525 engine in 325

Post Sun May 22, 2005 11:38 pm

Just dropping a 525i M20 in to my E30, but have noticed the sumps are slightly different shape... is this gonna be a problem?

Do I have to change them over!!!!!!! ????

thanks
Wilson

Post Mon May 23, 2005 9:02 am

When fitting a M50 engine into an E30, you HAVE to use the 525 sump, so it might well fit, but I'm sure someone on here must have done this and can give you a definitive reply.

Post Mon May 23, 2005 9:21 am

Oh right! Will be putting it in on Thu / Fri so we'll see

Thanks
Marc

Post Mon May 23, 2005 10:02 am

If I am right in remembering, the E34 M20 and E30 M20 are slightly different in that in one the dipstick goes into the block and in the other it goes into the sump itself. Also check the engine mounts are in the same place, as I was told by someone that they are in different places on the E34 as compaired to the E30.

Andy

Post Mon May 23, 2005 1:12 pm

Yes the engine mounts are in different positions. I will be using the engine mounts from the E30.

I don't think the dip sticks will matter.

Any opinions anyone?

Thanks,

Marc

Post Mon May 23, 2005 5:59 pm

How will you use the mounts dude if they are in a different position?

Any pics?

Post Mon May 23, 2005 6:12 pm

The block is the same and the mounts you can take from the 2.0 engine.

Post Tue May 24, 2005 1:06 am

m1key wrote:The block is the same and the mounts you can take from the 2.0 engine.

Does the block have both sets of mouting holes then? (one for E30 and one for E34)

Post Tue May 24, 2005 2:36 am

Oh I'll have a look tomorrow, I thought at first look that they both mounted the block in the same place, just the arms were different!!

I'll have to confirm!

Thanks
Marc

Post Tue May 24, 2005 10:18 pm

The engine mounts do not mount in the same place, but have checked and can confirm that the mounting holes are there for both types on both blocks....

Anyone got any further opinions about the sumps???

Thanks
Wilson

Post Tue May 24, 2005 10:22 pm

Im going through the same problem just now.

I aint opened the bonnet on the 5 series yet.

not got time off till june 11th so have to wait till then

cant wait to drop in the 2.5

Post Tue May 24, 2005 11:18 pm

BTW, just to make it clear, as I never mentioned it before, its not an upgrade I'm doing, just an engine swap, as the old one had just about had enough!!, I bought the 325i cheap, with a knackered ingine in it! and it just so happened I had an old E34 525i at hand for spares!!! bargain!

Thanks
Wilson

Post Wed May 25, 2005 12:30 am

I have a 320i M20, im replacing the engine with that from an 1986 525i. M20.

mike

Post Wed May 25, 2005 2:27 am

as far as i'm aware all the blocks are the same!

Post Wed May 25, 2005 6:30 pm

Wilson wrote:as far as i'm aware all the blocks are the same!

I always thought that!

but was told otherwise by the guy I sold the engine to

lol

Post Wed May 25, 2005 7:15 pm

Well, pretty successful dat so far, engine all ready to go in tomorrow, engine mounts went on fine, gearbox attached, all ancilleries Alt, PAS pump etc attached..... ready to go in (I Hope!!!)

Not bad considering the only engine I've ever changed before was an S1 RS Turbo lump... they are easy!!!!

I'll let you no more tomorrow...

Thanks
Wilson

Post Sat May 28, 2005 1:39 am

good luck mate!
Hope all goes well!

Post Sat May 28, 2005 5:31 am

all went in fine first time, but cant believe we bolted engine on mounts and forgot to locate the prop to the gearbox!!!!

never mind back out again!, then after locating the prop, engine bolted in again, and forgot to locate the gear selector!!!!

I did not want to lift the engine again, so instead we removed the prop housing and removed the mount the the gear selector bolts to.... (that was fiddley!!)

Other than that the only problems I had was a bad earth to the block, causing the starting motor not to turn over, and we burnt out a wire that goes to the oil level sensor!! can't understand why, but now I'll have to have an oil light on constantly!!!

I bought the 325i se for Ãƒ”šÃ‚£50 with a knackered engine, a red door (the car is diamond schwartz met black) and an unpainted front wing, and a nasty dent in o/s sill, car was and is MOT'd till next Jan...

So far I've got a matching black door for Ãƒ”šÃ‚£25, a donor engine out of 525 for nothing, a matching front wing is on the way, and I bought an M tech II kit for Ãƒ”šÃ‚£350 to cover the dents!!!!! fitting kit Ãƒ”šÃ‚£116.... Car owes me Ãƒ”šÃ‚£491, not inc things like oil etc.

Not bad, the Mtech kit wasn't essential... not in the other halfs eyes anyhow!!

Cheers
Marc

Post Sat May 28, 2005 10:08 am

Congrats on the work so far, but I'm afraid you might have done some serious damage to your engine loom with the earth lead fault.
I recently bought a mint 320 touring that had been declared an insurance total loss because of this happening.
The earth wire you have cooked is (was) brown/yellow and runs all the way from the level sensor to the earth terminal by the battery tray. It will have become hot enough to melt all it's insulation off, and into the insulation of any wire that it touches in the loom.
Because of this, I would recommend you try to find a fresh engine loom while on your search for other bits.

Post Sat May 28, 2005 10:09 am

P.S. Did it eventually go in with the 525 sump?

Post Sat May 28, 2005 10:57 am

Yep, no problem with sump at all....!

Thanks
Marc

Post Sat May 28, 2005 11:04 am

That's another bit of usefull information to file away for future reference then.

Post Sat May 28, 2005 11:25 am

Brianmoooore wrote:That's another bit of usefull information to file away for future reference then.

Yep... only thing that had to be changed, was engine mounts, and the bolt holes for the 3 series mounts were already in the block, I even used all the inlet from the 5 series aswell with no problems!

Thanks
Wilson