E34 540iT/6 Swap Thread

[wmrcs]

Hey guys! My name's Will and I recently acquired a totaled '95 540/6 sedan which I will be using for a swap into an E34 530iT. To give a little background, I originally owned a '98 328is 5 speed which is what began my love for BMW. Later on, I purchased a '95 525iT for my wife and since then I've absolutely loved the profile and body of the E34 Touring. Due to a plethora of annoying and small issues, I ended up selling it. Looking back, I should've kept it and since then I've had a fervor to acquire another and boost/manual swap it. Months of searching for the right wagon led me to an odd discovery: I had found more 530iT's in acceptable condition than I did 525iT's so when a totaled '95 540i 6 speed showed up on a local Facebook page I "bit the bullet", you could say, and drove across the state and picked it up that night with my sights now set back on one of the 530iT's.

Here's what I got:









It has 180k miles and was hit on the passenger side around 35 mph at the b-pillar leaving quite a few usable parts. The engine leaks like a siv, but other than that it is in awesome shape. Next weekend I am looking at two different 530iT's and am choosing which one to buy. In the meantime I will be going through this car and preparing for the swap. I've never done a motor swap but I've pulled motors before and done some fairly extensive work with aid from friends. I'm by no means a professional mechanic, just a 22 year old DIY'er with a passion for cars so I'll likely be requesting a bit of help throughout this process. Also have never been super active on forums and have enjoyed viewing other peoples build threads so it sounded rather fun to document my journey a well. Working Monday through Friday, I'll likely work on the cars over the weekends and update this thread during the weeks. Ideally I'd like this to be complete by the end of summer. I'm expecting to learn a TON with this project so most all constructive criticism and advise is appreciated. I know I'll stay committed to this swap, but hope I can stay committed to the forums. More to come.

[Bimmerick]

Subscribed (may want to move the thread back to the E34 section). I recently finished the drivetrain on mine, and am waiting on a set of BC Racing coilovers to finish the suspension.

Please know that the E34 540/6 Touring crew is an elite bunch, and all other E34 owners (ALL of them) will be jealous of you. Everyone else will just wonder why you are so obsessed with a "station wagon"...

[wmrcs]

Subscribed (may want to move the thread back to the E34 section). I recently finished the drivetrain on mine, and am waiting on a set of BC Racing coilovers to finish the suspension.

Please know that the E34 540/6 Touring crew is an elite bunch, and all other E34 owners (ALL of them) will be jealous of you. Everyone else will just wonder why you are so obsessed with a "station wagon"...

How do I change the section? That is awesome! This 540i came with coilovers on it already which I was pretty excited about. I haven't researched yet but I'm hoping they'll fit on the Touring.

I'm honored to eventually be admitted into this group.

Edit: And just for fun, here are the specs of the 540/6. It's a shame it was totaled.

VIN long	WBAHE5329SGA64420
	Type code	HE53
	Type	540I (USA)
	Dev. series	E34 ()
	Line	5
	Body type	LIM
	Steering	LL
	Door count	4
	Engine	M60/2
	Cubical capacity	4.00
	Power	210
	Transmision	HECK
	Gearbox	MECH
	Colour	SCHWARZ 2 (668)
	Upholstery	LEDER BISON US/SCHWARZ (L4SW)
	Prod. date	1994-12-12

	Order options
	No.	Description
	214	AUTOMATIC STABILITY CONTROL+TRACTION
	240	LEATHER STEERING WHEEL
	243	AIRBAG FOR FRONT PASSENGER
	245	STEERING COLUMN ADJUSTMENT ELEC
	279	BMW LM RAD OHNE NOTLAUFEIGENSCHAFTEN
	302	ALARM SYSTEM
	459	SEAT ADJUSTM., ELECTR. W. MEMORY
	481	SPORT SEATS F DRIVER/FRONT PASSENGER
	494	SEAT HEATING F DRIVER/FRONT PASSENGER
	640	CAR TELEPHONE PREPARATION
	686	DIVERSITY-FUNCTION AERIAL
	694	PREPARATION FOR CD CHANGER
	704	M SPORT SUSPENSION
	818	MAIN BATTERY SWITCH
	900	APPR. VEH.IMMOBILIZAT. ACC. TO AZT/TUEV
	925	SHIPPING PROTECTION PACKAGE

[moroza]

Cool. Very nice interior on that 540, too!

My first major car project was putting an M62 into an E34 530iT. I started it around 22-23 and basically learned car mechanics by doing it. I'll check on your thread once in a while, but feel free to PM me if you get stuck on something obscure.

If you can remove and reinstall an engine, you can do this swap.

The one thing you should think about now is what to use for a clutch and flywheel. The dual-mass flywheel that 540 came with is ridiculously heavy, and will start rattling eventually if it doesn't already. I highly recommend a lightweight one, for which there are a few options, none of them both good and cheap.

[wmrcs]

Cool. Very nice interior on that 540, too!

My first major car project was putting an M62 into an E34 530iT. I started it around 22-23 and basically learned car mechanics by doing it. I'll check on your thread once in a while, but feel free to PM me if you get stuck on something obscure.

If you can remove and reinstall an engine, you can do this swap.

The one thing you should think about now is what to use for a clutch and flywheel. The dual-mass flywheel that 540 came with is ridiculously heavy, and will start rattling eventually if it doesn't already. I highly recommend a lightweight one, for which there are a few options, none of them both good and cheap.

Awesome, thank you for the offer. I will definitely be messaging you a few times. I've done headgaskets, boosted an S50, and other things so I think I will do well. But no big project doesn't come without its struggles!

I've driven this 540 through my driveway (I live on a private drive) and I can tell that it kind of shudders, but I'm not sure if it's worn motor mounts/driveline/flywheel. It doesn't really rattle, though. Thanks for the tips, they're really appreciated. I removed the hood last night and pulled the ECU out in hopes that it already had a performance chip, but have only opened the case at this point and haven't looked under the top board yet. Hopefully I'll find one tonight!

[Bimmerick]

The one thing you should think about now is what to use for a clutch and flywheel. The dual-mass flywheel that 540 came with is ridiculously heavy, and will start rattling eventually if it doesn't already. I highly recommend a lightweight one, for which there are a few options, none of them both good and cheap.

You will have many decisions to make during your swap and this is definitely an important one (unless you know the clutch AND flywheel have been replaced). FWIW, here is what I ended up doing...

Speaking of decisions, I love my electric fan conversion. I paid $10 for the Volvo fan with relay and wiring harness at a local junkyard.

...removed the hood last night and pulled the ECU out in hopes that it already had a performance chip, but have only opened the case at this point and haven't looked under the top board yet. Hopefully I'll find one tonight!

Depending on the car's manufacture date you will have either a "404" or "484" DME (ECU). A discussion on why that matters can be found here. There is a forum member DUDMD who is well known for his M60 performance chips; I have one and am very happy.

How do I change the section? That is awesome! This 540i came with coilovers on it already which I was pretty excited about. I haven't researched yet but I'm hoping they'll fit on the Touring.

I believe the coilovers should fit; that will save $$$ (I assume you are buying a 530i Touring?).

As for moving your build thread, you could PM a moderator or just restart your thread. I believe that you will receive more help and more feedback in the E34 section than here in the engine conversion section.

[wmrcs]

Excellent! So I opened up the ECU this morning aaaannnnnddd......."Does THAT say DUDMD???"




Looks like another thing to check off the list! Now I'm wondering who on the forums owned this car previously and can tell me about other things done to the car... haha!

Also, interesting to note that the last 3 figures of my DME are 404, but the chip says 484. Can someone shed some light on this? Maybe DUDMD himself? It looks like it had a recall performed back in the day so I'm wondering if it was originally a 404 and BMW changed it to a 484 or something but left the 404 case on it with the reprogram sticker.

[Bimmerick]

Excellent! So I opened up the ECU this morning aaaannnnnddd......."Does THAT say DUDMD???"

Looks like another thing to check off the list! Now I'm wondering who on the forums owned this car previously and can tell me about other things done to the car... haha!

Also, interesting to note that the last 3 figures of my DME are 404, but the chip says 484. Can someone shed some light on this? Maybe DUDMD himself? It looks like it had a recall performed back in the day so I'm wondering if it was originally a 404 and BMW changed it to a 484 or something but left the 404 case on it with the reprogram sticker.

Score! So you landed a 540/6 donor with a sweet interior, coilovers and a DUDMD chip? It probably has Brembo brakes, a B&B exhaust, forged M-Pars, and on and on. Maybe it will even swap itself...

You can PM DUDMD and ask him about the 484 on the chip, but it looks like as far as the DME goes you are good to go. While the DME is apart, I recommend you check to verify that pin 66 is clipped; I'll bet it is.

So where's the Touring...?

[wmrcs]

Score! So you landed a 540/6 donor with a sweet interior, coilovers and a DUDMD chip? It probably has Brembo brakes, a B&B exhaust, forged M-Pars, and on and on. Maybe it will even swap itself...

You can PM DUDMD and ask him about the 484 on the chip, but it looks like as far as the DME goes you are good to go. While the DME is apart, I recommend you check to verify that pin 66 is clipped; I'll bet it is.

So where's the Touring...?

Hahaha! Yea, I'm actually thinking that's about it for the gold mine. Stock exhaust with the muffler cut off.... 16x9 Style 5's in the front though with 15's in the back I'm totally going to PM him about it. Dang, I already put it together, but I will check that before it goes into the Touring.

I don't have the Touring just yet. I have two different ones lined up that I am looking at next weekend and will 100% be coming home with one or the other. I already know which one I want, but I know what I'm willing to pay and hope the guy accepts my offer. They're both 95 530iT's, one is that darker silver with a rougher dove grey interior, doesn't start. The other is an oxford green with tan interior and a bad trans. I want the green one for several reasons, but the silver one is half the price. Decisions.... regardless, I will share pics when I get one on the trailer next Saturday. Would have picked one up this weekend but we had guests from out of town.

[shogun]

484 is as far as I know related to EWS. I once sent a 404 chip to someone in Germany and he installed it by mistake into a 484 DME E34 540, the engine did not start. Maybe the other way round works?
Upon request of the thread opener I moved a copy of this thread to the E34 section from Engine Conversion.

[wmrcs]

Interesting thought. I PM'd DUDMD and he said if he had run out of 404 labels he would use the 484 and usually change it in pen to say 404. It's possible it got overlooked and that's what I'm going with since the car runs great with it!

[762Armo]

You beat me to this car man. I was gonna get it. Congrats.
So, are you keeping the interior or?
maybe you want to give me the clear tails? Since they won't fit the wagon? 😁

[wmrcs]

Ah, sorry man! I got lucky with the timing. Anyway, I'm 50/50 on using the interior. I am hoping to use the entire dash and center console and possibly the front door cards but haven't decided about the seats. I've already also arranged a sale for the tail lights tomorrow. I will let you know if that falls through.

[wmrcs]

Do you guys have any idea what these seats are worth? They're close to an 8.5/10 all around and the fronts are heated/power/memory sport seats. No discoloration or splits/tears or anything. I've had a few offers on them but don't know what's fair/reasonable. I don't want to rip anyone off nor do I want to lose out since whatever they fetch is going back into my Touring.

Tail lights or officially sold by the way. If anyone is interested in anything, at the most I am just using the necessary swap items (I do want the center console) and maybe the dash. Oh and I'm keeping the headlights and corners.

[Layne]

They're both 95 530iT's, one is that darker silver with a rougher dove grey interior, doesn't start. The other is an oxford green with tan interior and a bad trans. I want the green one for several reasons

You're on the right track so far, but it sounds like you're about to blow it. Green on tan is terrible and has half the value of almost any other color combo. A black sport interior would double the value of most cars and you're trying to get rid of it. Put that in the silver car and you'll have something worth keeping that you could also sell later on. Build a green/tan car and you'll have nothing but regret.

[chuddism]

You're on the right track so far, but it sounds like you're about to blow it. Green on tan is terrible and has half the value of almost any other color combo. A black sport interior would double the value of most cars and you're trying to get rid of it. Put that in the silver car and you'll have something worth keeping that you could also sell later on. Build a green/tan car and you'll have nothing but regret.

What he said ^

[wmrcs]

What! Are you kidding? First of all, I personally love Oxford Green and I'm in this one for me, not the next owner. Secondly, the green car is significantly nicer and hasn't been sitting for the last few years. I would change the tan interior to black as much as possible which is why I'm using the the center console, hopefully the dash, and other interior parts from this 540. I appreciate that concern, though...

You'll find out on Saturday night which one I get!

The more I stare at these seats the more I like them. They're sporty but comfortable and they're in such nice shape. I bet they weigh a lot! Does anyone know if the rear seats will fit the Touring too? I'm pretty dang sure the rear door panels won't fit the Touring.

Oh and last thing for the night, here is some JUICY Touring booty for the boys... you'll have to click the link since it's a decent sized GIF: http://38.media.tumblr.com/b7dd53517...5ovvo1_400.gif

[cddallara]

If you do end up with the silver car and get rid of the interior, let me know.
The OCD in me needs to tell you that it's light silver grey interior, not dove. For future reference
looking forward to the thread. I would have traded you my Oxford green true 540 touring (not swapped) for your Tundra straight across.

[wmrcs]

If you do end up with the silver car and get rid of the interior, let me know.
The OCD in me needs to tell you that it's light silver grey interior, not dove. For future reference
looking forward to the thread. I would have traded you my Oxford green true 540 touring (not swapped) for your Tundra straight across.

Haha will do! My wife thinks I should get the silver one too because it's so much cheaper haha.. I have totally seen a lot of oxford green E34 Tourings though and few silvers. If it was titanium silver I'd be instantly sold, that's got to be one of my favorite colors of all time on a BMW.

I just called it dove grey because I had an E36 at one point and that's what it was called! Thanks for the info though, I'm pretty OCD with certain things as well. Like my cars, which is why I want the green one... AGH. First world problems. I'll be happy either way too thankfully.

Hehehe that wouldn't that Tundra make the BMW look excellent while being towed? I love the idea of two green vehicles of similar shades.

[762Armo]

Ah, sorry man! I got lucky with the timing. Anyway, I'm 50/50 on using the interior. I am hoping to use the entire dash and center console and possibly the front door cards but haven't decided about the seats. I've already also arranged a sale for the tail lights tomorrow. I will let you know if that falls through.

No need to be sorry man. This is your luck. I have no actual envy, well maybe a tad .
Send me a PM with a list of parts you don't plan on using. Sounds like most of the parts I'd want you'd be using though. Also if you don't mind can you PM how much you paid for it. Would love to use it as a reference if anything else pops up around here.
Anyway, let me know if you run into any problems or need help with anything. I'm by no means a master of things, but will try to help if I can. I also drive over to eastern wa every now and then, can pop in to say hello next time I'm driving over, and if by chance you need anything from the west side I can deliver if schedules line up.

- - - Updated - - -

Haha will do! My wife thinks I should get the silver one too because it's so much cheaper haha.. I have totally seen a lot of oxford green E34 Tourings though and few silvers. If it was titanium silver I'd be instantly sold, that's got to be one of my favorite colors of all time on a BMW.

I just called it dove grey because I had an E36 at one point and that's what it was called! Thanks for the info though, I'm pretty OCD with certain things as well. Like my cars, which is why I want the green one... AGH. First world problems. I'll be happy either way too thankfully.

Hehehe that wouldn't that Tundra make the BMW look excellent while being towed? I love the idea of two green vehicles of similar shades.

Also don't listen to the wife. and these guys. Although I am not a fan of the green on tan... If it's in better shape that's the one you want to choose. You'll have less trouble with it in the future.

[wmrcs]

No need to be sorry man. This is your luck. I have no actual envy, well maybe a tad .
Send me a PM with a list of parts you don't plan on using. Sounds like most of the parts I'd want you'd be using though. Also if you don't mind can you PM how much you paid for it. Would love to use it as a reference if anything else pops up around here.
Anyway, let me know if you run into any problems or need help with anything. I'm by no means a master of things, but will try to help if I can. I also drive over to eastern wa every now and then, can pop in to say hello next time I'm driving over, and if by chance you need anything from the west side I can deliver if schedules line up.

Hehe sure, I'll have a better idea of what I'm needing this weekend when I pick up the 530iT. Do you remember what the guys FB post said he was thinking? I gave him $100 less than that. I could've easily gotten it for less, but I just didn't feel like being a dick that night and I knew it was completely worth it since it was a full swap and I didn't need to source anything else AND there would be aftermarket goodies.. which there were! I will totally be asking for help and yea definitely let me know man!

[Bimmerick]

What! Are you kidding? First of all, I personally love Oxford Green and I'm in this one for me, not the next owner. Secondly, the green car is significantly nicer and hasn't been sitting for the last few years. I would change the tan interior to black as much as possible which is why I'm using the the center console, hopefully the dash, and other interior parts from this 540. I appreciate that concern, though...

You'll find out on Saturday night which one I get!

The more I stare at these seats the more I like them. They're sporty but comfortable and they're in such nice shape. I bet they weigh a lot! Does anyone know if the rear seats will fit the Touring too? I'm pretty dang sure the rear door panels won't fit the Touring.

My 530 sedan is Oxford Green; I like the color too but it definitely gets no love here on the forum. I guess it was a very common color, although I don't recall seeing any OG tourings here...

And no the back seat from a sedan will not fit in a touring. My 540i donor car is black on black with a pretty nice interior, so sometime this summer I intend to convert my OG sedan interior from parchment to black.

[Sir Montalbon]

The only time I've liked Oxford was when I saw a touring that was Oxford on Black. The green/tan combo came in what seems like approximately 110% of cars in the 90's, and I hate it. But something about the black interior makes it ok for me. I say swap all the black interior into the touring, then dye the rear seats (touring specific) and rear carpet and touring trim. I would find Oxford acceptable then.

Regardless, very nice score on the donor car. And like a number of other posters have said on there, the 540iT/6 swap was my biggest automotive project that I had ever tried. If you can already pull a motor, this will be very doable. Good luck! I have a thread on here somewhere with lots of listed part numbers for the stuff you will want to replace "while you are in there."

[wmrcs]

Thanks for all the comments guys. Yea I'm so torn between them. I have seen SO many green E34/E36's it is sickening, but I've never owned one. Hard choice for me because I do have the option of making an epic interior in the green car still, but I've never seen the dark silver wagon before either and the light silver grey interior is pretty rad..

YES, I have questions about "while I'm in there" stuff. I have noo idea about what's good/bad/weak/sad/shameful on the M60. What are some stuff I should take car of before I drop it in the Touring? I was thinking doing timing chain tensioner(s)/water pump/plugs/oil pan gasket/valley pan gasket (don't even know what that is yet, just haven't looked it up)/checking the oil pump bolts , main bearings. I can't decide if I want to do the head gaskets or not either pretty sure it has the Nikasil block which scares me haha. Haven't checked it's compression and to be honest I'm afraid to -- but it runs awesome.

[Layne]

I assume you're talking about Granite Silver? (pictured below) That's a great color. Wish mine was that instead of Sterling Silver.


[IMG][URL=http://s96.photobucket.com/user/THM3/media/E34%20Tourings/photo1.jpg.html]