Auto to Manual swap. Your thoughts

[TheRide]

Some may remember a post I made about 2 years ago about an auction car I purchased sight unseen.The damaged turned out to be more than I can mange at home. it was a 2003 5 speed.I still have the car. I have another automatic with around the same miles....180k. It's a 2003 530.

I generally like stock cars as come from the factory. Most I generally do is lowering, wheels and audio. It's hard for me to make the final decision to do the swap. Obviously I have everything I need. The process seem exciting, but can live with the idea knowing its not an original manual car if I do the swap.

What thought process you guys use to come to the conclusion to manual swap a car?

[effduration]

I swapped an '03 530i 4 yrs ago...and have driven it daily since. It looks and drives like a factory manual.

This is its last year, though as it has 430k miles and rusted jack points.

Here are my thoughts.

- The manual swap - my first and only up to know - was easier than I thought and very well documented online.
- I did all of it myself -including coding.
- i have always preferred manuals to automatics

I would not hesitate to manual swap another 6 cyl E39 if:

- The automatic transmission was acting up/failed OR
- It was a nice enough car, likely to last several more years, and I thought it would be better as a manual

Having said all that, it is not ALL manual all the time for me. I also have an '06 E46 325Ci convert auto and I could swap it to a 5- or 6-speed manual any time (have both trans), and I could B30 swap it...But it is original in good shape, and runs great as is. Wife also drives it and she wpuld prefer a manual.

I think in your case I would suggest you swap your auto E39.. You could also remove all the manual bits from the manual E39 and save them for if/when you decide to swap...Actually removing these manual bits will give you a strong taste for what's involved mechanically.

All the manual bits:
trans, pedals, shifter, driveshaft, rear diff, manual wiring, clutch slave and master cylinders, related hoses, shifter surrounds, rubber grommet for trans tunnel..

[TheRide]

I swapped an '03 530i 4 yrs ago...and have driven it daily since. It looks and drives like a factory manual.

This is its last year, though as it has 430k miles and rusted jack points.

Here are my thoughts.

- The manual swap - my first and only up to know - was easier than I thought and very well documented online.
- I did all of it myself -including coding.
- i have always preferred manuals to automatics

I would not hesitate to manual swap another 6 cyl E39 if:

- The automatic transmission was acting up/failed OR
- It was a nice enough car, likely to last several more years, and I thought it would be better as a manual

Having said all that, it is not ALL manual all the time for me. I also have an '06 E46 325Ci convert auto and I could swap it to a 5- or 6-speed manual any time (have both trans), and I could B30 swap it...But it is original in good shape, and runs great as is. Wife also drives it and she wpuld prefer a manual.

I think in your case I would suggest you swap your auto E39.. You could also remove all the manual bits from the manual E39 and save them for if/when you decide to swap...Actually removing these manual bits will give you a strong taste for what's involved mechanically.

All the manual bits:
trans, pedals, shifter, driveshaft, rear diff, manual wiring, clutch slave and master cylinders, related hoses, shifter surrounds, rubber grommet for trans tunnel..

The driving force as to why I want to do it is because the automatic that I have isn't the e39 I want to cherish. Miles are too high to baby it. Also, the salvage car does run and drive(although it seems the fuel pump took a dump and it wont start now) and it feels great to drive. I have been doing a ton of research. mainly on understanding the wiring and coding. I am still trying to get a full grasp n the wiring since most of the videos I see seems to focus on the pedal assembly with the 2 switches.

[BimmrMeUpSnotty]

The driving force as to why I want to do it is because the automatic that I have isn't the e39 I want to cherish. Miles are too high to baby it. Also, the salvage car does run and drive(although it seems the fuel pump took a dump and it wont start now) and it feels great to drive. I have been doing a ton of research. mainly on understanding the wiring and coding. I am still trying to get a full grasp n the wiring since most of the videos I see seems to focus on the pedal assembly with the 2 switches.

I have an 2003 525 wagon with 395,000 miles on the clock, that car does not get babied. It gets redlined on a daily basis, shoot, I do it to all my cars, but especially that one since it is a slug, it runs great, just keeps coming back for more, the daily Italian tune up works wonders, don’t ever baby your cars and motorcycles.

[effduration]

I have been doing a ton of research. mainly on understanding the wiring and coding. I am still trying to get a full grasp n the wiring since most of the videos I see seems to focus on the pedal assembly with the 2 switches.

Read this thread and any other thread referenced in it...
https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...wap-2003-525iT

The wiring is maybe the easiest part for a 6 cyl E39 manual swap. A reverse switch from the trans to a connector in the cluster.
Then wire up the 3 wires in the clutch pedal switch or switches depending on whether you have a new or late version of the clutch switches.

If you don't wire up the clutch pedals you will have a rev hang.

Coding is not too tough either..I used NCS expert, but then used INPA and PA Soft (aka BMW Scanner 1.4) to confirm my coding changes took.

[TheRide]

Read this thread and any other thread referenced in it...
https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...wap-2003-525iT

The wiring is maybe the easiest part for a 6 cyl E39 manual swap. A reverse switch from the trans to a connector in the cluster.
Then wire up the 3 wires in the clutch pedal switch or switches depending on whether you have a new or late version of the clutch switches.

If you don't wire up the clutch pedals you will have a rev hang.

Coding is not too tough either..I used NCS expert, but then used INPA and PA Soft (aka BMW Scanner 1.4) to confirm my coding changes took.

can you use bmw scanner 1.4 for coding? I know I have INPA and have used it before. But I am not sure i have NCS Expert. I've never used it.

[effduration]

can you use bmw scanner 1.4 for coding? I know I have INPA and have used it before. But I am not sure i have NCS Expert. I've never used it.

I don't believe you can use 1.4 for coding a manual swap...you can use it to make minor changes in auto locking, etc.
I used it and INPA to confirm the changes I was making in NCS expert were taking effect... For instance, in Scanner 1.4 I could see various modules in the car identifying as a manual after I coded it with NCS.

NCS Expert should be included in whatever package you got INPA with. It is available as part of the standard BMW coding tools package at E46fanatics.

There is a learning curve with NCS Expert and you need to work with German translations and online research, but the learning curve is steep and after a little time you will be able to code it. 50's kid manual swap coding video (on E46 but it is the same) will also help.