and another S50 swap.....

[UweM3]

finally I am getting serious with fitting the S50B32 to my M3 shell. All the S14 bits have left the building and have provided enough funds to buy a 33k miles S50B32 from a ZM roadster.
the donor car was not accident damaged, the S50 needed to make room for a LS1 conversion.
I have everything required from this car except the AFM.

First to be able to move the engine easily I made a trolley.


but it gave me a stinky finger when I moved it. Cheapo castor just broke! Makes one realise how heavy the thing is.....


next was to McGuyver a "lifting bracket" for the car. I am in the lucky position to have access to my friends engineering workshop and there is a nice crane. Idea was to lift the car up on the cage.


worked quite good!


till the main plug of the control unit fell on my roof (nice dent, thanks!) and I had to get up there somehow to plug it back in secured with cable ties!!!! (not me, the plug....)


out came the trusty fork truck instead of my masterpice of trolley!


first careful fit check


just to find the usual suspects. Clashing heater pipes with plenum


luckily my planned master brake cylinder modification seems to work (later more about this when I am sure it really works)

[UweM3]

after another visit to my friends work shop which is quite a bit of work (pushing car of my drive, load it on the trailer, drive over, unload.....bla bla bla)
I realised that I need to work at home to get the engine fitted in a way I want. So I made a few tools.

Lifting gantry. Fully collapsable (as I intend to use in the garaga as well a an engine lift stand for the modifications planned)

parts


assembled


engine lifting bracket (hate all this chains dangling around)


fitted


lifting bridge when engine sits on gear box member


fitted


bracket to fit instead of front bumper to lift the cars front to wheel the engine underneath


I am a scared coward when it comes to crawling under cars (and my driveway is sloped quite a bit) I have also modifed a pair of axles stands to go under the rear beam while lifting the car up in front. the two axle stands will be connected with a brace a swell to make sure they stay where they need to be. Fingers crossed!


went and got the engine on my trailer and used gantry to lift it off
worked a treat!


next task was to get the engine down the drive into my garage without smashing it up. The drive is much steeper than it looks on this pictures. Me the super engineer was already designing all sorts of complicated transport gear but my clever (and very patient and understanding) girlfriend had the problem solved in a split second! See picture......


I don't know yet how to get it back up on my own but I am sure I will find a (complicated) way...
BTW I have fitted better castors to the engine trolley.

[Ziggy]

Now that's how to do things properly

[Bob_S]

Good work and some very nice welding and fabricating there, not jealous at all!

I can't help but think an engine crane would possibly sufficed?

I am assuming that the engine lift bar you have made, that the more silver sleeve slides freely on the bar? I may make the suggestion you find a way of restricting it's free movement somehow so you could use it as a balence bar which would possibly make dropping the engine in from the top easier?

[UweM3]

Good work and some very nice welding and fabricating there, not jealous at all!

I can't help but think an engine crane would possibly sufficed?

I am assuming that the engine lift bar you have made, that the more silver sleeve slides freely on the bar? I may make the suggestion you find a way of restricting it's free movement somehow so you could use it as a balence bar which would possibly make dropping the engine in from the top easier?

I agree about the engine crane but I need to lift the cars front.

Also:
engine crane --> need to buy = MONEY!

making gantry = time = FREE (i will have to pay for some of the tubes)

I decided to fit the engine with the gearbox from underneath and I don't like the idea of tilting the whole assembly through the engine bay from top. Also wanted to be able to move the engine forth and back in the engine bay to see whatever I want to see....
I can't lift the car up and fitting a gearbox afterwards from underneath is just not my cup of tea without a post lift. I am working on my own and things need to be manageble. And keep in mind, enginers like to make things complicated

Yes the silver thingy slides on the bar and could be used as a balance bar. I have left this option open, just in case (see I am planning in all directions )

Most of the "tools" I showed have not been really planned. I make them up as I go along (and whatever is in the skip of my friends engineering workshop )

[S38B38]

As i have done a S38B38 to a E30,, i agree to .. fit the engine from below,, much easier..

looking forward to hear about the performance difference vs S14





where is the S14

[Bob_S]

ahh I see. they aren't too bad to swing in from the top if I'm honest, with box!

the sliding forward and back is very much so worthwhile. I know M50's can be a pita to get sat on the mounts

[Jon_Bmw]

Uwe, you seem to enjoy making things to fit the engine more, than actually fitting it!

It'll be a cracking car by the time you have finished it.

[buster]

I dropped my s50 and box in from above.Just jacked the rear end up, went in a treat, on my drive with hoist by myself

[steve_k]

uwe...this is just a thought but have you thought about making those tools to order for people??

i'm sure there would be a few folk on here who would be interested if you did (me for one if funds allowed) like i said just a thought.

allmost forgot do you have any diagrams of how you made the part's??

if so would it be possible to have a copy? please if you have them as i wouldn't mind having a go at making my own.

good luck with the project dude.

steve.

[UweM3]

uwe...this is just a thought but have you thought about making those tools to order for people??

i'm sure there would be a few folk on here who would be interested if you did (me for one if funds allowed) like i said just a thought.

allmost forgot do you have any diagrams of how you made the part's??

if so would it be possible to have a copy? please if you have them as i wouldn't mind having a go at making my own.

good luck with the project dude.

steve.

some of the stuff I draw up in 3D CAD (I do this for a living) but most of the simple bits I just make top of my head. And whatever I can find in the scrap bin

If you can afford to pay me I can draw/design almost anything you want and also make it, I run my own one man company.

Just to elaborate why I have choosen to fit the engine from underneath. If I would fit an engine which belongs to the shell I wouldn't bother and just drop it in from top. But for a swap project like this I want to explore a few options.

I thought about to hire the gear out when I am finished with the work. but things like this usually never pay off. Stuff gets damaged or not returned completly or not on agreed time.
And there is the health and safety aspect, I don't want to be responsible if somebody gets hurt.

[UweM3]

Uwe, you seem to enjoy making things to fit the engine more, than actually fitting it!

It'll be a cracking car by the time you have finished it.

my girlfriend would agree with you loool! She always has that "what have you got now" look on her face when I come home from my friends workshop.

[UweM3]

managed to finish the axle stands today.
braced them both together to avoid one off them tipping over on my sloped drive.



bumper replacement

[DanThe]

Fitting from underneath is so much easier, less stressful and not to mention the lump will go in without touching/scratching/denting the body!

Wouldnt fancy doing it on your drive though

[UweM3]

Wouldnt fancy doing it on your drive though

Saturday is make or break. If the front doesn't lift clean I will abandon immediatley and move the car on the road. I want to try on the drive first because if it works I can leave it on the axlestands overnight.

[Benho]

looks very interesting and i love your new 'toys' ;)

ill be staying tuned

[Jonsku]

This will be great car. Are you going to upgrade suspension / brakes also?

Which driveshaft you're going to use (6 speed box?). How about electronics, aren't all B32 S50's with EWS2?

[SteMarsden]

Well engineered as ever sir.

[UweM3]

This will be great car. Are you going to upgrade suspension / brakes also?

Which driveshaft you're going to use (6 speed box?). How about electronics, aren't all B32 S50's with EWS2?

I am using the 5 Speed box out of the ZM roadster. Final drive undecided but most likely 3.25 with upgraded LSD. EWS is no problem anymore as it's gone. Going to use the driveshaft of the M3. If I am able to move the engine back a little I will get it shortened. My car is 90% track so whatever is in the way will be modified/deleted.
I am even thinking of removing the heater. There is a heated windscreen available and all I would keep is the blower.
I have taken the dashboard out and today sitting in the car I even started to like the view of that!! OMG, I am not going to make another mini dashboard as well (my car was painted on the inside when the cage went in, so no stolen-recovered look)

brakes had a small upgrade already and I may leave them untouched for the first few test drives. Suspension is already sorted.

[UweM3]

Well engineered as ever sir.

thanks boss, but I haven't even touched the car
made some changes in the MC area. Took two weeks of head scratching, milling and chucking things in the bin just to start all over again. But I am very please so far and if it works as planned I will post more pictures

[SteMarsden]

Just a thorough, engineering based work ethic...... good work!

re: heated screen. Ive only recently had a car with a heated screen and it is fantastic. I know that yours is mainly a track car and might not see many frosty mornings mine clears the heaviest frost in 60 seconds.
My old fella has a 60:40 split heated screen in his Cooper 'S' which he races, and it gives excellent vision on wet days when there is moisture inside AND outside the car (although he probably wont be travelling quite as quickly as you will be.... )

Looking forward to seeing this progress.

[DanThe]

Wouldnt fancy doing it on your drive though

Saturday is make or break. If the front doesn't lift clean I will abandon immediatley and move the car on the road. I want to try on the drive first because if it works I can leave it on the axlestands overnight.

Engine swap on the road, gotta be done

[bss325i]

Uwe, is this the M3 you took to the ring last year?

If yes, why the decision to go S50?

[UweM3]

Uwe, is this the M3 you took to the ring last year?

If yes, why the decision to go S50?

S14 blew up!

[bss325i]

Uwe, is this the M3 you took to the ring last year?

If yes, why the decision to go S50?

S14 blew up!

Ok, why not rebuild or replace the S14?

I only ask as when we have spoken before, i got the impression you were all for the S14 weight balance etc.

[Jhonno]

Cost I believe..

He has funded this entire swap selling off bits of his broken S14

[UweM3]

Uwe, is this the M3 you took to the ring last year?

If yes, why the decision to go S50?

S14 blew up!

Ok, why not rebuild or replace the S14?

I only ask as when we have spoken before, i got the impression you were all for the S14 weight balance etc.

yeah I am all about weight balance, but I am much more about BANK balance

I would love to build a proper high power S14 buy it's just too expensive for what you get.

I have been a purist far too long and have listened (and repeated the same crap!) to people who never actually driven an engine swapped car. I met a guy last year at the ring with a standard E30 running a S50 and boy was he giving me a run for my money! I was well impressed.

[fuzzy]

your certainly very thourough with your planning ahead.

[glenn]

Cost I believe..

He has funded this entire swap selling off bits of his broken S14

and that's almost the case with my swap, 90% of which was funded by breaking the s14.

in fact, somethings telling me Uwe may have bought some parts from it when i put the parts on the bay?

[UweM3]

Cost I believe..

He has funded this entire swap selling off bits of his broken S14

and that's almost the case with my swap, 90% of which was funded by breaking the s14.

in fact, somethings telling me Uwe may have bought some parts from it when i put the parts on the bay?

can't recall, what parts do you think of?

[UweM3]

just to add something, I am only swapping the engine because my M3 is a track only car and stripped out caged etc etc. So it hasen't got a real value in the M3 collectors book

I would not replace the S14 in a mint(ish) road going S14. Not with the current prices that are paid for decent M3's!

[Jhonno]

just to add something, I am only swapping the engine because my M3 is a track only car and stripped out caged etc etc. So it hasen't got a real value in the M3 collectors book

I would not replace the S14 in a mint(ish) road going S14. Not with the current prices that are paid for decent M3's!

Agreed

[bss325i]

S14 blew up!

Ok, why not rebuild or replace the S14?

I only ask as when we have spoken before, i got the impression you were all for the S14 weight balance etc.

yeah I am all about weight balance, but I am much more about BANK balance

I would love to build a proper high power S14 buy it's just too expensive for what you get.

I have been a purist far too long and have listened (and repeated the same crap!) to people who never actually driven an engine swapped car. I met a guy last year at the ring with a standard E30 running a S50 and boy was he giving me a run for my money! I was well impressed.

Was it a red touring?

[glenn]

can't recall, what parts do you think of?

perhaps you made an enquiry of something while the listings were active ?

I would not replace the S14 in a mint(ish) road going S14. Not with the current prices that are paid for decent M3's!

nor would i, but i took my current m3 in p/x, with a known suspect engine.
and like you say, you have to think about the 'bang for buck' you get from the s50 compared with the same power from the s14

[buster]

Uwe,
where can i pick up the correct mercedes disks from for the 300mm conversion please ?

I can't find any at a decent price.Also , does it change the wheel offset at all ?

cheers
andy