engine conversion

[jinggo]

converting e36 engine to a e30 chassis... will it need major cut out or just straight in operation??...the idea is to hv m50 or m3 evo2 motor in e30 320.. what other changes should be done with the convertion...can somebody assist me with this...thanx

[jmc330i]

Hi & welcome.

Ive fitted the 3.0ltr M3 (S50) engine and 5spd box to my 325i so can only really answer on that. I dont see the M50 swap being too different.
Here is a cut and paste of something I wrote on another forum, just to give you an idea of whats involved.

The swap itself is straight forward. The engine and box go in with no cutting to the car needed. Its a bit of tight fit but once its in, it sits in nicely.

The main probs are the wiring and the brake servo. The exhaust will be custom made and the exhaust manifold either needs to modified to fit or a custom built item. A company called Zoom Motorsport sell an exhaust and inlet manifold for this conversion. By all accounts its a very nice piece of kit but its not cheap.

The orginal brake servo gets in the way of the intake plenum, so either a remote servo or hydraulic assistance can be used if you want to keep it looking 'factory'. Although, some cutting and re-welding of the plenum is still needed to clear the brake cylinder.
Im probably going to use a custom made plenum that allows me to use the original brake servo setup, as im not to worried about keeping the engine original.

The E30 M3 prop is a direct fit if your using the E36 5spd box, but a custom shortened prop will be needed if the E36 6spd box found in the M3 Evo is used.

If you have anymore questions then just ask.

[Brianmoooore]

For M50 conversion you need the sump and oil pickup from an E34 525. In fact a 525 E34 is the better donor car to start with.- Correct sump alreadt fitted, the engine wiring loom is a better layout, it may have a suitable electric fan and it should be cheaper than a 325. You will need the aluminium engine mounts and the exhaust manifolds from an E36 however.
I overcame the problem with the brake servo (on a RH drive car), by moving the servo/master cylinder as far to the side of the car as possible, using reinforcing plates either side of the bulkhead, an extension to the steady bracket to the transmission tunnel and a modified E34 pullrod across the car.
I obtained clearance for the steering from the exhaust by moving the bulkhead lower steering column bearing outwards in a similar manner. This fouled the clutch pedal, but this can be rearranged into the space where the column originaly was.
A standard E30 325 propshaft fits fine.

[jmc330i]

A standard E30 325 propshaft fits fine.

Depends on the gearbox.

E36 (non M3) Getrag trans, E30 diff - E30 driveshaft
E36 (M3) ZF trans, E30 diff - E30M3 driveshaft

Not sure whats needed if you use a 5 series box.

Sorry, I forgot about the sump. You also need the E34 M50 sump and oil pick up pipe for the S50 conversion.

[Brianmoooore]

I actually used the E36 gearbox, but I had it on the workshop floor beside the E34 gearbox before I fitted it. They appeared to be interchangeable, so I'm fairly sure an E30 325 prop would fit with the 5 series box as well.