contemplating M52 swap

[kylebes1]

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

I'm not made of money or lazy so I don't pay for easy.

[CorvallisBMW]

Joe just put up a OBD1 kit for $500 less than Zionsville wants. And I got in the first pm :)

[Dave]

I'm not made of money or lazy so I don't pay for easy.

I dont think "lazy" enters into it for anyone who is going to do this swap themselves.

BUT, for people who work fulltime+ or perhaps run their opwn business, their time = money and the premium for getting everything you need on one package can be well worth it.

Having said that, there are other sources out there who can "kit" it up for you. I can tell you that while shopping for a 5 speed swap "kit' for my 5er, ZA was very much on the high side as far as pricing goes. but I really do not want to spend a ton of time sourcing parts from here, there and everywhere if I can get it all shipped to me on one pallet. So unless the major components fall into my lap for really cheap, I am buying the swap "kit".

[Van Westervelt]

You arent doing the swap til spring, you have 8 months to source parts. I sourced all mine over a 6 month period shopping for deals etc. Then I went overboard the month before the swap, lol

[CorvallisBMW]

yes thankfully I have plenty of time to keep an eye out for a good condition and inexpensive motor/tranny. The other stuff I need (suspension mostly) will still be expensive, no matter how long I wait :(

[smonkbmw]

my brake booster came from Knects (sp?) and was under $100. i run the eurosport pulleys on my car, dont know the difference though since they were installed while the swap was being done.

[CorvallisBMW]

I have heard from several BMW mechanics that the m52 oil pump failures are highly exacerbated by underdrive pulleys, at least the one on the damper/crank. They said to stay away from them like the plague...

What kind of brake booster did you get?

[Mike B.]

Don't run an undersized crank pulley, but the rest are fine to underdrive.

Check out the 924/944 brake boosters. The firewall bolt pattern is the same and the shaft is the same thread pitch as the E30 booster so you can use your clevis. The shaft just needs to be shortened. One swipe with a cut-off wheel and your done!

There should be no reason why anyone should use a 320i booster anymore (unless you already have one). The Porsche boosters are just so much easier to install.

If you need any assistance with the Auto - Manual wiring just drop me a PM and I'll show you what I did. It's really quite simple. The most difficult part of the swap was removing and installing the pedal clusters.

I don't feel that these engine swaps are difficult at all. You can do them with literally no fabbing at all which is very uncommon when you start talking engine swaps. Any one with the right tools and some general automotive experience can do the work with the help of this board.

Just make sure you have all the parts you need before you start and it should go smoothly. We are all here to help if you get stuck.

[kylebes1]

You are lazy if you buy everything at one place and pay too much, period (.)

I sourced my parts while attending school from 8 AM to 3 PM, having a job from 4 PM to 11 PM. Then doing homework till 1 AM.

Josh, I used the 320i booster, shortened the shaft by 7 cm, grind it to make it smaller in diameter so you can rethread it for the e30 clevis...

The porsche booster sounds good, but I have no experience with it so I cannot say.

there is more than one way to skin a cat, though.

the underdrive pulley should have no affect on the oil pump. the oil pump is ran by an internal chain, like the cams.

[Charlie]

I have heard from several BMW mechanics that the m52 oil pump failures are highly exacerbated by underdrive pulleys, at least the one on the damper/crank. They said to stay away from them like the plague...

The M5x motors use the crank pully as a dampener, there's a lot of shitty manufacturers out there putting out garbage that isn't properly balanced, which can screw up a motor. Stick with what places like UUC sell, underdrive the waterpump, PS & alternator and you should be fine.

-Charlie

[Van Westervelt]

This is all true. Underdrive pulleys are fine, just not a crank pulley. UUC, Eurosport or whatever, IE, Bimmerworld etc. I went with Turners.

[CorvallisBMW]

I will definitely get a set of u/d pulleys for the alt/ps/wp then. I also got a line on a perfectly running m52 with 150K for only $700, so it looks like I will be collecting parts sooner than I thought :)

Mike B., how much did that porsche booster cost you?

[Van Westervelt]

One other thing Darin, is it from an auto or a manual car?

[FredK]

A remanufactured Porsche booster is around $120. I paid around $25 for my 944 booster from a pick and pull yard.

[CorvallisBMW]

One other thing Darin, is it from an auto or a manual car?

Manual. Oh and I think they're throwing in a pair of S52 headers too. Joe has all the OBD1 stuff for me, so that's taken care of. The tranny is the next part...