M50 Swap

[325Projectz]

Don't half ass it, if you're going to take the time to do upper and lower gaskets, and something else is wrong, you just wasted some money.

S50 cams with fit into a M50tu.

[dude8383]

About 4k, rebuilt motor and everything, new exhaust too.

this work was done professionally or you did the whole install yourself?

[1990m3]

dude8383...dont' get too set on a $4k price. I bought a 70k S50/gearbox/ECU/harness all from the same car for $3k local. I thought the swap would stay nice and cheap, goal is to keep it under $8500, and I've done a good job of that so far. BUT...it gets out of hand when you're like me. End up with ltw flywheel, pullies, conforti chip, euro HFM, aggressive 3.46 diff. All that stuff costs extra because it's hard to find or rare or whatever. Point is, my project is getting out of hand, but I have almost everything sitting here ready to go back in, i just have to get back to it. It'll be on the road in a month or so, no big deal really. Finding a brake booster has been my biggest problem!

dave

$8500 includes the cost of the car. When I sell my daily driver I have now for $5k, it's really not that much out of pocket for a pretty awesome car!

[chbimmer]

dude8383...dont' get too set on a $4k price. I bought a 70k S50/gearbox/ECU/harness all from the same car for $3k local. I thought the swap would stay nice and cheap, goal is to keep it under $8500, and I've done a good job of that so far. BUT...it gets out of hand when you're like me. End up with ltw flywheel, pullies, conforti chip, euro HFM, aggressive 3.46 diff. All that stuff costs extra because it's hard to find or rare or whatever. Point is, my project is getting out of hand, but I have almost everything sitting here ready to go back in, i just have to get back to it. It'll be on the road in a month or so, no big deal really. Finding a brake booster has been my biggest problem!

dave

$8500 includes the cost of the car. When I sell my daily driver I have now for $5k, it's really not that much out of pocket for a pretty awesome car!

I understand this totaly! I am this way with anything i get. I want to do a cheap swap right now. But i want to do it slowly. I have a couple of E30s so i will have an extra Car. i looked today and the car i am getting has 110k on it. Right about what the guy said. But it is a really nice car and i am getting it ver VERY cheap. Also this is an ETA that i am putting this in so i will have a huge difference in power here. really i need a E46 M3! ha ha j/k

[325Projectz]

this work was done professionally or you did the whole install yourself?

Mostly myself, but my brother is a BMW tech so I let him do alot of the work.

[1990m3]

i heard

"I understand this totaly! I am this way with anything i get. I want to do a cheap swap right now. But i want to do it slowly. I have a couple of E30s so i will have an extra Car. i looked today and the car i am getting has 110k on it. Right about what the guy said. But it is a really nice car and i am getting it ver VERY cheap. Also this is an ETA that i am putting this in so i will have a huge difference in power here. really i need a E46 M3! ha ha j/k"

Tell me about it. I'm also overhauling the entire suspension, hence the budget I set for myself. I need an E46 M3 also, but a sub $10k car that accelerates as well and handles better is a pretty nice car to settle on. Plus it means I won't have to drive the m3 as much during the summer :) That car actually has some value! Can't wait to drive the S50 with all those ltw goodies on it :)

[marakka]

Lets ressurect this from a week ago...


So I'm in the motherland and I've found an e34 with m50 for 200 bucks. 5speed and all. I can sell parts from the car and make that $$$ back without a doubt. Problem with the car being that it has a stripped spark plug hole. If it can't be tapped or helicoiled then I've got another head lined up for $100. No biggie. My touring has a 2.7 stroker that someone else built and the reliability of it is questionable. I'm hearing lower end noise and its got me worried. So.... when it goes kaput I'd like to give the m50 a shot. I've never done a complete swap from one to the other. But with the $4k price tag that the one fella mentionied.... wtf cost so much? Only thing I could see having to pay for on my end would be exhaust work. Odds and ends parts for the swap would be pennies since I'm in the motherland. But I have the "noobie" to m50 swap questions and I'm incredibly too lazy to search.


The motor bolts right in yes? or is this like the m30 that it has be made to fit?

What radiator is used?

What wiring is used? The m50 or the m20 with an adapter?

Would it be worthwhile to hold out for a vanos model or no? Hell... I don't even know if they make vanos here. *LOL*

Go ahead.... flame away, but the only way you learn (other than hands on) is by asking questions.

[BavarianBimmer]

M50 wiring harness with an M20 c101 plug converted
M42 rad + hoses
Yes we've vanos here, most E34's +'92, bolt quite easy in with E36 engine mounts

in big lines

[marakka]

Just the mounts or the whole arms? Its beginning to become apparent that this motor is at its final hours before it croaks. Its still strong as shit, but man its loud at 3k. Time to make the donuts....

[BavarianBimmer]

Just the mounts or the whole arms? Its beginning to become apparent that this motor is at its final hours before it croaks. Its still strong as shit, but man its loud at 3k. Time to make the donuts....

only the mounts, E28 528i or 535i M30 rubber mounts

that's what I've learned here from members


My M50 is not that loud at 3k but pulls harder
I've bought my wrecked E34 1994 525i with 96.000km's for 300k :p
Nobody wants an 2.5 car here in Belgium due the astronomic high taxes on +2.0L cars

[chbimmer]

OK.......Finally got an M50 w/vanos.....to bad it is out of an E39...so i still need and oilpan from an E34. I have read mixed reviews on what Trans to go with....so i will just ask. What will i do to make this thing fit with a 328 trans and stock Driveshaft? I mean i see a lot of people using the E21 brake boosters and what is the M20 c101 plug, how much and is this from Treehouse racing? I am ready but getting all the infomation lined up is difficult......sorting through all these post. We should get a sticky parts list and then close it so that people can see what to use. Thanks

[FredK]

The C101 is the engine harness plug. There are male and female sides. The female side is on the engine harness, and the male side comes out of the fuse box area of the donor E36. You can get these for around $25 from salvage yards or from BMW forum people parting out wrecks.

You have to adapt the E30 engine plug to the E36 C101 if you want a seamless swap without tampering with wires from either the engine harness or the E30 chassis harness. Hence, Treehouse sells an adapter for around $400 to make this process painless (swap-wise, not $$$ wise. :)).

You can do it yourself for around $50 or so, maybe even cheaper. Do it right though, don't just twist wires together! Solder and heatshrink.

What E39 came with the M50? I was under the impression that the first E39s were actually OBD-II M52s. In that case, you have a long road ahead. You have to swap to OBD-I first, or try to figure out OBD-II.

[chbimmer]

can they be swapped to OBD1? If so how is it possible.

[chbimmer]

also.......was there not single vanos in an OBD1 as well?

[FredK]

Yes, M50 and M52 engines were single Vanos. The M52TU is double Vanos. The M52 was OBD-II and the M50 was OBD-I.

The M52 and S52 can be swapped back to OBD-I. Essentially you need an OBD-I harness, intake manifold, engine computer (DME), and a few other parts.

Check out the following web site to see what is involved in converting an engine from OBD-II to OBD-I.

http://homepage.mac.com/aceves/OBDI/OBD_ONE1.htm