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E39 Manual conversion
- Thread starter morne W
- Start date
Sankekur
///Member
Well I would say that it would probably be a good idea to give clutchplate a shout as he has done this kinda thing before, granted it was a 540i but he should have some handy info for you. This is if you are dead set on converting to manual.
You might also consider selling and just going for a car that is manual to begin with, there is a member that has a e39 530i manual for sale at the moment that might be worth a look, and have also seen a couple of e39 540i manuals doing the rounds of late.
Edit: Sorry just saw that you only got it recently so selling probably isn't an option.
Edit: Sorry just saw that you only got it recently so selling probably isn't an option.
Sankekur
///Member
Well it would seem that you will usually look at around R15k, but lets say R15-20k to be safe, this may seem like a lot but auto box rebuild will probably set you back the same.
The biggest mission here it the sourcing of the parts and will depend in how lucky you get in terms of finding things. One good thing is the gearbox should not be an issue as I think the gearbox from any other M52 engined car (e36/e46) should fit your car and there should be a lot of those around, if I take a guess I am thinking the gearbox will probably set you back around R2500, this for a 5 speed. 6 speed might be a better idea seeing as you will already be going through the trouble of sourcing stuff, but this will be harder to find and will set you back a bit more, around R4k I would think. Later model e46 330i all came with either 6 speed manual auto or SMG, they do however use the M54 engine but i think the gearbox should still work. Also with a 6 speed you can keep the diff the same, as you will still have lower cruising RPM thanks to the extra gear, but will have better acceleration and response overall.
The you will also need the propshaft, this might the most problematic as you will probably need to find one that came specifically from another manual e39 or you will have to re-engineer your current prop so it is the correct length (or find a spare to do it with), but this is fraught with danger as BMW props are notoriously hard to get right, but it can be done, another possibility is to just buy one new from the dealers, but they will be very price.
Then there is also possible software changes that need to be made, this is where clutchplate's advice would be really helpful as he has worked with this kind of thing before.
What is the current condition of your gearbox? If it is still good then you are actually in a good position as you have time to source everything do all the needed research so that you have everything ready for when you do the conversion.
This kind of work is of course not for the faint hearted and you would have to decide whether it will be worth it for you, for instance if you are planning on only driving the car for say two or so year then move on then it probably won't be worth it.
Oh and you might also want to chat to Uber sodat or Leonard (the dent doctor) as they could also help you with the technical aspects as both of them have als done auto to manual swaps before, albeit on e34's.
The biggest mission here it the sourcing of the parts and will depend in how lucky you get in terms of finding things. One good thing is the gearbox should not be an issue as I think the gearbox from any other M52 engined car (e36/e46) should fit your car and there should be a lot of those around, if I take a guess I am thinking the gearbox will probably set you back around R2500, this for a 5 speed. 6 speed might be a better idea seeing as you will already be going through the trouble of sourcing stuff, but this will be harder to find and will set you back a bit more, around R4k I would think. Later model e46 330i all came with either 6 speed manual auto or SMG, they do however use the M54 engine but i think the gearbox should still work. Also with a 6 speed you can keep the diff the same, as you will still have lower cruising RPM thanks to the extra gear, but will have better acceleration and response overall.
The you will also need the propshaft, this might the most problematic as you will probably need to find one that came specifically from another manual e39 or you will have to re-engineer your current prop so it is the correct length (or find a spare to do it with), but this is fraught with danger as BMW props are notoriously hard to get right, but it can be done, another possibility is to just buy one new from the dealers, but they will be very price.
Then there is also possible software changes that need to be made, this is where clutchplate's advice would be really helpful as he has worked with this kind of thing before.
What is the current condition of your gearbox? If it is still good then you are actually in a good position as you have time to source everything do all the needed research so that you have everything ready for when you do the conversion.
This kind of work is of course not for the faint hearted and you would have to decide whether it will be worth it for you, for instance if you are planning on only driving the car for say two or so year then move on then it probably won't be worth it.
Oh and you might also want to chat to Uber sodat or Leonard (the dent doctor) as they could also help you with the technical aspects as both of them have als done auto to manual swaps before, albeit on e34's.
an e90 six speed should also work 
Raybimmer
New member
First you need a dual mass flywheel , say R3000 then a clutch kit ( clutch plate , pressure plate and release bearing ) say R2000 , then master and slave cylinders and hydraulic hose between the two ,say R1000 , then a set of pedals say R1000-you may need the one with speed control switch at the clutch pedal if your car has speed control and you would like to retain the function . A gearbox will be needed , say R3000 , the prop shaft is the problem if you use a different box than the standard e39 manual box . If you use a 5 speed box from a manual e39 528i then get its prop shaft if you can .say R1500 for the prop -would be wise to have it balanced if possible .
Now you need a labour source !! R plenty ( say R6000 or so ) .
There is a controller for the auto box which decides shift patterns etc . IIRC you only need to wory about the prn selector switch that stops the car from starting in drive etc .
Good luck .
Now you need a labour source !! R plenty ( say R6000 or so ) .
There is a controller for the auto box which decides shift patterns etc . IIRC you only need to wory about the prn selector switch that stops the car from starting in drive etc .
Good luck .
morne W
New member
Morning guys
Thanks alot for all this info! I only bought the car a month ago and definitely am not an auto fan. However, the car is in brilliant condition and I would love to keep it. So a conversion makes perfect sense in the long run. Better performance and consumption. I did the same to a TX5 many moons ago, the 528 does sound more complicated though.
This is really an awesome website! Thanks again dudesraise:
Thanks alot for all this info! I only bought the car a month ago and definitely am not an auto fan. However, the car is in brilliant condition and I would love to keep it. So a conversion makes perfect sense in the long run. Better performance and consumption. I did the same to a TX5 many moons ago, the 528 does sound more complicated though.
This is really an awesome website! Thanks again dudes
raise:
