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Thread: Turbo 6.0 E39

  1. #1
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    '00 540 6.0/4L80e/S480

    Turbo 6.0 E39

    It's time to start a thread for the new swap. I have been contemplating doing an E39 after watching the awesome builds here on BFC. After pulling my hair out on the E36 swap, it's time to change things up. I wasn't having fun anymore...

    Meet the new project. It's a 2000 540i. The price was right and the car is in great shape. It had a fender bender that damaged the LF fender at some point, it was repaired but the paint isn't quite the same shade. This will get fixed when the M5 bumpers go on.



    After much deliberation regarding engine/ trans mounts, oil pans, front sway bar, etc I finally made a decision. I'm going to gladly follow in the foot steps of others this time around.

    A '99 6 cylinder car donated it's front suspension to the cause and I've paid Josh (Jesus Freak) for a set of his mounts. The Schroeder sway bar and autocraft oil pan are next on the list. This setup is already proven to fit. Part of my frustration with the E36 was trying to save a buck here or there by doing everything myself. It was rewarding when it worked, but the hassle wasn't always worth the time and/ or cost.

    This being said, there will be a few things that I do differently. The differential is one. I spent a lot of time & money building the 210mm diff for the E36. It will be swapped into the E39. I picked up an E39 M5 diff cover for a steal on eBay. The rear of the diff will bolt right up to the subframe. I will have to fabricate a mount for the front, but this will be easy compared to some of the stuff I have done in the past. One additional bonus to this- I have a 4 bolt driveline flange on the 210mm diff. Trying to adapt the 6 bolt stock driveline flange issue others seem to have won't be present on this car. It will bolt up to the JTR flange I already have.

    The turbo kit is still up in the air, as it will ultimately depend on the available room. I want to go with an S480, time will tell. I'm leaning toward an air to water intercooler as well. It appears to fit fine, leaving more engine bay open for the gigantic turbo.

  2. #2
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    Good luck with this build and hope you can fit the S480 in there.

    E39 LSX SWAP PARTS FORSALE


  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by 1NAWTY5 View Post
    Good luck with this build and hope you can fit the S480 in there.
    I do too!!

    I forgot to mention the drivetrain will be coming out of the M3. I'm sure that this is assumed, but you never know.

  4. #4
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    Autokraft will be shipping the pan out tomorrow. Pics were borrowed form their website.
    I've also been researching the Schroeder sway bar. There are crap ton of options. Will the guys who are using them chime in on what specific bar and ends you are using?
    Last edited by unnatrl; 03-31-2015 at 04:28 PM.

  5. #5
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    96 328is 6.0L
    In for more good stuff v2.0
    - 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)
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  6. #6
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    nice. always love to see more e39 builds. Why are you going with the i6 subframe and is there also a considerable weight decrease?

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by mapleridge View Post
    nice. always love to see more e39 builds. Why are you going with the i6 subframe and is there also a considerable weight decrease?
    There probably won't be a huge weight savings with the aluminum subframe. The I6 subframe allows the use of Josh's (Jesus Freak) mounts, an oil pan that doesn't need modification (Autokraft), rack and pinion steering, etc. As I stated above, I do not have the desire to build everything myself this time around. I went that route with my E36 and found it to be frustrating and tiresome more often than it was rewarding. Obviously there will be things that I have to fabricate, but the project will go from zero to 75% very quickly. The turbo kit will probably be a pain in the ass, but that's something that is fully expected. I learned a TON while building the E36 and feel confident the E39 is going to be a better and overall nicer build.

  8. #8
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    Found a buyer for the M62, so it had to come out. It's a huge engine! Pulling it with the exhaust manifolds still attached proved to be less than fun, but it's out!

  9. #9
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    The M62 officially has a new home!

  10. #10
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    4 bills is all its fetching huh. What was the condition?

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by mapleridge View Post
    4 bills is all its fetching huh. What was the condition?
    It supposedly ran, but I never verified it. I bought my car without a transmission, this makes it difficult to assure a buyer the engine is in good shape. The car cost me 800.00, making 1/2 of it back by selling the M62 works for me!

  12. #12
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    you're doing quite well i'd say.

  13. #13
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    I have to give Josh credit for a beautiful set of mounts. They are 100x nicer than I ever expected. His prices are very fair and the product is even better! The Autokraft pan is also well made!

    For the shifter, a Lokar floor mount setup is under consideration. I really like how clean this setup is.

  14. #14
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    moving right along. did i miss what trans you plan on running?

    2001 BMW 560i 6.0 LSx/T56 SOLD


    2000 Corvette Hardtop FRC

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by nsogiba View Post
    moving right along. did i miss what trans you plan on running?
    Transmission is a 4L80e with 3400 stall Circle D converter and HD2 shift kit. I'm controlling it with the Fast EZ TCU.

  16. #16
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    There hasn't been any progress on the car as my wife and I bought a house. It's a load of fun getting the garage setup the way you like it! I did get the chance to swap my "good" air compressor onto a 60 gallon tank that has been following me around for the last 5 years. It's amazing what $10.00 in total parts & paint will do!

    Cut compressor bracket off of this...

    Tack welded to this...

    All finished!!
    Last edited by unnatrl; 04-13-2015 at 02:12 AM.

  17. #17
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    niiiice

  18. #18
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    The progress hasn't been super exciting lately, but a few small things that I've been putting off are finally done. The 6 cylinder subframe, rack, spindles, etc were all stripped down and completely cleaned. It's crazy how much dirt, road grime, oil, etc gets caught up on this stuff. It wasn't on the top of my fun things to do list, but it's finally done. The ABS sensors, wheel bearings and rotors from the 540 suspension are also swapped over to the 528 suspension. I was pretty happy to find brand new rotors, pads, and front struts on the car when I tore it down. The control arms are being replaced with new ones (eBay seller screwed up and sent the wrong parts/ still dealing with this). The hardest part about swapping the subframe seems to be the lower steering shaft. I can not get it to slide up onto the column to save my life! The splines appear to be the same size and same count. Re-installing the 540 lower shaft yields the same issue. It wasn't easy to remove, but it's not wanting to slide on after the first ~2". WD-40 didn't help much either.

    On a different note, there may be a twin turbo set up in the works. The original plan was an S480, but it's a beast. There certainly isn't room for a 5" down pipe either. I'm considering a set of 72 mm Chinese turbos. I know... Chinese turbos... They are 600.00/ pair. You can replace a lot of turbos for the price of a Turbonetics or Precision. The reliability has made leaps and bounds too. I believe I can make them fit without too much trouble. 3" down pipes won't be easy, but should be doable. Aside from being slightly easier to package, (when sized correctly) twins have better street manners and should help keep back pressure issues to a minimum. It also appears a twin setup seems to make more HP per PSI. It stands to reason, 144mm of compressor would move a lot more air than a 75mm or 80mm compressor. I can't wait to get the engine into the car to see what will work!

  19. #19
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    '95 M3, 97' E39 540i-LS3
    When I swapped the V8 for I6 subframe, I recall that the sliding steering shaft is different between the two models.
    540i-LS3-TR6060 swap thread

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by zr6sbc View Post
    When I swapped the V8 for I6 subframe, I recall that the sliding steering shaft is different between the two models.
    The upper portion of the shaft?

  21. #21
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    Pretty sure it was the aluminum tube that comes through the boot in the firewall. As I type, I'm also thinking the boot itself may be different. It may be time to visit realoem and check out the part numbers. Sorry I'm not of more help. It's been too long.

    Okay, I refreshed my memory by looking at realoem. You must have the correct lower steering column because the rack and pinion versus gearbox destinations are completely different. The assemblies are different lengths. You'd know if you had the incorrect column. Oh, and the boots seem to be the same part number.
    Last edited by zr6sbc; 04-26-2015 at 02:06 PM.
    540i-LS3-TR6060 swap thread

  22. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by zr6sbc View Post
    Pretty sure it was the aluminum tube that comes through the boot in the firewall. As I type, I'm also thinking the boot itself may be different. It may be time to visit realoem and check out the part numbers.
    Gotcha. I do have the aluminum shaft specific to the 6 cylinder. It is definitely different. The boot looks the same, but I will research that.
    Last edited by unnatrl; 04-26-2015 at 04:23 PM.

  23. #23
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    '00 540 6.0/4L80e/S480
    Finally got the mock up block, pan, subframe, mounts, rack & truck manifolds assembled. The passenger side manifold exit isn't quite ideal, but a v-band and some creative bends will take care of this. There is room to pass 3" pipes on both sides, a 4" will fit on the passenger side.

    While working on this, I tried to fit a truck oil pan. It clears the subframe as good or better than the AutoKraft pan. The sump is WAY too deep though. It would probably work well of the sump was cut down. I didn't think to take any pictures of it though.

    Last edited by unnatrl; 05-03-2015 at 02:51 AM.

  24. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by unnatrl View Post
    The hardest part about swapping the subframe seems to be the lower steering shaft. I can not get it to slide up onto the column to save my life! The splines appear to be the same size and same count. Re-installing the 540 lower shaft yields the same issue. It wasn't easy to remove, but it's not wanting to slide on after the first ~2". WD-40 didn't help much either.
    Hahaha I feel your pain because I went through this very thing when I swapped the V8 subframe for the I6. The splines on the column and the lower steering shaft are keyed; they can only fit in one way. Insert the lower shaft into the column and if it does not slide all the way up, remove it and rotate it clockwise or counterclockwise by one spline tooth and try inserting it again. Do so until it slides all the way in. Once you have found the correct orientation, make a little witness mark on the shaft so that you can reinstall it in the correct place if you ever remove the shaft again.

    2003 M5 LSx l 6 Spd Manual l 4.10 LSD
    Build Thread
    The chassis must always be regarded as a means to an end and never as an end itself

  25. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by Schitzo View Post
    Hahaha I feel your pain because I went through this very thing when I swapped the V8 subframe for the I6. The splines on the column and the lower steering shaft are keyed; they can only fit in one way. Insert the lower shaft into the column and if it does not slide all the way up, remove it and rotate it clockwise or counterclockwise by one spline tooth and try inserting it again. Do so until it slides all the way in. Once you have found the correct orientation, make a little witness mark on the shaft so that you can reinstall it in the correct place if you ever remove the shaft again.
    Thank you for the heads up! I tried installing it again today and had absolutely no luck.

    Edit- after moving the splines one at a time the steering shaft slid on! I can't find a "keyed" or alignment spline, but it must exist. Thanks Schitzo!
    Last edited by unnatrl; 05-03-2015 at 02:32 AM.

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