M30 5spd

[Jean]

nice work man. let me know when you want to do a/c.

thanks dude! in a few weeks after it's registered etc :)

can't you just swap coding plugs from a 6cyl tach? I don't know if you can do it with the early clusters, but it's a thought.

My early cluster does not have a coding plug in the front, so I just installed a good late model cluster.

Got a good SI board today, all is good now. Now to fit the AIR intake box and wire in the check engine light bulb and see if it will pass smog before I head down to BAR.

I looked at Jean's 318i today and he really did a nice job on the swap.

Then I went for a ride with him. This car is really quick and probably will eat Twin Cam cars for lunch.

Lol, it should be quicker than the M50 cars for sure I think. S50/52 cars should still be faster I think. I'll just have to head down to Sac Raceway and see
what it can do, it feels like a high 13 second car compared to my old car that ran low 14s.

I have to give thanks for Pinepig here on the forum for giving me a hand with all the heavy stuff with this swap!

[yert315]

what diff are you running? I think m30 swaps are running in the low 14's with a 3.73 and a chip.

[Jean]

I am using a 3.73 right now.... it deff. feels like a low 14 second car at the minimum...I know launching it won't be easy lol. I'll take it to a local drag strip in a couple of weeks and see how it (I) does.

[germancarsonly]

I looked at Jean's 318i today and he really did a nice job on the swap.

Then I went for a ride with him. This car is really quick and probably will eat Twin Cam cars for lunch.

My butt hole dyno says 14+ seconds, but that dyno has been doing this kind of stuff for 45 years and it isn't prefect.

I have been in a few M50 powered cars and your car pulls harder than they did. I have also been in two stock S14 M3 cars also doing power runs and I think your car will be quicker through the 1/4 mile than they would be.

You guys that know me know one of my cars is an E34 M50 single Vanos, manual trans car and I'm not impressed with it in the least bit. It gives me a modern looking European car for low bucks to go out to dinner and other social things in, but is a total PITA to work on. It's a fucking snail compared to an E34 535i car.

I think that many of the guys that are installing the Twin Cam engines haven't really looked into the M30 swap and fit into the "Monkey see, Monkey do" category. Sorry, just the way I see this way.

[LowR3V'in]

But then you can just bolt down a s50 and be just as fast as the m30.
If you forget about the cost for a minute( try? :( )

[Doughnut]

Why the cover? I actually have it, but left it out because I didn't see how it would cause any problems and didn't want to bother with it due to clearance as well.

P.S. I see you used an m20 overflow tank, what did you do with the hoses to get it to fit?

The covers just look aesthetically better IMO.

I fitted the 325i coolant tank with homemade brackets and cut and fitted a mixture of e34 535i hoses and normal hose myself. I'll take a photo tomorrow if I'm not too lazy after work. It really wasn't hard at all.

Oh, and I have no cooling issues with bleeding or anything.

Keep up the good work mate!

[416stroker]

I am using a 3.73 right now.... it deff. feels like a low 14 second car at the minimum...I know launching it won't be easy lol. I'll take it to a local drag strip in a couple of weeks and see how it (I) does.

Let me know before you go.

[Jean]

Will do for sure, want to go as well? :)

I am at about 75 mph @ 3k rpm in 5th. Using s3.73 and getrag 260/6 with 14" 195/60 tires. I think I am getting about 23mpg right now in mixed driving, mostly city and short trips. Will have to try hard to keep it under 3k rpm for a full tank and see what it does then.

I need to find that online caclulator to find out how it would change if I switch from s3.73 to s3.46...

[RickSloan]

with the 3.73 gears do you feel like the pull is not right at 75 80...

i feel im out of the power bad and in a wierd spot to pull on the high way, so im going back to 3.25 gears

[Jean]

In what gear, 4th or 5th? I'll check tomorrow for ya.

[416stroker]

Will do for sure, want to go as well? :)

Ill go but I probably won't run my car unless I can find better tires. Unless you wanna go on a day they prep the track. Rolling off line sucks I can't launch. Its gonna be even harder for you with all that tq.

Ill talk to a friend and see when the next weekend race is
because the put vht down or maybe a Friday .

[Jean]

I thought it was wednesday nights?

[BDK]

with a 260 and 3.73 ....you'll find that it will launch easier if you start in 2nd, you only have one gear change to as you should be able to run out the 1/4 in 3rd gear...
just going by my past experience with my M535i and the same setup...

[416stroker]

I thought it was wednesday nights?

Yea wednesday nights blow. The track is unprepared there's ricers up the ass you don't get enough runs. If you want to really see what your car can do a saterday race or a test and tune day would be the best.

[Jean]

BDK - cool, i'll consider this.

416 - yeah, last time I went was years ago and I believe it was on Wedesday, I could only get 2 or 3 runs as I had to put a dial in on my car on how fast I think it would go... I think it was bracket racing? I was out after my 2nd run as I ran faster. I don't want to do that again.