E30 M30 SWAP writeup.

Garageaholic · 12-12-2007, 09:27 AM

PREPARATION TO DONER CAR
Picking a proper doner car is imperative for having a successful swap. What I did was use an ’88 325 super eta. I highly recommend any car from 88-91. If you choose to use a 83-87 E30, just know you will have some wiring issues, but nothing you can’t take care of yourself. I will illustrate and solve most of the wiring concerns in the electrical part. An automatic or manual doner car is not imperative, but important. I’m assuming that we’re all converting to 5 speed M30, so getting a 5 speed doner car is prime. If you have or find a good automatic car, then simply swap the clutch pedal with clutch master cylinder, hose and slave cylinder.

You must remove the following parts of the doner car and drain the following fluids to properly prepare it for the M30 drop in:
Engine/Tranny Removal Notes How many Fluids to drain
fuel lines (supply + return) 2 Gasoline will spew out!
coolant lines(heater core @ firewall) 2 coolant
*electrical (ECU and engine harness) C101 port, Engine Ground, Ignition coil…
brake booster vacuum hose 1
radiator 2 electrical sensors+ 2 hoses coolant
unscrew motor mounts 2
unscrew tranny mounts 2
driveshaft disconnect 4
shift linkage Unit
steering pump lines 2 steering fluid
alternator wires 2
throttle (cruise control) 1(1)
clutch hose/cable 1
exhaust after manifold 2
02 sensor 1 harness
Coolant tank hose(s) 1 coolant
Windshield wiper tank 1 wiper fluid
Hood 6 bolts + hinge
Drain Engine oil 1 Engine Oil
*For ’88-91 cars: Highly recommended to remove the COMPLETE engine wiring harness, disconnecting ALL sensors, ECU..etc and taking the harness off the engine as a whole. You will need this harness for the M30 engine, assuming you get an E32 or E34 M30.
*For ’83-87 cars: You can remove the wiring harness if you like to make the removal of the engine easier. For more details about wiring, please refer to wiring details and spreadsheets located in “electrical”.

If you are going to be doing any other preparations to the doner car such as cleaning engine bay or doing a steering rack swap, please do it now while everything is out. It is also wise to do any suspension modifications now while the car is still relatively nimble and easy to move around.

It is also highly recommended to modify the firewall at this stage of the swap. To modify the firewall, depending on your engine position, please refer to “engine positions”.

Garageaholic · 12-12-2007, 09:26 AM

DISCLAIMER:

Just so everyone knows right off the bat. I performed this swap completely on my own. I had a couple friends come in one day to help me drop the engine in, but other than that, I turned every wrench on this car. In doing this, I took the chances that the engine could have dropped on my hand or that the exhaust could have burned my arm..etc. Fortunately, none of this happened, but it could happen to you. This is to enforce that this is the way I did this. Doing this swap is like a math problem. There are many ways to solve the problem that will give you the same overall answer. If you want to do the swap the exact same way I did it, then great. I hope I was descriptive enough for you to do so. But this guide is more like a suggestion, trying to open your eyes to the other routes you can possibly take with this swap. It is merely a suggestion as to what you can do in order to successfully complete this project. My contact information is on the title page, so please don’t hesitate to contact me for any reason if you are having trouble with a certain aspect of this project. I will not be responsible if somebody electrocutes themselves by grounding themselves to the starter power or getting their hand caught in the flywheel when their friend tries to start their M30. This is nothing more than a GUIDE on how I did this project. I received help from www.jaredsquires.com AND www.e30.de, so with this being said, take your time, wear goggles or gloves or long sleeves. Do whatever it takes do execute this swap carefully and safely. If I’m not clear enough on a certain aspect of this project, then ask. Don’t be a hero.

About the websites that I mention on for products on this writeup:

I have no affiliation with them for any financial gain whatsoever. The reason I state that they are a great company is simply because I have had a good experience with them. I am in no way plugging them for any personal gain. Just go to the website, take my word for it, and get what you need to get the job done. That is all. Good luck!

E30 M30 SWAP writeup.

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