Engine swap into a 540iA with a dead motor?

[jrcho88]

I have a chance to pickup a 95 540iA with a dead motor.

What are my possibilities for an engine swap, if I choose to pick it up?

What engines will bolt on? Will an M50tu work, or does it have to be the M60 unit.

[ShapeShifter]

M60

[T444E]

I lolled when I read M50tu.

[jrcho88]

Haha yeah I thought of the M50tu because of a thread a few weeks back when somebody asked about putting a ZF 5-speed auto unit into a 525iA.

[NapaBavarian]

You want the s62

[ross1]

I have a chance to pickup a 95 540iA with a dead motor.

What are my possibilities for an engine swap, if I choose to pick it up?

What engines will bolt on? Will an M50tu work, or does it have to be the M60 unit.

There has been a fellow on this forum trying to practically give away an M60b40 for months, this is what you need. $200 and he's in NY as I recall.

[T444E]

There has been a fellow on this forum trying to practically give away an M60b40 for months, this is what you need. $200 and he's in NY as I recall.

I think that was a B30

[E34M60]

out of curiosity do you know whats wrong with the motor?

[jrcho88]

This is my not-so-close-friend's 540i. He says the cooling system failed (he doesn't know where), and the car overheated. He stupidly took it to the dealer, who charged him around $1000 for an entire cooling system overhaul -- after which they told him, BTW, the headgasket is shot.

So the motor has a blown headgasket and possibly other overheat damage, warped head etc.

He wants $1000, and its an auto, so I'm not so overly excited by it, but it is black on black, and the body is fabulous, so it might be a good engine/trans swap candidate.

[yaofeng]

If you are ready for punishment take it and go through the engine transplane plus 6 speed conversion. As you said $1,000 for a 540 with a bad engine can't get anyone too exceited. In 2005 I bought one with a bad Nikasil for $2,300 and I didn't think it was cheap enough. $800 for a 66k M60B40 and $2,250 for a 6 speed package plus hundreds of hours of my time later I got a 6 speed 540. The total cost exceeded $9k. I did everything myself and my time was free.

[94530inh]

with parts off your current m60 you can do a m62 swap.

[E34nication]

Uhh.... Chevy 5.3?

[ShapeShifter]

Sounds like an easy fix.
Could have a nice car for $2k

[NapaBavarian]

Uhh.... Duramax on level 3? 40mpg on the freeway, 0-62 in 2.8 seconds once the rear end hooks up.


:lol

[E34nication]

:lol

A detroit diesel 540 would be pretty neat.

[whiteghost1]

with parts off your current m60 you can do a m62 swap.
Is a m62 replacement a bolt in affair in the e34 540i or is there modification & fabrication needed to make it work?

[moroza]

Is a m62 replacement a bolt in affair in the e34 540i or is there modification & fabrication needed to make it work?

Minor fabrication needed. Cost me $40 at a welder's and an hour or so of time for the cam sensor pickup ring. There have been a few recent threads about this swap (as well as the one linked in my sig).

To answer your original question, an M60B40 will be the only completely plug-n-play engine swap. The I6 engines should fit, but there may be some minor wiring modifications necessary, and maybe a small bracket relocation for silly things like the airbox and windshield washer pump. Send a PM to Vacman; he has an S50 in a 530iT.

Clean-bodied E34's are still worth something these days, but you have to be willing and able to do the work to make it run as well as it looks. What are your skill level and patience capacity (specifically, in hunting down and waiting for parts like transmissions)?

[ross1]

I think that was a B30

You are correct, sir.
Either way for $200 it bolts in and the OP has a runner for $1200 or so.
b30 haters may begin now

[yaofeng]

You are correct, sir.
Either way for $200 it bolts in and the OP has a runner for $1200 or so.
b30 haters may begin now

$200 for a B30 with no bite says it all about the engine.

[94530inh]

please don't use a b30. do a m62b44 they are cheap, and the swap should be pretty easy, just do the research.

[NapaBavarian]

A detroit diesel 540 would be pretty neat.

:shifty so much for sneaking up on your victims :devillook