contemplating M52 swap

[matt]

A whole freaking bunch of us also converted autos at the same time. BDSax, FredK, Mike B. and I all come to mind.

[CorvallisBMW]

Cool. Well having never done a gearbox or motor swap, I think i will get the CD anyway. If it helps, great. if not, I'm not out much money.

[e30 gangsta]

Sorry to thread jack but you guys got me thinking. Is it possible to slap my obd1 m50tu head on a m52 block and drop some s50 cams in it? Will it work?

[So Live]

yep.

everything else has been stated. ORCA is a waste of $ in most peoples opinions. zionsville is over priced.

Steering racks: e36 3 series and late M3's haev 3.2 turns
95 M3 is 3 turns (best one to get)
some z3's (not sure which ones) are 2.7 turns but are basically the 95 M one with less travel.

Try car-part.com for ANY used parts. youd be suprised what you can get good parts for. Ive saved a ton of money via that site.

Good luck and READ!!!!! get all the parts before you start itll make life way easier.

[madjurgen]

Youve been here for more than two years, youre not a noob, how do you not already know the answers to your general questions? Everything you need to know has been covered over and over on this forum. 5 people have already told you the orca cd is not necessary yet you insist... r3v + realoem is all you need if you have some common sense.

[Van Westervelt]

Darin, dont buy the cd. I bought it I think 5 years ago. It did come in handy like 2 times. If you get stuck, I can uhm "show you the cd on paper" lol

Dont buy swap "kits" they are overpriced. From ANYWHERE.

Steering rack wise, '95 m3 rack is the one to get. I did that swap. You are going to run into issues having an airbag car however.

I swapped mine and am more than willing to help anyone else local do this swap. It is actually very easy. If you gather all the parts and have the motor prepped, you can do it in a weekend with a couple people.

[e30_kid89]

Hey for those who have driven 2.8L m52's, is there a BIG difference in torque between it and the m50TU? if so i may spring of one of them since I see em' going for pretty cheap locally....if not then im just gonna save more and go with the s52. I sorta like the idea of a 2.8L screamer with m3 cams.

[LINUS]

I'm not going to start any big debate over the ORCA disc, I've already stated my opinion.

One thing I will point out is that the disc requires you to register it to a particular computer. Maybe it uses the IP#, - I really don't know because on a 10 scale my tech knowledge of computers is a 3, maybe a 4. I am at home with a MIG or TIG, or most other tools, not screwing with the settings in a computer.

Just so you are aware of how the disc is set up.

[Van Westervelt]

The disc rumor is true. In order to open the program, you have to register it, and they only allow one registration, after that you have to call them everytime, and only the original purchaser is allowed to do such a thing.

Although, hard copies are mobile. :)

[kylebes1]

I would recommend having a second car if you are doing the AT swap as well.

It does not seem difficult, but I have never done that.

Do not buy all the parts from Zionsville if you have to ask. They are retail, so their customers just want it easy. The CD was somewhat helpful to me, but there was little info out there when I did my swap, what four years ago. Though, they have been done since the m50 came out 15 years ago.

The only thing with the m52 block is the coolant hose needs an adapter, I am pretty sure Turnermotorsports has one.
I think I can sell my m52 block for $350
I can gather most of the parts for you, for a price.

Kyle

[CorvallisBMW]

Thanks to all that have been replying. I guess the CD isn't really worth it, I was sticking with it becauce i want to gather as much info as possible to help avoid and big snags. The most complicated thing I've done to my car so far is a t-belt change, so this is a few steps above. I'm sure I can handle it, but I want to be prepared.

I wasn't planning on buying any swap kits. I figure I can get most of what I need from Joe, and the brake booster I will get from Treehouse. E36 racks are common, as are m52s and trannys. No big deal. The only thing I see getting a bit more complicated is the pedal box/clutch assembly needed for the AT to MT bit, and the e34 oil pan hassle. Again, I know I can figure it out with more research but I'm just trying to test the waters here.

Kurt, I appreciate the offer. I will definitely take you up on it next spring when I actually get this swap underway.

Kyle, I do have a second car thankfully. There is no way I anticipate getting this swap done in a weekend without some serious help from the PDX crew!

[Van Westervelt]

Oh, btw, I have 3 of their cd's. The "orca", the e36 steering rack swap, and the obdII to obdI disc. Lotta info and lotta pictures. Doesnt hurt, just isnt needed with all the info and knowledge that is out there now.

[CorvallisBMW]

Oh, btw, I have 3 of their cd's. The "orca", the e36 steering rack swap, and the obdII to obdI disc. Lotta info and lotta pictures. Doesnt hurt, just isnt needed with all the info and knowledge that is out there now.

Ya I would def. love to get my hands on those. Maybe I could pay you to print them up in color for me at a print shop?

Also, anyone running underdrive pulleys on there m50/52? How much hp gain to you think you're getting? Is it worth the downsides?

[Charlie]

They are retail, so their customers just want it easy

Outta curiousity, why is that a bad thing? If I can save 2-3 weeks of BS trying to hunt down parts by buying a "kit", that's worth the scratch to me.

-Charlie

[CorvallisBMW]

Outta curiousity, why is that a bad thing? If I can save 2-3 weeks of BS trying to hunt down parts by buying a "kit", that's worth the scratch to me.

-Charlie

That was my thought originally, but after pricing out the parts from a yard and comparing it to Zionsville, they were about twice as expensive. I can appreciate having every nut, bolt and part arrive clean and at your doorstep with instructions. In fact, I prefer it that way. But $ talks and it's telling me I dont have any :(