M30B35 swap diary

Wed Oct 26, 2005 8:59 am

So finally it has to begin - almost everything has been prepared - engine bay resprayed (actually the whole car), parts have been bought. The last preparations - e36 steering rack convertion has to be finished this week (if no complications will appear). I have one question that i haven't been thinking about - is the fuel pump from e30 m20b20 efficient enough to feed the bigger m30b35 lump?
Photos will be added soon

Wed Oct 26, 2005 9:27 am

You sound like your well prepared for this conversion - and a fully resprayed car as well - nice!! Please add loads of photos though as I am still debating doing a similar conversion myself with a 3.5 M30 in a 320. Not sure about the fuel pump but I believe it should be ok?! The pumps lways produce way more pressure than is needed and fuel just goes back down the pressure return line so the only place you might have trouble i guess is at high rev's it might not have a high enough top flow rate to keep up.

Looking forward to the photos though

Wed Oct 26, 2005 9:57 am

Good luck with the swap.

As far as I'm aware, the E30 pump will be fine with the 3.5 M30 engine.

Ian.

Wed Oct 26, 2005 10:15 am

Here are some pics aftere the respray but with the m20b20 lump still in

These photos have been taken in the end of january - after that very little has been done - the engine taken out, the engine bay resprayed (still have no pics), the car has been dropped 60mm on weitec springs/struts. Today I'm carrying all the parts (engine etc) to the workshop - the installation of the engine will be carried out by my friend cause i have no place to do it. But the connection of the loom, propshaft shortening and all the rest jobs i'm planning to do by myself. Will take some photos today.

Wed Oct 26, 2005 1:12 pm

As Ian says

fuel pump will be fine

Wed Oct 26, 2005 1:19 pm

the conversion sounds good, are you going to leave the chrome on the car ?? I am curious as in my opinion the chromes on E30's look great

good luck mate

Wed Oct 26, 2005 3:11 pm

JOSEMI wrote:the conversion sounds good, are you going to leave the chrome on the car ?? I am curious as in my opinion the chromes on E30's look great

good luck mate

Thanks m8!
About the crome - no, i'm not going to leave it, i've already removed rubber strips and de-locked it. And i already have the replacement for the crome strips around the windscreen and back window too. I'll sort this all out after getting the engine in place, then i'll have more time.

Wed Oct 26, 2005 9:09 pm

Got one more question: the power steering.
Is there any difference in pressure and efficiency of power steering pumps on m20 and m30 lumps? I suppose the pumps themselve are different, but how about the performance - efficience and pressure?

Wed Oct 26, 2005 9:13 pm

pumps prob same

andy335touring has m30 pump and m20 rack i think and it drives perfectly

i did without in the interest of saving weight!

Wed Oct 26, 2005 9:38 pm

Thanks 4 the info, m8

2morrow im buying the e36 steering rack and the process should begin. Maybe i'll add some pics 2morrow

Sat Oct 29, 2005 1:50 pm

Yesterday and today I bought almost all the missing parts: power steering pump (10 pounds), clutch (almost new, 10 pounds), steering rack from e36 (35 pounds),2 plugs for gearbox ( i dunno the word - these devices count rpm from the flywheel) (5 pounds each). Next week the necessary parts will be installed to the engine - the oil pan/pump, clutch, lightened flywheel, shortshifter etc and then the engine should go in the car.
Here is the engine suspended on the jack. It's a pity I didnt' manage to clean it, probably will have to do it when it's in

Sat Oct 29, 2005 2:24 pm

Keep up the good work!! I'm going to put a 3.5 into my convertible!!

Sat Oct 29, 2005 2:53 pm

Batch wrote:Yesterday and today I bought almost all the missing parts: power steering pump (10 pounds), clutch (almost new, 10 pounds), steering rack from e36 (35 pounds),2 plugs for gearbox ( i dunno the word - these devices count rpm from the flywheel) (5 pounds each). Next week the necessary parts will be installed to the engine - the oil pan/pump, clutch, lightened flywheel, shortshifter etc and then the engine should go in the car.
Here is the engine suspended on the jack. It's a pity I didnt' manage to clean it, probably will have to do it when it's in

Dude, it would be much easier to clean the engine while it's out of the car. It's amazing the bits you can get to that you normally wouldn't if it were installed. If I were you I'd spend the time and do it. A tin of engine degreaser(Gunk,etc), a few stiff brushes, some elbow grease and a few hours will transform the appearance. Good luck with your project btw.

Taylor.

Sat Oct 29, 2005 6:03 pm

I'll try to clean it on monday. My mate said its no use to clean cold engine - it's easier to do it when its warm. And the car and the engine now are at the workshop, i dunno if they allow me to mess with it

Sat Oct 29, 2005 7:13 pm

E28/4 M30's need a differant sump and oil pick up and i remember Toby having some clearance issues with the coolant pipe that comes out of the back of the head on those M30's ?

Toby is your man for that M30 as his first one was the same so he will know all the details of fitting that lump in.

Sat Oct 29, 2005 7:41 pm

I have one more question about the ecu - my mate says my engine puts out only 185Hp - the ecu's serial number ends with 059. Have anyone heard about it? Is the reason only in the ecu or the whole lump?

Sat Oct 29, 2005 7:43 pm

your m8 is talking nonsense i believe.

Sat Oct 29, 2005 7:50 pm

They put out more than 185 unless it's not a 3.5 ?

Sat Oct 29, 2005 8:03 pm

About 211 bhp!!

Sat Oct 29, 2005 10:26 pm

211 hp put out late m30b35 - ones with cat, installed on e34/e32. The earlier ones that were installed in e28/e23 (my is from e23) should put out 218Hp.
Can anyone gimme link to some precise info? Maybe some tech homepages?

Tue Nov 01, 2005 9:08 pm

So today smth has been done. I removed genarator, old oil pan and oil pump. The new oil pump has been cleaned and installed. the old gasket has been removed. Still preparing for the swap.

Wed Nov 02, 2005 9:05 pm

If you have the 3,5l catalysator version then it's only 185hp (different fuel & spark maps, lower compression). It's used in E28 and E32.
218hp version is without cats, found also in E28 and E32. 211hp version is the newest m30b35 and it's with catalysator, found in E34.

Wed Nov 02, 2005 9:11 pm

Batch wrote:211 hp put out late m30b35 - ones with cat, installed on e34/e32. The earlier ones that were installed in e28/e23 (my is from e23) should put out 218Hp.
Can anyone gimme link to some precise info? Maybe some tech homepages?

I rang bmw, 218bhp!

Sat Nov 05, 2005 8:14 am

Yesterday i took a ride with my mate's 335i - fcuk me it's fast. Its fcuking fast

And lots of torque right from the bottom. I managed to go sideways @15mph in a secod gear just by pushing the loud pedal. OMFG it's fast.... Can't wait till my335 will be in the streets

Wed Dec 07, 2005 11:27 am

Haven't been postin for some time - had absolutely no time to do something to the car. Yesterday shortened the chain that drives oil pump, fitted the oil pan from late m30, got the flywheel lightened and ballanced - took about 50% off it's weight.

Wed Dec 07, 2005 1:50 pm

why didn't you use the e28 oil pump and chain and just change the pickup?

are you sure you're flywheel isn't going to break?

normal flywheel is fine to be honest mate. the clutch parts are pretty heavy and so the weight of the flywheel isn't as significant as you'd think

Sat Dec 10, 2005 9:52 pm

Toby_Unna wrote:why didn't you use the e28 oil pump and chain and just change the pickup?

are you sure you're flywheel isn't going to break? normal flywheel is fine to be honest mate. the clutch parts are pretty heavy and so the weight of the flywheel isn't as significant as you'd think

What refers to the oil pump - i had to change the oil pan and pump anyway (the engine was out of e23) and it's easier just to swap the parts without modifying them, and the pump from e34 is easier to find (i bought the oil pan and the pump, used of course, for J25).
About the flywheel - I suppose that for this small mass of e30 the engine should be more revvy. And i haven't heard of them breaking. I have driven an e34 535 with lightened flywheel - much more throttle response and more fun

Sun Dec 11, 2005 12:50 am

unless the pump is broken you can just swap the pickup and sump, and leave the pump and chain well alone m8 that's what i did. only a few 10mm bolts to remove the pickup, 2 minute job

i've had mine running with just the auto ring gear on it m8 (under 2kg) and the response was better but not all that much difference

Sun Dec 11, 2005 12:10 pm

Toby_Unna wrote:unless the pump is broken you can just swap the pickup and sump, and leave the pump and chain well alone m8 that's what i did. only a few 10mm bolts to remove the pickup, 2 minute job

i've had mine running with just the auto ring gear on it m8 (under 2kg) and the response was better but not all that much difference

About the pump - anyway i couldn't get used parts, i'd have to buy the whole item. So i decided not to mess with it and just swap it. And by having smaller gear on the pump I think i'll have a bit higher oil pressure.
About the flywheel - my idea was to decrease the weight of the whole engine too, not only to get better throttle response. Some kg off the front should be a tiny bit better handling.... ofcourse maybe i won't even feel it but if something has to be done it should be done the best way

Sat Dec 24, 2005 12:57 pm

Here are pics of lightened flywheel

And installed oil pan from late m30

Took off about 35-40% off flywheel's weight, but as most of it was far from center from inertial point there should be about 50% off.

Sat Dec 24, 2005 8:24 pm

Haven't you got that engine fitted yet !

Sun Dec 25, 2005 11:42 am

Andy335Touring wrote:Haven't you got that engine fitted yet !

er.... no. I hope soon the project's gonna move on a bit faster, although i don't hurry with it, anyway I won't get the car out on the streets till april - don't want to drive it in the winter - here roads are being salted, so cars get rusty very fast. So till april I have to get the engine running, car MOT'ed and Insured. Oh, and b4 fitting the engine I have to get the steering sorted out - rack from e36 will be fitted.