Euro S50B30 engine swaps for TI

[Alex Lipowich]

I can not claim to have made a lot of progress on the TI project, but its still creeping forward.

On the flip side, I have put together a nice website, it is located afterall at ABLoriginalparts.com

Feel free to browse, and ask questions.

Alex Lipowich

[Alex Lipowich]

Not sure if my last post made it.

I do now have a more advanced website for everyone to look at.

It is afterall located at: ABLoriginalparts.com

Feel free to write to me via the site with questions.

Alex Lipowich

[snuggz]

Just wanted to chime in to say that this thread rocks, tons of good information I hadn't seen before... Nice site too, that ltw race car looks sick.

[96cali]

Alex- I was looking at your new site on Friday just b4 you posted this. Nicely done! I will be in Chicago (downown, river north area) from Tuesday to Saturday. Where are you? I was hoping to get a ride in a swapped ti, but oh well.

Might still want to connect with you if you are at all commutable by Metra, L, etc. Email me pls. Thanks!

[///Mcubed]

Hi guys!

This is my first post at 318ti.org.

I have some very specific questions that I can't find the answers to ANYWHERE!

Firstly though, I'll be straight up and tell you I don't have a Ti, I actually have an E36 318is, '97 vintage in alpine white, manual.
The main reason I'm here is because of the amazing wealth of engine-swap knowlege that resides here on this site.

I recently bought an S50B30 (euro engine, I'm in Australia :P), complete with guage cluster, wiring harness, ECU, 5sp transmission, COMPLETE front and rear brakes, and a FULL M3 body kit. All of this gear comes off a 95 M3.

Now my question to you guys is...

Being that my beloved 318is is a 97 model, it has the digital air con system. The car that all of the new stuff is from is a 95 model with the analog air con unit.
Is it going to be possible for me to get the digital air con system running with the ECU off the 95 M3 engine?

Also, is there ANYTHING else I will need to complete the swap? Obviously I'll have to source a diff from somewhere. What about the suspension though? I already have Bilstein Sports struts with Eibach Pro springs (AWESOME handling for a non-coilover system) Will I have to buy new front/rear suspension componants to make things work? What about the crossmember? Will the new engine fit with the existing crossmember or will that have to be reaplaced aswell?

Any other bits and pieces I will need to make the swap quick? I really want to have all the parts waiting, so as to minimise down time of my car.

Thanks in advance for your help guys,

Shane.

[J!m]

Originally Posted by ///Mcubed

Is it going to be possible for me to get the digital air con system running with the ECU off the 95 M3 engine?

I have no idea on this one... tis don't have digital climate control. My guess is no, but maybe.

Originally Posted by ///Mcubed

Also, is there ANYTHING else I will need to complete the swap? Obviously I'll have to source a diff from somewhere. What about the suspension though? Will I have to buy new front/rear suspension componants to make things work? What about the crossmember? Will the new engine fit with the existing crossmember or will that have to be reaplaced aswell?

The diff from the M3 should fit your car. You will also want the drive shaft.
Front springs will need to be changed for increased engine weight.
Engine sits on the same cross member, but motor mounts from the M3 must be used. Tranny also fits on the 318 cross member, but it moves back to a new set of holes.

Originally Posted by ///Mcubed

Any other bits and pieces I will need to make the swap quick? I really want to have all the parts waiting, so as to minimise down time of my car.

Full cooling system, get a new clutch, use the M3 slave cylinder, change all hoses, air box is needed from the M3, I would suggest changing the full rear suspension, not just the diff. Since you have access to the donor car, just swap the rear sub frame complete. Traction control will not work (plus the '95 did not have it anyway), the EWS will need to be bypassed in your '97 too.

[///Mcubed]

Originally Posted by J!m

Front springs will need to be changed for increased engine weight.

I have eibach pro springs at the moment, they are quite stiff. They should be fine until I get a set of PSS9's shouldn't they? Speaking of which, I'm guessing I should buy the PSS9 kit for the M3, not 318is. Even though my car came with MTEC suspension from factory, if I got suspension for the M3 I could make the M3 brakes work, is that right?
Or would a better option be to keep the bilstein shocks I have now, buy some eibach springs for an M3, sell the M3 brake system and buy a BBK to suit the 318 suspension I already have?

Originally Posted by J!m

Full cooling system,

Radiator, oil cooler...? (Don't know much about this area)

Originally Posted by J!m

change all hoses,

I'm told most of the lines are earls braided, they should be ok shouldn't they?

Originally Posted by J!m

air box is needed from the M3,

Would I better off getting an aftermarket one? I thought a pipercross carbon fibre one would be nice. Open to suggestions though

Originally Posted by J!m

I would suggest changing the full rear suspension, not just the diff. Since you have access to the donor car, just swap the rear sub frame complete.

I don't have access to the donor car, as it's not really a donor car. The guy is going through an engine swap himself. Any other parts I need I will have to source from a wrecker. What is involved in the rear subframe? Which parts will I need to start looking for?

Originally Posted by J!m

The EWS will need to be bypassed in your '97 too.

How does this work? Is it just a matter of not wiring something in? I've heard that something to do with the EWS needs to be re-aligned at the BMW dealership. What's involved?


Thanks for all your help so far.

Shane.

[J!m]

Trying not to sound like a jerk here...

Anyway, I'd like to suggest you invest in my swap manual. Some of the information may not be useful to you, but much of it will be of use to you, based on your questions. You are definitely doing the right thing and doing the homework before you start bending wrenches.

The manual was compiled while doing my swap, and it undergoes constant up-grades as new information becomes available to me. I also have an extensive listing of necessary and/or hard to find parts, including Euro-only parts that may be of interest (I've actually thought about selling this bit separately recently).

making it all work, and look like a factory installation is the name of the game for me. Up-grades and other 'mods' after the fact are up to you...

PM me for more information if interested.

[///Mcubed]

Latest news:

I've found a cracked subframe that I can pick up when I go down to pick the engine up next week. Apart from the subframe that surrounds the final drive, what other rear axle parts will I need to swap?

RE the air conditioning, I had a look around the some of the user gallieries on this site to see what the Ti air con unit looks like in comparison to the 95 M3 part. The heat control is the same, though as far as i could tell there is no differentiation between passenger and dirver sides. This makes me think that it might only be a matter of power to the unit itself in my case???
Maybe we could work inversely.
How do the guys that swap in S52B32 euro engines make the controls work in their digital units? The B32 cars all have digital air con units. Is it just a matter of power for the analoge units?

The air con matter is the ONLY thing making me think twice about the whole swap. Sounds pedantic, but that's me. I really need to get to the bottom of this one guys, any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

Cheers,

-Shane.

[///Mcubed]

k,

I'm going to make the first step and do the suspension and brakes. I already have the front and rear brakes off an M, and I'm going to change the bilstein/eibach combination I have at the moment.
I'm going to upgrade to the Bilstein PSS9 system, but I'm not sure weather I should get the M3 set or the 318is set. The M3 set has provision on the front shocks for the stock swaybar. Aside from that feature, what would be the difference between getting a PSS9 kit for the 318is and getting the M3 kit?

Thanks again,

-Shane

[///Mcubed]

BUMP!

Wow, this thread is moving SLOW.

I've been down to pick up all the parts now, so the fun can begin. I'll probably pull down the engine this weekend and see what needs replacing or repairing.

BUMP!

[cali-ti]

Originally Posted by ///Mcubed

k,

I'm going to make the first step and do the suspension and brakes. I already have the front and rear brakes off an M, and I'm going to change the bilstein/eibach combination I have at the moment.
I'm going to upgrade to the Bilstein PSS9 system, but I'm not sure weather I should get the M3 set or the 318is set. The M3 set has provision on the front shocks for the stock swaybar. Aside from that feature, what would be the difference between getting a PSS9 kit for the 318is and getting the M3 kit?

Thanks again,

-Shane

the PSS9 kit for the m3 should have uprated springs to handle the heavier weight, struts may or may not be different for the same reason. if you're swapping in a 6, i'd go with the m3 kit.

[///Mcubed]

The PSS9 kits for the non-M cars all run the same spring rates. 318-328. I don't know why, but that's the way they do it. Probably because the struts themselves are adjustable. The M3 struts are shorter apparently, and to use those I'd have to change axle parts and hub asseblies, the part that the calipers mount to, the stub axle and something else I think.
The spring rates used for the other 6cyl engines should work fine with the S50B30.

[Nemanja]

Hi Alex, my name is Nemanja and I am from Belgrade,Serbia. I am currently working on my project car. It is a 94 318ti. I have everything that is needed for this kind of conversion /S50B30 engine, DME & VANOS controller, radiators for oil & water, 6speed gearbox from EVO/. This is my question: Some people tell me that DME & VANOS controller MUST be from the SAME car because they are programmed to work. This is obviosly problem for me because my VANOS controller is from other car. I don`t want to put everything in the car and then to find out that is not going to work properly. Because You have so much experience in this kind of engine swaps /S50B30/ I hope You will give me the right information. All I know is that these two ECU`s communicate via CAN/controller area network/ line. Obviosly I need this information ASAP so if anybody else also know anything about this, please be free to share that information because my friend is planing to put the same motor in 320i TOURING and he also wants to know. Best regards and keep up with good work.

[AlaskaBlue]

Hey Alex if you happen to be reading this I was once again directed to you by Jim Taft and Brian Streufert.

I will probably get ahold of you sometime in the future regarding an S54 or euro swap (college student/autocrosser so not enough money right now). If you want to make a project car mine is certainly available.