S54 swap into E36 M3 sedan.

[309m3]

OK, so after searching, I figured I would just do my own thread on the subject from start to finish. In this thread, I will be including the cost, and source, of the parts, including any part numbers. My hope is that this thread will answer any questions others may have on budget price. Hopefully this won't be a carbon copy of someone else's project due to the fact I will be trying to figure it all out on my own.

Here are some pics of what I have done so far with my project.

Stock project car 200K miles purchased for 3400.00 craigslist.


engine purchased on ebay for 2800.00 80k mile motor.


S52 being removed



wheel's I had refinished in black with wheels america 80.00 per wheel.

[IWannaBMW]

ohhh this will be good

[309m3]

So I got the engine and trans installed tonight. I found a used clutch masters light weight flywheel and clutch kit for 500.00 on craigslist locally. I ordered my s54 ecu to send off to Bimmer world on Monday. I am also researching the best buy for headers. not sure which way to go but might go Ebay just for cost.





sorry for the crap photos all i had was my phone.

[SteveTVM3]

Nice. I'll be swapping mine in April. Keeping the 5 speed or using the e46 6 speed?

[SteveTVM3]

double post. server seems to be lagged!

also noticed you used the e36 m3 driver side engine mount arm. you should get the z3m s54 one so you can use the bracket to support the plenum.

Supporting bracket left 11812229779

[Teaguer]

Nice! Looks like you are off to a good start.
Do you work at Autoscope?

About the headers it seems most just go with eBay Supersprint knock-off headers.
The Russian guy, Sergei or whatever, in Addison usually has them in stock.

[JCooper]

subscribed!


I love it! Wish the best of luck too you w/ your swap!

[SteveTVM3]

Just go with the ebay headers. Its what I'm using. You just need the longer M50 exhaust studs because they have a thicker flange. Fitment is pretty good. I also painted them black with VHT header paint.

[V8EATR]

Oh yes! I am thinking about doing this with my car as well!

[309m3]

Nice. I'll be swapping mine in April. Keeping the 5 speed or using the e46 6 speed?

I am keeping the 5 speed im trying to do this build on a budjet.

Nice! Looks like you are off to a good start.
Do you work at Autoscope?

About the headers it seems most just go with eBay Supersprint knock-off headers.
The Russian guy, Sergei or whatever, in Addison usually has them in stock.

yes I am the shop formman at autoscope Plano

[SteveTVM3]

It may be hard to do depending on your budget limit. The misc parts needed for the swap end up costing more than the engine itself. I think I'm around 7k in and I have everything (including tune) waiting to be swapped in. My misc parts include euro cluster/euro expansion tank and so on. These things aren't necessarily required but they do make the swap look a lot more OEM. You got the engine nice and cheap so that should leave enough room in the budget. You didn't mention whether or not you checked the bottom end out? It would've been nice to put fresh bearings in there while the engine is out. That way you could ensure proper break-in procedures. I'm retaining my 5 speed for now because its lighter and stronger. If I think I absolutely need the 6th gear then I'll swap in the 6 speed. Good luck on the swap though and keep us updated

I am keeping the 5 speed im trying to do this build on a budjet.

[Sharocks]

Steve your here too.

:

[Johnbennett103]

As a former M3 sedan owner, and a current coupe S54 swap owner, you are going to love the results. You definitely do not need the 6 speed - I have never used 6th gear with the stock 3.15 rear end. If you do change out the rear end with shorter gears, then a 6 speed would be nice. But since an e36 weighs about 400 pounds less than an e46, there is really no need. Enjoy!

[wanganstyle]

As a former M3 sedan owner, and a current coupe S54 swap owner, you are going to love the results. You definitely do not need the 6 speed - I have never used 6th gear with the stock 3.15 rear end. If you do change out the rear end with shorter gears, then a 6 speed would be nice. But since an e36 weighs about 400 pounds less than an e46, there is really no need. Enjoy!

I feel opposite. my S54+ 5 speed with street-ok final drive was rather a dog. Double down shift to actually accelerate with MAX power.
the gearing change with a 6 speed allows max extraction of speed.

if the car is track only then 5 speeds + 3.91/4.10 would be great. Lighter/cheaper/faster.

[e30polak]

PM'd you OP!

I feel opposite. my S54+ 5 speed with street-ok final drive was rather a dog. Double down shift to actually accelerate with MAX power.
the gearing change with a 6 speed allows max extraction of speed.

if the car is track only then 5 speeds + 3.91/4.10 would be great. Lighter/cheaper/faster.

I highly disagree. Our customer's s54 e36 feels great with the factory ZF, 8.5 # UUC flywheel and his 3.38 LSD out back. He's running 18x9.5 APEX ARC8s with 245/35/18 out back.

With the rev-limiter currently set to 8300, you can hit 40mph in 1st, 67mph in 2nd, 101 in 3rd, etc. This is optimal for a street driven car, as it really allows you to use 1st and 2nd gear to their full potential!

It may have to do with the fact that you're using a DTA standalone, vs our car which has a factory DME. From what I've seen, all the people using standalones have much weaker torque between 2000-3,500 then even a factory s54....

[wanganstyle]

PM'd you OP!



I highly disagree. Our customer's s54 e36 feels great with the factory ZF, 8.5 # UUC flywheel and his 3.38 LSD out back. He's running 18x9.5 APEX ARC8s with 245/35/18 out back.

With the rev-limiter currently set to 8300, you can hit 40mph in 1st, 67mph in 2nd, 101 in 3rd, etc. This is optimal for a street driven car, as it really allows you to use 1st and 2nd gear to their full potential!

It may have to do with the fact that you're using a DTA standalone, vs our car which has a factory DME. From what I've seen, all the people using standalones have much weaker torque between 2000-3,500 then even a factory s54....

2-3,500 RPM zone is not where the gearing benefits for WOT top end pulls, 1/4 mile racing or track use. If I wanted max power around town in minivan RPM range I would install a BMW turbo diesel engine: M51.

my S54 @ 8388 RPM shift point with 245/40/18's + 3.38 final drive

max speed per gear:

1st gear @ 46mph
2: 76mph
3th at ~110,
4th at ~150mph
5th at something ridiculous.


This is ridiculously long, no reason to have such long gearing.

with a 6 speed and 8388 rpm redline + 3.91/4.10 final you don't use 1st gear much. but all the others are more fun

max speed @ 8388 redline+ 3.91 final
1st :40 mph
2:66
3:99
4:132
5:164
6: infinity.

max speed @ 8388 redline+ 4.10 final

1st :37 mph
2:63
3:94
4:126
5:157
6: still infinity.

6 speed with slightly longer (3.73/3.64/3.46) final drive would assure the car to still run most Cali tracks (laguna, infineon, buttonwillow) using gear 2/3/4 and avoid a 5th gear shift at the end of the front straight. perhaps 3.46 for big willow down south if you are so inclined.

Simple math states the effect of shorter gearing on acceleration. I am highly skeptical a S54 e36M can do more than 132mph @ the front straight at laguna seca though... so 3.91 would match quite well for it.

S54 OEM camshaft high power area is from 6-8k. No reason to not be there if you can afford to be there all the time. Why drop to 5000-5500 when you can be above the cam transition every shift?

My background is small displacement high RPM turbocharged rally cars where they are geared CLOSE for max torque to the ground, minimal RPM drop between gearshifts. 8888rpm+crazy short ratio 5 speed and ~888 rpm drop between gears. That is how I like gearing in performance cars, you may hate it.

Your background may be in small block huge cube LS1's and T56 tractor transmissions with double over drive. Matter of personal preference.

[SteveTVM3]

You also need to take wheel size in account as well. Since the e36 runs 17" rims vs e46 18 or19" the final drive essentially becomes shorter.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[e30polak]

2-3,500 RPM zone is not where the gearing benefits for WOT top end pulls, 1/4 mile racing or track use. If I wanted max power around town in minivan RPM range I would install a BMW turbo diesel engine: M51.

my S54 @ 8388 RPM shift point with 245/40/18's + 3.38 final drive

max speed per gear:

1st gear @ 46mph
2: 76mph
3th at ~110,
4th at ~150mph
5th at something ridiculous.


This is ridiculously long, no reason to have such long gearing.

with a 6 speed and 8388 rpm redline + 3.91/4.10 final you don't use 1st gear much. but all the others are more fun

max speed @ 8388 redline+ 3.91 final
1st :40 mph
2:66
3:99
4:132
5:164
6: infinity.

max speed @ 8388 redline+ 4.10 final

1st :37 mph
2:63
3:94
4:126
5:157
6: still infinity.

6 speed with slightly longer (3.73/3.64/3.46) final drive would assure the car to still run most Cali tracks (laguna, infineon, buttonwillow) using gear 2/3/4 and avoid a 5th gear shift at the end of the front straight. perhaps 3.46 for big willow down south if you are so inclined.

Simple math states the effect of shorter gearing on acceleration. I am highly skeptical a S54 e36M can do more than 132mph @ the front straight at laguna seca though... so 3.91 would match quite well for it.

S54 OEM camshaft high power area is from 6-8k. No reason to not be there if you can afford to be there all the time. Why drop to 5000-5500 when you can be above the cam transition every shift?

My background is small displacement high RPM turbocharged rally cars where they are geared CLOSE for max torque to the ground, minimal RPM drop between gearshifts. 8888rpm+crazy short ratio 5 speed and ~888 rpm drop between gears. That is how I like gearing in performance cars, you may hate it.

Your background may be in small block huge cube LS1's and T56 tractor transmissions with double over drive. Matter of personal preference.

Actually my background is in swapped e30s, so an s54 e36 is in the same category.

The OP never stated what his car was to be used for, so I'm taking it from an OVERALL performance perspective. For a street and track car, utilizing the ZF 5 speed, as the OP stated, the 3.38 is pretty optimal IMO. The shortest I would go with a 5 speed is 3.64, which would be really annoying on the freeway on a longer trip.

The 6 speed is roughly 20lbs heavier, much more expensive parts wise, and adds very little performance benefit, other then having an overdriven 6th. The gearing in 1st through 5th gear between the ZF320 and the M3's Getrag 6 speed is negligible.

I'm not sure where you got your gearing calculations, but I know mine are accurate. The 6 speed will not take you another 10 mph in 2nd and 3rd gear by adding 200 rpms!

Granted a 6 speed with a shorter final drive will feel torquier around town and get into powerband a bit quicker, but it leaves you shifting more often in spirited driving. Longer gears keep you in peek power-band longer. I prefer the longer gears, because I saw a nice difference in my s52 swap car, switching from a 3.46 to a 2.93. Except when racing from a launch, my friend, who had an almost identically set-up car, with me having the 3.46 and him having the 2.93, he won when racing from every speed except from a launch. I out launched him because I had wider, better tires, and a better rear suspension set-up. Every other speed we raced from, left me behind each time I shifted and he continued his pull.

The s54 e36 has the same effect. The car is 400 lbs lighter then an e46 m3, so you can enjoy long gears. with a lightweight flywheel and pulleys, the motor revs extremely fast and really makes the time out of powerband practically non-existent. My $.02

You also need to take wheel size in account as well. Since the e36 runs 17" rims vs e46 18 or19" the final drive essentially becomes shorter.

My gearing had the tire size factored in. Here is the site I use, and it's pretty spot on, compared to real life:

http://www.bokchoys.com/differential...calculator.htm

[wanganstyle]

Actually my background is in swapped e30s, so an s54 e36 is in the same category.

The OP never stated what his car was to be used for, so I'm taking it from an OVERALL performance perspective. For a street and track car, utilizing the ZF 5 speed, as the OP stated, the 3.38 is pretty optimal IMO. The shortest I would go with a 5 speed is 3.64, which would be really annoying on the freeway on a longer trip.

The 6 speed is roughly 20lbs heavier, much more expensive parts wise, and adds very little performance benefit, other then having an overdriven 6th. The gearing in 1st through 5th gear between the ZF320 and the M3's Getrag 6 speed is negligible.

I'm not sure where you got your gearing calculations, but I know mine are accurate. The 6 speed will not take you another 10 mph in 2nd and 3rd gear by adding 200 rpms!

Granted a 6 speed with a shorter final drive will feel torquier around town and get into powerband a bit quicker, but it leaves you shifting more often in spirited driving. Longer gears keep you in peek power-band longer. I prefer the longer gears, because I saw a nice difference in my s52 swap car, switching from a 3.46 to a 2.93. Except when racing from a launch, my friend, who had an almost identically set-up car, with me having the 3.46 and him having the 2.93, he won when racing from every speed except from a launch. I out launched him because I had wider, better tires, and a better rear suspension set-up. Every other speed we raced from, left me behind each time I shifted and he continued his pull.

The s54 e36 has the same effect. The car is 400 lbs lighter then an e46 m3, so you can enjoy long gears. with a lightweight flywheel and pulleys, the motor revs extremely fast and really makes the time out of powerband practically non-existent. My $.02



My gearing had the tire size factored in. Here is the site I use, and it's pretty spot on, compared to real life:

http://www.bokchoys.com/differential...calculator.htm

I use fat boy gear works calculator. my tires are a different size.

[309m3]

I thought the stock diff ratio for a manual m3 was 3:23. I have the option of going to the auto diff of 3:38 and thats because I have one in storage. I want to clerify my project is for daily driving with light track duty. I am mostly doing this swap for fun, I may build a cage and turn it into a full race car at some point. as far as the bearings are concerned my connection ran the vin on the block I purchased and it has the bearing recall done shortly before the car was wrecked and my engine only had 80k on it. I will be taking the vanos apart and rebuilding on my own after I get the car running.

[JCooper]

Just go with the ebay headers. Its what I'm using. You just need the longer M50 exhaust studs because they have a thicker flange. Fitment is pretty good. I also painted them black with VHT header paint.

Those look beautiful! I would have never known these were ebay headers!

Oh yes! I am thinking about doing this with my car as well!

get it done before bimmerfest, I want to see your car!
btw theirs a euro s50 for sale in the Boston area! 4.6k for the motor, ecu & harness!

[weaksauce]

might not hurt to spend 30 minutes in there with a towel and some simple green.......

[gobuffs]

You guys need to be putting the S54 in the race car first. ;-)

[309m3]

Yeah I know tell Nerces

[gobuffs]

I have...doesn't seem to be helping.