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Thread: Swap SMG to Manual

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2021
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    Bmw M3 1997

    Swap SMG to Manual

    Hello everyone, my name is Davide and I write from Italy. I have a 1997 M3 SMG convertible. I decided to convert to manual after countless problems. I read your forum pages where you all talked about the SMG conversion, but you all converted the SMG box.
    I own a 6-speed manual box from BMW M3 E36 Evo.
    The conversion will be done by one of my best friends, who is mechanical. Our idea is to disassemble all SMG components, install the manual box and then remap the BMW M3 manual map ECU.


    Now I have some questions for you.
    Can flywheel and SMG clutch also fit on the manual box? Because the clutch has 3 / 4,000km.
    Is the SMG driveshaft good for the manual box? I seem to have read around that it is shorter than the manual.
    Can the gear indicator be reset after conversion?


    If you have any advice for me, it is welcome.


    Thank you very much and sorry for my English.

  2. #2
    Join Date
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    Oakhurst, CA
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    96 M3 97 M3 98 M3 99 M3
    You can answer your own parts based questions by cross referencing MT and SMG parts on RealOEM.

    https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/par...997-E36-BMW-M3

    For example;
    The driveshaft is the same for both cars.
    The clutch kit is the same for both cars.

  3. #3
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    DE-spec E36 328i/M3 cab
    I'd be interested in what exactly your "countless problems" are. It may or may not be as bad as you think.

    Almost everything used on the SMG is the same as the manual, bar the obvious parts. The gearbox is nearly identical. It missing the gear indent spring and a few other parts. You can use the box of a manual or modify your SMG box.

    You can get complete conversion kits:

    https://www.ebay.de/itm/265242354746...MAAOSw9jdeW~57

    or

    https://www.ebay.de/itm/153729833910...gAAOSwbI9d0sWo

    The rest is the obvious stuff like shifter/linkages, clutch pedal and you may want to remap your DME for the non SMG software.
    And change gauge cluster for one with an oiltemp meter.
    1998 BMW M3 3.2 Cabrio • Alpinweiί III on Schwarz • German spec • 1 of 12
    SMG • SRA • PDC • AUC • OBC • GSM • HK • UURS • IHKA • FGR • MFL

    IG:
    https://www.instagram.com/iflok/



  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by MParallel View Post
    I'd be interested in what exactly your "countless problems" are. It may or may not be as bad as you think.

    Almost everything used on the SMG is the same as the manual, bar the obvious parts. The gearbox is nearly identical. It missing the gear indent spring and a few other parts. You can use the box of a manual or modify your SMG box.

    You can get complete conversion kits:

    https://www.ebay.de/itm/265242354746...MAAOSw9jdeW~57

    or

    https://www.ebay.de/itm/153729833910...gAAOSwbI9d0sWo

    The rest is the obvious stuff like shifter/linkages, clutch pedal and you may want to remap your DME for the non SMG software.
    And change gauge cluster for one with an oiltemp meter.
    The car was bought by my brother in 2005. It ran well for about 300 km, then it started to go bad all the time. My brother has sent around 10,000 euros to official BMW workshops to try to fix it without ever having been able to. The BMW workshop manager himself advised him to convert it to manual, but it is a job they did not do. My brother left the car parked in desperation, he completely disinterested himself to the point of selling it to me.


    The problems he had? Gear with wheel and E2 error almost always present.
    Every so often he did not enter reverse, other times he did not even enter the first, he got stuck in the middle of the road from nowhere with the second gear engaged and never went out, he changed more gear.
    He went from second gear to fourth gear, in short, in 15 years he managed to do 10,000km and he spent a lot of money to be able to do them.
    I want to convert it because it is a beautiful car that here in Europe is worth a lot now and to be able to enjoy it in reliability.


    I already own a 6-speed manual box M3 and 36 3.2
    My mechanic also told me that he will map the ECU.


    Is it possible to change only the gear indicator of the speedometer or must the whole speedometer be replaced to put the oil temperature indicator?


    Thanks and sorry for my English.

  5. #5
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    DE-spec E36 328i/M3 cab
    You can mod the gauge cluster, but it's not a simple swap of the gauge. You are better off finding a decent one and swap over the coding key.

    Shame about the SMG troubles. This certainly does not help the system in any way, which isn't that good. I would love to have a look at it as it must be possible to be fixed.

    This also shows BMW has no clue about the system.

    E2 error indicates a failure in the hydraulic unit, 1. pump continuously running, 2. Pump failure 3. Hydraulic pressure to low/high.

    Has it ever been hooked up to DIS/INPA to read the SMG fault memory?

    1998 BMW M3 3.2 Cabrio • Alpinweiί III on Schwarz • German spec • 1 of 12
    SMG • SRA • PDC • AUC • OBC • GSM • HK • UURS • IHKA • FGR • MFL

    IG:
    https://www.instagram.com/iflok/



  6. #6
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    @Mparallel

    Hello. I'm sorry, but I didn't see the answer. I followed the discussion for a few days, seeing no answers, I forgot it

    Years ago they looked at smg errors, but now I don't remember anything.
    Now another question to ask.
    If by pure chance I had a bell from a manual gearbox, putting the manual bell on the SMG box, would this become manual?
    Isn't only the bell different between smg and manual?

  7. #7
    Join Date
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    DE-spec E36 328i/M3 cab
    You also need some indent springs.
    1998 BMW M3 3.2 Cabrio • Alpinweiί III on Schwarz • German spec • 1 of 12
    SMG • SRA • PDC • AUC • OBC • GSM • HK • UURS • IHKA • FGR • MFL

    IG:
    https://www.instagram.com/iflok/



  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2022
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    Szczecin, Poland
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    1998 BMW M3 Cabrio
    Hey, I read all the threads, but I didn't find two answers. I have a bmw converted from smg to manual. Ever since I got it, I have a problem with slightly waving revolutions, I can't see it on the indicators, I just feel it. I have no power loss, the result on the dyno is perfect. I have no problem with the car turning off, I also don't have a gear and clutch indicator (PIN 19 and 80). Electric harness SMG, DME also SMG, DME SMG thrown. Instruments changed to manual. First question: what can cause the rev wave when changing to manual? The second is whether the lack of gear and clutch sensors can cause this. I changed soft DME to manual and nothing changed. And the last question, are pins 19 and 80 in DME SMG and Manual the same? Can I try to bridge these two pins?

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