XCRN : 1995 BMW 525i

[wildBill83]

Putting in work!

Got any undercarriage photos? Also how much more difficult is it to swap the transmission on that Beemer than on a CB7?

I've never worked on BMWs so I have no frame of reference.

EDIT:
Aren't those BMW OEM Enkei 92 15x8 rims?

[XCRN]

Putting in work!

Got any undercarriage photos? Also how much more difficult is it to swap the transmission on that Beemer than on a CB7?

I've never worked on BMWs so I have no frame of reference.

EDIT:
Aren't those BMW OEM Enkei 92 15x8 rims?

This is the only photo I have of my undercarriage, I have never jacked up the car other than to do the wheel cleaning.



Now as for the difficulty, people say the most difficult part of the swap is the pedal cluster. There is also no need to weld in a new bracket for a transmission mount like on the CB. Everything is bolt on if you have the right parts.

The parts list is more specific since I can't get the components from a different car. The drive train has to be from the same production eras since somewhere in 92 I believe they changed transmission manufactures and they had different flanges. So parts need to be from a 91-92 car or a late 92-95. The date specific parts are things like the differential, transmission, driveshaft, cross members, mounts. Pedals and other small stuff can come from any E34, even the V8.

Electronics is quite simple, splicing the wires for the reverse switch and a special relay from a manuals car and that is about it.

Obviously it is harder to take it out after everything is disconnected given you have to go deep into it but overall from what I have been reading I would say it is easier than the CB.

BMWs get a lot of crap about being hard to work on, now this is true in the generations after mine given all the electronics. But the E34 is just as easy to work on as the CB.


And as for the wheels, they are OEM but I honestly do not know if they are Enkie. I do believe they are 15x8 all around.

[ol blue]

My e39 when I first got it had the same rims as yours and mine were made by bbs. Atleast that is what it said when I pulled off the center cap.

[wildBill83]

This is the only photo I have of my undercarriage, I have never jacked up the car other than to do the wheel cleaning.




Now as for the difficulty, people say the most difficult part of the swap is the pedal cluster. There is also no need to weld in a new bracket for a transmission mount like on the CB. Everything is bolt on if you have the right parts.

The parts list is more specific since I can't get the components from a different car. The drive train has to be from the same production eras since somewhere in 92 I believe they changed transmission manufactures and they had different flanges. So parts need to be from a 91-92 car or a late 92-95. The date specific parts are things like the differential, transmission, driveshaft, cross members, mounts. Pedals and other small stuff can come from any E34, even the V8.

Electronics is quite simple, splicing the wires for the reverse switch and a special relay from a manuals car and that is about it.

Obviously it is harder to take it out after everything is disconnected given you have to go deep into it but overall from what I have been reading I would say it is easier than the CB.

BMWs get a lot of crap about being hard to work on, now this is true in the generations after mine given all the electronics. But the E34 is just as easy to work on as the CB.


And as for the wheels, they are OEM but I honestly do not know if they are Enkie. I do believe they are 15x8 all around.

How did you get the transmission and driveshaft out without jacking the car up?

ol blue is correct, they are BBS wheels. I always get that style mixed up.

I look forward to more eye candy. I have always admired this series BMW, just never wanted to take on the challenge.

You don't have to do anything to the ECU for the swap?

[XCRN]

Thanks for the compliments.

I have not started pulling the transmission yet. I need more money for seals and a clutch first so I am just getting done what I can to minimize the time I have to do the swap, which will realistically going to happen in late Fall early Winter. The parts I painted cleaned are from a different manual car so they were just lying around doing nothing.

The ECU is the same, it is just a special relay on the manual cars that makes the difference and I just remembered another wire that has to be plugged in somewhere else.

You should get one for your self, it really is not all that bad. But things do get expensive fast if you do not plan it out right.

[islandhopper]

...
Aren't those BMW OEM Enkei 92 15x8 rims?

OEM "Basketweaves" (as they are commonly known) made by Fundo. i forget the exact model...

[XCRN]

Finished with getting the manual pedal cluster in and I also added a list on the first post below the "Things That Need Fix'n" list as to my progress on the manual swap. Don't be surprised, it's not much, mainly just getting parts is all that is done.

[XCRN]

So an issue I will have in the future when I plan to drive back to Seattle for the summer is that I would love to have something to drink while driving the distance. But you will notice there is no cup holder. I could just get thoes $10 universal cup holders but I am better than that. I need something that looks like came from the factory, but there are no good options for that. While I am in school for engineering technology, I have access to CNC machines and all sorts of fun stuff. So I have started with some basic sketches for an intergrated cupholder in the center console.

Here is the pirlece it will go on and will require modification.





Here is something I did on the free Google Sketch-Up, not super detailed but it gives you an idea.

[XCRN]

Cleaned the transmission and shifting mechanism, also painted some of the shifting arms. Not that I need to but I can, so I will.

[IMG][/IMG]

Had to edit this one so you could actually see the shifter rod. You can also see the car I currently use to the right edge of the picture. The beige Toyota Corolla, it's no BMW (or CB7 either) but I just got 40 MPG last fill up. It will do for now.

[IMG][/IMG]

[XCRN]

Found a picture of an interior that I plan on doing essentially. Tan with black on top and darker wood. And the 3 spoke steering wheel would be nice but they are not cheap, something like $150 to $300 is typical.

[Jarrett]

Why not use the cupholders like your example picture has?

[XCRN]

They can only fit small cans and they do not do a good job at that. Having no real cup holder is probably why there was a nasty stain all over the carpet between the driver seat and center console. The only other place for someone to place a fast-food cup for example would be the gap between the seat and the center console, and I would assume is not a stable solution.

[XCRN]

Thinking real far in the future here, something I will do when I get a real career started.

Supercharged 2.8L. I can get a junkyard 2.8 for less than $200 (which I plan on doing in the closer future), rebuild with high quality parts, and $4500 for a drop in supercharger that will not blow up a stock engine. Lots of people report around 300 WHP or assuming 20% drivetrain loss 360 BHP. That should be safe to use on stock internals so long as I am not revving the piss out of it 24/7, good for the once a month track day and regular autocross, and some unmonitored country back roads if I felt so inclined.

Here is a video of a stock block 325i non-VANOS with basic bolt-ons and a "hot cam" swap (2 intake cams) which is idiotic on this engine. I can't figure out how to imbed this it keeps showing a white square so this is the best I can do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7HMHFngXKU

[islandhopper]

Thinking real far in the future here, something I will do when I get a real career started.

Supercharged 2.8L. I can get a junkyard 2.8 for less than $200 (which I plan on doing in the closer future), rebuild with high quality parts, and $4500 for a drop in supercharger that will not blow up a stock engine. Lots of people report around 300 WHP or assuming 20% drivetrain loss 360 BHP. That should be safe to use on stock internals so long as I am not revving the piss out of it 24/7, good for the once a month track day and regular autocross, and some unmonitored country back roads if I felt so inclined.

Here is a video of a stock block 325i non-VANOS with basic bolt-ons and a "hot cam" swap (2 intake cams) which is idiotic on this engine. I can't figure out how to imbed this it keeps showing a white square so this is the best I can do.

FTFY!









Nice! i say go for it. i'm planning on getting a turbo kit for my M20B25 which will hold 400hp on a stock block without issue. a guy on R3V has built this kit modeled after his own build...http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=307513

So if my single cam M20 can take 400hp turbo'd then your M50 should be fine with 300hp supercharged. Would definitely make your 5er more fun.

Great progress so far, man. Your E34 is coming along nicely.

[XCRN]

Thanks. Not a lot of E34s are using superchargers so the piping from filter to the compressor will need to be made to fit but the important part the SC to throttle is the same. That kit though looks like a great deal, I would go with a kit like that but for the M50/2 they are more around the $6000 range from what I have seen.

I wish I could be making serious progress with the manual swap but it will get done before snowfalls end next year if I just stick to doing only a manual swap.