Frank's E30 M60 V8 Swap Build Thread

[Jonsku]

600 for a rebuilt and shortened at both ends.

$600 !?!?!

I thought USA would be cheap in all that kind of stuff... :-O
Here the cost is around $300 (shortened and balanced shaft with all new parts)..

[iamsam]

$600 !?!?!

I thought USA would be cheap in all that kind of stuff... :-O
Here the cost is around $300 (shortened and balanced shaft with all new parts)..

probably depends on where you go get it done. I bet you can get a Mexican to do it for $150, and they do some pretty good work sometimes.

[battlecattle]

Just tossing this out there. My driveshaft was done at Driveline Service of Portland, Inc. Custom driveshaft $490 + core $75 = $565.

I have loads of receipts on most of my car too incase you need anything specific I and can and look it up.

-Josh

[Garageaholic]

I went to alot of places. Only a very small handful deal with the 2 piece BMW driveshafts.

In that small handful, they charged the same amount, but i chose driveling service shop of Atlanta due to their customer service and ability to do exactly what i needed.

$600 is what it is.

[battlecattle]

I went to alot of places. Only a very small handful deal with the 2 piece BMW driveshafts.

In that small handful, they charged the same amount, but i chose driveling service shop of Atlanta due to their customer service and ability to do exactly what i needed.

$600 is what it is.

There are many ways to skin a cat. Just offering exactly what was done to my M60 e30.

[iamsam]

I went to alot of places. Only a very small handful deal with the 2 piece BMW driveshafts.

In that small handful, they charged the same amount, but i chose driveling service shop of Atlanta due to their customer service and ability to do exactly what i needed.

$600 is what it is.

you get what you pay for though, you prob have one badass driveshaft, and now you can do 6-speed, which is cooler than 5-speed.

anyway, I am eagerly awaiting more updates, and maybe by spring break I will start my own M60 swap thread (into my E28 ).

[Denny]

Frank, Is the 540i center bearing bolt on in the E30 chassis? or do you have to customize that...

Cool thing is Atlanta will now be able to replicate them for others too... thanks for paving the way for the rest :)

[Jonsku]

Frank, Is the 540i center bearing bolt on in the E30 chassis? or do you have to customize that...

There are two kinds of E30 center bearings (facelift & pre-facelift). For the facelifts at least, you need to modify the center bearing a bit to make it fit.

You could also use E30 center bearing (as the driveshaft is equal diameter there).


Btw Frank, how are you going to put the driveshaft in place when you don't have anything "movable" (center thing that alters length) in there ... ? Going to be a tight fit.


Once again, as an "alternative solution", you could use the 540 front part (as the rear part of front part is equal diameter as in E30) and the rest from E30 shaft. This way you would retain the possibility to alter the length (ease installation, account for the small changes in driveline length), though still have to weak U-joints.

However, I've now done/helped in five different V8 swaps here in Finland, all with two weak U-joints and they've clocked in total around 30 000km to the clock without any problems so it's a doable solution.

[Garageaholic]

There are two kinds of E30 center bearings (facelift & pre-facelift). For the facelifts at least, you need to modify the center bearing a bit to make it fit.

You could also use E30 center bearing (as the driveshaft is equal diameter there).


Btw Frank, how are you going to put the driveshaft in place when you don't have anything "movable" (center thing that alters length) in there ... ? Going to be a tight fit.


Once again, as an "alternative solution", you could use the 540 front part (as the rear part of front part is equal diameter as in E30) and the rest from E30 shaft. This way you would retain the possibility to alter the length (ease installation, account for the small changes in driveline length), though still have to weak U-joints.

However, I've now done/helped in five different V8 swaps here in Finland, all with two weak U-joints and they've clocked in total around 30 000km to the clock without any problems so it's a doable solution.

I know from experience that e30 u joints are far from the weak link in the drivetrain. I've built an e30m30 turbo and I know it's good for up to 300rwhp.

That driveshaft spline is a good point you bring up and I had given it a little thought. There is some angle that can be derived from the u joint in the center, so I might be able to squeeze it in there. I havent separated the 2 halves of the m60 driveshaft yet, but I think that it might slide on splines that is then tightened by the 18mm center bolt. I am disassembling both halves tomorrow, so I'll see if my suspicions are confirmed.

If worse comes to worse, I might install my rebuilt 3.15 in at the same time so the driveshaft installation methodology would be a moot point.

I am instructing the shop to purchase a new center bearing p/n 26121226657 from the exact 540i from which it came.....because I can confirm after test fitting the center bearing that it fits in the tunnel perfectly. A new center bearing is part of the rebuilt price...I just need to inform them which one I need installed

[Jonsku]

I havent separated the 2 halves of the m60 driveshaft yet, but I think that it might slide on splines that is then tightened by the 18mm center bolt. I am disassembling both halves tomorrow, so I'll see if my suspicions are confirmed.

One more comment on this. There aren't "two halves" in M60 driveshaft, as the "variable length constant velocity joint" is the big thing in the rear..

[Garageaholic]

Are you suggesting that I reconsider my driveshaft rebuild technique to utilize e30 front AND rear half and simply weld the m60 front flange to the e30 front half?

Doing it that way, perhaps just the front half would need to be shortened, but since the front half diameters are different, you couldn't weld the front half m60 to the front half e30. That was my problem.

I see how it would be easier through maintaining the center spline sliding for easy install, but since the front half diameters are different, I don't think that configuration will work.

[Garageaholic]

Actually that begs the question....when that e30 spline nut is fully tightened to spec, is the design intended to allow the 2 halves to slide?

If not, then im sticking with my original plan.

If so, then I will reevaluate my options to accommodate both halves of the e30 driveshaft.

[iamsam]

Actually that begs the question....when that e30 spline nut is fully tightened to spec, is the design intended to allow the 2 halves to slide?

I think so, yes. The nut only tightens the squeeze of the rubber sleeve on the splined shaft, so it still moves with more force. It would have to, the motor/trans moves on its rubber mounts, and the diff moves (a little) on its mount. Of course polyurethane everywhere would greatly limit these movements, and the guibo itself can take some flexing up to a half inch or so if it needs to.

[Jonsku]

Are you suggesting that I reconsider my driveshaft rebuild technique to utilize e30 front AND rear half and simply weld the m60 front flange to the e30 front half?

Doing it that way, perhaps just the front half would need to be shortened, but since the front half diameters are different, you couldn't weld the front half m60 to the front half e30. That was my problem.

I see how it would be easier through maintaining the center spline sliding for easy install, but since the front half diameters are different, I don't think that configuration will work.

Go and measure the front diameters ... ;)






That's one example. E30 shaft with M60 front part (the largest diameter "bulge" from M60 shaft was left out as it'd have been so short).

(the part just in front of the U-joint in M60 shaft is exactly same diameter as in E30, only difference is the gearbox flange and the largest diameter part.

Actually that begs the question....when that e30 spline nut is fully tightened to spec, is the design intended to allow the 2 halves to slide?

Of course, the rubber mounts are not that rigid. That's why it's always bit questionable to use "rigid" driveshaft. It works, but reduces the rubber-joint lifetime quite a lot..

[slammin.e28]

Soooowait.......6sp driveshaft, front half, mated to e30 driveshaft, rear half, will fit a M60'd 6sp, e30?

Is it really that easy?