M30 swap begins soon...

[Ali//325i]

So I decided to take the plunge, 2 local guys in my car club just finished the m30 swap and my cabby is in need of some help, so I have an e34 m30 + harness coming from eurodepot, e34 trans at terry saythers for pickup, ecu from mr325 (if he still has one for me :) ), mounts from good & tight and going to be ordering the 87 325 (super eta) drive shaft (part # 20680) from http://www.wholesaleimportparts.com/ and ya....

any major issues ya'll see?

its going into my 87build88sold 325i cabby running a 3.73LSD. God i cant wait!

-Ali

[Danny]

Good luck.

[Ali//325i]

oh ya and I have an e28 radiator coming from one of my forum sponsors, foreigncarparts, and hopefully a slim electric fan 14" that pulls or pushes 1600cfm, they have a 16" which does 3000cfm which may be overkill but helpful on the m30. I think i did most of my homework on this one :)

-Ali

[Ali//325i]

Good luck.

Thanks man!

I am going to try and do the best write up I can. My buddy abe just did his s52 e30 swap and I regret never taking pics and doing a write up for that. Gotta help the other not so mechanically inclined people like me out.

-Ali

[Zacm829]

Are you going to be using the M30 harness? what are your exhaust plans?

[Ali//325i]

Are you going to be using the M30 harness? what are your exhaust plans?

Ya m30 harness, 179 ecu, and for exhaust I am going to do custom side exhaust so it will basically look like this....



Excuse the super shitty mock.
its going to be a dual in dual out system and with the cat, and muffler I think I will be quiet enough to drive it around on the streets, and the turn down tips will add to the civility. I am thinking about getting those removeable tips (the ones that just clamp on) but I don't really see the point in being SUPER obnoxious.

It's going to be a tight fit But I think I can manage it.

Is dual 2.5" adequate for an m30 with cams and chip? or is it too large? Anyone?

-Ali

[Ali//325i]

woo hoo! Mounts and ECU paid for...

Which shifter do ya'll recommend with the 260/5 trans? I have seen people say the UUC short shifter, any try a b&m? I have one in my e30 currently (the race version) and i love how notchy it is.

-Ali

[Ali//325i]

spec stage 2 clutch ordered. Hmmmmmm going broke is so much fun :)

-Ali

[Good & Tight]

spec stage 2 clutch ordered. Hmmmmmm going broke is so much fun :)

-Ali

It's worth it you will really enjoy the torque.

[Jean]

e34 m30 tranny should be 260/6 not 5.

[Ali//325i]

e34 m30 tranny should be 260/6 not 5.

ya i was in between deciding which one i wanted. looks like e34 tranny is the best option though. IIRC, m20 shift linkage works fine with it, correct? Including the shifter.

-Ali

[Ali//325i]

Parts I have ordered thus far...

spec stage 2 clutch kit on its way
custom mounts on their way
179 ecu on its way
E.A.T. Ultrachip Performance Chip DME179.6K8 (6800 redline)
reinz upper and lower engine gasket kits
bosch ignition wires
bosch platinum spark plugs
e28 upper and lower radiator hoses
e28 75 degree radiator temp sensor

What motor mount bushings do ya'll recommend? I can recall but i think i have e28 mounts already in the car. Could be wrong though.

-Ali

[wildstoats]

bosch platinum spark plugs

I would think twice about platinums on the m30. There are quite a few threads about them on mye28.com

[xlr8rbob]

Glad to see you on here kid. you aint messin around.

and go with NGKs.

[Ali//325i]

I think i am going to call bmaparts and see if they can change my order, if not no biggie, i can always sell them or something. Thanks for the heads up guys. I knew there was a set of plugs that weren't good, didn't think they were platinums though. Guess I missed that during my research.

and ya bob, its good to be buying for my e30 again. Just like old times now :)

*EDIT* Email BMAparts.com hoping it will get sent to patrick. Asked to swap them out for NGKs which are actually a bit cheaper. So, woo hoo!

-Ali