
Picture taken August 2012 of completed swap.
This thread documents the installation of an S54B32 into an E30 318is.
Hopefully by the end of 2011 I will have a running S54 in my car, using the stock MSS54 with a reflash that deletes EWS and the requisite for DSC over CAN. I'm giving myself plenty of time, in case I run into snags or just want to put the project down for a while.
The reflash is available through a guy in Germany. I don't think he wants to be identified right now, because he's pretty busy and his friend told me that he doesn't want to deal with a bazillion questions. With a walk through like this, it will probably be easier for people to scope the job out and reduce the repetitive questions out there.
This exact project has been done before, but the details floating around the internet are a bit sparse or purposely omitted.
Hopefully by creating this thread, we can create a meaningful dialogue, and help seed the knowledge base, so that many more people can do this swap by themselves.
I hope this project will require a minimum of fabrication, and a minimum of pricey add ons which would just make most people say, screw it, I'm just going to buy an E46 M3, which is easily bought for around $15 to 16K right now.
Brief History
I originally bought my 318is from txleadfoot a few years ago with the intent of moving an S50US from a rusty E30 to one without any rust.
I finished the engine swap in September 2008 and used the car to do a couple HPDEs and a ton of autocrosses in 2009. Earlier this year, I pulled the engine in preparation for the next powerplant.
I will retain the transmission (ZF320), driveshaft (E36 M3) from the S50US swap. I picked up a 3.25 differential, because the 3.46 I was using was sort of driving me nuts on the highway and most autocross courses I drove this past season would have needed a lot less shifting with a 3.25.
Motivation
The S54 will be the engine to swap into I6 BMWs for the near future. There is good availability of "junkyard" engines with low mileage, and most consumables, while expensive, are not outrageously priced.
I don't need any more power. In fact I probably need less to develop my autocrossing skills. But, whatever.
Final Words
This will just be the way I solve the engine swap equation. There will be many other ways to skin a cat. For example, I don't plan on retaining the S54 oil pan; instead I'll use an E34 pan and VAC E34 oil pan baffle. Using this oiling solution could result in oil starvation in long corners, which I hope the potential of this happening is reduced using a trapdoor baffle.
If you've made it this far, congratulations! You have a decent attention span or you've already scrolled to post #2 to see if there are any pictures. :razz:
This is merely my gun. There are many like it. This one is mine.
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