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Thread: My First BMW – My First Swap – LS2/T56 into an E36

  1. #1
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    E36 - 1998 328iS - LS2

    My First BMW – My First Swap – LS2/T56 into an E36

    Before we jump in too far, let me preface this build thread by saying; I travel for a living and I split my non-traveling time between FL and NYC, so I'm away from my garage a lot. This will be a slow go. But I'm in no hurry. With that said:


    I've always liked to turn wrenches. But building a career and living in apartments never gave me the time or wherewithal to have a proper project. About three years ago, I bought a small house on a canal on the west coast of FL. I finally have a garage (20' x 20' but it'll have to do). I'm tired of spending all of my time and money on home improvement so I decided to make a dumb financial decision and take on a swap project and put my garage to good use.


    I've always been a GM guy and have been intrigued by the LS engines. After seeing JakeB's E36/LS3 swap, I decided to get off the sidelines an get to work. Bear in mind, I don't have 10% of the knowledge, experience and talent that JakeB and many of you have, but why let that stop me


    So, the hunt began for an engine and a car. I found the engine before I found the car. It's a 2006 LS2/T56 out of a GTO with 71K miles. I got the pedals, full harness, PCM and MAF. LKQ was great to work with. The engine was in the NC yard and they had it shipped to their Crystal River, FL yard in just a few days (at no additional charge).



    LKQ Cyrstal River









    Back at home



    The Donor Car





    I knew I wanted a clean car...as clean as possible. It seems “clean” is a very subjective term. I looked at a few M3's in the $4K-$6K range that were represented as clean but to me, they looked like ass. It seemed that truly clean E36 M3's are still north of $10K.


    So I decided to focus on non-M cars. Ironically, the first car I looked at is the car I ended up buying. It's a single owner, 1998 328iS, five speed, sport package, female owned, FL car with 83K miles that's been garaged most of its life. In a perfect world, it would have had a black interior but this was WAY to clean to pass on. There are a few very minor dings but overall the paint, body and clear coat are in fantastic condition.


    1998 328iS






    Sport Seats



    There only problems with the car are (1)the drivers seat would recline but not come forward (2) there was a bit of glove box sag (3) the steering wheel doesn't lock (4) the door chime chimes with the door open when there is no key in the ignition and the headlights are off (could be related to the steering lock mechanism) and (5) there is a parasitic battery drain (could be related to the steering lock/chime issue).


    I did some research and discovered the recline failure is common. I bought a replacement gear from OdometerGears, removed the seat and replaced the broken gear.


    Seat Removed



    Broken Gear



    Gear Repaired



    The glove box sag turned out to be caused by the tan glove box cover separating from the glove box assembly. A little 5 minute epoxy seems to have made it almost as good as new:


    Sag



    Sag Repaired


    - - - Updated - - -

    I didn't want to remove the stock engine until I found a buyer. My garage is simply too small to have a second engine sitting on the floor and I wanted to be able to demonstrate the engine for the prospective buyer. I posted the engine/trans on several forums and on CL. It took a while, but I finally found the “right” buyer. These two guys have an E36 track car and the series they race it in requires a stock engine.After performing a compression check, they made an offer. And what an offer it was! About an hour away, they have a commercial condo set up as the ultimate man cave. It's a 1300 sq ft shop (not including the office space) with a lift and all of the tools to make pulling an engine a breeze. I drove the car to their shop and we(mostly them) pulled the engine. At the end of the day, they loaded the roller onto one of their trailers and brought it back to my house! The windshield was cracked in the process (when the hood was pushed back after removing the struts) but they gave me an extra $150 as compensation.


    The ultimate man cave



    Engine Removed



    Empty!



    Very clean underneath!



    Loaded onto the trailer





    So, I'm officially “all in.” I had been planning to use the Vorshlag mounts and headers but as this will be primarily a street toy (for the time being), I want it to be as comfortable to drive as possible. I know this is hotly debated but I don't believe urethane mounts will provide the level of smoothness I'm looking for. If this was nothing but a track car, I would have already placed an order with Vorshlag. So, given that I don't have the tools or experience to fabricate my own solution, I am going to be the first “production” customer for the JTR (Jags That Run) kit that utilizes factory GM rubber mounts for both the engine and transmission (Corvette and Camaro).


    JTR should be ready to ship the headers and mounts in a few days. In the mean time, I have a lot of cleaning to do. I also have to choose a location for the ABS pump and decide if I'm going to swap the vacuum booster to a hydroboost.


    I debated whether or not to put a cam in the LS2. Part of me thinks its smarter to get it running while its stock, to minimize the chance any user induced screw-ups. But the other part thinks it would be foolish to not take advantage of how simple it is to swap the cam while the engine is on the stand. I've decided to swap the cam now and will order the parts from Tick tomorrow.

    Tipsy
    Last edited by TipsyMcStagger; 02-03-2014 at 11:57 AM.

  2. #2
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    Nice!

    Also, you should cam it now. Everything is out, it's much easier and it's only another ~$1200 with the supporting mods.

  3. #3
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    Best way to learn is to dive into it my man.

    Looks like a phenomenal base to start with - that car (especially the interior) is immaculate.

    I agree about the mounts, I'll be utilizing the OEM BMW mounts instead of using poly.

    Oh, and awesome garage I'd kill to have a lift or a space I can work that's indoors. I'll be doing my swap in my driveway

    Good luck with the swap. Do you have to worry about OBDII compliance where you're at?
    Last edited by ckpitt55; 02-02-2014 at 05:29 PM.

  4. #4
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    Very nice starting platforms!
    - 96 328is 6.0L. (LS1 to LS2 build thread: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...ad.php?2098938)
    - 96 328is 5.7L. (LS1 build thread: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1289987)
    - 95 ///M3 6.0L. (LS2 build thread: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1619249)

    - 97 ///M3. (e46 Fender Flares/track car build thread: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1727098)
    - 96 328is (Dual Fuel Pump to Surge Tank thread: http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/sh...ad.php?1964025)

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by jai5 View Post
    Nice!

    Also, you should cam it now. Everything is out, it's much easier and it's only another ~$1200 with the supporting mods.
    Yeah, I figure I'll regret it later if I don't take advantage of the ease of doing a cam swap now, while the engine is on a stand. I'm going to place an order with Tick today for a SNS Stage 2 cam, along with a new oil pump, gaskets, etc.

    Quote Originally Posted by ckpitt55 View Post
    Oh, and awesome garage I'd kill to have a lift or a space I can work that's indoors. I'll be doing my swap in my driveway

    Good luck with the swap. Do you have to worry about OBDII compliance where you're at?
    I wish the shop were mine. It belongs to the guys who bought the stock BMW engine/trans. My garage is much more meager. It's about 20' x 20'; but the challenge is that the driveway is sloped right up to the garage threshold. With the car in the garage, the rear bumper is at the garage door with only about three feet in front of the front bumper. If I push the car out of the garage, it'll immediately start to roll downhill. I need to build some kind of ramp system so I can push the out of the garage and keep it level. I can't even take a hose to the engine bay until I can get the ramp system squared away.

    Florida has no emissions requirement but I'd like to keep as much of the OBDII functional as possible. Originally, I thought I'd ditch the EVAP but I think I'll try to keep it. I'm not building it to sell but I think it might be easier to sell, when the time comes, if it's OBDII compliant. Though I admit, I still have a lot to learn about what is involved in achieving proper OBDII compliance.

    Tipsy

    Driveway Slope
    Last edited by TipsyMcStagger; 02-03-2014 at 11:41 AM.

  6. #6
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    what a great candidate. so clean.

    Your slope/ramp issue jogged my memory. check out these posts by a fellow swapper based in Seattle area. He faced a similar ramp issue, but not nearly as steep as yours

    http://ls1tech.com/forums/17195065-post6.html

    http://ls1tech.com/forums/17198547-post7.html

    Definitely swap the cam now! You'll be happy when you don't have to pull off half the front end to do it once you're used to the power (trust me, you will be after a while).

    Best of luck, subscribed!

    2001 BMW 560i 6.0 LSx/T56 SOLD


    2000 Corvette Hardtop FRC

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by nsogiba View Post
    what a great candidate. so clean.

    Your slope/ramp issue jogged my memory. check out these posts by a fellow swapper based in Seattle area. He faced a similar ramp issue, but not nearly as steep as yours

    http://ls1tech.com/forums/17195065-post6.html

    http://ls1tech.com/forums/17198547-post7.html

    Definitely swap the cam now! You'll be happy when you don't have to pull off half the front end to do it once you're used to the power (trust me, you will be after a while).

    Best of luck, subscribed!
    That's pretty much the same solution I've been picturing in my mind. Just more crap to have to store!

    I know this topic is discussed ad nauseam but I need a little suspension advice. There's no question I'll need to replace the front control arms. They are shot. All of the rear bushings, which appear to be original, look to be in good shape. The guys who pulled the engine (who are pretty experienced with the E36) said they don't see any imminent problems with the rear bushings. Eventually, I'll install a LSD and have rear reinforcements welded-in, so the rear will be addressed down the road..

    Insofar as the front, since I need to replace the control arms, is there a benefit in using M3 front components? As best I can tell, the '95 M3 control arms share the same geometry as my non-M 1998 suspension. For the time being, I just plan to install a set of H&R sport springs and some kind of yet-to-be-determined upgraded shocks. I don't think I'm going to go with coil-overs...at least not yet.

    Thanks.

    Tipsy
    Last edited by TipsyMcStagger; 02-03-2014 at 02:24 PM.

  8. #8
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    Awesome, subbing and hoping to post more. I'll be doing the same swap come next winter, too late for me now since I only have 8 weeks and school, work and the weather holding me back. Though, mine may be a bit easier, since my E36 right now is strictly a track car. So I won't be needing any of the creature comforts you're going for.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by TipsyMcStagger View Post
    Insofar as the front, since I need to replace the control arms, is there a benefit in using M3 front components? As best I can tell, the '95 M3 control arms share the same geometry as my non-M 1998 suspension. For the time being, I just plan to install a set of H&R sport springs and some kind of yet-to-be-determined upgraded shocks. I don't think I'm going to go with coil-overs...at least not yet.

    Thanks.
    Any input on the front suspension?

    A small update, but not directly swap related: Here's what I spent the past few days putting together; I bought a reman'd 30 gallon, oil lubed compressor from Northern Tool a month or two ago. While I don't have plans to do any painting, it's very humid here in FL, especially in the summer; so I put together this copper water separator along with an Ingersoll Rand regulator/filter/lubricator and a Harbor Freight 3/8" hose reel. The reel is suspended from the attic trusses with UniStrust. That hose reel is heavy! I had the help of a couple of friends to get it in place.


    Tipsy


    Compressor and Water Separator



    Regulator/Filter/Oil Lubricator



    UniStrut in Attic



    Gratuitous LS2 Shot

  10. #10
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    How much PSI is that copper tubing rated for?

    1995 E36 turbo v8

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by natem31995 View Post
    How much PSI is that copper tubing rated for?
    Way more than this compressor can generate.

    Shops use regular PVC pipes to run 175 PSI from compressor throughout the shop.
    - 96 328is 6.0L. (LS1 to LS2 build thread: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...ad.php?2098938)
    - 96 328is 5.7L. (LS1 build thread: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1289987)
    - 95 ///M3 6.0L. (LS2 build thread: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1619249)

    - 97 ///M3. (e46 Fender Flares/track car build thread: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1727098)
    - 96 328is (Dual Fuel Pump to Surge Tank thread: http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/sh...ad.php?1964025)

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by natem31995 View Post
    How much PSI is that copper tubing rated for?
    Pages 24 & 25 of the Copper Tube Handbook have some charts that definine the pressure ratings for various copper pipe types. I used Type "M" which is thinner than type "L." There are many variables and heating the copper for the solder joints will alter its strength, but it should be good for a minimum of 300psi.

    There's extensive discussion on the topic on the Garage Journal Forum.

    Tipsy

  13. #13
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    Ramps

    Just a small update: I'd been away for nearly month and I'm only here for five days before I have to travel again, so I wanted to get something done.

    I can't push the car out of the garage without having it roll downhill on my sloped driveway. Without some help to push it back into the garage, my hands are kind of tied. There's no room in front of the car while it's in the garage. I will eventually use a winch to pull the car back into the garage but I still need to install some kind of anchor into the garage floor before I can do so.

    So, I spent half of yesterday and most of today building ramps to extend the plane of the garage floor over the sloped driveway, so I can push the car back and keep it level.

    Building the stringers was a bit tricky because the slope of the driveway is not constant. It's steeper at the threshold and then flattens out. It took some trial and error (and some wasted lumber) to get a satisfactory stringer shape.

    I still need to install some kind of chock on the back of the ramps to keep the car from rolling off, but they're basically finished. They're heavy, but they're strong. They're made from 2x12's and 3/4" plywood with a lot of PL Premium and screws. The holes are my sad attempt to make them lighter. It was a pointless endeavor.

    I also got my cam/valve springs/oil pump/timing chain/oil pan, so I'd like to get those installed in the LS2 when I'm back in town.


    Figuring out the stringers:



    Some waste - trial and error:



    Just need chocks:




  14. #14
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    Back from traveling. Got the car on the ramps. They work very well and provide plenty of room in front of the car to swing the LS2 into (and out of) place.

    On the ramps.


    So, how did I make it this far without reading that the radiator support is secured with two small spot welds? I tried to drill them out but I guess I used too small a bit. In the end, I sliced through the remaining weld with a small Dremel cutoff wheel.

    I want to get the engine harness removed but a few of my labels fell off. Can anyone identify these two connectors that are near the under-hood data link (just forward of the DME on the passenger side)? They are loomed with the engine harness but I'm not sure if they are engine or chassis related? Sorry for the crappy pics.

    Connector 1


    Connector 2


    Also, what are these modules mounted on the inside of the fenders just aft of each corner (signal) light?

    Module
    Last edited by TipsyMcStagger; 04-14-2014 at 09:32 AM.

  15. #15
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    Not sure on connector 2 but I'm pretty sure that connector 1 is the quick disconnect for the ignition coils.

    And for the "module" - that is one of the impact sensors for your airbags. Be careful when handling it

  16. #16
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    Looks awesome! Can't wait to crash... er.. drive it.

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by ckpitt55 View Post
    Not sure on connector 2 but I'm pretty sure that connector 1 is the quick disconnect for the ignition coils.

    And for the "module" - that is one of the impact sensors for your airbags. Be careful when handling it
    I've wondered where the sensors are for the airbag. Thanks for the info. Guess I can ditch the coil wiring.

    Quote Originally Posted by Bobby ///M3 View Post
    Looks awesome! Can't wait to crash... er.. drive it.
    Yeah, well, you'll need to ride to FL. Oh wait, you'll need to buy a new bike first

    Tipsy
    Last edited by TipsyMcStagger; 04-14-2014 at 12:15 AM.

  18. #18
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    The second connector looks like the secondary air pump connector. First one does look like coils connector. Both are part of BMW engine harness and will be leaving your car when engine is out.

    As for the module. Based on your picture all I'm seeing is black plastic ractangle with bunch of brown wires. If this is what you asking about than it is simply a groud distribution block and not an airbag sensor.
    - 96 328is 6.0L. (LS1 to LS2 build thread: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...ad.php?2098938)
    - 96 328is 5.7L. (LS1 build thread: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1289987)
    - 95 ///M3 6.0L. (LS2 build thread: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1619249)

    - 97 ///M3. (e46 Fender Flares/track car build thread: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1727098)
    - 96 328is (Dual Fuel Pump to Surge Tank thread: http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/sh...ad.php?1964025)

  19. #19
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    Those black squares are the airbag sensors, they are in every corner of the car, and a few other places, if your battery is out for a while no need to worry.
    '94 325i Sedan, Arctic Gray: UUC LTW FW, EVO 3 and DSSR, +.020 Maxsil pistons, ASC delete, Eibach shocks/springs, 16" contour reps 238k
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  20. #20
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    Subbed for a great thread. Love the ramps you built. I can't wait tosee it all come together. Keep the pics and infor coming

  21. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by jc43089 View Post
    Those black squares are the airbag sensors, they are in every corner of the car, and a few other places, if your battery is out for a while no need to worry.
    GroundBox.jpg

    If you are talking about the black box that I have arrows pointing to in my attached modified picture, than it is a Ground Distribution block NOT an airbag sensor!

    Have you ever seen any stuff that has to do with an air bag (or any supplimental restraint system)? Have you ever seen it affixed loosely with a plastic bracket on a stud? Pop your rear seat bench in the car, look at the metal boxy module that has orange connectors and warning signs on it. See what it says and see how the AirBag module actually looks and held to the car. Now pop the carpet in the trunk area and take off kick panels and you'll see bunch more of what you call airbag sensors, which are just ground distribution blocks.
    - 96 328is 6.0L. (LS1 to LS2 build thread: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...ad.php?2098938)
    - 96 328is 5.7L. (LS1 build thread: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1289987)
    - 95 ///M3 6.0L. (LS2 build thread: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1619249)

    - 97 ///M3. (e46 Fender Flares/track car build thread: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1727098)
    - 96 328is (Dual Fuel Pump to Surge Tank thread: http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/sh...ad.php?1964025)

  22. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by bimerok View Post
    GroundBox.jpg

    If you are talking about the black box that I have arrows pointing to in my attached modified picture, than it is a Ground Distribution block NOT an airbag sensor!
    Yes, that is the part I'm talking about. Thanks very much.

    Tipsy

    - - - Updated - - -

    A little progress today. Got most of the engine harness removed. When we pulled the engine, we couldn't remove one of the wiper arms. Even with a small puller, no go. I ordered a puller that looked a bit more substantial, and it did the trick. Recommended.

    Puller:



    For simplicity's sake, I cut a bunch of wires. It was a bit daunting at first trying to figure out what was chassis related and what was strictly engine (BMW engine) related, but I think I got it properly sorted. There are a bunch of power (red) wires that disappear under the fuse box and seemingly into the cabin. I'll just leave them be for now, until I have a better idea of which will be integrated with the new harness.

    Power wires:



    There are three small bundles of wires that run underneath the car. Two have identical wires (4 wires in the bundle) and the other has three wires. They were all (or almost all) attached to the main DME connector. Any idea what these bundles are?

    Wires running aft under the car:


    Close up:



    Hopefully I'll get it out of the garage tomorrow and cleaned up, if I can get the pressure washer running.

    Tipsy
    Last edited by TipsyMcStagger; 04-14-2014 at 06:37 PM.

  23. #23
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    excellent start. good luck.

    you could also do the subframe reinforcements while you have the car stripped

  24. #24
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    Who do you guys recommend for price an availability when ordering OEM parts online? I'll have the entire front subframe removed to install JTR's engine mounts, so I might as well freshen everything while I'm at it.

    I'm also going to order either the Bilstein of Koni sport package. They're both $800 and each comes with the same H&R Sport springs (29824-2). The Koni's come with front strut inserts which are installed into the stock BMW strut housing and are adjustable. The Bilstein (if I understand correctly) come with a front strut assembly but are not adjustable.

    Comments?

    Tipsy

  25. #25
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    Ordered the engine mount kit from JTR today.

    Also, got the car out of the garage and cleaned under the hood. Gunk, Purple Power a brush and a power washer. I think it came out great! It took three of use to push it up the sloped driveway back into the garage...and it was still a chore.

    I stared at the electrical diagrams in the Bentley manual for a bit and determined the two four-wire bundles under the car are for O2 sensors, so those can come out. I'm still not certain what the three wire bundle is for. Man, I wish I had a lift








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