IX M51 Swap???

[Ryan1642]

Hey Guys, I'm looking in to an engine swap for my '91 325ix. Strangely I'm more interested in the sound of the engine than the power. This is a DD not a track car but I want something that will turn heads when you see it AND hear it. Before I got an IX I was going to do an LS1 V8 swap but that quickly went out the window when I realized that a car with a heavy front end,400 h.p. to the rear wheels, and no airbags would be a winter deathtrap. So I got an IX and now my options are limited. What I really want now is a turbo diesel swap. Has anybody done one? Does an IX getrag 260 bolt up to an m51? Does anybody have any of the parts including a manual transfer case and 260 tranny? (my e30 is auto right now but I want to swap that too). Thanks.

[stonea]

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=308093 This thread is going to be the best place to ask questions, theres also a lot of information in there too, although it seems to focus mostly on using the e34 525ix parts for a e30 325ix swap. Still its very helpful and the best place to start.

[nando]

it's going to cost you like $15k to do a proper swap in an ix. for an old diesel? not worth it. Just buy a car that comes with one already.

[Ryan1642]

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=308093 This thread is going to be the best place to ask questions, theres also a lot of information in there too, although it seems to focus mostly on using the e34 525ix parts for a e30 325ix swap. Still its very helpful and the best place to start.

Thanks stonea I'll have to take a look at that.

[Ryan1642]

it's going to cost you like $15k to do a proper swap in an ix. for an old diesel? not worth it. Just buy a car that comes with one already.

I dont see how it could possibly cost that much, I'm expecting to have to make a new oil pan but besides that it either fits or it doesn't, I can have mounts made and I'm hoping that the 260 will fit the m51.

[stonea]

I'm wondering if it was a typo, When I was talking to him about my engine swap he quoted me 5k. Anyways it appears the M51 uses the same transmission as the e36 M3.

http://www.superturbodiesel.com/std/Thread-BMW-M51-questions-from-California?pid=59677#pid59677

I'm thinking it could be done, and I think it'd be pretty cool, but I have no clue whats involved in a diesel swap or how much it would cost.

[Nisse Järnet]

Use the M20 drive line with a custom pan and M20 motor mounts, it will hopefully work.

[alexT]

Or you could look into doing an m21 swap, which is basically a diesel m20, now about the oil pump and pan, i dont know.

[The Dark Side of Will]

I've been told the M21 is a pretty terrible engine...

If the M21 has the same dipstick location as the RWD M20's, then it will end up without a dipstick in an AWD swap, as the AWD actually uses a different BLOCK, but the only difference is the dipstick location.

You'd also have to swap the intermediate shaft/oil pump drive gears, as the AWD oil pump turns the opposite direction as the RWD oil pump.

[nando]

yeah, M21 is pretty awful. no power, not really that much torque, and prone to crack heads. if you want to go unconventional there are just so many other much much better motors you could use..

you'd have to do some block machining to use the ix pump on a non awd block. not sure what other differences there are on the M21.