- Car is a 325 would be able to work on it an hr A night mon to fri every other sat all day and all day sun. I'm not a car mech by trade I'm an aircraft mech, removed and refitted engines on Citroën ax's. Have decent tool kit getting an engine hoist and have a small pit
Realistic time for m52 swap?
Moderator: martauto
- driftmonkey
- E30 Zone Newbie

- Posts: 249
- Joined: Sat Sep 15, 2007 11:00 pm
- Location: Portsmouth/Southern Italy
Which route are you going to take with gearboxes etc. Using the original one requires fabricationof the box cross member which takes up more time.
E30 340i project in progress now 328 turbo
Breaking '97 728i Auto box, tubular manifolds and other morsels.
For sale E34 M50 sump, pick up and dip stick. PM for de
Breaking '97 728i Auto box, tubular manifolds and other morsels.
For sale E34 M50 sump, pick up and dip stick. PM for de
Few fellas on here have done the whole thing in a weekend so its easily doable on your tim-scale once you have everything ready.
You could get Danthe to make up a loom for you which would speed up matters
You could get Danthe to make up a loom for you which would speed up matters
M42 rightness above 6500rpm, nobody can hear you scream
- driftmonkey
- E30 Zone Newbie

- Posts: 249
- Joined: Sat Sep 15, 2007 11:00 pm
- Location: Portsmouth/Southern Italy
I'm going to tap up danthe soon asd i have the donor engine in my hands, still up in the air at the mo.
Ive got a e30 sport lsd to fit so was going to use the m20 box, i think anyway.
Trawling thru the search items is over whelming, i cant find a good thread of someone fitting m52 28 on a 325 using the sport lsd, the engine i'm after comes with the e36 gearbox tho.
Ive got a e30 sport lsd to fit so was going to use the m20 box, i think anyway.
Trawling thru the search items is over whelming, i cant find a good thread of someone fitting m52 28 on a 325 using the sport lsd, the engine i'm after comes with the e36 gearbox tho.
DanThe wrote:Ive got an overdrive E34 M50 gearbox ive been meaning to put up for sale, an E30 325i prop will bolt up and you can keep your E30 diff, perfect for a sport LSD!
PM me if your interested
Useful as well as reasonably rare gearbox
M42 rightness above 6500rpm, nobody can hear you scream
Dan, how do you recognise this? I've bought an M50 motor and 'box - apparently from an E34, and the gearbox is different to the one in my E34 525i.DanThe wrote:Ive got an overdrive E34 M50 gearbox ive been meaning to put up for sale
cheers
Last edited by Y_Cymro on Mon Mar 01, 2010 10:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.

- Brianmoooore
- E30 Zone Team Member

- Posts: 49358
- Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:00 pm
Stick it in fifth, put a 22mm socket on the crank pulley bolt and turn the engine over one complete turn.
If the gearbox output shaft turns more than one turn, then it's an overdrive box.
If the gearbox output shaft turns more than one turn, then it's an overdrive box.
Thanks for your reply and I agree that's the obvious way but there's no gear linkage attached to make a selection.Brianmoooore wrote:Stick it in fifth, put a 22mm socket on the crank pulley bolt and turn the engine over one complete turn.
If the gearbox output shaft turns more than one turn, then it's an overdrive box.
I was hoping there might be a design characteristic to help me identify it, or a part or casting number.

- Brianmoooore
- E30 Zone Team Member

- Posts: 49358
- Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:00 pm
The selector shaft is still sticking out the back of the box!!Y_Cymro wrote:but there's no gear linkage attached to make a selection.
Turn it clockwise and pull it out.
So far I've spent
one whole day a week 8 full days and I'm half way there, but I'm also running it with 5stud conversion and E36 diff and 328 gearbox, but the engine should be done as said within a weekend if it's in front of you.
one whole day a week 8 full days and I'm half way there, but I'm also running it with 5stud conversion and E36 diff and 328 gearbox, but the engine should be done as said within a weekend if it's in front of you.



