e39 6 spd 530xi

[bubela]

Has anyone ever done this swap?

[MauiM3Mania]

Moved from the General BMW Discussion sub-forum.

What exactly are you trying to swap? Trans, engines. what into what?

[geargrinder]

I presume he's saying E60 530xi drivetrain into E39 chassis. Pretty sure that's never been done.

Here's an E60 S85 -> E39 swap project work in progress thats recent, tho' no updates for a little while...

https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...-of-an-E39-V10

The advantage this 530xi project would have over that would be the engine in theory should fit easily into an E39 M54 shell (M54 particularly, maybe even the N52).

The big mechanical question I think would be how to get the whole front-drive parts in the car. We know from above that the E39 vs E60 subframe mounts and geometry are miles off so you can't do the ideal and just slap the E60 Xdrive subframe in there without a ton of work. From a quick eyeball the E39 vs E60X wheel carriers look radically different in terms of ball joints and control arm bolt up. So.. probably you're off to try to create some franken-subframe that lets you bolt most of the E60 into the E39

I bet that sorting that out will be far harder than whatever has to be done in the rear... one way or another shoehorning E60 rear diff should be easier.

Then the other major hurdle is the usual "intelligent systems" problems.
- Either transplant the CAS & supporting systems (FRM/NFRM modules or whatever is required), or, try to CAS delete the DME
- For sure the DSC/ABS module would need transplanting with all the complications attendant (does that mean all wheel sensors and yaw sensor and steering angle sensor etc. etc? Probably does... it usually does...)
- Then you'd probably have some "miscellaneous integration issues" to solve with perhaps peripheral modules... Doing supplemental wires and/or coding (cluster etc.) but that probably becomes least of your worries

Hell of a lot of work. And expense, but I'm presuming OP has access to parts at preferential cost etc.

[jicaino]

I think it would be more chassis fab involved but better electronics and such compatibility if one would use a X3 M54 MT donor driveline

[BimmrMeUpSnotty]

I thought about this for kicks, sure it would be awesome to have an AWD E39, but it’s gonna be way too much work. Screw it, the rear wheel drive with the nearly perfect 50/50 weight ratio is good enough. To top things off, wander into a BMW shop and ask the techs about the X drives, nothing but problems on those things. When my buddies at J&F, a BMW shop out here in Arlington, told me that, it’s been out of my brain since. I’d rather go fly and crash one of my giant scale model airplanes at the flying field....

[jicaino]

I thought about this for kicks, sure it would be awesome to have an AWD E39, but it’s gonna be way too much work. Screw it, the rear wheel drive with the nearly perfect 50/50 weight ratio is good enough. To top things off, wander into a BMW shop and ask the techs about the X drives, nothing but problems on those things. When my buddies at J&F, a BMW shop out here in Arlington, told me that, it’s been out of my brain since. I’d rather go fly and crash one of my giant scale model airplanes at the flying field....

At some point I had a totaled X5 and was lusting a 540iX touring. I couldn't find a decent body in touring, and I knew it was going to be long, unpractical and a myriad of problems. Still want to build something like that at some point.

[TerraPhantm]

I presume he's saying E60 530xi drivetrain into E39 chassis. Pretty sure that's never been done.

Here's an E60 S85 -> E39 swap project work in progress thats recent, tho' no updates for a little while...

https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...-of-an-E39-V10

The advantage this 530xi project would have over that would be the engine in theory should fit easily into an E39 M54 shell (M54 particularly, maybe even the N52).

The big mechanical question I think would be how to get the whole front-drive parts in the car. We know from above that the E39 vs E60 subframe mounts and geometry are miles off so you can't do the ideal and just slap the E60 Xdrive subframe in there without a ton of work. From a quick eyeball the E39 vs E60X wheel carriers look radically different in terms of ball joints and control arm bolt up. So.. probably you're off to try to create some franken-subframe that lets you bolt most of the E60 into the E39

I bet that sorting that out will be far harder than whatever has to be done in the rear... one way or another shoehorning E60 rear diff should be easier.

Then the other major hurdle is the usual "intelligent systems" problems.
- Either transplant the CAS & supporting systems (FRM/NFRM modules or whatever is required), or, try to CAS delete the DME
- For sure the DSC/ABS module would need transplanting with all the complications attendant (does that mean all wheel sensors and yaw sensor and steering angle sensor etc. etc? Probably does... it usually does...)
- Then you'd probably have some "miscellaneous integration issues" to solve with perhaps peripheral modules... Doing supplemental wires and/or coding (cluster etc.) but that probably becomes least of your worries

Hell of a lot of work. And expense, but I'm presuming OP has access to parts at preferential cost etc.

M54 E60 xi didn’t exist, but you could probably Frankenstein something using e46, e53, and e83 parts of you want to keep an m54

Shouldn’t need to bother with cas and all that. MS45, MSV70, and msv80 all can be configured to work with the old can-bus. Msv80 would need either an EWS delete or an EWS 4.4 module (which only ever came on the n52 x3).

Easiest DSC to use would be from an e46 xi or early e53, since they’re all DSC5.7 systems. Electrically the X3 or late E53 module should work, but would require some repinning and such.

Mechanical bits - e46 or early e53 would probably be easiest to adapt. X3 or late e53 would be the superior awd system (xdrive). E60 stuff probably isn’t worth using unless it can be configured to work with the old can bus stuff.

Hardest part will be figuring out the front subframe and where/how to mount the front drive stuff

Edit: forgot to mention, both the e46 xi and e60 di have a widened transmission tunnel compared to their rwd counterparts. So you’d likely need to do some body work to fit that stuff in an e39

[bubela]

Sorry, I meant to say an e46 330 xi into the e39 touring.

My employee is doing an S54 6spd xi swap into his e46 touring.

I'll be coming in to a ton of these e46/e39's lately and pondering putting a 5 or 6 spd xi trans from an e46 into the e39 behind an M54 3.0L. The touring I have in mind is currently a 525 auto.. and I want to swap a 5spd 3.0 combo in there. Figured why not try to make it awd while I'm at it?!

I'll put both cars up on the lift when I have them and compare side by side. Right now I'm thinking I might just section the frame from the e46 into the e39. We'll see. I have an e9/e39 mashup that I'm working on also.. so I may not get to the e46/e39 project any time soon.

[bubela]

p.s. TerraPhantm. Will you be at the DelVal CCA dinner next weekend?

[jicaino]

Sorry, I meant to say an e46 330 xi into the e39 touring.

My employee is doing an S54 6spd xi swap into his e46 touring.

I'll be coming in to a ton of these e46/e39's lately and pondering putting a 5 or 6 spd xi trans from an e46 into the e39 behind an M54 3.0L. The touring I have in mind is currently a 525 auto.. and I want to swap a 5spd 3.0 combo in there. Figured why not try to make it awd while I'm at it?!

I'll put both cars up on the lift when I have them and compare side by side. Right now I'm thinking I might just section the frame from the e46 into the e39. We'll see. I have an e9/e39 mashup that I'm working on also.. so I may not get to the e46/e39 project any time soon.

Ah, that's different story. Yes, it would be better suited (the 330iX swap) to the E39 chassis. Still, it would be somewhat fabrication involved, not only coding.

[TerraPhantm]

p.s. TerraPhantm. Will you be at the DelVal CCA dinner next weekend?

Nah. Wasn't aware of it, and I'm in Pittsburgh for my psych rotation for the next 6 weeks anyway.

[geargrinder]

Oh boy.

Is he going to try to make the M3T AWD? The xi drivetrains and overall systems are notoriously more "different" than people expect. If he is trying that, don't expect that "S54 xi" build to go off without 1000 hitches. If hes just building an M3T, well that should be fine, he'd just have been better off if he started w/ a RWD car.

Re: E46 Xi into E39? I'm not sure that IS any better. You still need front wheel carriers that handle axles and a suspension to carry them. The E46 suspension setup / arms is radically different than the E39. Loaded subframe swap is the way to go although that also means the strut tower mount points being roughly in the right locations, let alone wheel placement and track width etc etc. "Sectioning the chassis" sounds like something a guy I know would say who constantly throws out car-guy-phrases but doesn't really know what he's talking about. But who knows maybe you're a chopped-and-channeled old time hot rod guy and you know what you're getting into.

[TerraPhantm]

Oh boy.

Is he going to try to make the M3T AWD? The xi drivetrains and overall systems are notoriously more "different" than people expect. If he is trying that, don't expect that "S54 xi" build to go off without 1000 hitches. If hes just building an M3T, well that should be fine, he'd just have been better off if he started w/ a RWD car.

Re: E46 Xi into E39? I'm not sure that IS any better. You still need front wheel carriers that handle axles and a suspension to carry them. The E46 suspension setup / arms is radically different than the E39. Loaded subframe swap is the way to go although that also means the strut tower mount points being roughly in the right locations, let alone wheel placement and track width etc etc. "Sectioning the chassis" sounds like something a guy I know would say who constantly throws out car-guy-phrases but doesn't really know what he's talking about. But who knows maybe you're a chopped-and-channeled old time hot rod guy and you know what you're getting into.

There have been a couple successful S54 Xis. IIRC the hardest part is the oil pickup has to be custom.

E46 Xi into E39 is a much more ambitious project IMO.

[geargrinder]

Agreed. I didn’t mean the other was impossible but it’s not the quick swap people think...

[jicaino]

hence my "more fabrication ivolved swap" comment. Not impossible, yet not only pick, pull, transplant and code type of deal

[bubela]

I'm definitely a "get a bigger hammer" kind of guy, but I can take my time when need be.

My employee is doing the 03 S54 engine and 6spd trans from an 04 e46 ix. I've seen it done a couple times. Actually had a customer of mine picked up a part in his S54 5spd e46xit!

We'll see if I have the energy to tackle the e39xi project when the cars come in. I'll post a build thread when I do. You can judge me at that time and tell me how it won't work. =)