"Joel Ness" (joelness)
12/06/2016 at 21:53 • Filed to: None
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"Joel Ness" (joelness)
12/06/2016 at 21:53 • Filed to: None | 0
| 15 |
I’m the owner of a clean looking but rough running e39 540i 6speed. I’ve been poking around the interwebs to see if any forums have any info on ls swaps into these vehicles. While there are some, it seems they weren’t written for the newly initiated in mind. Has anyone here done a similar swap or knows a good resource for this?
Things I’m not worried about:
Fitment- apparently with a t56 it nearly clears the transmission tunnel and aftermarket motor mounts do exist.
Stick placement- there are some well known work arounds for the joystick in the middle.
Header and exhaust tubing- as long as it’s a 4 into 1 arrangement it can be routed right below the crankshaft.
Cooling- other make and model fitments can and do work in this application.
Things I AM worried about:
ELECTRICAL!!!- how to integrate BMW’s damn computer mainframe with a standard merican CPU. You know the little things: a speedo that gives hints on your approximate velocity, tach that tells you how awesome your engine is, maybe an CEL for when your motor wants to have some of your attention. All of this while not screwing up the stereo and other little sub systems.
Crankshaft
BMW’s pneumatic clutch system hooked up to a mouthbreather clutch
Cost- approximate and outside of the cost of the engine and transmission. DIY of course, as one does.
Maybe the answer is more simple than it appears to me. Or maybe I have no idea what to expect.
djmt1
> Joel Ness
12/06/2016 at 21:59 |
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This guy put a Ford V8 into an E36. Not quite like for like but there might be some crossover.
gmctavish needs more space
> Joel Ness
12/06/2016 at 22:04 |
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I don’t know anything about swapping LS motors into BMWs, but I do know that the E39s electrical system is finicky enough that it’s not even recommended to swap from an auto to manual without swapping harnesses and computers and everything, so getting all that to play nice with something that’s not even BMW could be interesting. Do you know why yours is running rough?
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Joel Ness
> gmctavish needs more space
12/06/2016 at 22:10 |
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Timing chain guide, it smokes on startup(most likely a head gasket), weeps oil, it had a nasty habit of consuming coolant (used some sort of radiator goo that seems to have worked for a year so far), oh and the clutch is worn out.
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Joel Ness
> djmt1
12/06/2016 at 22:11 |
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just watched his first drive video from your link, thanks.
66671 - 200 [METRIC] my dash
> Joel Ness
12/06/2016 at 22:40 |
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Remove all the electronics and run a digital Racepak-type gauge.
Oh, you want stereo and air conditioning?
Uhhh....
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Joel Ness
> 66671 - 200 [METRIC] my dash
12/06/2016 at 22:53 |
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Well, how hard would it be to replace the ecu wiring with something be?
ToyotaFamily
> Joel Ness
12/06/2016 at 22:55 |
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check stanceworks build threads, i think someone had a e39 wagon with an ls swap on there.
sellphones2493
> Joel Ness
12/06/2016 at 22:59 |
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Not sure if someone else posted this, but I followed this guy from SwedeSpeed (he also has a V70R), and his work is amazing - including his photography!
http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?1904279-E39-touring-LS-swap-project
Land_Yacht_225
> Joel Ness
12/06/2016 at 23:03 |
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Not to be a killjoy, but have you priced a good used replacement BMW V8 to rebuild and stick in instead of reinventing the wheel? I can’t imagine the financial investment would be too different, but the work involved would be significantly less. The M62 is a good engine if you maintain it properly.
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gmctavish needs more space
> Joel Ness
12/06/2016 at 23:03 |
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Balls. The weeping oil is fairly normal, but the rest of that is a hassle. You could have a replacement M62 for as much or less than a head gasket and timing chain job. But none of that is an LS3 swap, so hopefully that’s in the same price range or cheaper
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66671 - 200 [METRIC] my dash
> Joel Ness
12/06/2016 at 23:09 |
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I just have no idea how compatible stuff would be. Like if you replaced the factory ecu with an aftermarket one, I’m sure getting the rather common engine/trans combo running would be simple enough, but I’m not sure about every other electrical component. I have quite literally no experience with anything remotely like this lol.
Junkrat aka Rick Sanchez: Fury Road Edition
> Joel Ness
12/06/2016 at 23:26 |
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I think the speedo is driven off the wheel speed sensor so that shouldn’t change. The tach is calibrated for a V8 some way so it shouldn’t be hard to get a similar signal from the ls. Fuel gauge is not changed. You may have to adapt a BMW oil pressure sender and coolant temp to the ls to get those to work. Those sending units will be in addition to the stock ones on the ls. You will probably have to run the BMW ECU alongside whatever ECU runs the engine. You might be able to cobble together a converter box using the donor’s cluster for the CEL and all the idiot lights. It’s going to be a glorious spider web of both wiring harnesses.
Don’t the 6 cylinder E39's have a hydraulic clutch? If not I’m sure you can adapt another BMW’s setup into your car.
A project like this will take real metal fabrication to complete. You either need to know how to cut and weld or you will need a friend that does.
Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief
> Joel Ness
12/07/2016 at 03:02 |
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Step 1: Buy another car.
Step 2: If you’re reading this far, please see step one.
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Joel Ness
> Land_Yacht_225
12/07/2016 at 11:23 |
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I have and it significantly less. Caveat is that I will probably need to do a full tear down as most engines of this sort have reached rebuild status.
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Joel Ness
> Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief
12/19/2016 at 09:14 |
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After thinking about it, I’m taking your advice and looking into a lightly used current year Jetta today.