316i lux... conversion answers please...

[Hath]

basically brought one of these have wanted one for aggesss so finally got one ready for me to drive as soon as i get off my driving ban..

ok spec is ..1994 316i lux touring auto

right i know its auto.. im quite fond of the auto box for a little bit enjying the joys of petrol consumption it holds the revs well considering..

by end of the year id like to have a 2.5 jobby in there.. i mean cummon.. these 4 pots are strangely weak.. all 100bhp..

how hard is it for the pedal assembly? and gubbins to make the clutch work, manual box, prop and engine..?

basically convert it to a 2.5 manual. from a 316 auto.. now the bodywork is mintos for its age etc and the exact colour id like so i mean getting it to look how i want is a priority.. however i want this car, not to go out and buy a 325 touring so any help wiht my question of converting it to a manual 2.5 would be much appreciated.. cheers guys.

[eko]

Pedal box is easy mate.
Took me about an hour to change mine and id never changed one before!
About 10 bolts to take it out once youve got the lower dash out!

Welcome to the zone

[m-dtech]

ive just dropped in an m50 lump into a 318i,

engine covers etc are dirty in the pic but you can see it was made for the bay

[Theo]

Your shopping list should include;

Pedal box with clutch master cyl
Pipe connecting clutch master cyl to slave cyl
Gearbox with clutch slave
Prop shaft
Diff (3.64/3.73/3.91)
Engine/Loom/ECU/Clutch/Flywheel/Rad/AFM etc etc
325i front springs
Exhaust system

Of course there are extra little bits you will need, rubber engine mountings for example...

Best way, is to buy a mechanically sound, manual 325i and transfer the bits over.

BTW - welcome to the site!

[m-dtech]

or keep the car auto and stick in an engine and auto box from a 735i

if your going to the hassle of an engine conversion you may as well make it worth while lol

anything sub 200bhp is just not worth it.

[eko]

ive just dropped in an m50 lump into a 318i,

engine covers etc are dirty in the pic but you can see it was made for the bay

Mike,paint those engine covers all Black to match the M30 airbox,you know it looks better

[eko]

or keep the car auto and stick in an engine and auto box from a 735i

if your going to the hassle of an engine conversion you may as well make it worth while lol

anything sub 200bhp is just not worth it.

Agreed
PS; I know where theres a nice 5.0 V12 complete

[m-dtech]

or keep the car auto and stick in an engine and auto box from a 735i

if your going to the hassle of an engine conversion you may as well make it worth while lol

anything sub 200bhp is just not worth it.

Agreed
PS; I know where theres a nice 5.0 V12 complete

Thats a pic of it all mocked up and the inlet just sitting in place, i was getting excited when the engine went in. lol

Hmm i know a boy with an m60 too...

[Hath]

lol surely having teh v12 and box id need to change prop aswell?? im new to the whole RWD business to.. jsut comve over formt eh jap side of things.. hence how im banned from driving as my civic was a tad nippy.. and speeding double the speed limit is frowned upon in a national speed limit zone..

anywho. yeah. i mean id like to get the parts togeather over tiem and then jsut do it all at once.. im nto sure id liek the auto box when it comes to getting the assend out...( discalimer.. id never do it.. hhonestly) so im jstu gonna pursue with creating the ideal beast before starting mechancially on it jsut wanted a brief overview basically of what i need and possibly a cost assesment..??

and thank you for the welcomes.. i am hath.. and well.. yeah.. i was irected here by munky/simian.. i do indeed love E30s. mainly the tourings.. soo. onwards and upwards..

[eko]

Thats a pic of it all mocked up and the inlet just sitting in place, i was getting excited when the engine went in. lol

Nice feeling aint it,first start up will have you smiling [/quote]

[m-dtech]

lol surely having teh v12 and box id need to change prop aswell?? im new to the whole RWD business to.. jsut comve over formt eh jap side of things.. hence how im banned from driving as my civic was a tad nippy.. and speeding double the speed limit is frowned upon in a national speed limit zone..

anywho. yeah. i mean id like to get the parts togeather over tiem and then jsut do it all at once.. im nto sure id liek the auto box when it comes to getting the assend out...( discalimer.. id never do it.. hhonestly) so im jstu gonna pursue with creating the ideal beast before starting mechancially on it jsut wanted a brief overview basically of what i need and possibly a cost assesment..??

and thank you for the welcomes.. i am hath.. and well.. yeah.. i was irected here by munky/simian.. i do indeed love E30s. mainly the tourings.. soo. onwards and upwards..

Regardless your gonna have to change the prop as autoboxes are longer than manual boxes.

Seriously though have a read through the Engine Swaps / Forced Induction section and have a look at m30/m50/mXX

Personaly the m20b25 that you wanna put in is 170bhp and IMO outdated by more modern engines. (m50/m52 all the way!!)

[m-dtech]

Thats a pic of it all mocked up and the inlet just sitting in place, i was getting excited when the engine went in. lol

Nice feeling aint it,first start up will have you smiling

[/quote]

should do with no exhaust

[eko]

So Hath your also from Plymouth area right?
Im from Newton Abbot,just up the road

Basically any big conversion is just going to be that,big!
As Theo said,probably easiest and quickest option for decent power is going to be M20 2.5,just buy a scrapper and make a weekend of it!
Plenty have done it in that time.

Anything bigger ie M50 or M30 is going to take longer as these require sourcing parts from other models,fabricating manifolds/props etc not to mention plumbing and wiring!
My M50 took about 12 working days from start to finish,well not finished but usable.Oh and that was done 99% by myself from start to finsh so if i can............................

[Hath]

Ahh i see well if im gonna be perfectly honest.. the 2.5 soudns jstu about right to me.. prefer to keep the engine in date with the car..lol. that and well 170 is enough for me im on my second driving ban at hte minute and i get unbanned at the end of the month.. however i just want this car literally to just drive around in and no i have the power there to pop the arse out ( controlled of course ....... well i hope) ive done the whole stripping the jap car out and turboeing etc.. and that is why im on a ban..

naww i used to live in plymouth however i was abruptly whisked off tot he lovely westcountry to live with my faovurite bank.. "mother and father" oh the joys of still being young..

oo and jsut to say... i ahve the oringial first aid kit.. everyhting in its still in german.. emergency torch int he glove box.. blaupunkt speaker set up and pods.. and boot liner.. lol apparently thats a good thing as well as the tool kit being as good as complete

[eko]

Tenner waiting for your first aid kit

As said,weekends work will see you running a 2.5 M20.
Keep us upto date with progress on it,always makes good rea ding

[Hath]

in whihc case you shall be reading alot of swear words and well.. general banter. i am an apparentice mechaninc anywho so be good doing something like this..

let the bidding commence lol.. im unsure if i wanna sell it its nice to know i have plasters and stuff just incase i find some inch high polish spy injured on the side of the road..

[Brianmoooore]

You've made the right choice by going for the touring. Got all the right bits on it to accept a bigger engine, although it's just a lowly 316. If it was a saloon, you'd need to change all the suspension and brakes as well.
You might well find you can insure this car fitted with a 325 engine (even a M50 one), cheaper than you can insure a genuine 325i.

[munky30]

Dont tell him to put in v12's etc! He'll be dead within a week lol.

2.5 is piss easy hath, me and darren... hmm ok, just darren swapped mine over in two days. He's doing it again this weekend for the new engine lol.

[Hath]

LOL yes i knwo no i wotn be doing the V12 as yes i will be dead.. or banned.. AGAIN its terribel when the police know ure name..... but yes.. effrots must be doubed.. first off the manaul conversion got soem fo the bits aready..

[munky30]

which kind soul did you get them from? A free spare engine with manual gearbox and prop must be hard to come by

[Hath]

ya bloody goodun.. who lvoes it up the wrongun.. lol. anw apreciate mate.. gonna coem in well handy.. however i dont plan on having that box in for too long.. lol or prop..


IS there any diffrence between my auto diff and a manual diff? for a manual setup is it gonna need changing..

[m-dtech]

316i i think is a 4.10 ratio diff.

[320Touring]

316i i think is a 4.10 ratio diff.

on a touring its a 4.27

[munky30]

I was told its a 4.54 on mine, is there a difference between manual and auto?

[Brianmoooore]

Tourings are usually one ratio up from saloons, and automatics one ratio up from manuals, so generally, an automatic touring will be two ratios up from the equivalent manual saloon.

[Hath]

so ok in short.. ( i do apologoise new to this RWD malarky and new to bmws , i knwo my way around a civic like the back of my hand..the bim bimma.. no chance all in good time...).. HOWEVer.. in short yes.. i have a manual gear box..clutch and prop shaft... am i going to need a diff..??

Manual Gearbox: Check free
Clutch : Check free
Manual prop shaft: Check free
brake master cylinder: How much am i looking?
Clutch slave: check free ,on gear box apaprently
pedal assembly: how much?
Pipe connecting clutch master cyl to slave cyl : what kinda pipe?
Diff (3.64/3.73/3.91) i hate diffs.. there a bastard to change? what happens if i keep my standard diff for hte auto .. will it have an effect on the outragously slow acceleration..?