24V AWD Swap Knowledge Base

[nando]

well you're going to have to deal with the shifter, transmission mounts and possibly output flange differences.

also, the 6 speeds are heavier than the 5 speed G260. Just another thought.

[Bimmer_man]

why a bunch of adapters wouldnt there be only one needed for a transfer case? I know the last year or two of the e46 330xi got the 6 speed here in the states.

[nando]

sure with a bit of fabrication of a bunch of adapters. it won't be easy, though.

[Bimmer_man]

So it looks like i am in the need for a 24v transmission or at least the front part of one.

What im curious of is, is it possible to have a 6-speed transmission working in the ix?

My thought is if I'm going to put this much work into a 24v car. I"m going to make it the car I've always wanted. that includes a 6-speed.

If there's no way for it to work then im okay with the 5-speed. the only way i was thinking is having an adapter plate made for a transfer case that would mate with it well.

[nando]

I thought that was only if you were using the e30 or e34 oilpan/diff. The e53 diff doesn't line up regardless. Although I guess you'd need a 24v 260 to retain the stock transfer case crossmember.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

well, the whole transfercase will be out of alignment, and so will the shifter. you won't be able to use the stock mounts either. I'm not sure the transfercase will clear the transmission tunnel, so you'd have to hammer that out. There's a lot of reasons why it's not great to have the transfercase rotated...

[The Dark Side of Will]

You will need to rebuild the getrag with a 24v bellhousing, or the driveshaft wont line up with the diff.

If using the E53 FDA, you have to use a u-jointed driveshaft anyway, so driveshaft alignment isn't a thing.

***BUT***

If using the M20 Getrag on a 24V engine mounted at the proper 24V angle, you'll have to carve a big hole in the floor pan for the T-case and driveshaft.

Either use the 24V Getrag case as Nando said, or make a (*THIN!*) adapter plate to go between trans and T-case to rotate the T-case back down to the original angle.

Personally, I think a FrankenGetrag with the 24V case, AWD back plate and CTS gears with 3.46 first would be a smooth package, ripe for 3.64 diffs and an S54.

[Bimmer_man]

As long as it's just a few degrees off I'm going to modify the front driveshafts to take u-joints. If it's way off then yeah but I don't think it's astronomically off. But I've been wrong before.

[stonea]

I thought that was only if you were using the e30 or e34 oilpan/diff. The e53 diff doesn't line up regardless. Although I guess you'd need a 24v 260 to retain the stock transfer case crossmember.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

[nando]

You will need to rebuild the getrag with a 24v bellhousing, or the driveshaft wont line up with the diff.

[Bimmer_man]

Oh I didn't realize he was designing that for the community. In that case hell yeah I'll wait for that and just message him and pay him for the front subframe. Thats even better cause I can get the x5 stuff all over the place.

Hey will will that crossmember be able to accept the e46 steering rack? I know a few ix guys would love a solution to that as well. Just curious. Kill two birds with one stone.

[stonea]

I wouldn't say its the best route. Like Will said, he should get the cross member design done by the end of the year. I would suggest using the getrag 260 with stock transfer case. Custom front driveshaft with a u joint. Will's cross member, and use the e53 X5 oil pan, engine arms, and 3.64 diff ratio. All of that paired with the M54 will make a great little AWD toy. Thats the route I might go, but I'm thinking about doing a M30 with a turbo from the M106 in the ix and drop my M54 into a 325i I'm picking up. I'm trying to make the 325i as light as possible and fun to drive in the mountains, so the aluminum M54 will help a lot.

[Bimmer_man]

Okay so as it sits the e34 set up is the over all best way to do it there really isn't any two ways about it it seems like on the ix.

So I'll have to do one of three things

Find a seller in the usa ship them to me
Go find them in the north American continent and make a road trip
Or pay an international seller to ship them to me

What are the prices for the e34 stuff then. Just a rough estimate. If anyone knows that.

[The Dark Side of Will]

To use either the E34 or E53 Front Drive Assembly (FDA), the swapper will either need to cut into the firewall as Nisse did *OR* build a new front crossmember and more the steering rack forward about 1.25", as I should be able to do by the end of the year.

IOW, the front of the sump on both E34 and E53 pans is so far forward that it will interfere with the crossmember and steering rack when the bellhousing is located in the original location.

The E46 axle and diff, and the front of the sump as a result, are at least THREE INCHES FURTHER FORWARD than the corresponding features on the E34 and E53 FDA's.

That means that if you use the E46 FDA, you'll either have to move the engine 3 to 4 inches into the firewall or... well that's really it. If you don't carve up the firewall, you'll have to locate the rack so far forward that you'll never get sensible steering geometry.

[Bimmer_man]

Wait, so the transfer case slip is controlled by the a s unit in the e46? So dose that mean I'd have to upgrade the abs unit to even utilize the transfer case in the first place?

So I guess my next question is how much dose a e34 drive train cost now? All I've seen is I have to import the parts and that costs stupid money from what I've seen. I may get a passport and drive to Canada lol would be cheaper.

[nando]

Yeah, E46 system sucks IMO. The tc is open, only ABS controls slip.