Airbag car auto to manual pedal swap

[JWS45]

Hello all -

Does anyone have any advice for adding a set of manual pedals (brake and clutch) to a previously automatic, airbag e30? As you are probably aware, the bracketry for the brake pedal assembly is much different on a airbag car, as the automatic brake pedal bracket continues up the steering column. There are not simply the 4 nuts that attach it to the firewall and the 2 bolts that attach it to the steering column.

Any suggestions on how to complete this pedal swap? I know someone out there has figured this one out....

Thanks!

[whodwho]

Leave the box and just swap out the pedals and don't worry about using the spring assy on the clutch pedal.

[nando]

airbag cars don't have that big spring anyway. auto and manual pedal boxes on airbag cars are 100% identical. there are some smaller springs that you can attach.

as whodwho says, just swap the pedals over.

[JWS45]

Literally all I have to do is swap the auto brake pedal for a clutch and brake pedal?

Are all the mounting points already on the vehicle? (such as #32 in this diagram: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...83&hg=35&fg=05)

[nando]

yes

think of it this way - all E30s were born as manuals. BMW "converted" them to automatic at the factory. :p

[TobyB]

think of it this way - all E30s were born as manuals. BMW "perverted" them to automatic at the factory.

fixed that for ya...

heh


t

[ebox86]

Literally all I have to do is swap the auto brake pedal for a clutch and brake pedal?

Are all the mounting points already on the vehicle? (such as #32 in this diagram: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...83&hg=35&fg=05)

Curious about this myself, is it just a clean swap?

[whodwho]

It is, if the clutch pedal from the car you get it from has a spring assy like #22 you just don't use it. You should grab the thru bolt and spacers as well, I don't remember if you can use the one from the auto setup.

[nando]

the auto thru bolt is too short IIRC

[apiazza2010]

sorry for the revival. All is needed for the swap is the clutch pedal itself, the brake pedal, and the thru bolt and spacers.
Number 15 and 7 on realOEM, and the bolt # ?

thanks

[VoltageDrop]

I yanked all the parts off a 90 airbag car to swap into my 89 non-airbag auto and I was looking under my dash tonight and noticed there's nothing for the clutch master to thread into on the auto pedal box. There are just two square holes punched in the bracket. I could run longer bolts through there and use nuts but it looks like the MC would tend to slide around. Is there supposed to be a square nut welded in there or what?

Also, this airbag car does have the big spring so that rule is apparently not universal.

[nando]

well, firstly you don't want an airbag pedal box in your non-airbag car. the way the steering column mounts is different, I'd be looking for a non-airbag pedal assembly.

Interesting that non-airbag pedal boxes aren't all the same but that makes more sense. it's a lot easier to change than on an airbag car. on mine, I just bolted the MC right to the stock auto pedal box.

[VoltageDrop]

In that case I'll just have to get creative and make it work ;D

For future reference, I've attached a picture of what my pedal box looks like with those square holes.

What does that big spring supposedly do? It sounds like it works fine without it so now I'm curious why BMW spent the money on such a thing.

[AWDBOB]

Does anyone know if the pedals can be pulled from a non-airbag pedal assembly to put on the airbag pedal assembly?

[JasonC]

Does anyone know if the pedals can be pulled from a non-airbag pedal assembly to put on the airbag pedal assembly?

Yes, it's a direct swap. I put the pedals out of a 86 into my 92.