E36 M3 / S54 swap... doing it the hard way.

[Rob Levinson]

For those of you familiar with other drivetrain/engine swaps we've got here in the "UUC family", you've seen that we do it "the hard way" - no shortcuts, no hackjobs.

If it doesn't run like it came from the factory... or, more specificially, if it's got problems from incomplete re-engineering... than I'm just not interested.

That's the exact case with this E36 M3 I've got, getting the S54 transplant.

Here are some of the ways that E36/S54 swaps have been done:

1) "Racecar" style with a standalone engine management system. Works great for a racecar, but all of the various weather tuning and add-on features for a street car are not present. For example, cold-weather starting/running may be compromised, no emissions controls, won't pass OBD-II port scan emissions testing in many states, no traction control, no EWS, sometimes no ABS, etc.

2) Merged systems - leave the E36 DME in place to control most chassis operations, stick in the E46 M3 DME also just to control the engine. This is easier, of course, as it does not require the custom tuning and sensor installation of the standalone system above. Many of the same problems persist, however, including emissions testing problems, no traction control, and possibly problems with ABS and gauges depending on installation. An even bigger problem is the lack of correct signals going to the DSC system, which will then trigger fault codes that reduce engine power. The engine still has more power than the original E36 engine, but not the full power that it should. The reason the E46 M3 DME and wiring cannot simply be substituted for the E36 electronics to regain these functions is that they will not interface with the E36 speed sensors, emissions components, or instrument cluster. The majority of the chassis signals, and even how the signals are run to the instruments, has undergone a major generational change from E36 to E46.

3) The rare S54-powered Z3 M roadster/coupe harness has been discussed as a possibility, and I believe we are the first ones to actually attempt to implement these parts. It makes complete sense, as the Z3 is an E36 variant, and it would appear that BMW has already done the S54 integration for us, right? Well, not so right... while the harness is a good headstart in that it uses the same speed sensors and even the instrument cluster can be swapped over, it does turn out that there are some very big changes that BMW made for this limited edition model. Indeed, many of the advanced E46 electronics changes are in there and problematical for fitting to the E36. But there is a bonus... for going to all the effort, the E36 will inherit true DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) and TPM (Tire Pressure Monitoring). We are relying on the BMW electronics expertise of Brett Anderson at KMS (http://www.koalamotorsport.com), who has completed a dizzying variety of BMW drivetrain swaps over the years.

Our project is very near completion at this point and I will continue to post pics here as we move along.

[Rob Levinson]

The innocent M3, at this point already equipped with the first E46 M3 gearbox swap from a few years ago (click here for details) and the full UUC catalog:



Front clip of the S54 Z3-M (only 18K miles!) as delivered from Zionsville Autosport to KMS (KMS is one of the few shops in the world capable of sorting out this wiring):


Note the wiring bundle on top of the engine... this is every chassis wire from the Z3, carefully pulled out intact so that we would have every sensor used. Also, see the special Zionsville Autosport radiator specifically for the S54/Z3, which means it will be perfect for the S54/E36.

[Rob Levinson]

Delivering the car to KMS in Ohio:



Ohio weather is very weird. The day the car was delivered was sunny and hot. Barely 10 days later, where's the M3?


We knew the motor fit physically:

[Rob Levinson]

Ceramic-coated long-tube headers... oops, we need longer studs for the thick flange!


To get the DSC from the Z3, the Z3 steering column is required because it has the steering angle sensor built in:

[Rob Levinson]

REAL simple wiring job, right? Maybe not so much...

[Black96m3]

cool swap Rob, must cost a lot in parts and labor!!!

[rao]

Neat!

[eurotekm3]

REAL simple wiring job, right? Maybe not so much...

OMG!

[Rob Levinson]

cool swap Rob, must cost a lot in parts and labor!!!

The funny thing about this project, like others I have done, is that it was first a concept... and that concept just waiting for the right donor. I waited six years to find a complete wrecked S54 Z3 and grabbed it when the opportunity presented itself. Sad to see one of those get destroyed - but at least that one was a horrible color!

- Rob

[Rob Levinson]

Neat!

...says the man with twice the displacement in his transplant. Now, I'm not saying I'm jealous or anything like that, but...

- Rob

[JoeZ]

Good stuff Rob! Keep us posted!

[96cosmosM3]

The funny thing about this project, like others I have done, is that it was first a concept... and that concept just waiting for the right donor. I waited six years to find a complete wrecked S54 Z3 and grabbed it when the opportunity presented itself. Sad to see one of those get destroyed - but at least that one was a horrible color!

- Rob

Which headers did you go with? I don't recall seeing many "long-tube" headers being available for the s54.

[Rob Levinson]

<caddyshack>

Al Czervik: Oh, this is the worst-looking hat I ever saw. What, when you buy a hat like this I bet you get a free bowl of soup, huh?

[looks at Judge Smails, who's wearing the same hat]

Al Czervik: Oh, it looks good on you though.

</caddyshack>

No offense if you like SmurfBlau, but every time I see that color, I see an opportunity for Avus or Estoril blue sadly missed.

Which headers did you go with? I don't recall seeing many "long-tube" headers being available for the s54.

Supersprint style... they're considered "long tube" compared to the shorty CSL headers or any E36 headers that would mate to the OE midpipe. Midpipe with custom high-flow cats and rear exhaust are also to be fabricated specifically for this car.

- Rob

[wheresmym3]

You plan on fabricating this into kit form later?

[M///BMW]

So how far are you guys into it now?

[M13]

Subscribed

[Rob Levinson]

You plan on fabricating this into kit form later?

I'm not looking at it that way right now - this is simply a project that I personally wanted to do, and of course it's a great showcase for further testing/proving of our E36 performance components.

As far as a "kit", so far the really hard part is a lot of difficult re-wiring and wiring integration between old and new systems. To repeat that is more of an instruction guide than a box of parts.

The midpipe and cat-back could be duplicated. There is still some tuning ahead to dial in the performance and sound.

- Rob

[Rob Levinson]

So how far are you guys into it now?

Aside from completing the exhaust and cleaning up the wiring, it's basically done. Waiting for a new DME to arrive to replace the one that was damaged, due in from Germany in about a week.

- Rob

[Tuff Guy]

wow, I am definetly subscribed!

[JClark]

The level of work involved in this, even to do it "race car style" like you mentioned, has kept me from doing it 2 years in a row as a winter project. Good luck, Rob & co.

[camshaft]

Can a standalone ecu be used just to manage the engine while keeping the e36 DME? Just like when you use both e36 and e46 DME's, but instead replace the role of e46 with the standalone.

[NeonStatus]

Nice project. Subscribed.

[PrestoMB]

Very nice. This is cool. I've always wanted to see a very clean S54 swapped E36 M3. This should be good, make sure to post as many pics as possible.

[Rob Levinson]

Can a standalone ecu be used just to manage the engine while keeping the e36 DME? Just like when you use both e36 and e46 DME's, but instead replace the role of e46 with the standalone.

Yes, but you would still have most of the same problems... no OBD-II port scan capability (for diagnostics and emissions), no traction control, potential running issues with changing ambient conditions, etc.

Which method is chosen really depends on the intended use of the car. The standalone method is ideal for a true racecar and will deliver more power.

The method I am pursuing is with the goals of a "factory built style" car that runs and drives great with no problems or compromised features... as though BMW had not discontinued the E36 chassis and the development progressed from Euro S50B30, to S50B32, to S54. Sort of an "M3 Evolution II".

- Rob

[camshaft]

Yes, but you would still have most of the same problems... no OBD-II port scan capability (for diagnostics and emissions), no traction control, potential running issues with changing ambient conditions, etc.

Which method is chosen really depends on the intended use of the car. The standalone method is ideal for a true racecar and will deliver more power.

The method I am pursuing is with the goals of a "factory built style" car that runs and drives great with no problems or compromised features... as though BMW had not discontinued the E36 chassis and the development progressed from Euro S50B30, to S50B32, to S54. Sort of an "M3 Evolution II".

- Rob

What if it's an OBD1 m3 to begin with? I guess what I'm getting it is that I had thought using a standalone to manage just the engine would have been the cleanest and simplest solution and I'm just wondering whether it is.

Austin