M50 Developments - considering an M50? Read this.

[martinpallot]

Hi Guys, I am going to transplant an M52 from an e36 328 cab into my rally car.
I am currently in the process of taking the engine out of the donor car and have noticed that It has 2 ecu's? The car is an auto so I assume one is for the Auto box. Is it safe just to leave the Gearbox ECU unplugged or will this cause issues when it comes to starting it?
Also, the donor car has 2 big round connectors connecting the engine loo
m to the rest of the wiring as opposed to the single C101 in the e30. Is this normal or is it again becuase my car is an auto? Will I need both of them or just the one?

Finally. I have disconnected the whole of the engine loom from the car but have seen no sign of the dreaded aws system. Is this because the aws unit is seperate to the engine loom? if so, where shall I look for it? and when I find it do i need to disconnect it carefully or just cut the wires a little long and rewire it into the e30 shell?

Sorry for all the questions. I'm comfortable with the mechanicle side of it but this wiring is really doing my head in

[DanThe]

The auto loom can be cut out of the engine loom, I have a loom from an auto 328i in my car. Only joints to the engine loom is two sensor wires into the ECU plug, just cut them off or remove the pins.

EWS module is behind the glovebox, I mounted mine under the ECU in the E30 ECU position and wired it direct to the ECU as I couldnt be bothered running more wires across the dash

[martinpallot]

Thanks for that Dan. What about the 2 big round plugs then? Are you saying that one is becuase of the auto wiring and will be gotten rid of when I cut the auto wiring out?

[DanThe]

Its been that long since I did it I cant remember how many plugs were on the auto part of the loom, it will soon become clear though when you start pulling it all apart

[Brianmoooore]

Excellent picture of Dan's there! You can see just how simple EWS wiring is.
The EWS module is the black box with the yellow connector. You also need the receiver unit beside it, with a white connector and a black connector, and the antenna coil, which is by the ignition switch, and on the end of the cable plugged into the black socket.
Later versions of the EWS unit are grey, and have the receiver unit built in.
Just received a reply from someone offering a 328 ECU for sale. I asked him if he had the matching EWS unit and key (and offered him double what he was asking for the ECU alone). He said he had binned the EWS unit, because he didn't think it was valuable!!!!!!

[DanThe]

Most dont know what the EWS module is, I had someone tell me it was a central locking unit before
People also let the keys go with locks/doors etc with no idea it has a chip in it

Picture of the loop and key chip while we're on the subject

[Brianmoooore]

Sellers seem to fall into two camps - those who try to sell a virtually worthless ECU on it's own, at a price that would be very reasonable for the complete set, as they don't know what EWS is, and those, like the one I tried to deal with last week, that tried to sell me the whole set at a price that I would expect the loom and engine still to be attached to them!!

[UweM3]

is there nobody to get round this problem?

[DanThe]

For a road car Uwe, I see it as more of a benefit than problem. Better than any Cat1 immobiliser

Tell me about it Brian, I saw an M52 ecu advertised at a 'special price for forum members' when I asked what the 'special price' was he came back with £100.....

[daimlerman]

Is EWS only fitted to M52 engined cars,or did any M50 engines use it?

[Brianmoooore]

M50's come with a red label 413 ECU or a silver label 413 ECU. The silver labeled ECU uses EWS.

[Omi]

Anything BMW after Jan '95 will have EWS fitted.

As a word of advice to those about to swap... If you can, get and keep the logbook that goes with the ECU.

Should anything go wrong with the keys, EWS etc. the lovely people at non-friendly local dealerships might get really arsey about providing/coding new elements of the security system. - They need proof of ownership and 3 forms of ID.

My local Dealer will not entertain the abomination that is a non-standard engine swap, so re-alignment in the event of an EWS failure will have to be done independently.

[daimlerman]

My donor car is a '95 N 525i,with ECU ending 413(found that in what I thought was the battery box ) I have found a black box with a yellow connector under the dash on the drivers side,visible when the little cubby locker is removed,EWS? And there is a gadget near the steering lock that I have yet to find? Now this thread is very complicated with all sorts of twists and turns,it is unlikely that I will be allowed to keep the donor for very long after engine removal so can you all give me an accurite parts list please? Donor is a manual and I also have an ex M40 gearbox in stock.

[Omi]

You want that black box with yellow plug. - Keep the plug and a bit of cable off it! Says EWS on it.

You want the ring from the ignition barrel, clips off. Follow the green wires to the send/receive module under the steering column. - Keep this too, with plugs and a bit of cable.

Wiring diagram for the EWS is simple, give me a shout if it's not on here or you can't find it.

Also keep any keys, otherwise you'll just look really dumb!

[daimlerman]

Thanks Omi,other than the EWS stuff,engine and all that's attached,following the wiring back to plugs and the ECU? It has a surpentine drive belt so I assume that the power steering pump/rack is just sorting correct hoses?

[Omi]

If you swap the rack over at the same time to an E36 variant, you can just keep the same hoses. Bend and route as required.

[DanThe]

Even if you keep the E30 rack you will have enough hoses to connect it all together.

[daimlerman]

Magic!! As someone once said,'I love it when a plan comes together..' slowly..

[patrick85]

Hi, What gear linkages should I use with an M50 engine and an M40 316i gearbox.

[DoubleZed]

Hello, I have a question about the EWS wiring. I have an EWS III module. Does anyone have any information about wiring this version of EWS? An ETM manual of some sort? Right now I have come to wiring the M52B28 in my E30, so I really need to understand this EWS thingy... All I know for know is which wire goes to the starter immobilization relay and which wire goes to the key... There are a lot more wires though in the 3rd version of EWS.

Thank You!

[Omi]

http://www.europeantransmissions.com/Bu ... %20BMW.pdf

Anyone doing an EWS-inclusive swap should save that document for future reference.

Page 15 onwards explains why you can't use the EWSIII system, namely you don't have a K-bus.

Buy matching E36 M52B28 ECU, EWS-II and transponder key complete from a breaker, easiest solution. - Don't think that your ECU will allow you to just buy EWS-II setup and have that aligned, unfortunately.

[UweM3]

If you need to get round the EWS, PM me. I get you in touch with the man in the know.

[Mattp87]

anyone considering this look in 'engine swaps / forced induction' section about off the shelf m50 e30 manifolds

[dannyboy759]

This EWS! is it worthj getting an M50B25 over the M52B28 just because of the EWS is it best to have the smaller engine or isnt it much of a worry?

[Brianmoooore]

EWS is no problem at all, IF you have all the matching bits.

[dannyboy759]

Right, Ive been searching for some bits for my E30 and ive found an M52/B28 with gearbox and prop ecu and all the ews kit so as long as ive got it all the convserion is no harder than an M50?

[Brianmoooore]

Apart from physically fitting the EWS bits, supplying power to the EWS and running a wire from the EWS to the ECU, no difference at all.

[dannyboy759]

Many thanks

[monkey]

just had a good read though this thead as i am starting to collect the parts needed to do the swap , one thing i want to ask is can i use an m42 clutch and flywheel as i will be using an m42 gearbox or is an m20 cutch and flywheel a must have ?

[patrick85]

I've used the m42 clutch, flywheel, starter and gearbox with no problems. Just had to shorten the prop by 50mm iirc and got the gear linkages shortened as well.

[daimlerman]

just had a good read though this thead as i am starting to collect the parts needed to do the swap , one thing i want to ask is can i use an m42 clutch and flywheel as i will be using an m42 gearbox or is an m20 cutch and flywheel a must have ?

I have read that M42 clutch is not up to the task,I used M20 fly,325 clutch,M40 'box,320 gearstick support bracket and selector rod(the thingy that runs from the bottom of the 'stick to the selector knuckle joint) Bear in mind that the starter ring gear is a different pitch on M20 fly compared to either M42 or M50(they are the same AFAIK)so you need to match starter to fly.To fit the M20 fly you need a small mod with an angle grinder at the back of the sump,and a couple of shorter bolts.If you offer up the fly you will see what is needed.I had two real issues with my swap,I tried and failed to make a decent exhaust manifold/downpipe and I had a deceptive engine management issue that I finaly traced to a dodgy engine earth strap.But the end result is most satisfiying

[punk_sy]

right a thew questions for the pros out there!

if i use my m42 gearbox will i need to still shorten the gear rods? and by how much?

is it worth seam welding the engine bay and sub frame while the engines out ? just in case i get more power later.

should i change the sump and rocker cover gaskets before fitting the m50?

how do you wire up the ews ?

a list of the stuff Ive got,

m50 engine
m42 gearbox
m20 lightened flywheel
m20 starter
wiring loom connector
engine mounts
m52 manifolds
m42 prop
m20 prop
big radiator 6 series i think

Anything else that ill need guys ?

[Bob_S]

right a thew questions for the pros out there!

if i use my m42 gearbox will i need to still shorten the gear rods? and by how much?

is it worth seam welding the engine bay and sub frame while the engines out ? just in case i get more power later.

should i change the sump and rocker cover gaskets before fitting the m50?

how do you wire up the ews ?

a list of the stuff Ive got,

m50 engine
m42 gearbox
m20 lightened flywheel
m20 starter
wiring loom connector
engine mounts
m52 manifolds
m42 prop
m20 prop
big radiator 6 series i think

Anything else that ill need guys ?

you seem very confused mate.

M50's dont have ewsII only m52's
the m42 box will fit and you want an e30 325 prop
e28 m5 engine mounts
and an is rad will be sufficient.
you need a smaller brake servo
e34 throttle cable
and an electric fan.

as for seam welding... this isnt a vauxhall mate!!!

[Brianmoooore]

M50's dont have ewsII only

Red label Bosch 413 ECUs don't have EWS, silver label 413's do.

[Bob_S]

M50's dont have ewsII only

Red label Bosch 413 ECUs don't have EWS, silver label 413's do.

I didn't think it was ewsII though? thought it was just ews pretty basic and easily cut out?