N52 Swap

[mark28]

2005 bmw e83

hay guys did anyone did an m54to an n52 swap

[nando]

You could use the ix level sender (the RWD is upside down). The DME will not be able to track engine temp, level, or condition, but you won't have the CBS anyway (unless you hook it up to a computer).

[hubcapboy]

My preference would be a dipstick and the original e30 low oil sender. Based on zero research I assume that can be retained... I love my check panel. I think it’s just a float switch and it would be one less thing to leak on the bottom of the pan.

[nando]

There's really nothing wrong with the electronic dipstick, but yeah - with a completely modified pan, you'd want to do something else. It's possible to recalibrate but it's not simple.

[hoveringuy]

Since the depth of sump will be custom, dipstick is the only way to go.

Yeah, that's what I was getting at. The electronic sensing magic is calibrated to the depth of the stock pan. I prefer dipstick.

[cwlo]

Since the depth of sump will be custom, dipstick is the only way to go.


When I started into this swap, I already had the arc asylum subframe installed, since I had an m54 in the car. If this front sump setup works, it looks like it will be the preferred route. Some baffles in the sump might also be a good idea if it has less depth, and the windage tray might need to be extended. Add a dipstick bung, and you're good to go.

[wazzu70]

If you're already modifying the pan, I would take an oil level sensor from another pan and drill and tap N52 modified pan to accept it

Or add provision for a dipstick...

[jwal]

Exactly, if you're going through the trouble to fabricate a new subframe and re-position the sway bar, only to need to modify the rear sump to clear, why not just fabricate the front sump pan and leave the subframe (and sway bar) as-is?



So question, how does the N52 oil level sensing work? No dipstick, so keeping track of oil level with a different pan would be important.

If you're already modifying the pan, I would take an oil level sensor from another pan and drill and tap N52 modified pan to accept it

[hoveringuy]

A front sump oil pan and pickup would be a decent option if you do as you say and make it shorter and wider to prevent it from hanging down so much.

I think a benefit of a subframe that works for rear sump engines is it will work for all M5x-N5x engines and it uses the pan already existing on the engine.

The option where you have to hack up the subframe and pan to make it fit seems way too involved to ever be cost effective though!

Exactly, if you're going through the trouble to fabricate a new subframe and re-position the sway bar, only to need to modify the rear sump to clear, why not just fabricate the front sump pan and leave the subframe (and sway bar) as-is?

So question, how does the N52 oil level sensing work? No dipstick, so keeping track of oil level with a different pan would be important.

[wazzu70]

A front sump oil pan and pickup would be a decent option if you do as you say and make it shorter and wider to prevent it from hanging down so much.

I think a benefit of a subframe that works for rear sump engines is it will work for all M5x-N5x engines and it uses the pan already existing on the engine.

The option where you have to hack up the subframe and pan to make it fit seems way too involved to ever be cost effective though!

[cwlo]

The front pan setup looks like it would work. Clearance is always a problem on front ones, but you can just go wider and less deep as you mentioned. Pickup tube will need to turn down right away. You can look at the earlier pictures in this thread to see the oil pump with pan removed.


Either a porta-band, or large bandsaw will be helpful in sectioning the pan.


Keep us updated!

[hubcapboy]

Got it. There's pretty good guidance on how to protect against contact corrosion elsewhere in BMW's design of the engine and ancillaries (see attached from a pretty complete Mitchell guide to the engine). The construction of the arms isn't important, just avoiding direct contact at the block. I feel like some delrin or aluminum spacers or shims and a new set of factory aluminum bolts would do the trick.

[nando]

The pan isn't structural. They just built the dust cover into the pan on the aluminum version. The steel pan uses a separate dust cover.

The arms have to be aluminum because the block is magnesium. steel + magnesium = no bueno. that's why all of the bolts and parts that touch anything on the block that's magnesium are made of either aluminum or plastic (the only exception is inside the block where water contamination isn't a concern).

[hubcapboy]

I don't want to hijack CWLO's build thread and I don't have a build of my own yet (I do have an N52b30 with a three stage intake and 6 speed sitting on the floor that I sit next to on a bucket and pretend to shift). Should we break off into a general N52 speculation thread? I reached out to a few shops who were pretty wary of the unknowns, and one who was ready to go but not local and would just need blank checks. I was hoping I could farm this out, but now I'm leaning towards finding a rolling shell and mocking it up to see if it's feasible... Once I have an engine packaged into a rolling shell I'd hope to have it swapped and wired and cleaned up professionally. Ordering weird used parts and waiting weeks to see if they fit is something I'm better at than a shop that needs to stay profitable.

[hubcapboy]

Steve nailed it with finding the Latvian guy. Exactly that, but the steel pan is easier.