m50 conversion the easy way

[320ise]

right am gonna take the plunge and do an e30 m50. never done anything like it before and it will be a long project, (mainly because no body is willing to give me good money for a tidy 525i i have in the worst colour they made them in glasier blue!)

i would like to know:

best gearbox to use for ease, the best way to clear the steering. and a parts list of what i need to convert an e30 in the easiest possible way. as i will find it hard the less mods i have to do the better, thanks.

[chu346]

Have you done a search?

Did you read the sticky?

[fowler]

there are several ways to do it my good friend the easiets way in IMHO is to use the M20 gearbox + flywheel then you don't have to fudge around with the final drive and buy expensive M3 diffs and prop issues etc the hardest job is the exhaust manifolds unless you cough up for the fritz bits manifold and exhaust system

[chu346]

But with the M20 box you have to mess around with the gear linkage.

[daimlerman]

I beg to differ regarding the gearbox!
M20 sits at a different angle to M40 and M50,so the easy option is an M40 'box.The rest of the drivetrain can then be stock E30.
Does your 525i have EWS?
You can use the 525i radiator with a couple of small mods.
You will need to find a pair of E36 M50 engine mounting arms.
Difficult bits are the engine wiring loom mods and the exhaust,all the detail is in the stickied thread...somewhere! Take an afternoon out and read through it!

[DanThe]

Dont you have to bash the trans tunnel to use the M20 box? Its what ive heard anyway

[Daf318is]

M42 box and M20 prob all bolts up no problem. The linkage needs to be shortened but other than that it all goes together no problem.