I need to change the engine in my '91 535iM. Is it easier to pull the engine and transmission together or just the engine.

I'd leave the transmission if there isn't anything wrong with it

I've got a lift, I don't know if you do or not, but I've found the easiest way by far is to lower the engine and tranny out of the car. Leave the motor mounts connected to the engine, unbolt the crossmember, and lower the car onto a cart. Undo the last of the bolts, raise car off of car leaving engine and trans behind. I hate having to use a crane to pull engines, everything dangling, swinging, breaking stuff...


If you don't have a lift, well... looks like a crane for you, and it's less work to leave the tranny attached, but a pain in the arse getting it out of the car. If you're going to do it like that, invest in a set of ramps and a load leveler for the crane.

you almost have to take the tranny out just to get the bolts off the engine. In my experience, it was eaisier to pull them together.


Another thing to consider is removing all the front body panels and the radiator support. Then it will come straight forward and out. Makes life a lot easier.

Dropping the subframe is the fastest and easiest, seconded by pulling the trans from the bottom, engine from the top.

you almost have to take the tranny out just to get the bolts off the engine. In my experience, it was eaisier to pull them together.


Another thing to consider is removing all the front body panels and the radiator support. Then it will come straight forward and out. Makes life a lot easier.

Yeah, wish I'd known about the radiator support when I pulled my blown engine. I don't know what you mean about pulling the tranny to get bolts off the engine though, elaborate?

Do you take the steering out with the cross member? Sounds like it could be more of a pain..

I just got a star wrench to reach the couple bolts up by the firewall and didnt have much trouble getting the rest with a socket.

Do you take the steering out with the cross member? Sounds like it could be more of a pain..

The U joint on the steering column has to be loosened and popped off. One M8 bolt and a drift takes care of the rest.

Removing the transmission from below requires a bunch of extensions, inverted torx sockets and a universal. Snapon makes a great ~3' long 1/2" to 3/8" impact extension that allows you to do all of the bolts with a 1/2" impact. Big timesaver.

The biggest hurdle with dropping the subframe are the SF's dowel pins. They can rust into place and take a lot of work. Be sure to glop them with antiseize on reinstall. Beyond that, it's the quickest method assuming that you have a lift and a cart.

The U joint on the steering column has to be loosened and popped off. One M8 bolt and a drift takes care of the rest.

Removing the transmission from below requires a bunch of extensions, inverted torx sockets and a universal. Snapon makes a great ~3' long 1/2" to 3/8" impact extension that allows you to do all of the bolts with a 1/2" impact. Big timesaver.

The biggest hurdle with dropping the subframe are the SF's dowel pins. They can rust into place and take a lot of work. Be sure to glop them with antiseize on reinstall. Beyond that, it's the quickest method assuming that you have a lift and a cart.


Amen to the dowel pins, but I've found that I've gotten pretty good at it, set everything on the car, two pry bars working from opposite angles on the same side of the crossmember, work it a little bit, and POP! Down it comes. So far as just dropping the tranny goes, I find it so supremely easy I can't even put it to words. Drop exhaust (mine comes down as one piece, with a strap it's an easy job) drop tranny mount crossmember, and that allows you to get the driveshaft bolts out easily, pull the center bearing bolts and the shaft will swing out of the way. If you have a tranny jack or screw jack you should already have installed it. The tranny can now be lowered on an angle, and (assuming you've disconnected all lines ahead of time) it's just a matter of torque converter bolts and bellhousing bolts.

Wonderfully easy.

It's a manual trans

I will be removing the motor conventionally from above with a load leveler.