EVERYTHING needed for a swap
 

s52 swap OBD2 to OBD2

m3 components needed
-engine ~5000
-cluster ~250
-radiator ~150
-80c thermostat
-ecu, and complete (matching to engine, and transmission )wiring harness ~250 or included
-EWS(security system) to be aligned by dealership ~100
-Custom Intake ~100+
-Complete m3 exhaust up to muffler, which does not fit ~300
-e46 330 OEM or aftermarket muffler, or custom muffler that fits (magnaflow) ~150+

optional but recommended
-transmission ~450
-m3 clutch and flywheel ~100 or included
-mcoupe or mroadster LSD differential ~500
-matching driveshaft to differential ~150
-front m3 brakes, preferably with complete front brakes ~700
-17" + wheels to clear m3 brakes, if you went this route. Preferably wider then 8"
-m3 alternator ~75
-

Please feel free to add, I might have left something out. I got tired of people asking, and us telling to search, when there is no definative thread



According Dredder, but make sure your number of bolts match 6 or 4 on both ends:
1. 318ti tranny use 318ti driveshaft
2. m3 tranny uses m3 drive shaft
3. Mroadster tranny use mroadster driveshaft.



Total required labor should be around $2500, or $3500 with all optional installed

A wheel tire combo that does NOT give enough traction after this mod is 17X7.5" with Yokohama es100 tires 215 wide. First and second gear can lose traction. 17x9" wheels with 255-40-17 performance tires does fit all around, with 15mm spacers up front, and fender rolling in rear. This provides good dry traction.

EWS -what I've learned

there are 3 points with EWS, each has a code which must match the other 2. Otherwise car won't start.

-key
-ews box, located under glove box, about 4" by 2" by 3"
-computer, ecu

The best route is to go to the dealership, BEFORE trying to crank it, or even messing with it.

I found that having people try to line up the EWS with inferior tools more then 1 time causes permanent damage to the ews box, which then no longer can be aligned. Then your new route is to get a key, ignition lock, ews box, and ecu, from a working and running car ~$450

another option is get EWS delete chip from AA/TMS/Etc.

Additional parts needed/option;
80C thermostat
water wetter fluid
Make sure the wiring harness is for the same ///M motor & same year, (thier are atleast 4 different wiring harness). If you try to install an Auto harness to Manual car, you're going to have a headache.

You can't get a chip for an OBD2 setup. Water wetter fluid is for fan delete riught?

water wetter can be used anywhere, it just lowers the overall temp from what i understand. basic cooling system protection.

Halleljah my brother!

and thank you.:smile:

But what if I whant to swap to an m50 engine? What are all the parts that I need? All I know is that I only need the engine , wireing harnes and all the engine electronics,cluster and 325 front brakes(preferebly e46 330 brakes) and I can use my curent gear box, drive shaft, diff and front m-tehnik suspention (wich I just changed a week ago).

one thing i was never sure on ... what driveshafts work with which combinations of transmissions/differentials? for example, what driveshaft works in the following situations:

1) original transmission and differential
---> original ti driveshaft

2) M3 transmission, ti differential
---> ?

3) M3 transmission, MZ3 or M-Coupe differential
---> ?

i'm guessing those are the general situations people find themselves in.

I wish I could help you with this, or the guy with the m50 swap, but I'm just speaking from experience. I'm using the e36 m3 driveshaft, but it was machined to fit the differential. Reason being one is 4 bolts, the other is 6.

What you need to do it find a driveshaft that has the same number of bolts as your differential's flange(connection point)

Heres my response in regards to the driveshaft question.

1. 318ti tranny use 318ti driveshaft
2. m3 tranny use m3 drive shaft
3. Mroadster tranny use mroadster driveshaft.

I bought J!M swap manual and from my recollection those were his instructions.

cool. are the LENGTHS of all the driveshafts what they need to be? that's one thing i wasn't sure about. i understand silver00spikes's comments regarding the bolt pattern at the diff end of the driveshaft, just wasn't positive on the lengths of the driveshafts. are the mroadster trans and the m3 trans any different? from what silver00spike said on the diff, the front mount is different between the m3 (6-bolt) and the m-roadster (4-bolt), but i would be surprised to learn that the transmissions are different. again, from what i recollect, the m3 trans is LONGER than the ti trans (and therefore the 325/328 trans as well), right?

keep in mind, i'm just trying to clarify this to the best of all our understandings for those who wish to do it in the future, i'm not actually going to do it myself :) this is certainly a much discussed topic and i applaud silver00spike for starting this thead!

325 and 318ti uses the getrag tranny while
328 and m3 uses ZF tranny

I would say you DEFINATELY need a stronger diff, cause I broke my old one with just a blower and some canny shifting

Could someone post up what is needed for the OBD-I to OBD-I S50 swap? I heard there were a few differences, and the M42-S50 was a little easier/cheaper. The swap is looking better everyday:rolleyes: cough KO major let down dissapointment scam cough. Now that I am working as a classical guitar instructor at a music academy I may be able to do it in a year or something.

You are right the S50 OBD1 to OBD1 is the simplest of all swap. That is what i have in my car. Word of advice when you get a donor make sure you also get the same wiring harness from the car. You are going to pull on your hair trying to figure out the whole mess. Everything is a direct bolt in

Dredder-are you running a stock 318ti 5 speed? I thought that would also keep costs down.

Guys please help me. I am stil confused because I don't have a good list of the things I need to have an m50 swap.
I know I need the engine and all the electronics, front 325 brakes, 325 cluster.
I don't know if I need the transmision(gear box), drive shaft, diff. So can anyone please help me with this one.
I own a 1994 Ti(M42).
Thanks.

you need the diff if you want to make sure yours won't break soon. The driveshaft serves a fitment to diff issue, and the transmission should be OK unless you want to supercharge or turbocharge later

So I can use my curent transmision. This is a good thing because I can save some money. I think that the curent diff will be just fine because I have seen some m50/52 swaps on the ti and they all say that the diff hold to that kind of power.
Thank you for your reply.

P.S. :SHould I go for a new clutch kit such as an m3 cluctch?

as i see it, the issue with the diff isn't all whether or not it can handle the power. most stock ti diffs are open diffs. with the 6, i imagine you'll be spinning one wheel way more often that you would have with the 4. the advantage of going to a large case diff is more that you'll gain a limited slip diff (LSD) than just increased power handling (although that would be good as well).

Wel then I will do the swap and later when I will have the necesery cash I will do the diff also.
Thanks for all the answers. I just found a guy that sells a 325 bmw and he asks for the engine, all the electronics, front springs, front brake calipers for somthing like 800 euros.

One more thing... After an m50 swap do I need to get the EWS realigned at a dealer considering that my car is a 1994 ti.

yes. EWS needs to be aligned for ANY engine


as for the diff, I broke mine with just a supercharger, so thats why I replaced the 3.45 LSD one I had later from the clubsport

So after I install the engine and all the wire harnes I sholdn't try to start it and just go down do a bmw dealer and ask the to align the EWS??

sorry for slow reply. I'm not COMPLETELY sure all OBD1 cars have EWS. Please do your research, but the rest of the process is correct

Don't know if this was mentioned, but what is the exhaust setup on the s50 for our ti? Would a euro s50 be the same?

I found it, M3 exhaust up to 330 muffler. Still the same for the euro s50?

Also, I have bilstein sports on my car now, but would I need to change the front to M3 bilsteins or can I keep the ones I have?

I can't answer either of those :(

probably yes and yes

I am using the M3 motor, ti tranny and M roadster diff (well, complete sub-frame too) and I am using the ti drive shaft. The M roadster drive shaft is too short...

Any of the sixes have a very good chance of breaking the stock ti diff. It WILL happen, the only question is when. Budget for it, and take care of it or you'll be walking at some point...

Not 100% sure for Romanian model cars, but in the US all OBD-I cars do not need EWS allignment. THIS is exactly why so many mods are OBD-I mods; it's the 'easy' way to do it. Late '95 and up (with OBD-II engine management and Driveaway protection) need to be 'alligned' after a swap is done, or you can't start the engine. OBD-I car / engine exchanges (1995 ti with 1995 M3 for example) are plug-n-play... I have personally seen several swapped tis now, and all the OBD-I swaps were swap and go. No dealer involvement.

Great info J!M,
I think this is the route I'm going to take if I decide to follow through.
So just to be clear, from 1994 until a certain build date in '95, these are OBD I 318ti's, correct? And by installing an OBD I M3 engine from a 1995 M3, I should be ok, right?
By the way J!m, thanks for the swap conversion publication. Very professional and step by step for guys like me.
Cheers!
Chris

depend on the year. Please revise this post.

Thanks for the praise! I do my best to make the booklet clear, and to the point to prevent getting into the middle of the project and have forgotten something...:biggrin:

Please check with any local BMW mechanics regarding the Romanian engine management. I don't know for sure if they follow the same rules as the US models!:confused:

It is safe to assume, to a certain degree, that if you found an (OBD-I) 1995 M3 engine/ECU/wiring harness and installed it into your (OBD-I) 1995 ti there would be little, if any, problems.

1/95 production and up gets EWS1. Computer has a silver label. Non EWS OBD1 computers have a maroon label. EWS1 can be defeated with EWS delete chip from Turner or similar.
M50 swap:
Also need PS return/cooler line (feed hose is a good idea too.)
Cable from an M50 cruise control (or the whole actuator) if you have cruise.
A/C lines and compressor from a 325
Modification of brake booster hose may be required
Drv lower radiator mount for 6 cyl (same as pass 4&6cyl, only drv side needs to be replaced)
More stuff as I think of it.
-Paul

would that be the same for a 318is?

Where would one go to find parts? Would junkyards have them? I live in South Carolina if that helps

Worth it?
 

I was speaking to a local shop that only does BMW's and Porsche's and the guy told me swapping motors in the TI is too much hassle and money to get it to work properly. Is this true? How many people on this site actually swapped engines? And what were the hours it took and costs for parts and labor. Did it run smoothly or were you constantly fixing stuff etc.

M3 swap
 

hey guys, i'm interested into swapping out my engine 4 an m3 engine, but i have an auto and i want to replace it with an auto. Does anyone know if there's anything different needed for this swap than what needed 4 the 5speed swap?

Thanks in advance.

PS- I also have a 98ti 5 speed which i'm also going 2 swap out, just wanted to keep an auto for the wife, but something that has power when i'm driving it 2.

Hello!

My swap manual covers the automatic cars as well as manual (and swapping back and forth- usually to get rid of an auto, but the info is there).

Please check the for sale section for info on ordering. It is a sticky post, right at the top.

Thanks for the interest!