The semi-Comprehensive M60b40 into E30 swap Q&A

[bmwmech1]

I don't see anything that would indicate this motor is anything but a stock M62B44. Actually, all things point to just a normal engine. If the owner is the one claiming he had all of the work done, I'd say he's not being honest, or thinks you have no idea what you're looking at and will believe whatever he tells you, lol. If he bought it from the person who said they had all the work done, I'd say produce the receipts, or it didn't happen. Nobody who extracts 440 crank horsepower from an NA M6x would use RTV on the waterpump, as you pointed out. On the up side, it does look clean internally, but there's no way to verify true mileage, since they claim it's a late motor in an early car, which is untrue. BMW didn't make a non-TU M62B44 in 2003, so that is either a lie or he is very misinformed about the car, which points to the other wild claims about horsepower and the like being untrue, as well. If it were me, I would offer him $1200 for the motor, trans and DME. There is nothing special about it that he can prove, all things point to that and you can get a stock M62B44 from the scrappers for $400-$600 any day of the week... the trans is a nice sweetener for the deal, but I wouldn't go any higher than $1200 for the lot...

Garey

[Vtec?lol]

It comes with the 6sp..

[Jean]

Its a non vanos m62b44. You could get the casting numbers from the block on the lower passenger side to confirm. It's not worth 1800 unless its low mileage and have records that they took care of it or comes with a 6spd.

[Vtec?lol]

Here's a;; the pics I took.
single row timing chain and an 884 ECU. What does that tell us?
If it was a hybrid I'm sure they would have used the dual row Timing chain.
Non water cooled alternator.
RTV'd waterpump - (440hp?)
Still not worth 1800?









Single row timing chain.

[bmwmech1]

The motor is out of an 03' - This is what the OP said :)

Sorry Jean, I missed that bit of info...

Given the fact that the owner says the motor is out of an 03 and it clearly isn't, I would be skeptical of anything else he claims... built by Turner, 400HP @ the crank, etc... Maybe he was duped by someone else, but I would be wary of this particular deal...

Garey

[Jean]

The motor is out of an 03' - This is what the OP said :)

Jean, it's not a TU... it has the throttle cable actuated TB with an ICV. TU's don't have an ICV. It's most likely an M62B44, but as you said, who knows for sure...

Garey

Yep, thats what I was saying the TB/ICV/Fuel Rail give it away BUT w/o seeing if the heads have vanos or not, and the timing cover who knows what they've done..

Maybe it's a M60TU hybrid?! lol

[bmwmech1]

... I'm guessing early m62

Yup...

Garey

[Vtec?lol]

Jean, Garey... You guys are very helpful and I appreciate it. I went and looked at it and it has an aftermarket key and a silver labled ECU. I didn''t get it to turn over because I couldn't figure out the wiring he took apart. I'm going back with a compression tester and I'll have to turn it by hand.
I'll re-edit this post with the pictures I took in a sec. Soon as I upload them.
Has dual fuel lines
Cabled throttle
alternator has a duct coming from the bottom so I'm assuming air cooled.
non-vanos heads
I'm guessing early m62

[bmwmech1]

Jean, it's not a TU... it has the throttle cable actuated TB with an ICV. TU's don't have an ICV. It's most likely an M62B44, but as you said, who knows for sure...

Garey

[Jean]

Well, the m62tu has electronic tb w/o the idle control valve like on the m60 and m62b44. Also notice fuel rail has two lines, and does not have a release valve, does not look like m62tu.

Check if it's got the water cooled alternator, that would be a TU...it could be that they've converted the TU to non TU config with the wiring/fuel rail/sensor swap but who fucking knows what they did. I can't tell if it's got vanos solenoids, that would be an easy way to tell what kind of heads it's running....

You need to ask more questions or look at it closely.

Also, no way 440hp even at the crank.

[Vtec?lol]

anyway of telling what it is by these pics?

[Vtec?lol]

I'm on my way to see it, I'll post pics.

[Vtec?lol]

Thanks guys. and Hell no I don't want to run a water cooled alternator. That sounds horrible

and sorry I wasn't clear.
$1800 gets me:
Engine + all accs.
6speed trans + New clutch
DME
All wiring that's related to the engine/trans/dme
front drive shaft
Complete borla cat back
and he said anything else that may be ralated to what I'm trying to do.

as for the twist. The motor is out of an 03' but it's swapped into a 97' 540i

Claimed it was built by Bavarian Motorsports out here in dallas and makes 440hp at the crank.

I'm going to go and inspect it today and if all is well it'll be pulled this weekend.
Car was mashed against a sidewall breaking the front CA and the rear axle on the pass. side.

Are there any ways to obviously distinguish the two?
Once again, the motor is in a 97 so I'm guessing some of this stuff could've already been done.

[bmwmech1]

I mean't ews delete. Thanks for your help!
the engine is out of a 03 540i.
Simplicity isn't my goal.
My next question is, What all do i take from this donor car?
He pretty much told me to take all I want for 1800 lol

I would be cautious about spending $1800 on just the motor... You could honestly source the motor, trans and more swap stuff for $1800. That being said, you need the motor, harness/DME/keys and accelerator assembly, if you are staying OBDII. That's not a lot of stuff for $1800... I would be inclined to look elsewhere or talk him down from that price. Somewhere around $800 to $1000 is the going rate...

Garey

[Jean]

03 540i is M62TU...so bottom end stuff. The lower timing cover is also going to need to be swapped as it's for a water cooled alternator that I doubt you'll want to run....