m3 gearbox in 325i sport

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spanky_doo
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Post Wed Nov 14, 2012 10:13 am

As title. Can it be done? Has anyone done it and ifso what type of difference does it make?
pacerpete
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Post Wed Nov 14, 2012 10:28 am

I have a good used M3 gearbox for £900.
spanky_doo
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Post Wed Nov 14, 2012 10:47 am

pacerpete wrote:I have a good used M3 gearbox for £900.
thanks for the offer pal but my funds are for the body work at the minute. Im working from a list and the gearbox is after bodywork, suspension, brakes, fuel/brake lines, engine (may need a new cylinder head) then tyres. After all that will i be looking to buy. Just inquiring at the minute just to see if it can be done easily and if i will see any real gains. If i will see gains and it can be done without too much hastle im gonna start a gearbox fund. I'll definitely keep your offer in mind if you still have it though
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Mikey_Boy
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Post Wed Nov 14, 2012 11:11 am

Yes - it can be done - I did it... See thread below:

http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... ight=262cr

You will need:

262CR gearbox (be aware there are a few variants of gearbox so get the right one!)
528e US spec bellhousing
Modified propshaft

I have a bellhousing and a propshaft if you are interested.... winkeye

Is it worth it? ABSOLUTELY........! :thumb:

I converted my trackday car and it made a huge difference. I have a 3.64 diff installed and whilst the engine was quite revvy on the road (4150 rpm at 80mph) it made it super responsive on track - the gear ratio spacing is so much better than the 325 box. You can make the car more bearable on the road with a 3.25 diff but you will lose a bit of acceleration on track.

Only down side is that dog leg boxes are hard to come by and good ones even more so....

Good luck and drop me a PM if you need any more advice.

Cheers,
Mike
spanky_doo
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Post Wed Nov 14, 2012 11:32 am

Thanks mike. It wont be used for the track. Im wanting a better 0-60 time a friends got a mk 2 focus rs with 355 bhp i know id need to spend a lot of money to get it as quick but i just want it abit quicker in the acceleration. Do you know what the 0-60 is one yours?
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Mikey_Boy
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Post Wed Nov 14, 2012 1:06 pm

Hmmm - that's an interesting problem! I have a tricked up ST so appreciate how quick they can be... You might be better off spending your money turbocharging your 325!!

I am not big on measuring 0-60 to be honest as it's not that important on track and ruins clutches and driveshafts, I was after better pick up out of the corners which the box certainly gives in spades...

Would suggest you leave your gearbox as is - have a look on the engine swap forums and see what's best for you - turbocharging a 325 is a great way of getting (much) more performance.
spanky_doo
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Post Thu Nov 15, 2012 1:33 pm

I was looking at supercharging but because the bodywork and getting it road worthy is my priority ive not looked into it with too much detail. I had a quick browse and found the full kit for £3300 and apparently it was designed for the e30 325 which increases it to 240bhp just bolting it on and has the potential to power it to 380bhp which would be nice and definitely give the focus a run for its money but unfortunately my pockets have bottoms and im close to them at the minute
Demlotcrew
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Post Fri Nov 16, 2012 9:31 am

There are plenty of Turbo tunners on here, all of which you should stay well away from! :)
Rav335uk
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Post Fri Nov 16, 2012 9:52 am

Clive has a supercharger on his M220 2.8 build, and is currently running about 380bhp, but still needs another map to get more. :mad:
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