I wanna swap...but I am inexperienced

[mikejungle]

I have very little experience with cars. I was a bio major in college and my experience with cars so far has been limited to replacing front suspension, hubs, brakes, etc.

My main question is...is it feasible for a newbie to take on something like an m50 swap?

I'm a good cook and a scientist, so if I had a detailed method, I think I'd be able to tackle it, but there doesn't seem to be a comprehensive writeup for newbies (i like the bentley manual because it schools you from the ground up).
All the writeups I've seen are mostly for people who know at least a little about cars.

i'm reading through e30DOHC to get an understanding, but I'm feeling overwhelmed. Is this something that would be too daunting for a newb to do? I'm anal, so I don't think I'd do a bad job of it as long as I know what needs to be done.

I feel like the only other option would be to pay a shop to do it...and I would rather not for two reasons:
1. I'd miss out on what I think would be a terrific learning experience.
2. I'd be spending a lot more extra money.

Hope this isn't too redundant of a thread.
Thanks.

[bmwguy325is]

The big parts are getting the engine and trans out. There are enough write ups on here that you can gather all the parts and get the good stuff.

[e30Rooster]

Just read and ask questions, if you dont know what something is or how it works look it up and figure it out, before you know it you will feel confident enough


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[JdmEuroNorth]

I have very little experience with cars.

Then don't tackle it yourself. Get someone who actually knows what they're doing to do it with them. Not someone who thinks they know what they're doing. Someone with real experience.

[mikejungle]

^I would love for that...but isn't that one of the hardest parts?

It would require a lot of time from someone and I don't know anyone. I know a couple people with general automotive experience.
It'd be cool if there was someone in my area that was willing to help, but how do you ask someone you don't know for a huge favor like that?

[N2MYE30]

Im liking where your head is on this but like any experiment, you've got to do the research. Read, read, and read again to realize what you are getting into. Some of the answers to questions are deep within some of these threads so just ask if you have not found it in your search. Swaps are done all day long and info is abundant.

Go to the regional thread and put a thread out there and state "FREE PIZZA...with help on my engine swap!!!" I must have spent $100 on pizza alone for some help wrenching when I did mine. Go to your local e30 and BMW meets. There you will find someone that is willing to help ya.

[mikejungle]

I am reading. I just hope I'm at the stage where I'm freaking out only because I don't know things and not because they're too hard. I don't think anything's impossible...I just don't want endless headaches.

How long do you guys think it will take? Surely you guys had a first engine swap. How did that go?

I think it's a little more daunting, because I feel like most people that do engine swaps have already had lots of experience doing other engine work. I have none.

Thanks for the replies.
I hope I can find local San Diegans.

[FredK]

It's not a huge undertaking. I was in a similar boat on my first swap. I had only changed oil and sparkplugs basically. If you plan extensively, you can do it with a minimum of hiccups. Figure it will take a week to get it done.

Experienced people can knock it out in less than a day, plus some time to tie up loose ends.

[chadthestampede]

I had only changed oil before my first swap. I gave myself 2 weeks to do it and it was plenty of time, although there were several issues I had to iron out because it was an m30 swap. There's enough info about m50 swaps on here that you should have no problem.

Sometimes you just need to get in there and do it.

[Jafxod]

Me and my buddy did our first swap for under 750 bucks and our only previous experiance was putting on lowering springs lol

[FredK]

Chad also enjoys cooking and long walks on the beach.

[chadthestampede]

*Cooking while walking on long beaches.

[Voluted]

Gather all of the required parts for the swap then devise a plan of attack and you will do fine. There is more than enough information here and at e30tech for you to complete the swap yourself. Do everything you can to the motor prior to taking your old one out to save some more time. Prior to my swap the most I had done on m car (or any car) is suspension and brake work. I'm not in a related field of work at all either. It's a lot of fun and very satisfying once completed! Also, make yourself an adapter harness to start with so you can easily make alterations to it should you screw up the wiring at all ;).

*edit*
Motivational pictures added :)

Seccond night of the swap:


How it sits a year later, not many visible changes:

[AndrewK]

It's not a huge undertaking. I was in a similar boat on my first swap. I had only changed oil and sparkplugs basically. If you plan extensively, you can do it with a minimum of hiccups. Figure it will take a week to get it done.

Experienced people can knock it out in less than a day, plus some time to tie up loose ends.

I think this is a bit optimistic. Maybe if you had every last part, bolt, and nut on hand and ready bolt up.

I planned my work out very well, but I still ran into a lot of "Oh crap, that ain't gonna work!" moments. That cost me a few days waiting for the correct part to show up in the mail. A few days to drop the subframe and have a friend weld in reinforcements. A few days while the car was at a shop for exhaust work. A few days getting tuned. A day swapping transmissions because the first one leaked out all the tranny fluid in about 5 miles. And so on.

It all added up to over a month for me and I've got 10 years of experience wrenching on E30s. Granted this was my first engine swap. I also took my time to make sure everything was done correctly. I didn't cut any corners and I've focused on almost every last detail. The untrained eye would assume my car was shipped from the Fatherland with that engine under the hood. To me, the extra effort (and time) was worth it to ensure a good looking and reliable car.

All that being said, when you get right down to it, a 24v swap really isn't all that complicated. If I did it again I know it wouldn't take me nearly as long. I still doubt I could do it in any less than a week. Even then there would be a lot of loose ends, like proper exhaust, tuning, etc.

[igor2]

My advice is simple - but it delays your plan

Make friends with people mid-project in your area and help THEM. Get your hands dirty on an E30 or any other car ... show up, help .. have them tell you what to do, but you will learn your way around engine, tools etc. Most people can use another pair of hands around their projects, and being a "hand" instead of the foreman makes learning a breeze.

Not only that, you will gain traction with the locals that may come in handy down the road when you are tackling your problems with your swap.

Learn the way around your car - it is an invaluable skill. I started with a moped, troubleshooting, then have been moving on up. I would not tackle a swap - no way, but I know eventually I Will know how.