320 gearbox on a 325???

[tommype30cab]

hi guys. im new here so bear with me lol. ive got a e30 325 cab with a sports auto gearbox that i am about to change to a manual. My local bmw breaker has sold me a 320 manual box and assured me it is the same as 2.5 and will fit perfectly. Its not that i dont believe him- he seems 2 know his stuff and hes a decent bloke but i could do with a bit of reassurance before i go ripping my daily driver to pieces next weekend. Anybody got any light to shed on the subject? By the way he has also given me pedal box, prop, flywheel and clutch (320 again). cheers peeps [/img]

[Martinaston]

As long as you have the prop it should fit ok but you will need the hydraulic system if you don't already have it
(master and slave cylinders the reservour and last but not least the gearstick)
You also need to pull a link from the wiring above the glovebox for the inhibitor switch.

[mikey-t]

what about mating a auto engine to manual car .surelly the spigot bearing / torque convertor etc will cause problems

[mrLEE30]

you remove the torque converter and insert a spigot bearing on the spigot shaft so it will accept the clutch.

you will also need to weld a bracket onto a RHD car to hold the clutch reservoir

and dont forget the gearknob surround triim too!!

but the bones of the swap is here..

http://www.bmwe30.net/cgi-bin/datacgi/d ... Section=11

[tommype30cab]

Cheers guys. bit of a dilemma now cos he was adament it would fit and be fine so not sure how to break the news to him lol.ive looked everywhere for a cheap conversion kit with no luck and cant seem to get a donor car for under 3 or 4 hundred quid. this guy is chargin me 250 for everythin except the clutch wich ill get new but its a fat lot of good with a box my heavy foot is gonna muller after a few months. nothing is ever straight forward eh?

[dazleeds]

dont forget flywheel for a manual too

[jonbuoy]

No, it's not the same box at all. The 320i uses a Getrag 240 Series which is basically a 316-318i box but with a six cylinder type bellhousing. The 325i (and 323i) uses a 260 Series which is a bulkier and stronger box from the post 82 E28 525-535i but with a special casing to fit an M20. The 320i has a slightly longer prop because the box is smaller and shorter. A 320i box will be okay as long as you don't cane the car to death because it will get noisy and f*ck itself. A 320i flywheel and clutch will do with the same provisos - drive it reasonably and it'll be okay.
To be honest though, you can buy a standard 325i box and prop for peanuts (£100 max) with all the bits. Up to you mate!

I asked you about the 2.0L manual box on a 2.5 before and you basically said the samething but i took my chance's

I drive my car hard alot of the time and do alot of drifting when possible and i have not had any problem's at all ...just a little clutch rattle


.....note to self...need to uprate clutch...

[tommype30cab]

i was hoping sum1 would say that!!! cheers jonboy. where bouts in east anglia are ya? im in the march area. i got a quote on a clutch and the people assured me the 320 and 325 clutches were identical.

[koos]

Pipe from Master to slave cylinder?

[tommype30cab]

Thanks argos. i think ill risk it. at least if it breaks ive got the power of i told u so lol! its a bit late now but i guess ive learnt to ask on here first next time. do ya think me and a mate will get it all changed in a weekend? weve both done similar before but not on a bmw.

[mark320i]

same here jonbuoy, running my 2.5 off a 2.0 box, its fine nothing wrong with it!

[tommype30cab]

UPDATE: just got home after a 45 min drive of 40 mph or under cos ive shafted the gearbox! its all gone tits up and ill be ripping it out 2moz night and every evening till i get it done cos im workin all weekend. 2 cut a long story short some show off on a ducatti 900 challenged me to a race... and i never turn down a race even if im gonna loose so when i stopped the selector went really stiff and wouldnt change- then got stuck in reverse for 10 mins b4 i finally got it in 2nd. lost drive and 3rd and no neutral but hey, could be worse i guess ...............................moral of the story: LEAVE SPORT MODE ALONE!!!!!!!!!