I think I need some Mpowering…
wat
+2
S54 M3 Engine swap into my 323 for a 332.
project threads should include this.
-details
-pictures
-details
-specs
-ETA
and other stuff to make this thread more exciting.
oh, just get an m3 maybe? just sayin not hatin.
:nod :ponder
I’d just get an M. Overall a better car and would probably cost you less in the long run.
Reasons:
I already own this one so taking out $20k+ doesn’t sound as cheap as a free car and some fun
M3 does not have 4 doors and therefore has less utility to me
M3 does not have great insurance rates
What’s the fun in just getting one?
You really aren’t into it if you don’t get the urge once in a while!
Also, in response to everyone who thinks you should just buy an M: Why doesn’t everyone just buy a Saleen Mustang or a ZO6 Vette or a Si or a TypeS? Or whatever else you get the idea, right?
Pictures will come as stuff arrives and actual work is done. I’m just shocked that people read throught this stuff and don’t see the value of a project.
Oh no I totally respect your “need” for a project, I have that “need” too I just don’t have any monayz ;D
And based on the tiny little avatar you’ve got there this is an e46?
If I were you I’d just sell it and get an e36 M3 or take out a loan for an e46 M3 if you feel the need to stay in the brotherhood, but I’m obviously not you, so let’s see some pics of the project!!
Exactly why i didn’t say anything like that…As buying an Si or Type-S is too expensive and wouldn’t perform as well, as well as 2 doors is inconvenient, so that’s why i took their motor and put it in a lighter, 4 door shell :nod ;D
I don’t really think anyone (including myself) except for a select few have the money for projects, lol. I know I don’t but I figure you only get a chance to live once so a 5 year term offers a lot of time to decide how fast you want to pay your project off, LOL! I’ll be getting stuff in and out hopefully very shortly. We’ll see what tomorrow has to offer about $$ and parts. If all that goes through tomorrow then there will be fantastic tear down and rebuild of my '99 E46 323i.
K20 has the right idea! I like how your car performed at the track too! I guess that’s what I’ll be aiming for in a slightly different package.
I’m all for this project… The exact same thing has been done before by some kid from MIT. It was in Eurotuner a year or so back. Basically, it was not easy and by the time he finished, he dug into the isht so deep he ended up knowing more about wiring up an E46 M3 harness than the BMW techs in his area. Don’t think it was a cheap project either.
When you say you don’t have “money for projects” I sure hope you are able to make up for it with lots of hours of grinding out crazy details.
Don’t think this project is anywhere near as easy as a Honda swap (not knocking anyone here, it’s just my take). Good luck!
It’s not a simple project, but as you stated before it has been done. My project will be much simpler because there is not nearly as much crap to deal with because I am not doing half the shit that guy did. He must have spent at least 35k on his project. I will be going into some detail with it to make everything work together properly, but from my research this is going to be a decent test, but not a mind F or money pit like the guy from MIT. This is the reason I went into business! We need a challenge and hope to demonstrate that our abilities are above and beyond what people expect in this area.
i like it, it will be somthing not alot of people have. I just cant stand when people with N/t eclipses or talons say they want to swap a 4g63 into their cars, now thats not worth it, and in that case it would be better just getting a diff. car.
The project has changed for now due to number of unforseen issues. Not backing out on the whole project, just taking it back to the smaller stuff.
Modifications Performed:
Pioneer Head Unit, amp, and Sub woofer
Carbon Fiber BMW Roundels
Blackout Grilles
B&M Short shifter
PowerSlot Rotors - Front
Hawk HPS Pads - Front
Stainless 3-1 x 2 325/330 Headers - No catalytic converters - Wrapped with CoolIt Header Wrap
Borla Exhaust - Modified for larger 325/330 Collectors
Poly Urethane Bavarian Autosport Front Control Arm Bushings
XXR Wheels with Blue Lip - 18x8.5 Front and 18x9.5 Rear
Bridgestone Potenza RE760 tires - 225/40 R18 Front and 235/40 R18 Rear
Royal Purple Engine Oil, Trans Oil, and Diff Oil
Future Modifications and Timeframe:
Bavarian Autosport Coil Over Suspension Kit with replacement Sway bar links - Ordered 8/25/08
Active Autowerke Supercharger Kit - 9/08 if availability is there
Metal Ball Joint (Meyle) Control Arms - 10/08
Racing Dynamics 27 mm and 22mm rear adjustable sway bars - 11/08
Racing Dynamics Front Stress Bar - 11/08
Differential Swap Or addition of Limited Slip and Gear Ratio Change 1/09-4/09
S54 Engine and 6-Speed Transmission - This requires the replacement and addition of so many things it’s not even going to be detailed out… unless someone wants to know. - 4/09-8/09 - depending on availability of engine, transmission, and the laundry list of other required parts - Timeframe may increase due to R&D of making a reproducable kit.
That’s all I have for now and Feel Free to Follow along for this lengthy (costly, lol) project!
Jason - Gearhead Performance
Can you do this on an E46 without stand alone AND have the dual vanos work correctly? Rogue Engineering was one of the first places to swap this motor into anything and they chose another E46 because it was easier than an E36. Swapping it into an E36 with a stock DME is getting easier but the dual vanos is still the major issue. If its a race car (most of them are), no biggie, but if its your DD, big issue.
You wont be disappointed in the motor. I desperately want to take the S54 out of my DD and dump it in the race car…
If you go forward with this and run into a pinch in select areas give me a shout. Definitely would be a fun car in the end. I had contemplated sticking an S54 in my kit car but just a little too long for the chassis w/o redesigning.
I can run this and have it work properly, but there are so many different systems that are intertwined that you need to rework a large number of things. It’s not impossible, but it’s going to require some thought. I’m still in the process of digesting the project that fellow from MIT did. It was a fantastic build, but one that I’m sure no one could do for less than 40k, lol. I need to look further into what the S54 DME requires for information. It seems the EWS isn’t a huge issue, but is still a PITA. Then there’s the DSC and the Diag port. Yes the M3 has 1 Diag Port that is just the OBDII port and not the big round guy we all know and love as well. There’s another bit of wiring for you. Then there’s the fuel system. The S54 requires a blistering 5 bar worth of fuel pressure at WOT so new pumps and lines are needed. Oh, and did I mention the M3 DME doesn’t use the same wiring for the pump relay circuit? Yeah, it’s a real gem of a project, but one I personally can’t wait to start!
That S54 is a great engine, there are just so many different systems attached to it that it makes it extremely difficult to complete unless you had a donor or extreme amounts of knowledge of the DME and required systems. For me I’ll start with some background stuff because of the situation and then it’s on to designing and reworking the extreme engineering mess that BMW calls their wiring. I’m really interested in making this something people can duplicate as well. That’s where a lot of the R&D comes in. I know of a lot of people who would be interested in this if there were an “easier” way to perform this transplant.
Got in a special delivery of coil overs today from Bavauto:
Ready to go for tomorrow!
Here’s the new look:
