S52 OBDII to OBDI M50 Manifold Swap DYI

[dahamler]

First of all I would like to thank a few people that were instrumental in helping complete this swap.

StealthBimmer (Ken)
Campaiar
J!m

I was lucky enough to find a ti with 235k for sale locally ($2000) and a S52 swap (transmission, engine harness,diff, DME etc.) with 49k (verified) in a 97 Automatic M3 for $2000. I sold most of the components from the drive train and reinvested it into the swap (more on that later).

I wanted to build an aggressive street/ mild track car that I could enjoy and have no problems with vehicle inspections (including California’s smog test). I decided to covert the S52 to OBD I while retaining the OBD II headers and mid pipe, which supposedly flows better. I also wanted to use the famed M50 manifold and have the huge aftermarket support for the OBD I engine (mostly from software tuning).






As you can see from the pics the ti was in fair condition with only minor cosmetic flaws. The biggest problem was the rusted swap bar mount that needed to be repaired. I decided to allow Turner Motorsports to repair the vehicle and while they did a good job we did have some problems. See the details here: http://318ti.org/forum/showthread.php?t=19766

[dahamler]

Workspace:

It is very important that you have a good area that you can lift and support your vehicle. My garage housed all the necessary tools and equipment needed for this swap from a cherry-picker to a MIG welder. The floor has large carpeted sections that gave me a great deal of comfort during those long nights working. The garage is also heated and has plenty of space to maneuver (kinda).

Just remember that tools are an investment! As much as I could I used the correct tool for the job, I made only one trip to Sears to warranty aquick release extension and a broken torx bit. Try to stay organized and work in stages. I started with new engine prep then old engine removal, etc. Each day I had defined goals which helped me stay sane.

[dahamler]

Removal:

Safely jack the vehicle up enough that you can slide underneath the car. Ideally you want enough room to roll over comfortably. Make sure that the jack stands that you use can safely support the vehicle!

I started by disconnecting the battery and removing the front bumper and headlight support. I did this because I wanted to remove the engine, transmission and shifter parts as one unit.

I bagged and tagged all the parts for each component removed. I also took pics of the positions of the stock components to help me with the installation of the new engine (power steering lines etc.)

Once the front clip was removed I began to disconnect all of the wiring and electrical connectors. It is much easier to just leave the harness connected to the engine and disconnect everything from the chassis. I removed the throttle cable and the gas cap to relieve some of the fuel pressure. I also removed all of the A/C components and will post them in the for sale section later. Draining the engine oil and transmission fluid was next on the list. I also drained the radiator (I was lucky to have that spill tray) and loosened the power steering line to drain the system.

[dahamler]

Removal II

[dahamler]

Removal III

[dahamler]

Removal IV



During the rush of the swap I forgot to take pictures of the actual engine being removed. But this is only a rough guide detailing my experience.

Unbolt the driveshaft from the transmission and remove the shifter from inside the car.
Disconnect and remove the exhaust and the transmission mounts. There should be two nuts (one each side)securing the engine mounts to the car. Remove the radiator and the engine should be ready to be lifted out. I only needed to raise the engine and transmission slightly and I pulled the entire unit out as one.

[thesk8nmidget]

NICE! great thread dan

[jamesro9124]

can i come to your huse and you can help me do mine too...u have the most amazing garage i have ever seen

[Shellback]

Sorry for the time warp post here.... what paint did you use on the engine block? Also, what detergent did you use to get the tranny looking so new?
TIA.

[dahamler]

Originally Posted by Shellback

Sorry for the time warp post here.... what paint did you use on the engine block? Also, what detergent did you use to get the tranny looking so new?
TIA.

Believe it or not didn't paint the engine black at all or even clean it but I did use a mixture of engine degreaser and brake parts cleaner to clean the transmission.

[dahamler]

Sorry for the delay, the pics are back up.

Stay tuned for part 2.

[persianbmw]

what did you do for engine management?

[slow_ti]

Love this thread.


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