EVERYTHING needed for a swap

[Marv17]

nope, that plug is supposed to be there like Jess said. not sure what the 3rd plug does but when i looked at harold's, hugo's, and bobbak's ti they only had 2 plugs and I had 3. only logical guess that we came up with of why i had 3 plugs b/c it was an automatic. my m3 had three plugs too, so i dunno what it would be.

[BMW_Hatchback]

pretty sure my m52 is manual harness, and I have 3. What is that plug for in auto cars?

[Shellback]

Ok, one thing I know: the donor car (M3 which is mine and bought back from insurance) is a 5 speed. The ti is also a 5 speed. I also confirmed it by deciphering the VIN # (both manual trannys).
Anyway, I'll re-check tomorrow. The mysterious 2nd plug thriller continues....

Edit....looking at J!m's manual, page 19 also shows his ti as having 2 plugs

[wolferj-RIP]

Sorry, but I am not sure what it does. Also, mine is OBD1, so there may be differences I don't know about...

[BMW_Hatchback]

Thanks Tony,

[Bluebimma]

ASC

[Shellback]

Good morning,
Well, the questions continue as I slowly prepare for the big day.

Questions:
1) I read the engine will be almost vertical (using engine leveler on engine joist) while installing the engine/tranny as a one piece unit into the compact. Will this unusual angle be of any harm to the engine? I understand the engine will only be in the configuration momentarily as it is slowly inserted into the compact, but was curious if this will hurt the engine. BTW, all fluids have been drained.

2) Since I’m using the S52 and my M3 transmission, do I also use the shifter/linkage? I believe the manual mentions the shifter/linkage had to be cut down.

3) Since my donor car is a E36 M3 5 speed sedan, I’m not going to have much of a problem as J!m ran into when he used MZ3 as a donor, correct. I read somewhere else the sedan parts are compatible/direct fit into the compact.

4) I’m a bit hung up on the instructions (I believe page 17 on the manual) on removing/deleting the traction control. My M3 has ASC. Does this mean I will not be installing the ASC into the compact? I’m still confused on this part of the installation. This also goes back to the original question I asked about the compact having 2 “pin” plugs and my S52 engine having 3 “pin” plugs, in which I was informed the 3rd plug on the S52 is for the ASC system.

I sincerely appreciate everyone’s help and patience when. I’ve never started a project like this and I’m really excited and anxious to see how it will turn out.
Thanks again.

[BMW_Hatchback]

Originally Posted by Shellback

Good morning,
Well, the questions continue as I slowly prepare for the big day.

Questions:
1) I read the engine will be almost vertical (using engine leveler on engine joist) while installing the engine/tranny as a one piece unit into the compact. Will this unusual angle be of any harm to the engine? I understand the engine will only be in the configuration momentarily as it is slowly inserted into the compact, but was curious if this will hurt the engine. BTW, all fluids have been drained.

Remove the hood and you should be okay.

2) Since I’m using the S52 and my M3 transmission, do I also use the shifter/linkage? I believe the manual mentions the shifter/linkage had to be cut down.

Use the linkage, but the arm has to be bent in a larger curve so the shifter sits flush in the interior

3) Since my donor car is a E36 M3 5 speed sedan, I’m not going to have much of a problem as J!m ran into when he used MZ3 as a donor, correct. I read somewhere else the sedan parts are compatible/direct fit into the compact.

No matter sedan or coupe, all E36 motors shouldn't need any custom mounting.

4) I’m a bit hung up on the instructions (I believe page 17 on the manual) on removing/deleting the traction control. My M3 has ASC. Does this mean I will not be installing the ASC into the compact? I’m still confused on this part of the installation. This also goes back to the original question I asked about the compact having 2 “pin” plugs and my S52 engine having 3 “pin” plugs, in which I was informed the 3rd plug on the S52 is for the ASC system.

Bluebimma has laid out what to do about to get ASC out of the way in his DIY, but I don't think anyone has come up with an answer for it yet.

I sincerely appreciate everyone’s help and patience when. I’ve never started a project like this and I’m really excited and anxious to see how it will turn out.
Thanks again.

All in all, it sounds like you should make a thread

[Bluebimma]

Dont remove the hood, there is a service mode built into the hood that allows you to lift the hood almost to the windshield.

[BMW_Hatchback]

LOL didn't know that, thats pretty neat

[Shellback]

yeah, I found out about the service position on the sedan I'm parting.

[J!m]

Shellback:

If you have specific questions feel free to send me an e-mail. What is interesting is that some items (like the service position on the hood) is covered in the manual, but you seem to have missed it.

"yeah, I found out about the service position on the sedan I'm parting."

Anyway, as a manual owner, you get free assistance from me, so you might as well use it!

The connectors under the hood look identical and plug in to one another just fine; however the individual pin outs have to be corrected between the two cars- hence the wiring diagrams. That is the big PITA of the swap for sure. It is different for just about every configuration too- so you REALLY need to understand the wiring diagrams and make the changes to get everything on-line. I can help get you going with this as well when you e-mail or call.

ABS will work fine; ASC will not. This is also detailed in the manual. (although ASC could be made to work, it is a big project...)

Transmission linkage is covered in detail. If you keep the ti tranny, you can either cut yours (specific, detailed instructions are in the manual for measuring correctly and cutting) or replace it with another (part numbers are in the manual for this). If you use the M3 tranny, use the M3 linkage with it. That is the simple solution.


To all current and potential swap manual owners:

There is a lot of information crammed in this manual. Please read it several times over before starting.

I am happy to answer any clarification questions you may have because you own the manual. What I then do (for all questions asked by all purchasers), is I add further detail to the manual to make it better. Continuous improvement!

But, posting here like this makes it appear that I have omitted important information from my manual, and although it is far from perfect, I have gone to great lengths to make it as good and complete as I possibly can.

[Shellback]

J!m,
You are right - my apologies. I will send individual, manual specific questions to you. BTW, your manual is awesome! I would've NEVER dived into this project without it.

I will document the rest of my progress on my own "build" post.
I want to thank everyone above for answering my questions and pointing me in the right direction. Your help and encouragement helps folks like me who have never tried anything like this. Let the swap continue....

[J!m]

No problem!

I did not mean to come off as bashing you; I just wanted to make you (and everyone else) aware that I am here for you (and all other manual purchasers) to get you guys on the road. And also to point out that the manual really is CRAMMED with info. I did my best to organize it, but I realize that there are some intertwined subjects in there and sometimes it jumps around a little bit. I am working on improving that as well.

My phone number and e-mail are right in the front of the manual, so you can call or e-mail any time. I'll answer as soon as I can in all cases. This goes for ALL manual purchasers!

And, thanks for the praise on the manual! I'll add it to the testimonials in the For Sale section!

[jae_rex]

Hello Jim. I am now in the process of having my motor shipped, but would like a final rundown of parts, before the shipper gets rid of the donor car. Can you give me a quick list of everything. Here is what he is shipping me:

- motor (99 M52)
- motor mounts
- wiring harness
- gauge cluster
- axles
- EWS
- chips from the keys
- ECU
- radiator
- Is there anything I missed?

Also how do I go about purchasing your manual? I will need this before I start, and even before the motor is shipped. Thanks in advance.