89 325i LS Swap (Rust Repair & Respray Underway)

[jeenyus]

It seems like a 4.10 diff would be too short for that much power. Like i bet you fly off the line, but cruising you'd be sitting close to 4k like all the time. Are you considering changing the final drive with the new power plant?

[AWDBOB]

It seems like a 4.10 diff would be too short for that much power, cruising you'd be sitting close to 4k like all the time.

Not with a T56- fourth gear in *most* T56s is 1:1. 5th and 6th gear are both overdrive gears. Unless OP is cruising the highway at like 120mph all the time the 4.10s actually probably work well.

[jeenyus]

Ah I guess I missed where he replaced the tranny with a Chevy transmission. Thanks for explaining that!

Not with a T56- fourth gear in *most* T56s is 1:1. 5th and 6th gear are both overdrive gears. Unless OP is cruising the highway at like 120mph all the time the 4.10s actually probably work well.

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[Pootis]

Yeah AWDBOB is right. The 4.10 is geared really well for this setup even with the shorter tire but I think down the road I will get a built 3.73. That is probably the perfect ratio.

[z28]

I wouldn't go shorter than 3.73.

[lukeADE335i]

I'd agree there. The HSV Commodores we got down here with the LSx run either 3.7 or 3.9 LSDs with the T56. They have plenty of poke pushing around 1800kg, so 3.73 should be fine in an e30.

[Pootis]

Ebay is running 10% off right now so I think I'm going to pick up a Sloppy Stage 2 Cam and new lifters during the sale

[BUDNUNTA]

I've got 3.46 with 195/60/15s

Gearing feels great to me

[TeXJ]

Just found this build thread and am very interested in the ls swap details.

For the 6.0 that you're gonna be putting in, do you have DOD? If so, are you going to delete it?

Did you buy any of the swap kit parts? I see you modified c5 headers, any info on that?

May I ask about how much you have in the swap?

Would love to put a LS in my e30.

[Pootis]

Just found this build thread and am very interested in the ls swap details.

For the 6.0 that you're gonna be putting in, do you have DOD? If so, are you going to delete it?

Did you buy any of the swap kit parts? I see you modified c5 headers, any info on that?

May I ask about how much you have in the swap?

Would love to put a LS in my e30.

The 6.0 I bought is not DOD but if you buy a DOD motor you will have to delete it. I am doing a full refresh on the motor with new lifters gaskets headbolts etc and throwing a cam in. I bought a custom kit that a guy was running in his e30. It sat a little too far back for my liking so I did alter it a bit. The modified c5 manifold is not pretty but it works. I basically cut it off at the collector and then mixed and matched pieces until I could sneak it around the steering shaft. For the 6.0 I plan on running a set of jba gto shorty headers with hopefully minimal customization necessary. I have never added up all that I have in the swap but I can tell you now it isn't cheap and the "while your in there stuff" adds up quick but when people tell you expect to spend 6-10k believe it. I definitely have at least $6K in it and that is with doing 95% of the work myself. If I could do it over again I would have just dropped an M/S5X in it and turbo'd it. Practically the same amount of money and wouldn't take 3 years to do it. Not saying an LS swap takes that long but an M/S5X swap can be done in a weekend.

[TeXJ]

dang man. I'd like one but I know I couldn't do most of it myself. Thanks for the info!

[325isman]

Nice looking car and I like the wheels on it,keep up the good work.

[Pootis]

Nice looking car and I like the wheels on it,keep up the good work.

Appreciate it!

[Melon]

I swapped out the 3.42's in my C5 to 4.10's
Best mod ever.

[Supadave]

If I could do it over again I would have just dropped an M/S5X in it and turbo'd it. Practically the same amount of money and wouldn't take 3 years to do it. Not saying an LS swap takes that long but an M/S5X swap can be done in a weekend.

Ain't that the truth. I remember do my S52 swap in 2 weekends by myself. This LS swap is WAY more time consuming. At the end, it'll be worth the time and effort.