Project Armo "330i" M-tech 1

[Vincenze]

Also, people combine the front part of a Z4 drive shaft (I think a manual E85) with the rear part of an E36 drive shaft.

The E46 330i front piece is very different from the E46 320d one.

[Skarpa]

I also found this thread https://www-btcf-fi.translate.goog/f..._pto=ajax,elem

:D Yeah, that's me. I put a bit tidied up translation of the writeup in this thread a few posts up.

And to be clear about the shortness of the 325 iA drive shaft: So far it poses no problems and I don't expect it to. If the drive shaft was overlapping more, it would be stronger but I don't expect it to break with an NA engine.

The E46 330i front piece seems like an interesting option if a little bit pricy. You could also have a longer drive shaft shortened to exact length. In the photos above it looks like splines are overlapping almost completely if not completely. There should be a little bit of movement left. Otherwise during a hard acceleration when the rear subframe is pushed forward by the rear wheels the drive shaft may bottom out and bind the needle bearings which promises short life for the universal joint. But as said it doesn't show clearly in the photos. There may well be enough free play.

E46 automatic transmission front piece would probably work with E30 rear piece as well. The front piece seems to be 40 mm shorter than in the 6-speed drive shaft.

[Vincenze]

I also found this thread https://www-btcf-fi.translate.goog/f..._pto=ajax,elem

[Vincenze]

You can try to use the E36 M3 giubo 26112226527. It's 5mm thicker.

I found this thread https://www.e30club.ru/forum/index.p...140858.75.html
I tried to ask the guy about the dimensions, but he replied that he didn't do the job himself.

It's the GS6-37DZ with the 318 engine, that's why the shifter carrier is twisted.



He used the E46 6-speed 320d front and the E30 rear.

[Skarpa]

Thank you very much.

You say that your E36 drive shaft is slightly short.

The E30 and E46 have the same orientation of the drive shaft halves. The front part is male.
Every E30 has an E30 drive shaft anyway, so the rear part is available.

I find drive shafts like this: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/144170881841

Yes, the E36 325iA is a tad short. The steel parts overlap about 30 mm when you'd want it to be about 60 mm. When you add up the plastic washer and the threaded collar, that would leave about 20 to 30 mm to spare for movement of the engine and the rear axle. The difference in E36 and E46 drive shaft lengths seems to be about 70 mm based on the lengths given in ETK but I have no verified information on this. I also don't know if the E46 rear piece is the same or different length as the E30 one. But if you try out the E46 drive shaft or have any more accurate information, please tell me. I'm always interested to learn more.

[Vincenze]

- E30 and E36 have very similar distance from the back of the engine to the diff. Therefore E36 drive shafts work well in E30s. I think in E46 this distance is longer. So the combination you're thinking may or may not work. I used E36 iA drive shaft.

Thank you very much.

You say that your E36 drive shaft is slightly short.

The E30 and E46 have the same orientation of the drive shaft halves. The front part is male.
Every E30 has an E30 drive shaft anyway, so the rear part is available.

I find drive shafts like this: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/144170881841

[Skarpa]

Some time ago I made a writeup on 6-speed swap on a Finnish forum. I'll attach here a google translation of that. Usually google doesn't handle technical terms very well so I'll check it and edit it better later when I have time. If something doesn't make sense, ask.

"
These things have been asked by several people, so I was thinking of making an instruction to connect a 6-speed GS6-37BZ or GS6-37DZ transmission to an M50 or M52 engine. My own knowledge mainly concerns the E30 model, but the same tasks apply mostly to the E36 model and to others. If you find something to be corrected or supplemented, then tell me. Many times you hear that the transmission is bolt-on, but there are quite a few small tweaks and things to consider.

Some information about the transmission. The GS6-37 is a 6-speed gearbox made by ZF. The BZ version can be found in the E46 330i 6-speed model and many newer BMWs with N5X engined, among others. The DZ version, on the other hand, is standard on newer 4-cylinder diesels until replaced by an automatic transmission. These versions differ in the gear ratios of the low gears and the angle of the clutch housing flange. The M5X and N5X have a tilt angle of 30 degrees from the vertical and diesels (as well as the M20) have a tilt angle of 20 degrees from the vertical. Thus, there is a 10 degree difference in the inclination of the flanges and the DZ box, when bolted to a M5X machine, becomes 10 degrees oblique.

Gear ratios:
GS6-37DZ: 5.14, 2.83, 1.79, 1.26, 1.00, 0.85.
GS6-37BZ: 4.32 2.46 1.66 1.23 1.00, 0.85

Note! There are small differences in gear ratios between different models. The four-letter code following the gearbox model indicates the more specific model.

For comparison, the S5D-320Z, ie the often used 5-speed ZF, which can be found in the E36 328i, for example:
4.20, 2.49, 1.66, 1.24, 1.00

The gear ratios of the petrol version are thus close to the same as in 5-speed and the sixth gear is overdrive. In the diesel box, on the other hand, gears 1-3 are much shorter and only the fifth and sixth are the same as in the BZ.


Necessary changes when adapting to an M5X engine:
Link to my own image folder with images related to transmission fitting. https://anttikarppinen.kuvat.fi/kuva...+transmission/


Clutch housing flange:
Four large bolts that bolt to the block and the starter motor position fit directly. The smaller bolts connecting to the oil sump may be in different locations depending on the origin of the transmission and oil sump. They can be drilled with new holes in either the clutch housing or the oil sump. I drilled into the clutch housing myself.


Pilot Bearing:
The clutch shaft is shorter in the GS6 box than in older bmw boxes. In newer BMWs the pilot gearing is housed in the flywheel, not the crankshaft. The clutch shaft extends only a few millimeters into the pilot bearing housing in the crankshaft., so it doesn't reach the pilot bearing mounted to normal depth.There are three possible solutions to this:

1. Buy a flywheel with a housing for the pilot bearing. The bearing is a needle bearing type and has a part number of 21207536792. It usually seems to come with the flywheel.
2. Make and adapter in a lathe for the end of the crankshaft that has a housing for the aforementioned needle bearing.
3. Use a wider than standard 13mm ball bearing as the pilot bearing and install it with bearing glue so that it extends 3-5 mm out of the crankshaft bearing housing. The bearing model is 63002-2RS. Note, on some crankshafts, the pilot bearing housing is looser at the and and only narrows down deeper. In such a crankshaft, this solution cannot be used.

Flywheel:
Because the clutch shaft is shorter, it is not possible to use a flat hard flywheel with these boxes, such as the M20 model, but the flywheel must be a dual-mass version or made to such dimensions. The M52B28 standard dual mass wheel is suitable if the pilot bearing is on the crankshaft. 228-millimeter flywheels such as the M52B25 or M50B25 are also suitable in principle, but finding a clutch plate can be a headache. If you want to use a flywheel with pilot bearing, it can be found, for example, in models E46 330i 6-spd, or X3 6-spd (par no. 21207533868).


Clutch:
The splines of the clutch shaft of the GS6-37 box is of the type 26.5x29-22N, i.e. 22-groove fine splines. So different from the 10-groove used in older boxes. (and different from the larger 6-year box, GS6-53) The clutch plate must be selected accordingly. A mere stodck friction plate from a marble counter costs unreasonably. Here are my own suggestions for different types of solutions:

Standard friction plate and pressure plate: Luk 641110710
Can be found at its best very successfully. Cheaper than just a friction plate at dealer. The assembly is self-adjusting (SAC), meaning it must be kept tensioned or prestressed if removed and reused. It has its own tools for it, but reportedly a big puller works. This set is almost worth buying, even if you only need a friction plate.

SRE mass plate: 981864-999515

Hard flywheel, sprung Clutch plate and still life: Valeo 835101
The flywheel is made with the dimensions of a dual mass wheel and of the same weight. The set is very affordable at best and I would think that by lightening the pace a good blank for NA tuning. Just a plate and a still life with the number 828511

Durable sprung plate for turbo use: GS6-37 ACT sprung Clutch plate 240mm

Sinter plates can be found easily well when you search by clutch shaft diameter and amount of splines

Other pressure plates and friction plates can be found, of course. The bolt pitch of the M54B30 setup is the same as the M52B28 and the Clutch Plate is the same thickness. 240 mm switches are best found due to splines.


Thrust bearing:
There may be slight differences between these. My own transmission is from an E90 and the E46 330i thrust bearing did not fit over the clutch shaft sleeve. I had to use an E90 bearing.


Shifter linkages:
Parts of any model do not fit directly into an E30 or E36 body. Best bet is to either buy some aftermarket kit or modify the stock parts. The shifter carrier and connecting rod must be shortened quite a lot and a small correction must be made laterally so that the shifter fits the hole correctly. When using a DZ box, due to the angle difference of the transmission, more bends must be made to the linkages. Note that the rear end of the transmission is so far back that the lower eye of the shifter may catch on the bolt heads of the front end of the drive shaft.


Transmission rear cross member:
The GS6-37 is about 105 mm longer than the S5D-320Z. The cross member needs to be modified. In tge body there are suitable slots for the cross member because automatic transmissions are longer. But the height is different from the stock slots for the manual transmission. Modifying the cross member is quite a small operation. Make sure that the outlet flange of the transmission points exactly towards the support bearing so that the guibo is not subjected to tension. The position error of the DZ box must of course be taken into account.


Rubber Guibo:
The GS6-37 boxes use the same "big" flex disc with a 96mm bolt ring as the 5-year ZF, ie 26117511454


Drive shaft:
With regard to the drive shaft there are a few options in the E30 (and E36) body: E36 325iA or, for example, 328i drive shaft. The 325iA drive shaft has a large guibo and is about 140 mm shorter than the 328i drive shaft. The length of the GS6-37BZ box is 635 mm and the length of the S5D 320Z box is 530 mm. Since the length difference of the boxes is only 105 mm, the center joint is left for a much shorter distance to its splines. In the E36 body, the splines overlap 22.5mm. In the E30 body with the E36 engine mounts the distance between the box and the diff is a little shorter and the middle joint overlaps about 30 mm.

In a more powerful turbo car, I would modify a longer drive shaft, so it gets the optimum length and the splines are properly nested. In the E30 body, the PTO center bearing must be replaced with an E30. Note, buy by year model because there are two models: central and eccentric.

Information about drive shafts of E36 models:
E36 325i: 26111227445, 1512 mm, small guibo
E36 328i: 26111227283, 1492 mm, large guibo
E36 325iA: 26111227003, 1355 mm, large guibo
E36 328iA: 26111227441, 1345 mm, large guibo or 26111227376, 1211 mm big guibo (maybe. I don't know which box this short universal joint is in use with)
E36 M3 3.0 Euro: 26112227222, 1469 mm, large guibo, CV joint
E36 M3 3.2 Euro: (6-year Getrag manual): 26112227975 or later 26112228805, 1367 mm, large guibo, CV joint

The lengths are nominal lengths with the designed position of the center joint. I’m not one hundred percent sure if the rubber guibo is included in the measure. At least you can see the differences in length between the different drive shafts.

The E36 M3 3.2 Euro drive shaft might fit well if the rear joint or stern flange was replaced
"

[Skarpa]

Could you share ideas about ideal installation of a 6-speed transmission?

• What is the shifter carrier length? Is 140 mm correct?
• What is a compatible clutch slave cylinder? A E36 one as newer ones have a different pipe connector?
• Will a dual-mass flywheel and clutch for the E46 330i be comfortable for daily use?
• Will the combination of the front part of the 2003-2005 European E46 320d drive shaft plus the rear part of the E30 drive shaft work? The E46 320d came with the GS6-37.
• What is the ideal shifter?

I only have experience of this one 6-speed swap but I'll try to give you answers the best I can.

- I just made the carrier to fit and didn't measure it or if I did, I didn't write it down. But 140 mm and 96 mm sound about right. I wanted to line up the shifter perfectly and to do that I needed to make the link bar slightly staggered:

https://anttikarppinen.kuvat.fi/kuva...jpg?img=medium

https://anttikarppinen.kuvat.fi/kuva...jpg?img=medium

In that kit the link bar seems to be straight. That will rotate the the shifter slightly. Probably doesn't matter.

- I think I used the E90 330i clutch cylinder that came with the transmission. I had the older style metal one with a threaded connection but confusingly the the later plastic one with a different kind of connection seems to have the same part number: 21526785964. I hate when BMW does this bullshit. E90 330i clutch cylinder diameter is 22.2 mm and the E36 328i has diameter of 20.64. Smaller diameter will change the clutch feel. For E46 I couldn't find information about diameter.

- GS6-37BZ/DZ has different splines on the clutch shaft than older BMW. It uses slightly larger shaft with 22 splines rather than the 10 spline shat that's more common previously. So if you get an E46 330i clutch, be sure to get the 6-speed version. I used LUK 641110710 which is OE-quality aftermarket clutch that you can usually find pretty affordably. That plus a dual mass flywheel will be very comfortable.

- E30 and E36 have very similar distance from the back of the engine to the diff. Therefore E36 drive shafts work well in E30s. I think in E46 this distance is longer. So the combination you're thinking may or may not work. I used E36 iA drive shaft.

- As you saw, I had a slight fitment issue with the shifter but otherwise I like it. If the shifter carrier kit you posted is made for E30 I suggest you ask the manufacturer or seller which shifter they recommend to use with it because there may be fitment issues with a shifter that's too long under the ball. I guess likely candidates would be Z3-2.8/3.0, Z4 3.0, E36 328i, E90 330 or other similar levers.

[Vincenze]

Could you share ideas about ideal installation of a 6-speed transmission?

• What is the shifter carrier length? Is 140 mm correct?
• What is a compatible clutch slave cylinder? A E36 one as newer ones have a different pipe connector?
• Will a dual-mass flywheel and clutch for the E46 330i be comfortable for daily use?
• Will the combination of the front part of the 2003-2005 European E46 320d drive shaft plus the rear part of the E30 drive shaft work? The E46 320d came with the GS6-37.
• What is the ideal shifter?

[Skarpa]

Congratulations on getting your car officially road legal! Always such an enjoyable moment when you get to experience the culmination of so much hard work.

Enjoyed the video and must say the car sounds great on the dyno. Glad you were able to sort out the little mistake with the coding plug - we've all had these things happen...


100% in agreement with you on the ZF trans and shift lever selection. I tried several different combinations on my M52 and also found the E90 330i lever to offer the best feel overall.


Hopefully you get to spend some more time getting it out on the road.


MJ

Thanks! It's been awesome to see things take shape that previously existed only in my head and various cardboard boxes. It's also baffling how well the car works once I got past these minor setbacks. Although I was almost ready to throw in a towel (for now) when the car got rejected for emissions three days before the meet.

[mjweimer]

Congratulations on getting your car officially road legal! Always such an enjoyable moment when you get to experience the culmination of so much hard work.

Enjoyed the video and must say the car sounds great on the dyno. Glad you were able to sort out the little mistake with the coding plug - we've all had these things happen...


100% in agreement with you on the ZF trans and shift lever selection. I tried several different combinations on my M52 and also found the E90 330i lever to offer the best feel overall.


Hopefully you get to spend some more time getting it out on the road.


MJ

[Skarpa]

Fresh video:

https://youtu.be/sTHk_JoQu4U

[Skarpa]

Do you have a short shifter?

They are longer after the ball.
What about the Z3-1.9 shifter, which many E30 owners install?

ZF gearboxes have a longer selector rod throw than Getrag gearboxes. Therefore cars with ZF Gearbox usually have lower lever ratio of shifter. In my opinion the Z3 1.9 is a nice short shifter for stock E30 transmissions but doesn't work with ZF transmissions. It actually produces longer shifter throw than stock shifters for ZF transmissions. I have an E90 330i shifter which by eyeballing is similar to Z3 2.8/3.0 or Z3M in shape and lever ratio. I havem't really measured. It's not a short shifter as such because it's the stock shifter for this transmission but i really like the shifter feel. I could probable have avoided the issue and kept the shifter feel if I'd put a bend in the shifter and made the connecting link longer. That would have brought the bottom eye a little back and probably cleared the prop shaft bolts. But I'm happy with the solution of raising the pivot point higher. It actually brings the connecting link to a more horizontal position and in theory improves the shifter feel.

[Vincenze]

I got a little closer look at the shifter and it's no wonder there was some noise.



In case it's not that clear in the picture: That's the bottom end of the shifter pretty much resting against the drive shaft bolt head on sixth gear. It would be fine if the shifter was a bit higher up and there actually was room for it. I tried to bend the shifter carrier using a jack but you can't bend cast aluminum parts.

Do you have a short shifter?

They are longer after the ball.
What about the Z3-1.9 shifter, which many E30 owners install?

[Skarpa]

Beautiful car, so happy for you that you have sorted the issues and it's driving well. Such a good looking E30

Thanks! It's been awesome to have an actually working and road legal car.