e36 diff swap speedo probs

[stulane]

So i put the insides of a e36 LSD into a open diff casing from a 325i and the speedo sensor is too short to get a reading off the metal flats that go through it.
I looked on another e30 diff and the metal things go right up close to the sensor but on my diff they are about 2cm away from the back plate of the diff.

Now would i be able to use a sensor from a e36 diff??

Or do i have to customise the diff/sensor to work?

Thanks,
Stuart

[Brianmoooore]

Think you may be doing some pioneering work here!
The slot in the pick up should go either side of the vanes on the crown wheel. Does the E36 plate have the same number of vanes as the E30 one?
Is their room to make up a new vane plate to reach the E30 sensor, or can the E30 one be adapted?

[stulane]

I dont know for certain if it has the same number of plates but if i had a sensor that was a little longer, im sure it would work.

I took one of the e30 sensors apart and i dont think it could be easily modified.
I could weld slightly longer plates on but wouldnt that effect the accuracy of the speedo?

[Brianmoooore]

It has to have the same number of vanes as the E30 to work the speedo accurately. It's a frequency generator.

[Mops]

Hm... i didnt know you could do that.
So can you somehow put e36 LDS diffr inners to e30 non-lsd diffr housing ??? I'd be keen to do that !

[stulane]

Yep, fits with no problems but just need to get the speedo sensor working

Can i use a sensor from a e36 diff?

[Brianmoooore]

You can use an E36 sensor if you can get it to fit so that the vanes pass through the slot.

[stulane]

You can use an E36 sensor if you can get it to fit so that the vanes pass through the slot.

That was my original question, i could try to adapt a sensor from a e30 as i have a few of them but i wondered if anyone had done it before and knew if the e36 sensor works?
I dont want to waste money on a sensor that doesnt help.

[Turbo-Brown]

Now this is very interesting!

Any chance you could do a quick guide?

Sensors are only about Ԛ£12 from the dealers, money I know, but hopefully not a tragedy.

I'd have thought welding some extensions onto the trigger wheel would have done it. Might be worth checking whether the width of the blades and the width of the gaps needs to be the same, just incase it's expecting a uniform and regular square wave signal?

Keep us posted!

[M3Compact]

I've done this the other way around. (Fitted E30 CWP and LSD in an E36 diff.)

I can't remember for sure what we did about the speedo sensor, but I think we left the E36 trigger wheel in.

Couldn't you leave the E30 trigger wheel inside the diff with the E36 CWP?

E36 dash clusters interpret the E30 speedo signals ok for deffo, so I assume the other way around will be ok too.

[stulane]

Guys you dont need a guide, its easy to swap round.

I'm not a mechanic, i got a degree in computer science but that didnt stop me putting an m50 in my e30. I've started to write it up so i'll try and include the diff part.

I'll order a e36 sensor from bmw and let you know if it works.

If that doesnt work, i'll look at putting the metal plates from the e30 diff onto the e36 diff workings.

[Brianmoooore]

Guys you dont need a guide, its easy to swap round.

I'm not a mechanic, i got a degree in computer science but that didnt stop me putting an m50 in my e30. I've started to write it up so i'll try and include the diff part.

I'll order a e36 sensor from bmw and let you know if it works.

If that doesnt work, i'll look at putting the metal plates from the e30 diff onto the e36 diff workings.

Mmmm, there's a crush sleeve behind the input flange of the diff that sets up pinion to crown wheel clearances etc.. You're not supposed to even change the input shaft nut without using specialist equipment to set it up, let alone change parts from one case to another.
Wondering if this is a case of ignorance is bliss?

[stulane]

Guys you dont need a guide, its easy to swap round.

I'm not a mechanic, i got a degree in computer science but that didnt stop me putting an m50 in my e30. I've started to write it up so i'll try and include the diff part.

I'll order a e36 sensor from bmw and let you know if it works.

If that doesnt work, i'll look at putting the metal plates from the e30 diff onto the e36 diff workings.

Mmmm, there's a crush sleeve behind the input flange of the diff that sets up pinion to crown wheel clearances etc.. You're not supposed to even change the input shaft nut without using specialist equipment to set it up, let alone change parts from one case to another.
Wondering if this is a case of ignorance is bliss?

Your not supposed to do a lot of things, It works fine so im not worried.

[Brianmoooore]

Guys you dont need a guide, its easy to swap round.

I'm not a mechanic, i got a degree in computer science but that didnt stop me putting an m50 in my e30. I've started to write it up so i'll try and include the diff part.

I'll order a e36 sensor from bmw and let you know if it works.

If that doesnt work, i'll look at putting the metal plates from the e30 diff onto the e36 diff workings.

Mmmm, there's a crush sleeve behind the input flange of the diff that sets up pinion to crown wheel clearances etc.. You're not supposed to even change the input shaft nut without using specialist equipment to set it up, let alone change parts from one case to another.
Wondering if this is a case of ignorance is bliss?

Your not supposed to do a lot of things, It works fine so im not worried.

Worked OK for Colin Chapman.
It'll work OK for now, but if the gears aren't meshing as they should, the gears will be weak, and may have a shortened life.

[stulane]

Thats not going to be a huge problem for me as i dont expect to keep the car for very long.
Need a new project.

[Mops]

Thats not going to be a huge problem for me as i dont expect to keep the car for very long.
Need a new project.

I got the same problem. Everytime I get half way into the project.... I start thinking about the next one. It's crazy !

[Ant]

Maybe the rear cover or sensor froma Z3 would provide the soloution ??


the diff is again a hybrid , worth a scan off ETK or real OEM ?

Good effort BTW, opens up some ratio choices too

[M3Compact]

If you've just slapped the crown wheel and pinion in a different casing without setting it up properly it won't last.

If it whines, it'll fook up eventually, if it doesn't whine, it'll fook up quickly. (Unless you're very lucky, which is doubtful in the extreme.)

[M3Compact]

Maybe the rear cover or sensor froma Z3 would provide the soloution ??


the diff is again a hybrid , worth a scan off ETK or real OEM ?

Good effort BTW, opens up some ratio choices too

All the 188mm crown wheel and pinions are interchangable, along with their LSD units, E28, E34, E36, E30 etc. (8 bolt diffs)

The E30 trigger wheel should do it. (Had a look at one today.)

Z3 and Compact use E30 covers.

[stulane]

Good effort BTW, opens up some ratio choices too

The cars got an m50 2.5 lump in it so it works out @ the e36 325 setup.

[stulane]

Maybe the rear cover or sensor froma Z3 would provide the soloution ??


the diff is again a hybrid , worth a scan off ETK or real OEM ?

Good effort BTW, opens up some ratio choices too

Oky, so i got a e36 sensor and it looks shorter than my e30 one? Just looked at realoem and the Z3 sensor is the same as the one on the e36 (p/n: 62168357020)

I could give it a try but i think it will be too short.

Any other suggestions?

[vil]

HI, I DID THIS SWOP OVER FOR MY OWN CAR.
THE 6 POINT TRIGGER RING NEEDS TO BE SWOPPED OVER FROM E30 TO
THE NEW DIFF UNIT. ITS ONLY AN INTERFERENCE FIT SO JUST CARFULLY DRIFT IT BACK ON.
WITH REGARDS TO SPECIALIST TOOLING FOR SETTING THE PRELOAD ON THE SPRING SLEEVE, MEASURE THE BACKLASH (PLAY) ON A GOOD KNOWN DIFF AND THEN ADJUST YOUR NEWLY BUILT UNIT TO THAT FIGURE.
P.S FOR REFERENCE THE E36 DIFF CASING AND SENSOR FITS STRAIGHT ON. ALL YOU NEED TO DO THEN IS FABRICATE AND WELD IN 2 SUPPORT BRACKETS (AFTER CUTTING OUT THE SINGLE BRACKET! ).
MY DIFF HAS BEEN RUNNING WELL FOR 3 YEARS NOW, THE LAST YEAR WITH THE E36 CASING.
I HOPE THIS HELPS!