e46 328

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keggy
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Post Mon Mar 12, 2007 10:36 pm

hey has ne1 ever put an e46 328 engine in an e30? found 1 is the scrappys n wonderin how hard it would be2 do
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Brianmoooore
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Post Tue Mar 13, 2007 12:55 am

Same as M50 conversion as regards mechanically fitting it. Electrics is where the fun starts!
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keggy
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Post Tue Mar 13, 2007 8:28 am

would there be a way round teh e46 electrics etc usin the equilivant e36 electrics?
DanThe
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Post Tue Mar 13, 2007 9:15 am

You cant use the E36 loom as the E46 engine has double vanos, if you really want to fit this engine you ought to find one with the whole EWS system still intact, it would be worth fitting for the added security.
ian332isport
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Post Tue Mar 13, 2007 9:31 am

DanThe wrote:You cant use the E36 loom as the E46 engine has double vanos, if you really want to fit this engine you ought to find one with the whole EWS system still intact, it would be worth fitting for the added security.
EWS is the least of your worries :eek:

To get an E46 engine running in an E30 would be a nightmare, as the engine is integrated into so many other electrical systems on the car. Where the E36 engines are fairly self contained, the E46 and later engines need to see the original E46 instrument cluster and possibly the central body electronics module as well. You've also got fly by wire throttle to install, and the list goes on.

I'm not saying it can't be done, but it's simply not worth the effort.

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jaistanley
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Post Tue Mar 13, 2007 10:17 am

I agree.

A friend recently gave up installing an E46 M3 engine because he didn't want to fit all of the interior electrics and clocks (to his E36) and couldn;t afford an ECU to run the dual VANOS.

The E36 328i engine is very good, cheap and easy to wire in.

Jai
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kdevitt
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Post Tue Mar 13, 2007 11:21 am

No fly by wire throttle on the 328ci or 323ci...
jaistanley
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Post Tue Mar 13, 2007 1:34 pm

It's not the fly by wire that scares me, its having to use the E46 fuse box, clocks, ABS ECU, traction control ECU, steering angle sensor, heater controls, frikkin door locks etc etc.

The ECU runs on a bus system that talks to all sorts of equipment in the car, some 'missing' fault codes can be ignored, some of which prevents the ECU from starting. It's a right pain and the info is very hard to get out of BMW.. On E46 fanatics a guy has installed an M3 engine and basically just fitted everything (the SMG2 and traction control were welcome in the E30 though!!)

Jai
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keggy
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Post Tue Mar 13, 2007 6:46 pm

:eek: i think ill pass this 1 lol