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Thread: The Turk’s E36 S54 Swap

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
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    1999 BMW M3 Coupe

    The Turk’s E36 S54 Swap

    Hello!

    I’ve been a lurker and occasional poster of the forums for a few years now. I bought a ‘99 M3 coupe back in 2014 and have had an absolute blast owning it. Unfortunately, in September of 2019 I had an incident on track, which led to a few rolls... Luckily I made it out alive. The car, not so much..

    Pre-accident:



    Post- accident:


    The ultimate goal for that car was to s54 swap it. RIP to that, or so I thought... About a month after the accident I picked up another ‘99 M3 Coupe shell (can’t seem to escape the silver coupe life). It was sitting under a tree for 2 years, so I cleaned it and just parked it in the garage until I figured out what I wanted to do. It had pretty much become a parts storage unit as I’ve taken parts off my old car.




    I’ve been eyeing the local e46M market for a while in search for a SMG vert. I finally found one about 3 hour drive from the Bay Area. Asked my lovely girlfriend to make the drive up with me and we bought it and drove it back home. It’s an ‘03 SMG vert w/91k on it. Perfect donor car.



    Now that I’ve committed to the swap and have the opportunity for a fresh start with the e36, I’d love to document the process as much as possible. There won’t be too many updates for now, as I won’t dive into the swap for a few months. Most likely just some maintenance related updates.

    The goal for this swap is to make a California legal s54e36 that I can drive on track(shiny side up, hopefully) but also enjoy on the street.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
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    Arizona
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    1998 328I
    Looking forward to this one, glad to see you made it out OK post accident, did you have a roll bar/cage?

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2019
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    Milwaukee, WI
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    '99 LS-swapped 323i vert
    Nice!

    May I ask why you were looking for a 'vert donor, in particular? Do you have some plans for that shell?
    Diving in at the shallow end!

  4. #4
    Join Date
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    Quote Originally Posted by RulyLSX View Post
    Looking forward to this one, glad to see you made it out OK post accident, did you have a roll bar/cage?
    Thanks! I’m looking forward to getting it running. And unfortunately I did not have a roll cage,plan was to get that during the summer time. However, the car took the rolls like a champ. Even with some slight injuries, I was able to walk away.


    Quote Originally Posted by motorV8ed View Post
    Nice!

    May I ask why you were looking for a 'vert donor, in particular? Do you have some plans for that shell?
    I was mainly looking for an SMG vert because they are generally the cheapest. Manual coupes are just too expensive to buy as a donor car and imo waste of a perfectly good car. Even the SMG coupes are pricey. The convertibles just do not command a premium. In my case I want to do this as budget friendly as possible. The plan is to take what I need from the donor car and part out the rest.



    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2019
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    Milwaukee, WI
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    '99 LS-swapped 323i vert
    Ah, I see. (As an E36 vert owner), I naively assumed the drop-top would command the premium! Rock on!
    Diving in at the shallow end!

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
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    Redwood Shores, CA
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    1999 BMW M3 Coupe
    Small s54 maintenance update:

    I wanted to do a valve check/adjustment and inspect vanos as well, so I popped open the valve cover.... Surprise! Broken exhaust hub.

    I'm almost done with the valve adjustment, waiting on a few more 2.28mm valve shims. I just ordered pretty much everything that Beisan sells for the s54 Vanos, so I'll be doing a full vanos rebuild and replacing the hub/disk.






    Also replaced idler and tensioner pulleys as the car was making an awfully loud squealing noise. One pulley had almost no resistance and the other was pretty much seized.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  7. #7
    Join Date
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    While I’m waiting for parts to arrive, I gave the valve cover and cams a quick clean


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  8. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
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    Charlotte, NC
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    2008 BMW M5 SMGII
    i used to have an S54 swapped e36 M3, and man, what a car. When I first test drove it, it felt like a sledgehammer was pushing on the differential! Some people say the S54 lacks torque - that's just total bull***t. The e36 is so much lighter than the e46 (400 lbs?), so you will be quite a bit quicker than any e46 M3.

    You probably will want a stronger differential as my stock 3.15 eventually turned to dust. Also be sure to put an aftermarket header on it, even a cheap ebay header is better than the stock manifold. The stock manifold really chokes the engine since the cats are so near the engine. A header increases the torque curve from 2000 rpm to redline and really transforms the drive. Enjoy and keep documenting your build. I wish I still had my M3!
    Last edited by Johnbennett103; 04-10-2020 at 02:32 PM.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
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    Arizona
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    1998 e36
    Quote Originally Posted by Johnbennett103 View Post
    i used to have an S54 swapped e36 M3, and man, what a car. When I first test drove it, it felt like a sledgehammer was pushing on the differential! Some people say the S54 lacks torque - that's just total bull***t. The e36 is so much lighter than the e46 (400 lbs?), so you will be quite a bit quicker than any e46 M3.
    You probably will want a stronger differential as my stock 3.15 eventually turned to dust. !
    You are full of it. S54 has about the same torque as S52 so Differential will be fine. E36 is only about 180 pounds lighter than E46 so you will barely notice the difference. I had both E36 S54 and E46 M3. In my opinion it is not worth spending extra money getting S54 swapped if you want fast E36 turbo is the way to go.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
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    2008 BMW M5 SMGII
    I'm not full of it jackass. That's what happened.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
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    Redwood Shores, CA
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    1999 BMW M3 Coupe
    I apologize for disappearing. I’ve been meaning to update the thread for a while, but just got distracted.

    I got the car back up and running shortly after the parts came in.

    Pretty much full Beisan catalog. They arrived few days after ordering and A+ instructions. Here’s a few pictures of the process..







    Just to add to my misfortune, I dropped a bolt down the timing chain cover. After trying multiple methods to fish out form the top.. I caved in, pulled the pan and recovered the bolt. Dropping subframe was not as bad of a job as the interwebs make it out to be.





    Put everything back together and she fired up right away and has been issue free so far. I was definitely slightly paranoid of messing up timing, so I was very relieved at the end of all this.

    Also just ordered a harness from Redline Motorsport


    http://www.redline-motorsport.com/ma..._adapters.html

    Will be using their adapter harness along with the harness out of the donor car.

    Next steps:
    -Order modified Z3 cluster
    - Weld in ABS pump brackets on to the new shell (PO cut them off for an LS swap)
    -redo brake and fuel lines on shell

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
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    Redwood Shores, CA
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    1999 BMW M3 Coupe
    Quote Originally Posted by Johnbennett103 View Post
    i used to have an S54 swapped e36 M3, and man, what a car. When I first test drove it, it felt like a sledgehammer was pushing on the differential! Some people say the S54 lacks torque - that's just total bull***t. The e36 is so much lighter than the e46 (400 lbs?), so you will be quite a bit quicker than any e46 M3.

    You probably will want a stronger differential as my stock 3.15 eventually turned to dust. Also be sure to put an aftermarket header on it, even a cheap ebay header is better than the stock manifold. The stock manifold really chokes the engine since the cats are so near the engine. A header increases the torque curve from 2000 rpm to redline and really transforms the drive. Enjoy and keep documenting your build. I wish I still had my M3!
    Quote Originally Posted by hakentt View Post
    You are full of it. S54 has about the same torque as S52 so Differential will be fine. E36 is only about 180 pounds lighter than E46 so you will barely notice the difference. I had both E36 S54 and E46 M3. In my opinion it is not worth spending extra money getting S54 swapped if you want fast E36 turbo is the way to go.
    If I’m being quite honest, I’m not expecting to be mind blown with the power of the s54. Don’t get me wrong, this engine pulls but so did my s52. It’s been a while since I’ve driven an s54 swapped e36, but last time I drove my friends fresh ZCP s54 swapped track car w/3.91 it wasn’t a HUGE difference. I agree with hakentt that turbo is the better way to go for huge power #’s. However, that’s not my goal here. Obviously, I appreciate the bump in hp, but what I’m really going for is that high-revving N/A goodness of the s54 and obviously the sound track that comes with it. That being said, initially the headers/intake will remain stock. Will definitely get around to swapping those out for something better. My wrecked car had a built 4 clutch 3.38 ratio diff and I will be putting that in the new shell as well, perfect for a combo of track and street driving imo

  13. #13
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    Just wanted to say that this build thread isn't dead. I've made some small progress on my shell as well as collecting a bunch of parts needed for the swap. Will update soon!

  14. #14
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    UPDATE!!

    I know it's been a while since I said I would give an update, but working full time and trying to get through my last semester of college has really kept me busy. However, I FINALLY(!!) pulled the s54 from the car.


    Threw it on the engine stand. I have some WPC treated ACL bearings + OE M10 bolts waiting to be installed. Should get around to that in the next few weeks. Also 3d printed some ITB block off caps so nothing could get in there while the engine sits.


    Adapter harness from Redline Motorsport. Came very quickly and appears to be made very well!


    Modified Z3 cluster from Busterhax for proper CEL and AC integration. I opted for the gray face, always been a fan. He coded the cluster to the chassis mileage and VIN from the donor car. Highly recommend him!


    Unfortunately the Ground Controls off my old car were not salvageable, so I got myself some JRZ RSTwos as a birthday present. REALLY excited to throw these on and see how they ride.

  15. #15
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    Aug 2014
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    1999 BMW M3 Coupe
    I also got a custom length driveshaft from Driveshaft Specialist for the 6 speed swap. Super quick turnaround time and great customer service from them.


    I welded in a new ABS pump bracket for the MK60 and made the adapter lines. I also picked up a full set of 996 Porsche brakes, machined the fronts down 12mm to fit my 17" wheels. My goal is to try and remove the abs harness out of the e46 as intact as possible, so I can swap it directly into the e36, which will make integrating DSC much simpler imo.




    Next steps:
    -Clean up engine
    -Replace rod bearings, CPV, and Vanos Line
    -Extract ABS harness from donor car and swap into e36
    -Install late model z3 steering column
    -weld in front subframe reinforcement plates
    -install ZHP steering rack

  16. #16
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    1999 BMW M3 Coupe
    Let's talk headers!!

    With a carbon airbox on the way, I definitely don't want to choke the engine with the factory headers. Stuck between these two. Thoughts?


    https://www.bimmerworld.com/Exhaust/...kaAmwWEALw_wcB

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/Becker-Perf...EAAOSw6TtdH940

    **UPDATE**

    Ordered the CPI headers
    Last edited by th3turk; 12-01-2020 at 05:41 PM.

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
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    Asheville, NC
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    25
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    98 M3 S54, Audi rallycar
    Updates?! I'll be tackling this swap this year. I'll likely use the same harness adapter as you. What radiator and expansion tank will you use? Looking forward to updates.

  18. #18
    Join Date
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    S54 E36
    Damn, this thread was started a year ago lmao

  19. #19
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    The last update was only a month and a half ago though. C'mon DuctDude...

    Going into my TENTH YEAR of providing high quality reproduction BMW fabrics!

    PRICE CUT on ALL FABRICS
    Offering the best prices on the best quality reproduction fabrics!

  20. #20
    Join Date
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    The Turk’s E36 S54 Swap

    UPDATE!! Sorry, I suck at these...

    I replaced the rod bearings. Recall was done around 80-85k miles ago, they were definitely worn. Chose to go with WPC treated ACL bearings with new OE bolts. Replaced the water pump, thermostat, CPV o-ring, vanos line, and all four oxygen sensors. Rebuilt my e36 m3 power steering pump. Installed the CPI headers with the n55 header studs and I also got a special package from Bulgaria
    IMG_0213.jpg
    IMG_0200.jpg
    IMG_0193.jpg
    IMG_0324.jpg
    IMG_0321.JPG
    Last edited by th3turk; 01-23-2021 at 02:24 AM.

  21. #21
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    Previous owner of my car got a little too excited with his angle grinder and cut something things out for his LS swap, this includes where the shifter mounts on the transmission tunnel. I cut off this piece off of my old car so I could use it as a patch panel. A good friend of mine came and welded the patch panel for me. Now I can actually mount my CAE shifter again.
    IMG_0348.jpg
    IMG_0351.jpg
    One of the things that has been on my to-do list was the MK60 ABS harness. I was able to successfully remove the e46 M3 chassis harness and then extract the ABS harness from that with some minor(but calculated) cuts. I cleaned up the harness as best as I could and wrapped it in some fresh Tesa tape. I currently have the harness laid out in the car, my next step is to start integrating it into the e36.
    IMG_0377.jpg
    Next steps:
    Install Engine in car(sometime next week is my goal)
    Finish ABS harness integration
    Install adapter harness(requires some minor wiring, just ordered the required terminals)

  22. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rallyfreak202 View Post
    Updates?! I'll be tackling this swap this year. I'll likely use the same harness adapter as you. What radiator and expansion tank will you use? Looking forward to updates.
    I'm using a S54 Z3M radiator. As far as expansion tank, I'm carrying over the euro setup from my S52.. it made bleeding the system a BREEZE.
    IMG_0922.jpgIMG_0921.jpg

    Quote Originally Posted by golgo13 View Post
    Damn, this thread was started a year ago lmao
    Quote Originally Posted by BimmerBreaker View Post
    The last update was only a month and a half ago though. C'mon DuctDude...
    Don't remind me how long this thing had been sitting in my garage

  23. #23
    Join Date
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    UT
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    98 M3/4/5
    lol,

    that streamline box looks awesome... i just make my small wiring harness to reach over to the DME last night.. just 3 wires, ill probably start my box install Wednesday this week when im off.
    98 Estoril ///M3 4/6
    S54 swap CSL

  24. #24
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    UPDATE: Engine is in!!!

    The light at the end of the tunnel is near. I removed all the SMG connectors from the engine harness to minimize the clutter. I was able to re-route the e46m3 harness to reach the factory e36 ECU compartment. For now all the relays and extra wiring is shoved in the ECU compartment, I’m not a huge fan of this but will
    Keep it for the time being.

    I also threw on the carbon airbox but ran into a small issue. When the box is almost fully seated, it hits the ABS pump. I’m going to try any bend the bracket very slightly to mitigate this issue.

    Dropped off the flywheel and pressure plate to a machine shop for balancing. Once those are in, I can throw the trans in and it should be ready for a start.

    I’m like 85% done with the abs harness as well. I just need to connect a few wires to a switched 12+ source and run the two rear speed sensors. Also need to figure out button placement for DSC and TPMS.

    My goal this weekend is to wrap up the wiring and try to communicate with INPA








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  25. #25
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    Quick Update..

    Able to communicate with mss54 and mk60 via INPA with no issues so far. I still need to code out a few things from the DME, but that should be fairly simple. Once I finish applying heat shielding to the transmission tunnel, I'm hoping to throw the transmission in and fire the car up for the first time!

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