E30 Zone

ive done a bit of research but any of the m52 guru's fancy telling me of this combo will work out? i want to collect it all before i start.

e36 m52b28 steel linered replacement on a '95 car.
m50 sump, oil pickup, dipstick and tube
m52 gearbox shagged so use my existing G260
m20 flywheel and clutch?
e36 engine arms
e28 m5 rubbers
clio or moved e30 servo,not checked which is best/easier yet.
e36 rack with danthe's steering rod mod
modded gear linkage, how?
modded engine loom, sort that out last im guessing.
m20 rad ok for the m52?

anything else ive missed?

I think DanThe does a converted loom on exchange basis and IIRC the linkage mod is just a question of bending/twisting to suit.

M20 starter motor to match the flywheel

e34 M50 sump/oil pickup/dipstick
Clio servo better
Gearlinkage needs 'twisting' to counter the angle change of the box
modded gearbox crossmember
use the 328i rad..

M50 inlet manifold..
Get the flywheel lightened whilst you are there.. Might have to shave the back of it to get it to fit.. e21 323i clutch release bearing

It's nice to see someone do some research before asking

Why the e31 323i clutch release bearing?

It makes up the slack created by swapping a big dual mass flywheel for a thinner M20 one, but as your using an E30 gearbox you wont need this
Ive never used the E21 release bearing with M50 box's, I drove Dafs car that had one fitted and the clutch felt exactly the same.

Here is a modded M20 box mount



You ought to sort the wiring before you fit the engine, its a bstard to do in the bay. pm me if you want a loom doing

DanThe wrote:It makes up the slack created by swapping a big dual mass flywheel for a thinner M20 one, but as your using an E30 gearbox you wont need this
Ive never used the E21 release bearing with M50 box's, I drove Dafs car that had one fitted and the clutch felt exactly the same.

Cheers for that info, makes sence

ok thanks folks, wasnt going to do the newbie thing and ask without searching first but the things i wasnt sure about seem to have been covered there.

i wasnt sure if the m52 rad was too big to fit or not, if it fits ill buy a new one as the one in the car looks ropey. i knew about the gearbox mount but forgot to add it......that will be some high class bodgery

things i really need are the e34 m50 bits, any ideas where to get them? my local scrappy has been shite of late.

dan, ill certainly give you a shout for the loom. im waiting for a shot of the communal engine lift. that and the m50 bits are the only hurdles just now.

also tried and failed to get a clio servo out yesterday.....what a cunt with the engine in place

You need to replace the black e36 gauge temp sender with a brown e30 m20 one... The blue one is the ecu..

Standard Sachs clutch will be fine..

No need to move the servo over, just use the Clio one..

Dont take the black sender out, the ECU needs it also, brown E30 sensor needs fitting alongside



Ive never had a problem with standard M20 clutches, even second hand covers

DanThe wrote:Dont take the black sender out, the ECU needs it also, brown E30 sensor needs fitting alongside

Is that different to the M50 then? Sure I didnt have a 3rd hole n just replaced the black sender with a brown M20 one?

Ive got the sump/pickup/dipstick and the arms if you need??? PM me.
Cheers, Ben

Yep, M50 has two sensors, one for the gauge and one for the ECU like E30's
M52 has one twin sensor
The third hole blanked off is the outlet for the throttle heater

benjy wrote:Ive got the sump/pickup/dipstick and the arms if you need??? PM me.
Cheers, Ben

Hi mate, I'm looking for these bits could you PM me with a price

DanThe wrote:Yep, M50 has two sensors, one for the gauge and one for the ECU like E30's
M52 has one twin sensor
The third hole blanked off is the outlet for the throttle heater

so in my case i just put in the m20 brown sensor and leave the other one in too. what about the wiring for it? is that on the engine loom and will still be there when its modded?

Its not on the engine loom, I add the plug when modding

Can definitely recommend a loom from Dan,, he converted mine for me and it came back completely plug and play with ECU under the dash and the EWS immobiliser taken care of, top job.
cheers Dan.

Which M50 sump are you using? I thought that it was the M30B35 sum that was supposed to be used?

I'm starting this conversion myself soon. I may have a sump and pickup pipe lined up, but it's from a non-vanos E34 525i. Will this be ok to use on my vanos equiped M52?

pikanibbles wrote:I'm starting this conversion myself soon. I may have a sump and pickup pipe lined up, but it's from a non-vanos E34 525i. Will this be ok to use on my vanos equiped M52?

Yes

You will have to drill out the rivets that hold in the windage tray on the E34 sump and remove the windage tray. You will also need to trim off some of the fins in the casting of the sump at the back where the flywheel is, otherwise they catch on the flywheel if you are using M20 flywheel.

MarkT wrote:Which M50 sump are you using? I thought that it was the M30B35 sum that was supposed to be used?

Any E34 M50 sump and pickup are OK, so M50 525 and 520 sumps & pickup pipes & dipstick tube are what is needed

Cool. Thanks BeemerLad

So the M30B35 one is not suitable at all? Also with the pick up's the one below isn't suitable


and this one is?

I've never known anyone use anything other than the E34 sump & pickup

Jer, just been comparing the two on realoem website. They are different in the mounting faces, not unless they vary from year to year.

Don't rely on Real OEM diagrams to tuly replicate the part

interesting stuff about the sump adjustments, had i known that it wouldnt have taken me so long to clean the fecker last week,

E30BeemerLad wrote:Don't rely on Real OEM diagrams to tuly replicate the part

Fair point, just looking at the flanges on the two.

nickso wrote:interesting stuff about the sump adjustments, had i known that it wouldnt have taken me so long to clean the fecker last week,

Cleaning is overrated, acid however, isnt

7 series sumps work too if you can find one easier.

So how much is this loom mofification setting people back Dan?

Which 7 series sump?

It works out at around £10 per hour Dave

Does that include cups of tea time