Anyone have any idea what it would cost to swap a 6 speed into an e39 (or e34 for that matter...love the e34) touring?

I have several shops in the region who I would contact to do the work but wanted to get some opinions here first.

First off, shameless thread plug :D : http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=461377&highlight=transmission+swap

But in case you don't feel like reading all that for the E39 part, I'll talk just about that.

The e39 swap requires all the mechanicals, just like any other swap, but it also requires a host of electronics, including a bunch of stuff you wouldn't think about, like the guage cluster. I think the total electronics list went something like the DME, the guage cluster, and the chassis computer, or the car won't even start. Very lame. I have spoken to a shop owner who did the swap; it was about 10k, he said, about half of which was labor. (used trans helped the price a lot) It was very rough.

In your case, it could get kinda tricky, as I don't think they offered the touring in a manual anywhere. Hopefully, there are no guage cluster differences between the touring and the sedan, otherwise you are screwed from the get-go. You will also need to get a custom driveshaft made, as the S6S 420G is a different length than the auto. (I want to say shorter, but I am not sure.)

Of course, I have never done the swap, so I am not nearly as sure about this as I am with the e34 or e28 swaps. However, this is the general gist of how it goes.

Rob at UUC would probably be able to chime in with far more accurate advice, given his 6-speed e38 swap.

I thought they offered a E39 540 6 speed in Europe?

rob levinson did a 6 speed swap into an E38...wicked! I do not know how that would apply to E39 though...

rob levinson did a 6 speed swap into an E38...wicked! I do not know how that would apply to E39 though...
Yea but Rob knows what he's doing, I'm an idiot!! I'm thinking of finding a donor car (e34's would be really easy in that sense or a crashed e39 sedan) and a nice 540it. At that time, pay the appropriate shop to do the swap. I'm figuring $3k in labor plus the cost of the donor car. Then part out the interior, etc from the sedan and shoot for under $6-7k for the whole deal.

Now, using the above process, how about an e39 M5 Touring:redspot

skateparks: you design stuff build stuff..so I think "idiot" is not quite appropriate... a little challanged perhaps ;) I say this b/c I am in a similar boat with you :) I know cars, but when it comes to electrical stuff -----> "NOOB"

skateparks: you design stuff build stuff..so I think "idiot" is not quite appropriate... a little challanged perhaps ;) I say this b/c I am in a similar boat with you :) I know cars, but when it comes to electrical stuff -----> "NOOB"

Yea, I can fabricate any aluminum or steel bracket for the car, do stainless tig welded exhaust, I have a lift and a beautiful new shop... but I don;t have the time or patience to chase that little brown wire that makes the car go night-night unless it's hooked to the light green wire which goes to the reading lamp... gives me shivers!!! Besides, the time it takes them to do it, I can be making the money to pay them.:D

Seriously, I know my limits and that includes time. It would be so frustrating for me that I think I'd grow to hate it. It's funny, I have surfed most of my life (and owned surf shops) and have never shaped my own board. Been a welder and a cyclist most of my life (and owned bike shops) and never welded my own frame. You get the point.

As Archie Bunker said- "God don't make mistakes, that's why he got to be God". Let the experts, like Archie, do what they're good at... and I'll happily watch.

Yea, I can fabricate any aluminum or steel bracket for the car, do stainless tig welded exhaust, I have a lift and a beautiful new shop... but I don;t have the time or patience to chase that little brown wire that makes the car go night-night unless it's hooked to the light green wire which goes to the reading lamp... gives me shivers!!! Besides, the time it takes them to do it, I can be making the money to pay them.:D

Seriously, I know my limits and that includes time. It would be so frustrating for me that I think I'd grow to hate it. It's funny, I have surfed most of my life (and owned surf shops) and have never shaped my own board. Been a welder and a cyclist most of my life (and owned bike shops) and never welded my own frame. You get the point.

As Archie Bunker said- "God don't make mistakes, that's why he got to be God". Let the experts, like Archie, do what they're good at... and I'll happily watch.

I am with you on this! I know what I am good at and what I can do with my abilities... outside of that, if I need anything done, I let the experts take care of it. I like your thinking... leave it to the experts to do the work, while I can make better use of my time making money :buttrock Kinda like the S38 Turbo project (in haitus for the moment)... I know I WANT a massively rediculous HP S38, so I find the best in the field, tell them what I want and then off they go. I don't try and tell THEM what to do...they know, they are the professionals!

anwyas, enough ramblings...back on topic -----> 6 speed a 540iT :evil2

Yea but Rob knows what he's doing, I'm an idiot!! I'm thinking of finding a donor car (e34's would be really easy in that sense or a crashed e39 sedan) and a nice 540it. At that time, pay the appropriate shop to do the swap. I'm figuring $3k in labor plus the cost of the donor car. Then part out the interior, etc from the sedan and shoot for under $6-7k for the whole deal.

Now, using the above process, how about an e39 M5 Touring:redspot

So you are after an uber-vagen, eh?

The easiest way would probably be the e34 route, buying a 530it, and doing a drivetrain swap. Since it was already the V8, you won't have to relocate all the internals, and you should get the trans in there no prob. The E34 swap is tame compared to the E39 one. Also, with my trans swap thread, I don't think the parts list would change at all, so that would give you an idea of what you are in for. You wouldn't even have to change the harness.

Well, which one is it? E34 or E39?

Both are mechanically simple; you need the transmission, flywheel, clutch, support brace, driveshaft, pedal box, and hydraulic parts. You'l probably want a different differential gear ratio as well.

E34 will require a new coding plug for the instrument cluster to tell the car it is no longer an automatic - this will eliminate the warning and CE light.

E39 does not require a new DME... it simply needs re-programming with the BMW dealer's GT1 computer. If you're doing this with an E39 SportWagon, you will have some problems with a bulb-out warning display as the LKM will not reconcile the slightly different chassis harness. To correct this, contact Brett at KMS - 440-564-7574 - he offers the 540iT conversion and has done it several times already and knows all the special tricks required.

- Rob

"Six Speeds in Everything"
'98 750iL - SIXED
'94 M5 Touring - SIXED
'98 M3 - SIXED with E46 M3 transmission
'99 R1200C Project bike - SIXED with R1100S transmission