E30 experts, need trans swap tech: Grassroots Motorsports forum: Grassroots Motorsports Magazine

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Oct. 30, 2009 5:14 p.m. Apexcarver UltraDork

I have a 1986 325e and there is a guy locally who rearranged the font end of his 325i at a drift event.

mine is an auto and his is a manual

mine is 4door his is 2

Can I use his transmission to swap mine to a manual( i trans into an e)?

what is the total parts list I should want off of his car?

the list that comes off the top of my head is

trans

shifter

driveshaft

clutch/flywheel (resurface flywheel and maybe new clutch)

master/slave cylinder?

computer?

again, please if you know the total parts list, let me know!

If anyone knows where there is a good writeup for this swap please let me know! (been looking for about an hour)
Oct. 30, 2009 5:23 p.m. ddavidv UltraDork

Bimmerforums E30 The answer is there somewhere. I don't have time to do the searching for you, but I've seen the auto to manual topic there dozens of times.
Oct. 30, 2009 6:12 p.m. Sonic Dork

Why not just get the whole thing and do a complete driveline swap to get the more powerful motor along with the package
Oct. 30, 2009 7:09 p.m. Apexcarver UltraDork

Sonic wrote:

Why not just get the whole thing and do a complete driveline swap to get the more powerful motor along with the package

because the neon green painted valve cover and purple intake manifold tell me that I would rather stick with the motor that I have...

I am thinking about getting the whole car and parting it myself, but my landlord (mom) might murder me.
Oct. 30, 2009 7:14 p.m. stuart in mn SuperDork

I don't think you need the computer, and the driveshaft may be different but I don't know about that. What you could do is go to www.realoem.com and search the part catalog - you can either call up the part numbers for each car and see if they match, or you can find a part number and then check to see what all cars that particular part fits.
Oct. 30, 2009 7:18 p.m. ddavidv UltraDork

Strange how things just appear before me without looking: Auto to stick how-to
Oct. 30, 2009 7:37 p.m. Apexcarver UltraDork

ddavidv wrote:

Bimmerforums E30 The answer is there somewhere. I don't have time to do the searching for you, but I've seen the auto to manual topic there dozens of times.

Cant find a specific thread, but from one I found it seems an I trans wont work in my E.. shucks...

still.. need to gather a parts list.
Oct. 30, 2009 9:08 p.m. 2002maniac Reader

The trans would work, but it doesnt have the mounting hole in the bellhousing for the reference sensor.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

I suggest you swap the whole drivetrain regardless of the color of the intake/valve cover. Does it run right now? Warm it up and do a compression test. If the numbers are decent, go for it!
Oct. 30, 2009 9:15 p.m. 2002maniac Reader

When you do find an e car with a 5-speed, you need about everything.

from front to back;

pilot bearing flywheel clutch TOB clutch slave clutch pedal clutch master trans shift linkage guibo driveshaft

All this can come from the same donor car, 2-door/4-door makes no difference

edit what the berkely! I worked so hard to do an html list and it didn't work! What did I do wrong?

I put this around each list item; < li >< / li >
Oct. 30, 2009 11:50 p.m. curtis73 HalfDork

Most i cars had the Getrag 260 while most e cars had the 240. The 260 is a bit stouter, so your swap should be fine. Do a new input shaft bearing while its out. They're an annoying failure point.

Take the whole drivetrain and put his i head on your e block. Then you basically get a higher compression i with 2.7L.
Oct. 31, 2009 12:00 a.m. Apexcarver UltraDork

I think your wrong there curtis..

if you put the I head on the E it drops the compression absurdly low according to almost every source i have seen

(talking NON-super eta)
Oct. 31, 2009 10:37 a.m. 2002maniac Reader

curtis73 wrote:

Most i cars had the Getrag 260 while most e cars had the 240. The 260 is a bit stouter, so your swap should be fine. Do a new input shaft bearing while its out. They're an annoying failure point.

Take the whole drivetrain and put his i head on your e block. Then you basically get a higher compression i with 2.7L.

wrong and wrong

e cars and i cars got similar G260 transmissions

i head on the e block yields rediculously LOW compression.