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Thread: e32 740il 6-Speed Manual Conversion

  1. #26
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    Tap it part way to 1/4-28 and use a 1/4-28 bolt. Thread pitch is close enough to an M6. The elegant solution would be to tap it for an M6 helicoil.
    ​"The US Olympics bobsled team has renamed their sled 'Biden' because nothing has taken America downhill faster"

    TheStigg (aka "gale")
    92 735i 5-spd, turbo pending
    89 535i 5-spd (may she rest in pieces)
    94 325ic 5-spd
    87 325is

  2. #27
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    Quote Originally Posted by TheStigg View Post
    Tap it part way to 1/4-28 and use a 1/4-28 bolt. Thread pitch is close enough to an M6. The elegant solution would be to tap it for an M6 helicoil.
    Thanks for the input! After doing a little research I'm leaning towards going with an M6 Time-sert which is a thin wall solid bushing threaded insert. They come in regular carbon steel or cres. People recommend using cres for the corrosion aspect (coolant getting into threads) but I have hesitations because I think that stainless may not play well with aluminum from a galvanic corrosion standpoint (their anodic index is pretty far apart). Although, a zinc chromate primer on the tapped aluminum threads may prevent that.
    Last edited by m60power; 11-28-2018 at 07:04 PM.

  3. #28
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    I'm back on track! I bought the M6x1.0 Time Sert install kit and a pack of the M6x1.0, 12mm long inserts. This is the first time I've used these things and they are seriously awesome. They are a low-profile solid threaded busing with a little flange on top and they were super easy to install. I recommend them to anyone repairing damaged threads in aluminum, the kit is really high quality and the process is simple and straight-forward. I started with the hole I snapped the bolt off in, then decided to do another hole where the first few threads were buggered up badly due to corrosion on the bolt threads. This other bolt didn't snap off on removal, but it put up a bit of a fight coming out and I didn't know the threads got damaged until I re-checked all the holes today when installing the inserts. The 12mm inserts were the perfect length for the amount that the bolt threads into the block, while still leaving the required 6mm behind the back end of the insert in the blind hole (which is needed to give enough room for the install tool to cold-roll the last few threads of the insert and lock it in place).

  4. #29
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    E36 M, E32 740i/6, 997 S
    I am so happy you're making this thread and documenting it so well, thank you. I've had my E32 for about 2 weeks now and I'm already dying to ditch the auto. I was reading elsewhere that a coolant exchanger at the rear of the engine has some small nipples for the automatic transmission cooler. Mind sharing what your approach is going to be there? Are you going to swap it out for the manual 540 version or plug them somehow?

  5. #30
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    Quote Originally Posted by cohny View Post
    I am so happy you're making this thread and documenting it so well, thank you. I've had my E32 for about 2 weeks now and I'm already dying to ditch the auto. I was reading elsewhere that a coolant exchanger at the rear of the engine has some small nipples for the automatic transmission cooler. Mind sharing what your approach is going to be there? Are you going to swap it out for the manual 540 version or plug them somehow?
    Thanks! Yes the coolant manifold has two outlets on the automatic cars for the 5hp30 transmission cooling. My original intent was to order a rear coolant manifold from an e34 540 6-speed but that part is NLA from BMW. Go figure. Through browsing realoem I came across a solution via the Euro e32 730i. You can order rubber plugs for the auto manifold (with a spring clamp attached to them) for m60 cars that don't have the transmission cooling. These plugs go over the two outlets on the coolant manifold to block them off. This plug and clamp is still available from the BMW dealer. I forget the part number, but I will be updating this thread with that info and pictures of the plugs installed. I put them on a couple weeks ago, I just haven't posted the details yet.

    You could also run a coolant hose that connects the two outlets. That would probably work just as well.
    Last edited by m60power; 12-23-2018 at 06:59 PM.

  6. #31
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    E30/E32/F25
    Can you post the part numbers if you find them ? I just looped a house for mine
    Me E30 87/ 325i + F25 12/ M-Sport + E32 94/ 740i

    G/F’s E34 92/ 525iT + F48 18/ X1

  7. #32
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    325xi; 740i
    I got lucky when I got my engine, mine came from a E34 540i6 with engine harness. So I have the coolant crossover without the automatic nipples and a engine harness without the transmission sub harness. Instead I have 2 extra connectors in my e-box that I have no idea where they go to lol. Im still waiting for my E34 shifter to come from Germany since my 420g was from an E39 M5.

    Local driveshaft shop quoted $150 to lengthen and balance.
    New Daily:
    2011 Audi A6 Avant 3.0T prestige. 1 of 368

    ----FOR SALE-----
    04 BMW 325xi 143k


    The Fun car:
    94' BMW 740i 308k miles

    Fresh 72k mile engine with all new seals. True E34 Manual Trans Engine Harness. 6spd Transmission Swap, Getrag 420G. RHD LW Single Mass Flywheel. E39 M5 Clutch. E39 M5 Shifter. Factory Car Phone. Factory 6CD Changer. Factory Electric Sunshade. Not So Factory Factory Electric/Heated Rear Seats. E38 Heater Valves. E43 M5 calipers/brakes

    Sold:
    1996 Oldsmobile Aurora; 194k miles but with a bad paint job and dented fender resulting in a payout to buy the 740i

  8. #33
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    I replaced the coolant cover, its gasket, and the rear main seal today. Also installed the pilot bearing:

    20181215_135303[1].jpg


    New flywheel installed:

    20181215_143734[1].jpg

    The flywheel is from TTV Racing in the UK. It's a single mass 265mm (oem diameter for the m60) and weighs about 19 pounds. It was about $420 shipped, and seems to be very well made.

    Clutch and pressure plate installed:

    20181215_155538[1].jpg

    In the above picture you can see the two coolant plugs for the outlets on the rear coolant manifold that used to run down to the 5hp30 auto trans cooler. The plug part number is 17122754235.

    To be continued...

  9. #34
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    Just a small update.

    I re-painted the clutch fluid reservoir mounting bracket that came with the used transmission I bought. It was rusted with peeling paint. Here it is with a new fluid reservoir, hose clamp, and bolts:

    20190128_200037.jpg

    Thankfully the threaded mounting holes were on the heater valve frame that it bolts to. Another thing that makes this swap very plug-and-play

    Clutch hose connected and reservoir installed:

    20190128_203840.jpg

    I also installed a new "dummy" starter relay in the fuse box (black one in the above picture). This relay is installed on non-EWS manual e34s, it's just a jumper for the starter circuit. Here's a screenshot from the wiring diagrams:

    start.JPG

    To be continued...
    Last edited by m60power; 01-28-2019 at 09:22 PM.

  10. #35
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    I finally got around to installing the manual transmission. Overall it wasn't too difficult since the 420g is light enough to maneuver around. I used two floor jacks to raise it off the garage floor. It was a little bit of a struggle to get it fully mated to the engine block because the bell housing guide dowels, clutch spline, and pilot bearing all have to align perfectly. It took a few minutes to get the pitch and yaw angle correct via the jacks for it all to line up. I used all new hardware for the bell housing. A 3 foot long extension and universal joint made easy work of installing all the bolts. The top two bolts are M8 and the rest are M10. A tip for those doing this swap - the two bell housing bolts that go through to the starter are 60mm long (as opposed to the rest of the M10 bolts which are 55mm long). The Real OEM diagram shows the two longer 60mm bolts on the driver's side blank starter location (where there are nuts on the other side of the bell housing bolt), but this is incorrect. I also ordered a new e34 540 transmission cross-member:

    20190204_194350.jpg


    Transmission installed

    20190205_210036.jpg

    I ordered an ECS tuning stainless clutch line (the one the connects the two hard lines) because it was way cheaper than the OEM BMW one. The lower clutch hard line that connects to the slave cylinder is NLA from BMW so I went to a local hydraulic shop to get one made. I ordered 3/16" Nickel-Copper brake line and M10X1.0 fittings from Federal Hill Trading Company, and the shop bent the line and made the ISO bubble flares to match the OEM e34 540 line. The upper hard line into the master cylinder is an OEM BMW part. Here are the clutch lines installed:

    20190205_210317.jpg

    20190205_210547.jpg

    To be continued...

  11. #36
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    The shifter support arm is from an e34 540i. It fit perfectly in the transmission tunnel and aligned with the shifter hole in the center console:

    20190205_205828.jpg


    View from the bottom:

    20190205_210219.jpg


    In the above picture you can see the wiring harness I made for the reverse light switch. I routed it through the rubber grommet where the old automatic transmission gear selector cable passed through the body. I installed a BMW plastic brake line clamp in place of one of the large plastic washer things that holds the tunnel insulation to the body. I clipped the reverse switch wire harness into this clamp to keep the harness clear of the driveshaft and guibo.

    The shift arm rear mounting bracket is from Turner Motorsport. It's a stainless steel body with a polyurethane internal bushing. Weirdly enough they say it doesn't fit the e34 540 but it looks identical in form, fit, and function to the BMW one. I took a gamble and sure enough it bolted right up.

    Resized_20180814_212420.jpg

    Late edit of this post for future reference - photo of the pedal housing all buttoned up:

    20190406_222521.jpg

    To be continued...
    Last edited by m60power; 06-13-2021 at 12:05 AM.

  12. #37
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    I finished the wiring for clearing the "TRANS PROGRAM" error message as well as the making the reverse functions work. The method to eliminate trans program is to ground pin #5 on the CCM. The signal to pin 5 comes from Pin #25 of EGS (trans computer) on the e32 740. I chose to ground this at pin #10 of the X506 connector in the shifter area. The X506 is the big 12 pin connector; it's easy to find in the center console.

    CCM.jpg

    Wiring diagram showing CCM pin 5 going to ground for manual transmission e34:

    pin5.JPG

    You need to ground the male side pin 10 of the X506. I removed the female pin #5 of the shifter program switch plug, installed it in place of the female side pin 10 of the X506, and connected the X506 back together. Pin 5 of the program switch served as the ground for the backlighting of that program switch:

    programswitch.JPG

    The female pins are a pain to remove from the connectors. There is a special tool that fits between the outer diameter of the metal pin and the hole in the connector to release the tabs. I improvised and used the metal cylinder (ferrule?) from a small paint brush with the handle removed and it worked perfectly.

    The two wires of the transmission reverse switch get wired to pins #6 and #7 of the X511 connector:
    reverse light.jpg

    The X511 is the 8 pin connector that used to plug into the auto transmission gear selector switch. I pulled the two male pins from the old jumper connector that was plugged into the cruise control clutch switch harness and soldered them to the reverse switch harness I made.

    I turned the car on to verify the trans program message was gone. The instrument cluster gear indicator screen still lights up and displays "E" in the mode screen and nothing in the gear screen. I'm not sure what I need to do to turn this off. Maybe I'll just deal with it, or make it display S4 or something.
    Last edited by m60power; 02-11-2019 at 09:40 PM.

  13. #38
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    Good progress. As a quick fix you could always remove the bulb behind the E on the dash. It should be the bulb labeled PRND321 at the bottom left here: http://twrite.org/shogunnew/files/st...cluster10a.jpg
    Last edited by Cactuar; 02-12-2019 at 12:57 AM.

  14. #39
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    E30/E32/F25
    I removed the bulb on mine .
    Me E30 87/ 325i + F25 12/ M-Sport + E32 94/ 740i

    G/F’s E34 92/ 525iT + F48 18/ X1

  15. #40
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    Wow - good work. Thanks for posting all of this.

  16. #41
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    When I did the conversion on my 735i, and later on my son's e34 535i, I removed the TCU and inserted a narrow spade connector into pin 33 on the TCU connector and wired it to ground. That got rid of the benign "Trans Program Error" message in the check control. Both cars displayed "S" in the dash gear indicator. Never had any problems since with either car. I did read recently (within the past 6 months or so) on this forum or perhaps the e34 forum, that shorting that pin to ground can sometimes overheat and burn a pc board component in the CCM. There was a fix for that and an alternative method to eliminate the trans program error, but I forget the details. Perhaps Shogun would remember? With that said, neither of my cars had any issues from shorting the TCU pin that I am aware of. The e34 has since been sold but I still have my 7.

    So far, so good. No signs of overheating of the components inside my CCM, 13 years later:

    ccmpc1.jpg

    ccmpc2.jpg

    As for the gear indicator in the instrument cluster, they both went from "ED" to "S" (the ultimate Sport Mode). I removed the bulb and taped off the opening to get rid of it.
    Last edited by TheStigg; 02-15-2019 at 01:53 PM.
    ​"The US Olympics bobsled team has renamed their sled 'Biden' because nothing has taken America downhill faster"

    TheStigg (aka "gale")
    92 735i 5-spd, turbo pending
    89 535i 5-spd (may she rest in pieces)
    94 325ic 5-spd
    87 325is

  17. #42
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    Thanks for the input guys! Stigg - inserting a grounded spade into the trans computer plug is a clever idea. I grounded that pin earlier along the wire harness to the CCM and it worked to eliminate the error. Hopefully it continues to work correctly and not overheat a CCM board component.

    Cactuar and e30luv - I like the bulb removal idea. It's simple enough. I may try removing the EGS trans computer as well to experiment and see if it turns off instrument cluster shift mode / gear indicator. Although, if it displays "S" instead of "E" that would be fitting for the newfound sportiness of the car

  18. #43
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    I did this, left the TCU in place and cut the harness that connected to the trans

    just use a wire tap don’t even need to make a connector and tuck those bad boys and forget about it

    Disable Trans program error, disable Gear indicator display, enable removal of trans computer.
    To acheive this, you need to gound pin 10 of the female side of the X506 12 pins connector. This connector is located under the gearshift once you remove the whole automatic shifter mechanisme.
    You can take out the brown ground wire from the blue connector (pin #5) of the A/M switch.
    Last edited by e30luv318i; 02-24-2019 at 05:55 PM.
    Me E30 87/ 325i + F25 12/ M-Sport + E32 94/ 740i

    G/F’s E34 92/ 525iT + F48 18/ X1

  19. #44
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    Quote Originally Posted by e30luv318i View Post
    I did this, left the TCU in place and cut the harness that connected to the trans

    just use a wire tap don’t even need to make a connector and tuck those bad boys and forget about it

    Disable Trans program error, disable Gear indicator display, enable removal of trans computer.
    To acheive this, you need to gound pin 10 of the female side of the X506 12 pins connector. This connector is located under the gearshift once you remove the whole automatic shifter mechanisme.
    You can take out the brown ground wire from the blue connector (pin #5) of the A/M switch.
    Yup I did exactly that ^ Took the ground pin from the blue A/M switch and put it in place of old Pin #10 on the EGS harness connector in the shifter area. This effectively grounds the trans error circuit on the CCM. In hindsight a wire tap definitely would have been easier than removing the pins from the connector. They can be a pain to get out.

  20. #45
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    I know you have updates - post'em!

  21. #46
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    A few more updates. I installed Revshift polyurethane motor mounts. They are the black 80A hardness, the softest mounts they make for the M60 motor:

    20190313_195954.jpg

    Motor mounts are pretty straightforward on this car. I jack up the motor from one side at a time when replacing them, and also loosen up the trans mount top nuts for extra compliance. For the 740 you can get fairly clear access to the motor mount top nuts by moving the washer fluid reservoir on the passenger side, and the brake fluid reservoir on the driver side out of the way. A long extension with a universal joint on the end works great. Just remember to disconnect the intake hose from the airbox and push the fan blades clear of the fan shroud when jacking up the motor.

    I used an OEM regular throw shifter from an e60 545i (part # 25117527261). I decided not to go with the popular e60 "short-throw" shifter because I think it is too short of a throw for the Getrag 420g. This one is a good middle ground between the stock e34 540i shifter and the short throw e60. New shifter installed with new plastic ball cup and rubber shift boot:

    20190313_200426.jpg

    In the above picture you can see the little felt furniture feet that I stuck on to cover the mounting holes for the original auto trans shifter base plate. The shift knob I chose is not weighted so I wrapped 1/8" diameter lead wire around the shifter body, about 9.0 ounces worth, and covered it in electrical tape. A somewhat ghetto modification but it should improve shift feel.

    I originally wanted to get a DSSR selector rod but there really isn't a good solution for the 540. The UUC rod for e34 540 fitment is designed around the early production 540 shift knuckle which has its hole set back about a centimeter and raised up so that a straight rod clears the guibo when connected to the bottom of the shift lever. The rod length for this knuckle is 205mm. Here's a pic of the 11/1994 and older production shift knuckle:

    knuckle.JPG

    The post 11/94 kuckle is shorter and the hole is centered. BMW changed the shift selector rod to a bent version for the new knuckle in order to clear the guibo. The new 540 rod is 214mm pin to pin. On top of this BMW has updated the current production knuckles and shifters with the spacer washers integrated into them so you no longer need those little yellow spacers on either side. UUC also designed the width of their DSSR so that it doesn't need to use the yellow spacer washers, which is fine on the old parts, but because of this you have to grind off the extra spacer plastic from the shifter and knuckle of the current production parts. UUC does sell a 215mm rod for another BMW model, but it is a straight rod and not bent like it should be to sufficiently clear the guibo with the new BMW knuckle. So I decided to go with the stock selector rod and clips:

    OEM bent rod installed with all new hardware:

    20190312_201216.jpg

    I attempted to source a wood, 6-speed shift knob with back lighting but the only BMW model I could find with a knob like that was the e39 M5 and that shift knob is actually integrated with the shift boot. There are a couple BMWs over the years that came with a leather, back-lit, 6 speed shift knob. I went with the OEM knob from the Euro e36 M3 Evo. Test fitment of the knob and shift boot:

    20190308_162823.jpg

    The shift throw with the 545i shifter is perfect. As you can see I still need to source a walnut (nussbaum) wood console from a manual car. I was very surprised how the shifter feels with only stock components and bushings (except for the rear support bushing of the shifter carrier arm which is polyurethane). It's like a bolt action rifle, and everything is super tight. The shifting action is incredibly precise and there is almost no perceptible play in gear or in neutral; only just over half a centimeter of side to side play at the top of the knob. Goes to show brand new parts make all the difference. I wonder how long the feel will actually last before the plastic and rubber bits throughout the shifter linkages wear out. I was curious as to where the side to side play actually comes from, since the rod fitment is such a close tolerance. I climbed under the car and moved the base of the shifter left and right and found that there is no play in the rod linkage or knuckle at all (or in the ball cup). The little play that exists is actually from inside the transmission itself. The main gear selector rod has slight rotational play by a degree or so from center when in neutral or in gear.

    To be continued...
    Last edited by m60power; 03-13-2019 at 09:49 PM.

  22. #47
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    Me E30 87/ 325i + F25 12/ M-Sport + E32 94/ 740i

    G/F’s E34 92/ 525iT + F48 18/ X1

  23. #48
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    Hello M60power, awesome build! Just read through the entire thread, very impressed.

    Is this by chance the same E32 I sold you 1 1/2 years ago?
    My YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7l...rJvxZHr_00nuhA

    Current cars: 1990 Mercedes-Benz 300E, 1991 BMW 320i M-Tech II, 1991 Mitsubish Galant AMG Type II, 1992 Nissan Figaro, 1993 Toyota Chaser Tourer V

  24. #49
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    Quote Originally Posted by e30luv318i View Post
    Good find! The wood looks to be in decent condition but both the rear tabs are broken off. I might buy it anyway and try to make tabs for it.


    Quote Originally Posted by E34 5er View Post
    Hello M60power, awesome build! Just read through the entire thread, very impressed.

    Is this by chance the same E32 I sold you 1 1/2 years ago?
    Yup, it is I'm glad you like the build!

  25. #50
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    ^Yes, I knew it was just by seeing pics of some interior bits, lol.

    I really loved that E32, I remember I only sold it because I was leaving the country for about a year. Really miss her, but I am glad it has gone to the right new owner and she is in good hands. Can't wait to see how the rest of the build turns out, good luck!
    My YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7l...rJvxZHr_00nuhA

    Current cars: 1990 Mercedes-Benz 300E, 1991 BMW 320i M-Tech II, 1991 Mitsubish Galant AMG Type II, 1992 Nissan Figaro, 1993 Toyota Chaser Tourer V

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