M50 swap thread

mtnman533 · Post by **mtnman533** » Feb 27, 2011 10:50 PM

Yeah, the guy who pulled the motor decided to cut it out instead of do stuff. So most of the pipes are cut, and the harness is cut in multiple places. Which sucks.

derrith · Post by **derrith** » Feb 28, 2011 1:05 AM

mtnman533 wrote:Yeah, the guy who pulled the motor decided to cut it out instead of do stuff. So most of the pipes are cut, and the harness is cut in multiple places. Which sucks.

Yeah, luckily NV harnesses aren't as sought out as other ones. Getting an e36 NV harness would be better than an e34 one though. It fits the e28 engine bay a little better.

mtnman533 · Post by **mtnman533** » Feb 28, 2011 1:22 AM

So your build thread said, I've got my eye out for one. Need to take a trip to the yard and see what I can see. If you come across one... let me know!

mtnman533 · Post by **mtnman533** » Mar 22, 2011 6:21 PM

Well, it's been a while since I updated this. Today a complete NV harness from a 92 325i left Minnesota and will be here next week. So with that finally on the way, I can move onto getting the other bits I need. Tidying up the engine bay, and ordering a few new bits are among things in a list of bits to do/get.

The weather here has put a holt to getting anything serious done

.

thrty8street · Post by **thrty8street** » Mar 26, 2011 9:13 PM

can wait to see the final result

Alfonso Bedoya · Post by **Alfonso Bedoya** » Mar 26, 2011 9:23 PM

mooseheadm5 wrote:
mtnman533 wrote:Cool thanks, the trans says ZF on the side not sure what that means exactly .
Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen

My buddy and I tried to pronounce that the other weekend good luck, so if some one asks you what kind of trans you're running you easliy spout that name of like it's nothing!

Anyway good luck with the swap I am subscribed looking forward to the final result, and thatnks for sharing your work with us!

mtnman533 · Post by **mtnman533** » Mar 26, 2011 10:44 PM

Thanks guys!

The weather report shows sunny skies all this week, so I should make some good progress. The harness is in the post office ready for pick up, so I'll have that early monday.

My528e.awesome · Post by **My528e.awesome** » Mar 27, 2011 1:54 AM

mtnman533 wrote: funny stuff.

yeah, I like the m30 too, but it finding one was more hassle than it's worth. I hope it isn't too much of a headache aswel, time will tell me. It'll be at 5erwest this year, for those going you can check it out then in person.

DUDE! if you want any help let me know, i can spit to los gatos. (i dont know how i didnt see this before.)

i too hope to make it to 5er west, need to fix the car first tho.

mtnman533 · Post by **mtnman533** » Mar 28, 2011 8:49 PM

I might take you up on that when I get to the bolting everything together stage!

So, went down into LG and picked up the wiring harness today, looks to be in good condition, no fraid or broken, or burnt out wires that I could see.

Today I also finished up the angle iron mount relocators, they are officially holding up the engine, and the trans is mounted as well

. Now it's time to get a mechnanic friend to order up a complete set of hoses, and anything else I need. I also need to converse with a couple of people to see how in the hell some of these things go together and fit

.

But, I am seriously happy about finally getting the mounts bolted and sorted out. Damn weather....

I'll post pictures tomorrow night, heading up into the rockies to get in a day of snow boarding in a few hours, need to tidy myself up, currently far to geasy for pollite company.

wilkinst · Post by **wilkinst** » Apr 13, 2011 2:24 PM

Any more progress?
I'm waiting on my dad's 525i trans to die then I'll be pulling his engine for a future swap.

mtnman533 · Post by **mtnman533** » Apr 13, 2011 5:13 PM

A little progress. The engine is back out of the car, and I have a nice box of new bits to put on. New hoses, new trans oil, new spark plugs are already in, and a bunch of other bits.

Right now just waiting for a day where I have access to one of the parents BMWs (BMW family...) to be able to go and meet Logan, he's making the wiring harness for me (so awesome).

Here are some pics of the work done over the last few weeks. I'm a pretty slow worker.

The engine before being put in for mount making, cleaned up some, but still not totally clean.

]

The engine chilling in the bay. That is basically final resting place, the drivers side mount is done in this pic, and bolted at both ends. The passenger side mount is clamped down, so that the engine didn't move while I was making the drivers side. Things that need to move so the air intake will fit... the bracket for the expansion tank (using a radiator with a built in tank, so no worries) and the power steering reservoir needs to move, along with relocating the battery to the passenger side.

The passenger side mount. 1/8th inch thick 2x2 angle Iron. It seems to hold the weight for the engine not problem. I might still try to make the engine sit a little further back in the bay.

92 e36 M50 NV harness.

So many M30 parts... You can expect a for sale thread in the not too distant future.

Clean bay, with the new mounts. I have new motor mounts, the old ones are ripped. The mounts will be painted black so they don't stick out like a sore thumb.

Eta power · Post by **Eta power** » Apr 14, 2011 1:23 PM

Lookin' good.

mtnman533 · Post by **mtnman533** » Apr 14, 2011 5:31 PM

Thanks, it's going alright.

mtnman533 · Post by **mtnman533** » May 04, 2011 6:51 PM

So I know I'm not going to win any speed building competition, but this speed works for me, and I'll get it done eventually

The other day I bolted the engine in for what I hoped would be the last time (1). After wrestling with it for several hours it finally sit where it would fit without interfering with the body (1/2). To be able to maneuver the engine inside the bay after getting it in, I added grooves to the relocating mounts (3).

It was at this point I discovered the M30 engine mounts make the engine sit way to high to be able put the motor far enough back in the bay without interfering with the trans tunnel (2/4), there's a good 2 inches to be had in that gap. Those two inches would also transform to the gear linkage, right now the trans sits half an inch or so back from where the getrag did, so a linkage a little longer that stock is needed (maybe stock e34 525 is the right length? I haven't check linkages out yet). For the trans mounts I had to use stock M50 rubber ones since the getrag ones make it hit the tunnel. Aside from those few things, it sits centered and nicely within the bay, and looks pretty damn good. If the couple if inches it sits forward don't matter, then I will leave the M30 mounts in, since swapping them out is the biggest pain ever.

Thoughts on the effect of having the engine two inches further forward/back?

The final hurdle to deal with that's kinda major is making the intake fit. The power steering reservoir and the M20 intake mount bracket are the two things in the way, so figuring that out will take some planning, and I will probably wait until after I have the exhaust built.

(1)

(2)

(3)
Passengers side

Drivers side

(4)

Just a couple more pics of each side. I've decided to get the valve cover powder coated, not sure totally sure on colour yet though. Anything that isn't the chipping, flaking, dirty coating that's on there now pretty much.

I have to get rid of my brothers totaled e30 that's hoggin my trailer before being able to take the 5 to an exhaust shop to get the exhaust done.

ElGuappo · Post by **ElGuappo** » May 04, 2011 9:14 PM

Good progress dude.

I have a completed m50 exhaust for an e28 body that I don't see myself using right now. Got it from Logans swap.

Let me know if you are interested.

mtnman533 · Post by **mtnman533** » May 04, 2011 9:18 PM

Oh that'd be awesome! Can you PM some pics/price?

ElGuappo · Post by **ElGuappo** » May 04, 2011 11:33 PM

I will get something together this weekend for you.

mtnman533 · Post by **mtnman533** » May 04, 2011 11:34 PM

Awesome thanks.

elvislorin · Post by **elvislorin** » Jun 16, 2011 11:37 AM

good job...i have 2 questions for you:
1. some news?there's been a while since your last post
2. you did some adaptations to the engine mounts...will they hold? i'm thinking of doing the same thing but i'm afraid they won;t last long

Alfonso Bedoya · Post by **Alfonso Bedoya** » Jun 16, 2011 12:06 PM

I got my thread update email this morning I was excited, sadly nothing has changed yet.

X2 on updates?

mtnman533 · Post by **mtnman533** » Jun 16, 2011 12:36 PM

Haha sorry for the disappointment.

However, updates will be forthcoming. Logan says the wiring harness is done, so I'll be picking that up soon. Once I get that I'll be changing the transmission mounts to allow the engine to sit further back, purely because it looks like it's sitting too far forward.

Once the engine is in its final resting place, I'll get an exhaust built, and find a way of moving the power steering reservoir to make space for the intake.

As to your question elvis, the mounts should hold. The angle iron I used is pretty tough. I had difficulty flexing a pice 3 ft long, and the ones holding the engine in are about 4 inches. Yes I did cut slits in them, but that doesn't seem to of affected the strength in any major way... If it has though, i'm sure I'll find out about it when I fire it up for the first time

elvislorin · Post by **elvislorin** » Jun 16, 2011 12:51 PM

and what kind of bolts did you use?the originals?
i also made some progress...i got the m30b28 out, i refurbished the m50b25 (valves, piston rings, all the seals, camshaft etc) and i put it in...temporarily...now it's sitting on the stabilizer bar until i decide what kind of mounts+engine supports to use
i'll post some pictures soon

mtnman533 · Post by **mtnman533** » Jun 16, 2011 1:03 PM

I used some old subframe bolts I had lying around, super high tensile, then just the regular rubber engine mounts.

Very cool, excited to see that completed. I didn't have the money to rebuild the M50, no matter how much I wanted to

.

elvislorin · Post by **elvislorin** » Jun 17, 2011 2:36 AM

here's a link to my topic...i know you don't understand romanian but you should understand from the pictures how i'm doing
http://bmwzone.ro/forums/index.php?show ... 268&st=420

elvislorin · Post by **elvislorin** » Jun 20, 2011 5:18 PM

here's a link to a topic just like yours
a m50 conversion done in uk.
http://forum.bmw5.co.uk/index.php/topic ... ge__st__60

mtnman533 · Post by **mtnman533** » Jul 01, 2011 8:23 PM

Project is now for sale, check the for sale section here for full story...

LINK: http://www.mye28.com/viewtopic.php?p=882365#882365

mtnman533 · Post by **mtnman533** » Jul 04, 2011 7:59 PM

Price drop, come on, I know someone wants to make this car drive like it looks! I also know no one wants to see it parted out and the shell scrapped...

Cactus · Post by **Cactus** » Jul 04, 2011 9:37 PM

I'd totally buy this if it wouldn't cost more to ship it to Ohio than you're asking for it. I wanted to do this to my 528e till I got a turbo manifold for it.

mtnman533 · Post by **mtnman533** » Jul 04, 2011 9:48 PM

Ohio is a fair distance, unfortunately!

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M50 swap thread