Brilliantrot 24v swap: BACK UNDER THE KNIFE!..Now with puppy content

[marek|steezkal]

I asked because I am looking to go this route as well. Did you just stack washers for each mount?

Damn I wish I had a red E30, those pics look hawt! If you go low boost, definitely do a build thread or add to this one. Seems like we'll both be having very similar setups.

[Nick_S]

Yes you can just barely see them here.

[gome123]

Boost you say?!?! DO IT! and post it here.

I also did like Nick and modified my intake. I actually shaved a bit more than just a few fins so I wouldn't need spacers. I would rather shave plastic, than modify my brake booster. I like stopping.

[stoja e30]

nice build mate, just read the whole thing.

[E30NJ]

Nice work. Love the roof racks.

[_Keith_]

Got any detailed or better pictures of the wiring and how you fit in the conversion harness.

[Nick_S]

Got any detailed or better pictures of the wiring and how you fit in the conversion harness.

Not off hand. I'll try and snap some with the covers off tomorrow. It took a bit of craming and trimming to make it fit nicely but it came out really well.

[_Keith_]

Not off hand. I'll try and snap some with the covers off tomorrow. It took a bit of craming and trimming to make it fit nicely but it came out really well.

Yea was trying not to trim mine and invert the conversion harness so it was at the bottom. But I think it's to big to fit inside the cover. Did you get the relays to fit inside without modification?

[Nick_S]

Yea was trying not to trim mine and invert the conversion harness so it was at the bottom. But I think it's to big to fit inside the cover. Did you get the relays to fit inside without modification?

Yes I did but it took some adjustment and lots of zip ties.

[_Keith_]

Yes I did but it took some adjustment and lots of zip ties.

Yea I know. Trying to get mine perfect. I had put the conversion harness on the bottom. Looks like you did yours at the top.

If you get a chance those pics would help me greatly. Thanks!

[Mushroom Stew]

Appreciate the thread. I just picked up a 91 318 as well that I plan on doing a m50 swap with. This thread will no doubt come in handy!

[Nick_S]

She's going back under the knife! After 5 or so years or relatively trouble free driving it was time for a bit of work. Earlier this year the transmsission started shifting poorly. At first it was an occasional grind into gear, then it became very difficult to get in gear at all until it warmed up. Then it just got worse to point it felt awful to drive so it sat most of the summer. Dreading having to pull the transmission in my tiny shared garage I just kept putting it off and putting it off. Fast forward to mid September and me an my girl bought a nice house here in Denver and one of the big selling points for me was a two car garage all to myself. Decided now that I have room to move and no one else messing with my stuff I should dive in and get this thing sorted once and for all.

New Spot




I had started to tackle the problem earlier in the year and in doing so replace the master and slave cylinders as well as the rubber hoses and added a UUC braided clutch line and all the bushings and seals on the resevior. At this same time I rebuilt the front brake calipers with new seals, painted the calipers, added some stainless brake lines and Hawk HPS pads.

I initially started to try and just pull the trans still in the car but after getting ruinously frustrated for a 4 days trying to get to the mounting bolts and realizing I was an engine harness and radiator disconnect away from pulling it, I called a buddy with an engine lift and we yanked it out last night. Came out with very little fuss and within 10 min the transmission was off. TOB looks absolutely roasted the pivot pin is extremely worn out which I suspect contributed to the issue. Figured if I'm doing this much work I might as well replace everything I can while I have access to it. So the list goes as follows, everything is brand new

-Single mass OE M42 flywheel
-OE M42 clutch/PP
-TOB, release arm, Spring and pivot pin
-All OE shift linkage bushings w/ Condor Derlin carrier bushing
-Rear main seal/crankshaft seal
-Pilot bearing
-Condor steering coupler



And out. Made a little stand to sit the engine on while I work on it.


Going to replace a few random fuel lines and the hard to reach coolant hoses while it's out and clean up some poor wiring I had done early on in my ownership of the car. Aside from this shifting issue and smashing the oil pan earlier this year, the cars been damn reliable since the swap was done. I also plan on re-installed powersteering on the car if anyone has an M50 setup with lines etc they want to sell?

And here's some randoms from the last year.

[wworm]

that roof rack is sick! Mind sharing what it is?

[Nick_S]

that roof rack is sick! Mind sharing what it is?

Yea man it's a Kuat Vagabond basket. Looks awesome, very well built and has two built in fork mounts for bikes which obviously come in handy for me. I can stuff the BMX in the back if I need but there's no way my mtn bikes will fit. Love this thing.

[wworm]

Yea man it's a Kuat Vagabond basket. Looks awesome, very well built and has two built in fork mounts for bikes which obviously come in handy for me. I can stuff the BMX in the back if I need but there's no way my mtn bikes will fit. Love this thing.

are you running a thru axle front fork? Only thing keeping me from getting a fork mount roof rack is because I have a million different types of axles between all my bikes.