslef or are you just talking about the swap kit and labor. thanks

The kit includes everything.

http://www.zionsvilleautosport.com/store/shop.mv?