s50b32 swap diffrences????

[MJCRO]

Do a V8.

[jwiles]

that's a yes to realoem. thanks bimmerteck for posting the motors. have you guys tried ordering parts from a European dealership when you need them if so how did that work out?

[nando]

the m54 def looks like a batch and i really haven't seen any decent write ups on it.

yes that was exactly what i was getting at. i was concerned in the overall all aspect of swaps "process/parts" wiring,oil pan,motor mounts, brake relocation, oil pump and dip stick tube. but the biggest gray area is the wiring.

What parts are unique? so i can get them before dropping in? does it share any parts what so ever with any of the US motors? what spare parts would you have laying around in a just in case scenario for this motor? are their any manuals out their for this motor and does it cross on real oem?

it's not that you can't find part numbers - it's that no car with that motor was ever sold here, and BMW changed the policies on selling euro-market parts in North America. Basically, they don't want to sell you euro market engine parts in the states without proof that you own a gray market car. Because of that, even people who buy parts directly from BMW all the time have difficulty and often can't get them at all.

[bimmerteck]

that's a yes to realoem. thanks bimmerteck for posting the motors. have you guys tried ordering parts from a European dealership when you need them if so how did that work out?

They often won't export them to the US, some don't even accept US credit cards(US banks often flag sudden overseas purchases as fraudulent and put holds on the funds). Occasionally when we could get them shipped they would get lost or stopped in customs for inordinate amounts of time. We ended up paying a local airline pilot who flies internationally to bring us some smaller parts we needed. For larger parts I buck up and pay VAT with a Credit Card I set up over there just for these purchases and ship them to a soldier stationed at Hereford's local address, then he reships them via the USPS on post.(saves on shipping, and drastically speeds up customs in most cases) In return I reship him things from companies here that won't ship to APO addresses.


While I'm very proficient at getting stuff from overseas(gun parts, food, car parts, toothpaste) the cost is typically a deal breaker for those less enthusiastic souls. For example I ordered some VW factory ketchup for a currywurst recipe a couple months back and though the bottle was only $5, shipping it to the US took 8 weeks and cost $30.


In our case over the past few months we've ordered a drive shaft, oil pumps(s50b32 has 2), many gaskets, a MAF, shift linkage, 2 replacement boots for the intake(damaged in shipping the motor here originally), ect.

[bimmerteck]

What parts are unique? so i can get them before dropping in? does it share any parts what so ever with any of the US motors? what spare parts would you have laying around in a just in case scenario for this motor? are their any manuals out their for this motor and does it cross on real oem?

What's unique? lots of things, if you look closely at the images of the engines I posted at the front of the valve cover you can pretty easily see 4 different variations of the BMW vanos system. They will each require slightly different tools and knowledge to inspect and rebuild if necessary. With an s54 or US spec s50 you can grab a decent tech at a US dealer and often pay them to do work on the side or got to any number of independent shops. I'm not going to say that the euro motors are beyond the grasp of most mechanics but it certainly reduces the techs available with any experience by a factor of 10 or more.


There are manuals but they are all factory for the most part, Very high quality with loads of good information but harder for a beginner to pick up and understand in many cases than a bentley manual for instance. They may assume that you have already been fully educated on the preceding motor in the line for instance, and most certainly expect that you've completed the prerequisite factory training such as STO55. That's just the knowledge then there are the required tools. For many diagnostic functions on these motors you will need a GT1 or similar(not one with a US dealer code either in many cases), including diagnosing issues on the stepless vanos.

[jwiles]

BMW changed the policies on selling euro-market parts in North America. Basically, they don't want to sell you euro market engine parts in the states without proof that you own a gray market car. Because of that, even people who buy parts directly from BMW all the time have difficulty and often can't get them at all.

that was some awesome insight.

VW factory ketchup for a currywurst recipe

that must have been an awesome recipe. When i purchase the motor im going to ask the seller to get the following parts and just include them in the final price:thermostat and seals, water pump,belts, starter if I can't use the 30's,alternator, valve cover gasket, head gasket and bolts. But that should be more than enough for an already working engine just to keep my ass safe. Anything else happens as it happens. i might the vanos seals also.

[jwiles]

as far as the swap goes ill be doing the swap and if im feeling ball z enough ill do attempt to do the wiring which is probably going to be the weak spot if its any different from any of the other swaps.

as far as tools, ill make the splurge as i need them, as luck would have it i have a friend that has an associate that does have the GT1 software and programming for euro cars, but ill probably get some of the software myself one day. I would love to get my hands on those manuals do you have any part #'s or titles.

any help on the wiring? how do the oil pumps need to be modified if they are to fit into the e34 pan?