318is M60 swap

[LoneWolf]

Some progress over the past few days.

I was able to get the pin holes in my oil pan taken care of and began modifying my coolant crossover with the help of my friend and his tig welder.

Need to place an order for some misc. hardware and a few gaskets. Hoping if ordered tonight it will be her by the weeks end.

So I started reassembling the engine, new knock sensors, gaskets, timing things.



I will post a pic of the coolant crossover once it is done, the expansion and return line is not gonna be pretty.



Got a few questions though.

Been looking into the driveshaft modification that I will need to do, going 6-speed. I am a little confused......
Will the e36 m3 driveshaft work with my 6-speed? Or is that only for the 5-speed?
If not I could use the larger flange from one though correct?

Also anyone keep a/c on their swap or know of any builds that did? Trying to figure out how I can mount the engine mount if the a/c bracket uses the holes I need for the engine mount. And how much room the compressor will take up, if I would even have room to but the engine mount there.

Oh and I set my coil packs on, they don't feel like the clicked into the sparkplugs? Are they supposed to or do they only make contact? I am wondering if these Bosche plugs are wrong somehow?

[e30s50dan]

E30m3 driveshaft will work...finding one,well!

[JGood]

No, that won't work.

The ZF320 5 speed has a 96mm guibo flange. With that trans, you can use a 325e, e30 m3, or e36 328i/m3 (with 4 bolt rear flange). They are all the proper length and have a 96mm guibo flange.

The 6 speed Getrag 420g from the 540i/M5 however, has a 105mm guibo flange. It's also significantly longer then the 5 speed, meaning the driveshaft has to be shorter.

The e46 M3 also used a Getrag 420g, with a 96mm guibo flange. Theoretically you could find one of those flanges and swap it onto your 540i 6 speed trans, making it 96mm. It looks like the automatic e36 M3 driveshaft is the correct length, and it uses the 96mm flange. So in theory, you could put all this together to have a 100% bolt-on solution.

I found it significantly easier to send a 540i drivehsaft and an e30 driveshaft to a shop and have it modified and balanced for under $200, including shipping both ways.

[JGood]

Regarding your coil packs, yes, that sounds normal. They are spring contacts.

[LoneWolf]

No, that won't work.

The ZF320 5 speed has a 96mm guibo flange. With that trans, you can use a 325e, e30 m3, or e36 328i/m3 (with 4 bolt rear flange). They are all the proper length and have a 96mm guibo flange.

The 6 speed Getrag 420g from the 540i/M5 however, has a 105mm guibo flange. It's also significantly longer then the 5 speed, meaning the driveshaft has to be shorter.

The e46 M3 also used a Getrag 420g, with a 96mm guibo flange. Theoretically you could find one of those flanges and swap it onto your 540i 6 speed trans, making it 96mm. It looks like the automatic e36 M3 driveshaft is the correct length, and it uses the 96mm flange. So in theory, you could put all this together to have a 100% bolt-on solution.

I found it significantly easier to send a 540i drivehsaft and an e30 driveshaft to a shop and have it modified and balanced for under $200, including shipping both ways.

Regarding your coil packs, yes, that sounds normal. They are spring contacts.

Thanks for the answers. I did some time searching around and thought that is what I understood about the e36 driveshaft.

Sounds like I just need to have mine modified then.

Good to know on the coil packs. I will go ahead and torque them down.


I got the flywheel on and torqued down. Wanted to do some reading on how the pressure plate goes on and is torqued down.

Ordering some parts tonight. Should be able to get the transmission on and begin building my engine mounts.


Are you just using the e30 soft clutch line to the 6-speed slave?

[LoneWolf]

Don't mind the mess. hoping to finish have my buddy finish this with the tig tonight.

[LoneWolf]

Not pretty but done.



New clutch and flywheel on.


Waiting on hardware and a few parts still. Ordered them Sunday night. Apparently one of the parts was discontinued. They didn't notify me til Wednesday. Didn't respond when I told them to ship without it. Finally got a hold of them Thursday and told them. They acknowledged it and finally got shipping info today. Annoying as hell. Should have just went and picked it up.

[Old city bimmer]

good progress..almost there.

[LoneWolf]

^^thanks. Stinks waiting on parts. I really wanted this thing in position to start building engine mount before the weekend. Frustrating. But that's a project.


Oh yeah and I did the rear main seal and rear coolant passage gasket.

Hoping that tomorrow I can go to the hydraulic line shop and get some made up for my hydroboost set up.

[LoneWolf]

I ordered a remote reservoir for my clutch, that way I wont have to run the line all the way to the brake reservoir.

Any one know what reservoir I could use on my master cylinder then since I wont need the feed for the clutch master? Using a 750i master, should any e30 auto reservoir fit it?

[LoneWolf]

Christ, I feel like I was in a fight. Wrestled the 6-speed on.




Torqued down all my hardware, installed the accessories. Still need a couple bolts in that area, the ones I ordered with realoem part numbers are somehow too long. I need to check out some parts diagrams and make sure I have the right ones. I want to go ahead and get the belt on.


Anyone have some input on the abs and airbag wiring I want to get rid of? The airbag wiring looks simple, already pulled my computer I imagine the sensor wires head there, I can just pull those. But the abs stuff home runs to the fuse box. Which is proving to be a real mess.

Currently have a bunch of that nasty tacky harness take striped back, but still have a foot or two until I'm at the fuse box. Should I just cut and cap the wires instead? Worried that could lead to headaches down the road. Rather just get rid of it. Tips?

[LoneWolf]

No real progress. Just been tinkering and reading up on the wiring. Still trying to sort out what automatic wiring I can take from the harness. Kind of wondering if it is just easier to source a manual harness that will work.


Also engine is not in yet. Pretty frustrating. Waiting on mounts from revshift. Ordered and paid on 11/20. No update on if they shipped or not. I've tried calling the passed two days and emailing prior to that. Going to pm their forum account.

[jalopi]

I think it took me like, a month or two to get my bushings from revshift. Fairly unresponsive for me too. Best of luck guy

[LoneWolf]

I think it took me like, a month or two to get my bushings from revshift. Fairly unresponsive for me too. Best of luck guy

All is well, he just got back to me with a tracking number. Apparently they have a new system, I ordered right before the switch so my tracking info did not automatically get sent out. He gave me the tracking number, looks like they should be delivered today.

Thanks

[LoneWolf]

Welp, the revshift mounts came in. Slid it all in with a lot of help from my buddy John, he was the muscle ha.

Here she rests.


It is a tight fit. Built my engine mounts, 1/4" plate. I will clean them up, do a some grinding, and paint them tomorrow night.



Brakes are all plumbed in.

My AKG shifter should be here before the weekend. Going to make the linkage for that once it is here.

Also I got a 740il driveshaft, so once the mounts are painted and on, I can take my measurement to have my driveshaft cut down and the new flange welded on.