E30 Zone

Does anyone know if the ix transfer box will fit on the normal 325 gearbox. Or any gearbox's from uk spec cars.
I'm currently trying to gather parts to convert to all wheel drive - and putting a gearbox on a pallet from germany will be an expense I can avoid if i can bolt the transfer box onto any of the gearbox's in UK breakers.

I, now know I'll also need.
Sump
...plus oil pick up pipe?
front diff that bolts to sump
hubs
...apparently I'll need the whole front strut assembly, don't know why?
drive shafts
front cross member.

Anything else I havn't considered?

Have you looked at the diagrams on www.realoem.com ?
They should tell you what is what so just the case of checking partnumbers against the gearboxes.

IIRC there is a zoner in Bristol that has fragged a couple of iX's so may make getting some parts a lot easier than from Germany.

TouringTash wrote:IIRC there is a zoner in Bristol that has fragged a couple of iX's

Tomson?

Not sure it was a good few months back and I can't find anything through gmail and the members lists will take ages to get to the B for a listing under location.

Alburglar wrote:Does anyone know if the ix transfer box will fit on the normal 325 gearbox. Or any gearbox's from uk spec cars.
I'm currently trying to gather parts to convert to all wheel drive - and putting a gearbox on a pallet from germany will be an expense I can avoid if i can bolt the transfer box onto any of the gearbox's in UK breakers.

I know I'll also need.
Sump
...plus oil pick up pipe?
hubs
drive shafts
front cross member.

Anything else I havn't considered?

Anything is possible but do you realise that the IX shell is very different to a standard shell ? You will need IX specific front struts and many more parts. Buying an IX is a much simpler /cheaper idea !

oh poo.
Was wondering why I couldn't find anyone thats done it before.
Found tomson and pm'd him.
found this:
There isnt a centre diff, only front and rear. The front diff is bolted to the sump and is a complete PITA to remove.
An iX gearbox is basically a normal E30 box with a small transfer case bolted to the back of it and its drive connects via a rubber guibo the same as a normal E30's prop connects to the gearbox, very crude IMO though I've had no experiance of any other 4wd systems ! There is then a splined prop shaft that puts power to the front diff, with this shaft removed I see no reason why the car would not drive as the transfer case is only cogs etc supplying drive to the front diff. E30 iX's are permanent 4wd and the viscous diffs can not be locked in any way . The power is a permanent 37:63% front to rear split so it may slow the car down removing the front drive shaft ??

The only power loss should be whatever it takes to move the internal parts of the transfer case which are now driving nothing... I could be talking utter bollocks but I have had an iX transfer case apart and its only cogs and a chain drive, no "slip unit" like a rear diff, so I believe what I've written to be correct and hopefully will help you out

To remove the front diff you would first need to remove both front struts and driveshafts = a pain in the arse, believe me I've been there too ! The front struts themselves is no big issue and its the same as any other 325i apart from the ARB mounting points, and the drive shafts. The drive shafts have probably never been off in the last 20 odd years and believe me they can be right cnuts to punch/pull/push/beat out of the hubs !

Doing a conversion into a normal e30 to an ix is going to need the floor pan modifying and also inner wing and strutt towers are different. Front suspension from an ix will NOT fit straight up into e30 without alot of work

PM replied

Alot more involved than what I expected, but, Doesn't sound too bad.
Body mods:
-lop a chunk out of the floor pan
-strengthen the strut tops
- bash the inner wings about?

Thanks for the pm tomson, I may have to put this on ice until my mini is done, but it is definitely on the cards!

Nothing to do to the inner wings AFAIK ?

Its not so much the floor pan, its the transmission tunnel, seat mounting points are standard E30. Nothing a good birmingham wont sort out

birmingham?
..dare i ask?

Hammer

What about a RHD conversion on a standard 325ix? Feasible?

Yes, I have broken one. The steering coupling was interesting though !

The automotive equivalent of the Polish plumber's flexi hose? Did you keep it?

Strut towers are very different, different mount plate further forwards and more outboard

Trans tunnel is quite a bit wider, carpet touches the seat sides

Id hold out for an iX

Probably easier to convert a a lefty to righty then.
Decisions, decisions, - made worse by the tempting offer of an e36 m3 evo that lives in a bush and owner wants rid of,
- that would probably be less involved, widetracked and FUN!
hmmm...

Alburglar wrote:Probably easier to convert a a lefty to righty then.
hmmm...

Never seen or examined an iX,but I have converted a LHD touring to RHD,myself,in me own domestic garage.....

The bulkhead is very different on LHD,the pedal box mounts in a different way,the main wiring loom is assembled differently,two of these points make the glovebox area difficult to get right,add to this the problems you will face in the transmission tunnel area and it may well be far more cost effective to buy a s/h X3!

Nothing is impossible to the determined and suitably skilled DiYer,if you take this on,please take plenty of photo's to keep us all entertained.

talking of bristol theres a silver ix touring around the clifton area - must be a hotspot or importing dealer ?

jimmyspeed wrote:talking of bristol theres a silver ix touring around the clifton area - must be a hotspot or importing dealer ?

I know the car, I believe the same owner has had it a long time.

Alburglar wrote:Probably easier to convert a a lefty to righty then.

after breaking a rhd converted one the bodge that was the front crossmember/rack/coupling I have come to the conclusion converting one to rhd is not really a good idea...

cecotto479 wrote:The automotive equivalent of the Polish plumber's flexi hose? Did you keep it?

Indeed it was along those lines ! I served the rack & coupling to another zoner who wanted to convert his to rhd, I wonder if he's given up on the idea yet !

Can you not just fit a standard RHD rack then Tom?

I dont know to be honest Dan, the iX front subframe needs modification to accept a RHD rack IIRC, the rack I removed from the converted turd was not a E30 RHD rack, some other make but I dont remember to be honest... Rack/engine/sump/exhaust clearance was extremely tight on the car I broke, you definately wouldnt have taken it round a track
The whole conversion was a bit of a bodge, the main loom had been extended behind the dash using crimp commections

I would have kept the photos of it all, I'll see if I can dig them out

An e30 rack mounts in front of the cross member but on the ix it has a completely different cross member. The rack on an ix is mounted behind the cross member hence doing a RHD conversion using E30 rack won't work. Just a note the ix cross member is made of aluminium so not easy welding new rack mounts under the car!!
If you manage find a rack that will fit then theres the problem of getting past exhaust pipes with the linkage next