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Thread: M3 302 Swap Issue!!!!

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Los Angeles, Ca
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    64
    My Cars
    95 M3 Coupe

    M3 302 Swap Issue!!!!

    Hello Bimmerforums FAM, after life hit me and completely sucked 2 years right out of me, I am back and motivated more than ever. Thanks to all members who have been so kind to help but here I with another problem. 5.0 motor is in, all bolted up, and fires up on the first start. I am having issues with the T5!!! First off, it pops out of reverse as soon as slowly let out the clutch. Also the shifter itself is not moving around freely and wont spring back into neutral in between 3rd and 4th gear. Not too familiar with transmissions, what step is first?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Somewhere, USA
    Posts
    247
    My Cars
    2000 “560i”
    Step one is pull the T5 and replace it with a quality rebuilt, new Ford Racing “cobra spec”, or cheap junkyard unit. T5’s can barely keep up with power of a mild 5.0 and once they’ve been abused it’s on borrowed time. Sounds like the shift forks are bent from a ham-fisted prior owner...

    Good luck getting it straightened out!
    S.F.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Metro DC
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    826
    My Cars
    79 323i, 94 325is, 13 M3
    Quote Originally Posted by StolenFox View Post
    Step one is pull the T5 and replace it with a quality rebuilt, new Ford Racing “cobra spec”, or cheap junkyard unit. T5’s can barely keep up with power of a mild 5.0 and once they’ve been abused it’s on borrowed time. Sounds like the shift forks are bent from a ham-fisted prior owner...

    Good luck getting it straightened out!
    S.F.
    The issue between 3rd and 4th might instead be related to your shifter instead of your T5. Reverse in a T5 is like most manuals, so it doesn't have a synchro. That probably means the gear is worn out. Or very low odds, you might have clutch issues causing both. If it were me, I would remove the T5 and take it to a rebuilder, to see what they say about the internals. Because I would be guessing the most likely scenario is bent forks and trashed gears.

    I ran a stock used T5 on an E7-head 302 with an Explorer intake, Track Heat stage 1 cam, and a tune on sticky tires as an HPDE car for two busy seasons, and it was plenty strong enough. But the dragstrip guys can tell a different story. So if I wasn't planning to drag the car, I would just take it to a competent "regular" rebuilder, instead of paying twice that price for a race rebuilder.
    If God meant for man to motor-swap LS engines into track cars, He wouldn't have created Corvettes.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Los Angeles, Ca
    Posts
    64
    My Cars
    95 M3 Coupe
    Thank you for the insight, I will hopefully find the time to put the car on stands and drop the t5 and hopefully have some answers! I WANT TO DRIVE HER!!

    Quote Originally Posted by StolenFox View Post
    Step one is pull the T5 and replace it with a quality rebuilt, new Ford Racing “cobra spec”, or cheap junkyard unit. T5’s can barely keep up with power of a mild 5.0 and once they’ve been abused it’s on borrowed time. Sounds like the shift forks are bent from a ham-fisted prior owner...

    Good luck getting it straightened out!
    S.F.
    - - - Updated - - -

    Thank you!!!

    I have very basic mods like gt40 upper/lower gt40 heads that have been ported and an e303 cam I dont think I will be abusing the t5 that much.

    Quote Originally Posted by JBasham View Post
    The issue between 3rd and 4th might instead be related to your shifter instead of your T5. Reverse in a T5 is like most manuals, so it doesn't have a synchro. That probably means the gear is worn out. Or very low odds, you might have clutch issues causing both. If it were me, I would remove the T5 and take it to a rebuilder, to see what they say about the internals. Because I would be guessing the most likely scenario is bent forks and trashed gears.

    I ran a stock used T5 on an E7-head 302 with an Explorer intake, Track Heat stage 1 cam, and a tune on sticky tires as an HPDE car for two busy seasons, and it was plenty strong enough. But the dragstrip guys can tell a different story. So if I wasn't planning to drag the car, I would just take it to a competent "regular" rebuilder, instead of paying twice that price for a race rebuilder.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    PNW
    Posts
    935
    My Cars
    LS E46
    The shifter not centering is a detent problem. Very possible the springs are broken. Also, the T5 has synchro reverse if it’s ‘94 or ‘95+.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Los Angeles, Ca
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    64
    My Cars
    95 M3 Coupe
    Quote Originally Posted by Liquidity View Post
    The shifter not centering is a detent problem. Very possible the springs are broken. Also, the T5 has synchro reverse if it’s ‘94 or ‘95+.
    Thank you, Ive gotten everything from bent fork to gears to shifter, will drop trans and hopefully find the issue. Hoping its cheap!

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