e30 318i engine swop

[sherwin]

hi im thinking of swoping my 318i m40 moter for a e36 24v 328i moter but need to know what sucha a swop entails ,what is needed 2 make this work n maybe the best way 2 go about doing it? ur help would gr8ly be appreciated:thumbsup:

 

[zaleonardz]

You will need

Motor
Possibly transmission and drive line bits (dont know too much there)
Wiring Harness, ECU, perhaps cluster, ABS pump, and some other body electronics such as EWS....

Although the E36 was not that advanced with electronics, its does have quite a bit in it.

then tools, patience and a decent working area.. then it can be done.

 

[Hellas]

After all that you would be close to just buying a E36.

 

[Major]

Read this:
http://www.e30dohc.com/wiki/index.php?title=DOHC_Swap_Basics

And all of this:
http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/forumdisplay.php?f=129

And all of this:
http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=45442

Seeing as you're coming from a 4 cylinder you'll need:

Complete 328i engine
E30/E36 325i/328i gearbox
Driveshaft (ony the front half of it) from the car you get your gearbox from
ECU and complete engine harness
E34 525i oil pan
E28 525i/M5 engine mounts
Brake booster of your choice
Better brakes, in your case. Drums are no-go.

That's it. You'll also need to be handy with wiring or know someone who is.

 

[andrewbuch]

and you will need this to get the parts : Gizmo PArts Guru

 

[sherwin]

major thanx alot now i got a idea more or less thanx for the links aswel.. will read up on evrything. if u had to gve me a rough estimation +/- how much should i b looking at spending?

 

[zaleonardz]

Ooodles,

I would say at least 20 up to 100k

Also you run great amount of risk, if you buy a motor from a scrapyard for say 10k, only to find out that once you start it several months later, that it needs bearings or bla bla bla, then your in for serious money again, these projects are bottomless pits sometimes.

Hellas is perfectly right, might be cheaper just to go for an E36, or even E46... good bargains to be had.

 

[Major]

Look, for the money you're going to spend on a 328i engine, you might as well buy an E36 325i in good running condition. It wouldn't be nearly as fun or fulfilling as an E30 swap though. LZ, I don't think a swap like this for a 328i engine would come close to R100k, or even R50k. Aim for around R30k.

I got all of this same sound advice about my car. I'm swapping a 328i engine to it, so I'll let you know first hand if it was worth it or not. :thumbsup:

 

[Raybimmer]

Quick question my e30 325 has a 3.64 diff, the 318i had 3.91( chrome bumper) or 4.11 (plastic) with 0.81 5th gear. my e36 325i has a 3.15 or so diff with 1.00 5th gear . would a 328 motor with 1.00 5th and 4.11 not be undergeared and run out of revs in 5th?
will the e30 box fit on 328 motor , better 5th gear ratio ?
5th gear -- (6500 rpm/(4.11*1.00))*.06*.606*pi) gives 180 km/h top end in 5th.[ 0606 in formula is circumference of 195/65*14 tyre]
BUT with 0.81 5th gear ratio we get 223 km/h at 6500 .
better to use e30 box for top end or change diff ratio

 

[sherwin]

thanx alot guys, given me alota perspective on this idea of mine, but im still willing to try it... so major thanx would appreciate it if you keep me up to date with ur projects developments:clap:

 

[sherwin]

hi guys got my engine +the gearbox+ oil pan just wana knoow wich would be better a 328i harness or a fuel management system?:thinking:

 

[Major]

Well you'll need the harness anyway unless you want to run a standalone system. Get the harness and ECU and get it chipped. Before you do that I recommend you upgrade your intake to the E36 325i intake to make it worthwhile.

 

[Sankekur]

I would also recommend out of my limited experience with these things, it might be better to go for a e46 325 or 328 motor as they are almost the same as the e36 ones (identical if I am not mistaken). They will of course be more expensive, but they are newer so you have less of a risk of getting a motor with serious problems, specifically age related problems. Though it might be hard to find a e46 328 motor as they were only made up to 2000 (if I remember correctly), but other than the stronger internals of the 328 motor and a bit more torque the 328 and 325 motors are identical.

 

[sherwin]

@ major thanx for the assistance hey , i really appreciate it..helping me alot.:thumbsup:

---

@ Sankekur it makes more sense if you put it that way. but i have the e36 moter already. .. and the gearbox. most of the important parts just need the harness. but thanx for the tip tho will keep in mind. :thumb:

---

:dunno:anyone know where i can gt a wiring harness for e36 328I ? cant seem to find one.

 

[Sankekur]

@ Sankekur it makes more sense if you put it that way. but i have the e36 moter already. .. and the gearbox. most of the important parts just need the harness. but thanx for the tip tho will keep in mind. :thumb:

I didn't realise, must have just misread some of the earlier posts

anyone know where i can gt a wiring harness for e36 328I ? cant seem to find one.

Your best bet would probably be to have a look around the scrapyards for one.
Unless you have allready tried them all.

It might also be worthwhile to try to find a e36 328 donor car, but this might be a more expensive option.

 

[SLINK]

Your 318 is a 4cyl and the electronics can only suite such. if you swop those engines you will have to change you auto,propshaft, computer and probably upgrade your cooling system too. it would be much more easier to do this modification on a 6 cylinder car e.g 320i upwards, where the electronics will not differ much. if you are willing to spend thore its upto you but I believe its more economical to just buy the 328 good 2nd hand after selling your 318i motor to somebody that needs it like me:=):

 

[DuckKnuckle]

Holy thread resurrection, Batman! :slow: