535i into 320i

[trickey]

hi everyone i am after some advice, i have just bought a e36 320i to run about in for the winter bit of a bargaing £150, this leaves the e30 320i sat about i also have a e34 535i sat about, what i want to know is will the 35 go into the e30,is it possible or not,the e34 is auto but i would want it manual in the e30, what box, diff, prop would i have to use, what about engine mounts,is there a conversion kit available to buy,and the e30 has drums on the back what brake upgrade would be the best would e30 325i be ok, any help would be great,

[DRIFTBOY]

Hi!

This is the now weekly 335i question!
It will fit, a manual box from a 535i or 735i will fit, E30 M3 prop or a modded mix of E30 and E34 prop.

I won't go into details here as there are loads of useful threads on this in this section.
If you do a search for 'M30' it'll bring loads up!.
Also look at www.335i.de

If you go ahead with it, start a topic that we can follow - preferably with pics - and we can help you out as and when you need it.


Good luck!

[Theo]

For comprehensive info search for M30 - this is the engine in the e34 535i, lots of people have done the swap. I'm just about to start my own swap, just waiting to collect the car.

If you are putting the engine in the 320i you will definately want to upgrade the brakes/diff/suspension to, at least, 325i spec. I.E - rear brake discs, 51mm front legs (the 320i has skinny 46mm struts) you will also want the thicker roll bars found on the 325i, ive got some from a 325i sport if you are interested, these are thickest ones bmw made. Will also want a lower ratio diff - 3.64 seems a common choice.

My 335i spec will be;

Standard engine
Manual gearbox
Custom engine mounts
M3 propshaft
Mk 1 golf gt brake servo
E32 aircon fan
E28 535i radiator
Bilstein shock absorbers
H&R springs
Hartge anti-roll bars
3.64 LSD
325i exhaust system with m30/m20 downpipes
4 pot front calipers with 280mm discs

Can't wait to get the damn car to start the work!!!

[ed325i]

thicker roll bars found on the 325i, ive got some from a 325i sport if you are interested, these are thickest ones

Are the cab ones not bigger well the front one anyway

[Theo]

a 325i Cab will use the same 21mm bar at the front and a thinner 12mm rear bar - on the sport they should be 21mm/14.5mm.

[ed325i]

20mm all 325i,318is,all tourings, cars with M tech suspension, 324td, 318i convertible,320is

21mm all six cylinder convertible models

rears are 14.5mm on the convertible.

[Theo]

My info on the cabs is from the online etk and may well be wrong - but the roll bars I have measured from a 325i sport I broke were 21mm/14.5mm.