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Thread: Another Crazy E36 M3 S54 Swap AKA My Realistic Dream Swap

  1. #51
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    UT
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    98 M3/4/5
    awesome nice job... and now.... so it begins...
    98 Estoril ///M3 4/6
    S54 swap CSL

  2. #52
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
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    97 E36M3 S54
    Mounted motor mount arms
    Mounted AC bracket and compressor
    Mounted alternator
    Modified the oil accumulator mount to sit next to the E36 AC bracket (it's decently larger than the E46 AC bracket)
    I noticed I am missing the rubber sleeve for the oil accumulator, is this really necessary? Should be fine, right?








    Replaced the worn brushes on the alternator regulator






    Installed the AN adapter to the oil filter housing


    Sold and said goodbye to the S52!

  3. #53
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    I would find a piece of thin rubber if possible, it’s there to take out vibration
    98 Estoril ///M3 4/6
    S54 swap CSL

  4. #54
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
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    Edmonton,CANADA
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    1997 BMW M3 Coupe

    Another Crazy E36 M3 S54 Swap AKA My Realistic Dream Swap

    What motor mount arms are you going with? E36 or e46?


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    ()()===[][]===()()


  5. #55
    Join Date
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    1998 M3/4/5
    Quote Originally Posted by mitch500 View Post
    What motor mount arms are you going with? E36 or e46?
    You have to use E36 and build a support bracket for the airbox or Z3 S54 driver's side (built in airbox support).
    S54 swap DME flashing - $100
    S54 swap CAN interface board (for proper A/C & check engine light) - $275
    e36 SAP sim/secondary air pump simulator:
    $75 - standard or $170 - plug & play
    e36 post-cat O2 sims: $115 shipped, plug & play

  6. #56
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    Edmonton,CANADA
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    1997 BMW M3 Coupe
    Quote Originally Posted by gpeterson View Post
    You have to use E36 and build a support bracket for the airbox or Z3 S54 driver's side (built in airbox support).
    Perfect! I'll make sure to keep my s52 arms.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    ()()===[][]===()()


  7. #57
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    Where is a good place to attach the support bracket too? I’m just reaching this phase. Currently I’m in wiring hell, just trying to figure what connects to what with all 3 harnesses in the car. I’m becoming less and less impressed with andrews harness because mine is like a damn spaghetti mess and too long
    98 Estoril ///M3 4/6
    S54 swap CSL

  8. #58
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    97 E36M3 S54
    Quote Originally Posted by TH3 Shifty View Post
    Where is a good place to attach the support bracket too? I’m just reaching this phase. Currently I’m in wiring hell, just trying to figure what connects to what with all 3 harnesses in the car. I’m becoming less and less impressed with andrews harness because mine is like a damn spaghetti mess and too long
    I'm not sure since I'm not using the stock intake airbox at all, but if I had to do it I'd fab up some sort of bracket that attached to the motor mount bolt holes.

  9. #59
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    Quote Originally Posted by M52 POWER! View Post
    if I had to do it I'd fab up some sort of bracket that attached to the motor mount bolt holes.
    That is what I did, will try to get a picture at some point.
    S54 swap DME flashing - $100
    S54 swap CAN interface board (for proper A/C & check engine light) - $275
    e36 SAP sim/secondary air pump simulator:
    $75 - standard or $170 - plug & play
    e36 post-cat O2 sims: $115 shipped, plug & play

  10. #60
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Pittsburgh, PA
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    My Cars
    S54/E36,18 Sierra Denali
    Quote Originally Posted by TH3 Shifty View Post
    Where is a good place to attach the support bracket too? I’m just reaching this phase. Currently I’m in wiring hell, just trying to figure what connects to what with all 3 harnesses in the car. I’m becoming less and less impressed with andrews harness because mine is like a damn spaghetti mess and too long

    Theres def a lot of excess on the swap harness, just needs hidden and routed well.

  11. #61
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
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    97 E36M3 S54
    Quick Update!

    A lot has been going on! After I pulled the S52 and cleaned the engine bay I wasn't happy with the condition of the engine bay paint. Specifically the drivers side looked like somebody spilled an entire bottle of brake fluid and just let it sit and dissolve and muck up the paint OCD kicks in and next thing I'm sanding and repainting the engine bay!

    Before (I also ground and filled factory spot welds and brackets I new I wouldn't be using!)


    After
    I really like the darker "steel gray" color of this paint, should look really good with the S54.


    Removed the OEM firewall insulation. The foam liner was completely rotted and was all dust. I'll be installing aftermarket reflective heat barrier as OEM insulation is NLA.



    I got the correct size belt for the E36 AC compressor on the S54 engine, FYI:


    Cleaned and mounted the E36 PS pump


    Modified the new shifting "knuckle" to fit into my DSSR



    Removed the AUTO shifter assembly


    Installed the manual shifter body bushing


    This is what it looks like when you need to remove the fuse box because you need to paint the engine bay


    And the wires pushed into the interior




    I'm also harvesting the airbox veloctiy stacks, studying wiring diagrams, making an adapter bracket to mount the DBW gas pedal and just generally putting the car engine bay back together.

  12. #62
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    98 M3/4/5
    you've been busy...

    let me know if you need help on that DBW bracket
    98 Estoril ///M3 4/6
    S54 swap CSL

  13. #63
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    Edmonton,CANADA
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    1997 BMW M3 Coupe
    thanks for posting the ac belt info. Which belt did you use for the serpentine? Also are you using the e46 power steering pulley on a e36 pump?
    ()()===[][]===()()


  14. #64
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    Quote Originally Posted by mitch500 View Post
    thanks for posting the ac belt info. Which belt did you use for the serpentine? Also are you using the e46 power steering pulley on a e36 pump?
    The stock E46 M3 belt fit fine.

    PS pump is all E36 parts including pulley.

  15. #65
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    97 E36M3 S54
    Heat shield installed. I'm probably going to put some more on the top side of the trans tunnel too...




    Reinstalled the fuse box and brake stuff.



    And I rebuilt and installed the manual clutch pedal assembly. Still need to make the DBW pedal bracketry...

  16. #66
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    Can anyone recommend a electric cooling fan setup? I'd like to do a pusher fan in place of the OEM pusher fan, like a SPAL 16". I'm not sure where to tap off of for the temperature switch, I think I've read that you can use the E36 "dual" temp sensor??

  17. #67
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    yeah you can.... the issue was "where do you plug into for the non-constant power source?" on the old S52 harness, i used the #16 wire off the diagnostic port, this is a switched ignition source.. not sure where to run that on the new harness.

    bimmerworld's 16" spal fan kit is excellent.. thats what i have, but its a puller
    98 Estoril ///M3 4/6
    S54 swap CSL

  18. #68
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    Mar 2017
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    Oahu / Los Angeles
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    S54 E36
    Love threads like these.

    I too will have an S54 in my E36M one day!


  19. #69
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    oh FIY you can remove that hose to the brake booster.. the S54 brake booster valve is at a 90*. im sure you can use the S52 one, but that hose wont fit
    98 Estoril ///M3 4/6
    S54 swap CSL

  20. #70
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    S54/E36,18 Sierra Denali
    Andrews harness at the three consecutive fuses is a place for a switched power tap. Keep your AUX fan in place and use the spal 2049 16” puller with install kit. (Amazon) tap into the e36 grounding sensor at the top right (pass) side of rad.

    https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...0#post29664830
    Last edited by PITT M3 RR; 11-14-2017 at 05:15 PM.

  21. #71
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    97 E36M3 S54
    Mounted the fuel filter and FPR


    Pulled the stock fuel pump assembly


    S54 pump assembly top, S52 bottom.


    Swapped the S54 fuel pump into the E36 fuel pump assembly. Pretty straight forward just be careful not to crack any plastic parts.


    Cleaned the trans, installed new input oil seal, guide tube, throwout bearing, pivot pin etc...


    Suframe motor mount reinforcements welded in and entire thing painted


    Oh and these showed up!


    Other things complete:
    • Installed a new driveshaft center support bearing
    • Fender liners
    • Installed more heatshield material in top of trans tunnel
    • Cleaned the starter
    • Sourced a trans reverse connector and wire from the original S54 harness (auto to manual swap shenanigans)
    • Sent the S54 fuel injectors out to be cleaned and flow matched


    Right now I'm working on mounting the DME in the top ceiling of the DME compartment, after that I'm clear to actually put the engine in

    Can anyone confirm, my E46 M3 420G trans has 1 black and 1 white 2 pin connector on the side of the trans, which one is for the reverse lights, I think it's the white one?

  22. #72
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    now i really wanna see this intake system with the ITG's
    98 Estoril ///M3 4/6
    S54 swap CSL

  23. #73
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    97 E36M3 S54
    So here's my DME mount solution. The problem I've seen in other swaps is lack of room for relays, fuses, wires etc when you mount the S54 DME in the OEM E36 location.

    I got to thinking and figured out that I can trim the S54 DME mount box down and it fits in the "ceiling" of the E36 DME compartment.

    Trimmed down the S54 DME holder with mounting holes marked and drilled.




    I also drilled larger holes opposite the mounting holes for tool access.


    Here's what it looks like with the 3 PEM standoffs mounted.
    This consists of 3x M3x0.5x8mm long buttonhead SS screws, and 6x M3 SS flat washers.
    I superglued the washers to each side of the holes to reinforce and make them easier to handle.
    Standoff part number VM30BSO-M3-14ZI, link: http://catalog.pemnet.com/item/varim...30bso-m3-14-zi




    The "ceiling" of this compartment is not perfectly flat, it has a few different levels to it, I ended up modifying 2 of th PEM standoffs to 7mm. The third is unmodified at 14mm.


    I then prepped the surfaces and epoxy bonded them in the mounting position I found worked best.


    PEM standoffs bonded to compartment "ceiling". Picture is upside-down for some reason.


    And here's the final result, DME holder mounted and PLENTY of room in the compartment for everything else...
    Last edited by M52 POWER!; 11-22-2017 at 01:35 PM.

  24. #74
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    S54/E36,18 Sierra Denali
    Like I told you, best solution yet. Good thinking and no water worries.

  25. #75
    Join Date
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    97 E36M3 S54
    So since the last update I've installed:

    • Starter
    • Subframe
    • Headers
    • O2 sensors
    • Flywheel and clutch
    • Transmission
    • Motor Mounts
    • Shifter
    • Filled trans with MTF-LT2
    • Trans brace and mounts
    • Accumulator heat shield
    • Reverse wiring harness








    And then I actually installed the engine!





    Also for the first time ever this car now has a manual 6spd shifter in it!

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