LS1 / T56 DD e28 BMW Build

[JakeB]

I am just about to start my swap but thought it was time to put together a build thread. I bought the e28 at the end of the summer after selling my practical e46 AWD wagon. I bought the e28 without a motor but a bunch of suspension goodies already done. LS1/T56 was the plan from the beginning.

I recently picked up a wreck 99 z28 with 55k miles. Just about done parting it out....this really was the best was to go to make the swap inexpensive.

I am a school teacher and the plan is to get most of the swap done over my break which begins in just under 2 weeks. Or at least the engine in, mounted, and most of the fab done.......so the heavy lifting work.

I have done a bunch of engine swaps but this will be both the first in an e28 and with an LS1.

Not many pictures yet but I normally go overboard with pictures...

Here is one of the car it is going in, 85 528e, red sport interior, euro bumpers, bunch of suspension mods.



And the LS1/t56 that is going in...pretty much stock, other than bigger TB, SLP Maf, SLP under drive pullys, the headers will not fit so they will be coming off



This car will have everything as it would from the factory, ac, cruise, etc etc. I may try and use all the AC stuff from the camaro, other than the parts in the dash.

I am pretty excited to get going, it should be fun!! I have this same thread on a few different forums so I will try and update them all.

[GG Allin]

An E28 with an LS1 is my kind of car.

[Schitzo]

Hi another 5 series getting some pushrods
Good luck with the swap

[bimerok]

Good luck. It should be interesting.

PS, what do you teach, if you don't mind me asking?

[bekay]

interesting build i must say, cant wait to see more of it

[osuti]

Cool! Where in MI are you located?

[JakeB]

thanks guys!!

I teach K-12 music. I am in Bay City, about 2 hours north of detroit.

[clevertd]

Nice! Todd @ TCD is about to start a very, very similar swap.. just using an L33 instead.

[Turbo Charg Dynam]

Nice! Todd @ TCD is about to start a very, very similar swap.. just using an L33 instead.

And a turbo!

[JakeB]

just a small update.....more will happen tomorrow.

Got the garaged cleaned up some and the e28 up on the lift.
Engine came out (it had half an m30 in it, head was gone)
had to make a scrap run (m30, old m10, more random camaro parts)

The GTO oil pan will get swapped on tomorrow and the LS1 will get dropped in. I did some simple measurements and it looks like with the shifter in the middle of the console opening the heads will be in front of the brake booster. I have a remote booster from a e34 540 if needed but I will start with trying to keep the stock booster.

I have decided to drop both the front and rear subframes and have everything powder coated. The first stage will be to have ALL the mechanical bits of the car refreshed.

The firewall insulation is pretty beat up (what do you expect for an 85). A new one is NLA so I need to figure out if I want to just leave it or replace with something different. Any suggestions?

On to some pictures.

The lab...


The patient


Old m30


It's new heart


It's new home


I normally take a bunch of other random pictures so as I am sitting on the couch and need to figure something out I have pictures to reference. They all get dumped here for this project. www.theguestroom.net/e28 Feel free to check them out.

[sivart173]

If you are putting on a GTO oil pan, will you sell the fbody oil pan, windage tray and pickup? If so, im game for it, PM me

[JakeB]

Engine is in, sitting on the sub frame and some blocks of wood. I will make the mounts tomorrow, look pretty straight forward and I already have a plan. I was hoping to keep the stock brake booster but there wasn't enough room to push the engine back far enough. I have a 540 remote booster that will work. I might look at the Porsche 944 booster and see if that would work too. Either way I have a solution so...

Steering is all clearing nicely.... The only trouble is going to be the passenger side exhaust manifold but I have a couple ideas. I can always make something if it comes down to it. Not any big deal.

On to some pictures

open wide!!




sitting in (passenger side)


sitting in (drivers side)


Like it was made to be there....I had this shift knob sitting around and it is the threaded type from a 2002...and it threaded right on. Not sure if it will be there at the end or not.



Trans/shifter in tunnel


clears suspension/steering


underside in front - I might lower it one board, unless it starts to hit the suspension. Things are pretty close back there

[EuroPartConnect]

looks nice

[zr6sbc]

Looks great and quick work to boot.

You have quite a collection of cars. Where'd you get a cinquecento?

[JakeB]

haha yeah I have too many cars it seems. I bought the fiat 500 a couple years ago for $400,, it is really rusty. This past summer I found a 67 fiat 850 spider for $450. The engine, trans, seats, etc will go into the 500. The spider actually is nicer than the 500 but I like the 500 more.

The 500 was only 2 hours away so I had to buy it and the 850 was 20 minutes away, just followed me home...

I also have a 70 2002 with a m42 in it.

[Schitzo]

Try "heatshieldproducts" and "DEI" for possible replacements for the NLA firewall insulation. Most of them are geared towards heat insulation and not so much noise.

[Flooring1220]

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[JakeB]

oooo flooring? can a mod delete that?

It doesn't look like a very big update from the pictures but the motor mounts are done. I was hoping to finish the trans mount too but that didn't happen.

I did put in a 2002 brake booster and it clears everything but I am not sure if the master cylinder is going to end up clearing the exhaust manifold or not. I actually think the stock e28 booster would go back in now and miss everything. I have a couple options for brakes now so I am not too worried...either a vacuum booster, or remote booster. If the MC is close I might just move the booster over a little bit.

On to some pictures

Plate bolted to the block and another bolted to the mount
drivers side

passenger side


cardboard template...will this hold it?


transfer to metal in the bandsaw


a little bit of trimming here and there and weld....BOOM!
I am going to have the mounts powder coated. Should I go with something simple like...black or should I go bright and show them off. Help me choose the color.


in place - drivers, exhaust will either snake out in between the block and steering box or out the front between the mount and the alternator


passenger side


sitting on mounts




under - I wish it could be a little lower but the trans is just a tiny bit above the support bar that goes from side to side. Also the steering track rod is about 1/2" away from the bottom of the oil pan. But this way the oil pan is up above the subframe. I can install the under body plastics someday...if i buy them.


shifter centered in console


2002 booster with e28 master cylinder



Hoping to find time tomorrow to do the trans mount and measure for the drive shaft. My wife is off work starting tomorrow so we will see what can get done in the garage.

[bimerok]

Looking good. I like the way shifter lines up to the stock openning and the amount of clearance you have at the booster.

[Schitzo]

Great progress Jake. Looks like the headers will keep you busy.

[JakeB]

haha yeah the drivers side header is going to be interesting. I have a set of c5 vette manifolds on the way that I think will work. If not maybe a flipped 2010 camaro manifold or I will just make something. That might be the best method.

[Schitzo]

Making them yourself might be the best route to take. I thought for a second the hooker block huggers I use might work for you but the pic from the bottom would suggest the driver side would dump right on top of the steering box

[JakeB]

yeah that steering box is a PITA.

What block huggers are you using? I might end up going with the c5 header flipped and run the down pipe between the mount and the alternator. There might be a little more room there. The set I have coming will be here friday so we will see what happens.

Making a drivers side really will be no big deal or something for both sides. A log type manifold....

[Schitzo]

They are block huggers from Hooker.

This pics are not mine but you can get an idea of how they fit relative to the engine.
http://i1003.photobucket.com/albums/...s/100_4266.jpg

http://i1003.photobucket.com/albums/...s/100_4260.jpg

[JakeB]

ohhh ok, yeah no way that will fit with my swap.

I just bought a set of LS1 header flanges just in case.
I would LOVE to keep a vacuum booster, just makes things easier