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Thread: E39 528iT 5-speed to 6-speed w/ SC

  1. #1
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    E39 528iT 5-speed to 6-speed w/ SC

    I was umm .... encouraged to start a post on my project. This is my first so I'll need some coaching on how to attach pics and the like. I'm refreshing my E39 528iT sport with 5-speed. I've had BMWs for >25 yrs (CCA pin to prove it!), and this is my 2nd E39 touring both happened to be TiAg over black sport models.I got this in in FL in about 2012 and had it in NM for 3 yrs. So it has no rust except some bubbles inside the gas flap. It's a sweet car with the sport package and HID lights, but with age and miles it needs some attention. Last year I totally rebuilt the rear suspension - a PITA job, don't think Ill do that again. I do still have the self-leveling airbags which were replaced once and the whole system still works. I also redid the whole cooling system last year with upgraded water pump, and just replaced all of the PS hoses and reservoir this year. Not too bad of a job. The various DIY videos on Youtube and this forum are so helpful. I also just picked up and installed a pair of sport seats, and am glad I did. It's my daily driver so I have to pick and choose what jobs I tackle. This next one - I'm not. <br>My goal is to put a supercharger on it, but that is for next year. This year I'm putting in a 6-speed trans from a E46 ZHP car (ZF GS6-37BZ). I got the clutch, DS, and shifter bits other than the shift lever and rod with the used trans. From Stucks post on building a similar but ultimately more extreme sedan, it seems I need a selector rod and carrier from an E60 (25117547887 and 25117527933) to properly space the shift lever in the console. I also need a new driveshaft due to the 6-speed being 106mm longer than the 5-speed. I haven't figured that out completely, but can get a custom built one for $635 from Driveshaft Specialist Inc. That's not out of the ball park but you can also (I'm told) use the front half of a shaft from an early E60 6-cylinder manual trans car and the rear half of any E39 shaft. When looking at the costs, I think its about equal. While the car is apart, I'll have the following replaced: rear main seal, steel flywheel with ClutchMasters FX250 clutch kit, slave cylinder, clutch pivot pin, selector shaft seal, new ZHP shift knob, and rebuild the shift mechanism with bushings, etc. Stuck ended up having to get a custom trans bracket made, that surprised me, I guess we'll see once its all mocked up. Here is the title to his long post: 525i-5SPD-gt-530i-ZHP-6SPD-Build-LOG
    I'll get a leak down test soon, with 195K miles I question the wisdom of putting a blower on it without some refresh. Any advice is appreciated. One view is to just replace the crankshaft bearings. I was thinking the head should be rebuilt. Enough for now. I'll decide soon on the driveshaft solution and post on it.

  2. #2
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    I saw this post earlier and have thought about it.

    I think Stuck started (and someone will correct me if wrong) with a 525i automatic that he converted to a reliable, ZHP, 6-speed, supercharged daily driver. Working for a large BMW dis-mantler, he had access to an unlimited parts bin at a reasonable price.

    The 5-speed 528iT (with the M52TU) is already a very nice, well sorted & well balanced ride with the exception of the the air bag suspension.

    Although I understand the 6-speed has the same gearing in speeds 1-5, I worry the 40hp less you have in the M52TU (vs.M54 3.0) will really lessen the fun factor of the 6-speed add. I would also remember that Stuck changed the differential, and I think he ended up using an M5 LSD diff that had been re-worked or upgraded?

    It sounds like you want a project, and I get it - I hope to do a manual swap myself..But since the 528iT is also your daily driver, and it is already well mated to a 5-speed, why don't you consider finding a cheap 530i auto and manual swapping it with the 6-speed tranny burning a hole in your garage floor?

  3. #3
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    Welcome!

    Yep, you're going to need the front half of an E60 manual driveshaft, paired with the E39's rear section.

    Regarding the transmission crossmember, you will need to either use an E39 auto crossmember w/ very thin rubber discs, or fab one with an E9x center section and the E39 auto bolt holes. Nothing too complicated for someone who can weld.

    Regarding the potential supercharging of your I6; I'd recommend a serious refresh before pushing boost through it. Yes, I'd have the top end refreshed; valve stem seals, head gasket, etc. Also it'd be important to remove any carbon deposits that have built up, as they can create hot spots and melt a piston (depending on how hard you're boosting it).

    If you do indeed slap a blower on, you're going to want to upgrade to the 530i/540i braking system (rotors, calipers, pads), at least. It'd be better to go full M5, or even StopTech, IMO; that wagon is a hefty car, and the puny 528i/525i brakes won't be up to the task of hauling it down. Of course, that's my driving style. Yours may be significantly more sedate.

    And yes, I'd recommend upgrading the rear differential as well. It's just asking for one-tire-fire otherwise. An M5 differential is a 3.15 ratio (vs your 2.93), so it will shorten up the gears nicely with the 6-speed. An M5 differential will require either different half shafts or different output flanges (on the diff). Use RealOEM to compare parts.
    Nate J.

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    (eŌō\ (||||)º(||||) / ōŌe)
    Alpineweiss III/Black Merino Full 03-26-2007 E60 M5 Manual (CX08265). 157,000+. Dead starter -_-

    RIP, Seabiscuit. Black Sapphire/Schwarz 03-11-2003 530iA Sport (CK39185). T-boned 03-01-2017 at 155,861mi.
    Take 2 "Otto" - Toledo Blue/Sandbeige 04-25-2002 530iA Sport (CH98032). Sold 11-10-2017 at 147,743mi.
    Take 3 "Manuel" - Toledo Blue/Grau 10-29-2001 530i5 Sport (CE92358). Sold 02-01-2019 at 217,600mi. I regret that. Build Log
    Reliable P.O.S. - Green/gray 1995 Camry V6 LE. 270k mi. Sold for space.

  4. #4
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    Here's someone who SC'd the same car:
    https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...er-2-1-2-Years
    [IMG][/IMG]

  5. #5
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    Parts are coming in. I have a spare E39 5-speed driveshaft to get shortened and rebuilt. Take it Monday to a shop who says they can do this. Will report back if positive. I found an E60 selector shaft and carrier out of a yard in NC, and it all mounts up to the trans. I have a E39 auto crossmember that I'm going to get modified the say Stuck did, but with the center section from an E46 CM I got with the trans. Clutch and flywheel kit are in, as is a rear main seal, brass pivot pin, slave cylinder, guibo and CSB. I figured out that the auto trans crossmember sits farther back where there is a flimsy brace on my manual car. REmove it and use the front hole used by the brace and an unused tapped hole in front of it, so you can mount the auto CM while the 5-speed CM is in place. I got a Magnaflow exhaust on order and a shifter rebuild kit to receive yet.
    The 5-speed sport wagon is unique in that it came with a 3:07 diff vs 2.93 for other E39 I6s. So it is uniquely in need of a 6-speed in my mind. I have the 255 rear tires, if that's not enough traction for I'll be surprised. And can look into a LSD then.
    I'll be taking all this to a shop to install since I don't have a lift and its my DD.
    Time to go make a jig!
    IMG_1799.jpg

  6. #6
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  7. #7
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    More bits have come in, ZHP knob and shifter rebuild kit, Magnaflow exhaust and mounts. I had a small bolus of cash come in and Bimmerworld had the exhaust on sale so I splurged. I also have a shop who is shortening a spare E39 driveshaft for me, not cheap at $425 - maybe I should have bought an E60 DS too and had the front of the E60 and rear of the E39 together, but we're moving forward. The last step is the cross member. I had hoped to use the E46 CM that I got with the trans but it is too different from the E39 auto CM, so I bought a new E90 tranny bracket (BMW p/n
    22316760303)
    and a used E90 CM (BMW p/n
    22326760302)
    . I'll give an accounting later, I couldn't find any used brackets so got it new. I have a welder who shouldn't have any problem repeating what Stuck had done to custom-make a CM. So now I have an E46 ZHP clutch/flywheel, DS, CM, carrier and selector shaft to sell.

  8. #8
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    I am also In the middle of this swap and found a crossmember from a shop in Houston TX called TMJ Bimmers. Nice guys looks beefy and should bolt right up.

  9. #9
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    Thanks for the share s13flyboy. It may be too late for me since I already bought 2 cross members to fab the needed one, but might help others.
    Just installed the shifter rebuild kit parts from ECS - quite straight forward. only thing I didn't do was install the shift lever into its socket. I'm thinking it may be better left done after all is in the car. I look forward to shifting it!

  10. #10
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    Custom cross member is made. Ron Morrel made a metal jig and is open to make more. You can call him at 410/343-0807. He is in north Baltimore Co, MD. You'll need these parts: an E39 auto trans crossmember, an E90 tranny bracket (BMW p/n
    22316760303)
    and a E90 CM (BMW p/n
    22326760302)
    I got the trans bracket new for $70 with my BMWCCA discount. and a used CM for $30. So this cost me a lot more than the TMJ piece, but the next person who has one made by Ron should be more reasonable, since he did the jig done on my bill.
    The shop that was to do my driveshaft has shafted me twice so I am making plans to take it somewhere else.

  11. #11
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    Nice. Sorry late to the party here but glad to see things rolling. That's an easy fab job indeed once the jig is done if you have one of each CM, great that there's somebody who's jigged it and ready to do more.

    Re: the driveshaft, yes, sometimes people put "BMW" and "custom" in a sentence and think "CHARGE A FORTUNE!" regardless of the amount of work required!
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  12. #12
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    All is ready. Perry Hall Power Equipment shortened a spare E39 driveshaft by 106mm. The owner seems to know what he's doing but this kind of work is not something he will prioritize. You have to give him time to fit it around his other projects. If you bug him he gets real grouchy real fast. I was looking for another shop but anyone else nearby was either booked for months or needed a diff flange that I couldn't get ahold of. I didn't want to spend a couple $100 on a diff just for a flange. Wagon goes to the shop Tuesday to get it all installed. I changed the trans lube to Redline MTL and scrubbed the case a bit The ZHP it came from must have blown a gasket and spewed oil/coolant mix all over the underside of car.
    The bill so far is $600 for trans (after selling ZHP flywheel/DS/CM), $950 for clutch/flywheel to handle the future blower, $800 for Magnaflow exhaust, $475 for driveshaft and custom work, $250 for custom cross member fab, $100 for cross members (used E39 auto and E90 manual), it'll be over $4K when the swap is done. Skip the exhaust, do the work yourself, and it could be a <$2000 project.

  13. #13
    geargrinder's Avatar
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    Sounds about right. Pay-swaps are always expensive, there's just a lot of basic wrenching and lifting time required, not to mention if there's custom stuff to be done. I know a lotta guys get into shop-done swaps and then get sticker shock as the bill mounts. Typically that ends up in lots of panicked corner cutting and scope-change ("uhhhh lets not do the LSD after all!" "OK forget about doing the suspensh, I"m keeping stock for now!") And shops are great at underestimating the labor for swaps they've never done before. "oh that should be easy, just drop the tranny and put the other one in...".
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  14. #14
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    The custom cross member didn't line up but they drilled and tapped new holes. The custom driveshaft (manual E39 I6 shortened 106 mm) fit fine. The Magnaflow exhaust for 97-98 E39 doesn't fit my 2000 so it goes back. Otherwise the install seems to have gone well. Pick it up tonight!

  15. #15
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    The custom cross member didn't line up but they drilled and tapped new holes. The custom driveshaft (manual E39 I6 shortened 106 mm) fit fine. The Magnaflow exhaust for 97-98 E39 doesn't fit my 2000 so it goes back. Otherwise the install seems to have gone well. Pick it up tonight!

  16. #16
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    Huh? They musta screwed up the jig / concept.
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  17. #17
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    Drove my 6-speed E39 528iT last night. First thoughts - the ClutchMasters clutch with single-mass flywheel requires a pretty heavy push. It is clearly less refined than the OEM dual-mass setup as there is almost always more sound and a little clatter just off idle. I like the sound except the clatter, but its not a deal-breaker. The shifting is great! The ZHP shifter is clearly shorter but not noticeably harder. And its slop-free. I saw an indicted 75 with 2500 RPM in 6th, some 400 RPM less than before.
    I have the full set of old parts if anyone is looking to put a 5-speed manual in an E39, all OEM from flywheel thru driveshaft for sale!

  18. #18
    geargrinder's Avatar
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    Great that you're off and running.

    CM's are a bit notorious for heavy effort. Guy told me long time ago to stay away from them on the street, he had one in his tracked E46M3 and after a while hated it...
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  19. #19
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    On further consideration and time with it, I'm really disappointed with the ClutchMasters FX250. It rattles like a diesel truck at idle. It also has a hum at basically all speeds that isn't as bad as the idle rattle but gets old. I'm too cheap to replace it right away so I'm stuck with it for a while. Others beware!

  20. #20
    geargrinder's Avatar
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    Sorry man. Like I keep sayin', this friend of mine hates 'em. People get all asscited about 'em tho' cuz they racey and price isn't too bad so looks good on paper.

    Gear-rattle however is usually really mostly down to the flywheel weight difference - I assume the single-mass you put in was lightweight? The I6's have a worse jump in noise from LWFW's than the V8's too I think. I think you'll find to fix it you want to put a little flywheel weight back in, vs buying trying a different clutch (unless the CM clutch is super super light and that's part of the probem... which coudl be I suppose...)

    Clutches & LWFW's are one of those things like super hard suspension ride quality / NVH - one guy's "THAT SUCKS AND IS UNBEARABLY AWFUL!" is some other (ahem dumbass kid usually) guy's "AWZUM RACECAR!!!!" So. Whataryagonnado.
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  21. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by geargrinder View Post
    "AWZUM RACECAR!!!!"
    lol I like the sound of lightweight flywheels and multi-puck clutches and have also had to tell people "no, that's how it's suppose to sound". My RX7 sounded like there were rocks and broken glass bouncing around the bell housing and you either had to do a 5k dump to get going from a stop or slip the clutch for what seemed like forever.

    Thinking about it now I don't know if I really liked it, or I just said "I like it like this" often enough that I believed it.

  22. #22
    geargrinder's Avatar
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    Ha ha LOL, sounds like all of us at some point or another.

    Also, that sounds like classic RX7 action...
    2003 M3CicM6 TiAg
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  23. #23
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    Not sure if I'd wanna get into a 6spd swap on mine, but DKM has released a heavy single mass flywheel and organic disc clutch for about 550 on ECS. Was going to give it a shot in my 528iT. I want out of the dual mass due to the price and the fact I do so much stop and go which just tears it up. A little rattle doesn't bother me. I turn the radio up.

  24. #24
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    I ordered a steel flywheel, not aluminum. Any thoughts on SPEC clutches? https://www.lmperformance.com/687603...l-6sp-zhp.html

  25. #25
    geargrinder's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by sperschke View Post
    I ordered a steel flywheel, not aluminum.
    Well. I think you're under the mis-conception that "LWFW" = "alu" exclusively.

    The factory M52TU DMFW seems to be about ~25lbs.
    Dunno what part you bought, but, some of those steel SM flywheels are more like 15lbs.

    So. It very well could be your flywheel causing (some/much/all) of the noise issues.

    It ALSO could be the clutch itself out of balance, for sure, but you should be aware you maybe bought yourself into a semi-LWFW situation and that a new clutch might not be a complete fix.

    Quote Originally Posted by sperschke View Post
    I run the SPEC 2+ on the SC/540. Its great, EXCEPT because of the kevlar, it squeaks when cold. 3-4-5 shifts, its fine, But the first shifts squeak like noisy brakes until it warms up. Otherwise totally happy. Nice non-SAC clutch, drives very nicely, not too finicky (although when I swap cars w/ other E39 guys I remember that I've forgotte it is a LITTLE bit snappier on the engagement).

    A SPEC Stage 1 should be WAY more civilized than the CM is, in terms of take-up and driveability.

    Had a complete sh&T experience w/ SouthBend so would advise strongly against them.
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