Questions on my swap M50TU swap - ebay headers, etc

[5mall5nail5]

Hey guys I am finally making progress on my swap. I put the ebay headers on and put the motor in the car. The rear 3 cylinders header is awfully close to, if not touching, the underside of the car, argh. What to do? Heat it up and bend? Is that easy to do on the car?

Also the shift linkage - I am using the Getrag trans from the original setup (1987 325e 5spd) - the trans is rotated so the shifter is rotated. I know I need to twist the shift selector, but what about the shifter ball bracket? That is at an angle and honestly I don't think that would be easy to rotate, does it even need to?

Thanks guys - pics for teasin'

[JdmEuroNorth]

For both, heat up till it's red and start bending.

As to your picture.... holy COCK that's a fucking nice engine bay.

[Jand3rson]

FUCK.

Well, at least now I know how my valve cover is going to look.

:(

[Adrian_Visser]

You only have to bend and twist the shift selector rod, alternatively you could cut it and weld it but bending it will help it to clear your D/S harmonic balancer if you have one and choose not to remove it, I removed mine just to make sure I had no issues.

Be careful when twisting it, you don't want to twist it holding the studs on the ends, just grasp the flattened parts of the selector rod. Iirc I used two crescent wrenches.

You don't need to heat it just make sure that you make the bend around some kind of radius, you don't want a sharp bend as it will be a weak point. I used 3 sockets in a vice and simply closed the vice onto it .

Like this:

____________ vice jaw
..0.............0....sockets held in place with tape
--------------- shift rod
.........0...........socket
_____________ vice jaw

[5mall5nail5]

For both, heat up till it's red and start bending.

As to your picture.... holy COCK that's a fucking nice engine bay.

haha thanks guys

think a propane torch will do it?

[5mall5nail5]

Adrian why bending it, I thought we had to twist it radially?

[Danny]

Do you have the early model sheet metal shifter arm thing? If so I highly recommend switching it out with the later model aluminum arm, it will make things much less of a pain in the ass for you. There is even an e30 m3 part you can use to make the aluminum arm work with your early trans if it doesn't have provisions for it already.

As for the rod, you can cut and weld or you can heat and twist, either way works fine.

[wobbie]

can u send me the link to the headers you got

[matt]

Do you have the early model sheet metal shifter arm thing? If so I highly recommend switching it out with the later model aluminum arm, it will make things much less of a pain in the ass for you. There is even an e30 m3 part you can use to make the aluminum arm work with your early trans if it doesn't have provisions for it already.

As for the rod, you can cut and weld or you can heat and twist, either way works fine.

I am 99% sure I bought one of those and it doesn't fit the 260, only the 265.

[328ijunkie]

I am 99% sure I bought one of those and it doesn't fit the 260, only the 265.

Whut matt? lol

They switched in late ~86 to alum shift carriers. ;)

[JGood]

Whut matt? lol

They switched in late ~86 to alum shift carriers. ;)

I believe he is referring to the M3 part, number 2 in this diagram:

[5mall5nail5]

Thanks guys - I have the cast aluminum version of #1 if thats what you're asking? So I should only need to bend #12? The #1 cast piece sits at an angle too obviously, but the ball cup will still work.

I hope a propane torch is enough to heat/bend the selector rod and the exhaust tubes. I hope.

[ExViTermini]

It *might* bend the selector, but your going to need a real torch to do the exhaust.

[BronzitCab90]

exhaust tubes = hammer to fit, paint to match lol