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Thread: 1999 528I Touring 5 Speed Manual Conversion Success

  1. #1
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    1999 528I Touring 5 Speed Manual Conversion Success

    Greetings

    Considering that i gathered most of the information i needed for the job here at this forum, i figured it would be only fair to share here.

    I just finished a 5 speed conversion on my '99 e39 528 touring:
    Cost: ca. $1500 (not counting the income from the forthcoming sale of auto parts)
    Time: 24 hrs over 4 days from on-the-jacks to on-the-road - done alone with manual tools in a freezing Michigan garage. With a helper and the car higher in the air and power tools you are looking at less than 8 hrs if you know what you are doing
    Tools needed: lots!
    Biggest pain: probably the exhaust, believe it or not.
    Help needed?: only for clutch bleeding
    Coding tools used: Carsoft interface, Ediabas with NCS expert and DIS.
    Unexpected/unplanned parts: front exhaust gaskets (duh) and driveshaft nuts (Auto are M8, manual are M10)
    Leftover jobs: cruise clutch switch (didn't feel like running lines behind the dash) and reverse lights (lines ran from trans to DME, just need to run one to the IKE)
    Biggest boo boo: trying to steal 12V/ground signals from the EWS when running the clutch start switch (bad, use the brake switch signals instead, which is what the wiring schematics indicate anyway)

    The swap was very straightforward. BMW makes most things very easy. It is amazing how much money they put into the flexibility of the car to accept either one or the other configuration.

    My plan was to do a complete picture writeup but it was too damn cold and the car was pretty greasy down there.

    If anyone has specific questions, let me know and i will fill you in. I may write things out as well later this week.

    Cheers.
    Last edited by slepac; 12-29-2010 at 12:26 PM.

  2. #2
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    Wow...well done!
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  3. #3
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    E39 hamster/ruberbandPWR

    Yes!

    Looking for an E39 belly pan , passenger front inner fender liner …

  4. #4
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    Nice!

  5. #5
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    Congrats!

    Did you lay on cardboard or concrete?

    Not a firearms expert

  6. #6
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    AWE-SUM

    someday I may need this thread

  7. #7
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    any time, any place
    congrats on your swap, it's a great feeling when it's all said and done!

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by doc540 View Post
    Congrats!

    Did you lay on cardboard or concrete?
    Creeper....otherwise i would be in the hospital right now....

    Couple of notes:

    I think the tune is still auto as it still gives me blip when i shift...Will have to look into that over the weekend.

    2nd gear is giving me a bit of vibration at higher RPMs, shifter shakes noticeably. Guibo and the driveshaft look OK, although there were no special marks on the driveshaft/guibo to align to, so the overall assembly may be out of balance?

    No stalling or surging or other items i had with the good ole GM 4 speed, gets in gear and goes.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
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    Allen,TX
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    '91 318i '99 540iT

    Great job

    Excelent work!!

    I would love to do the 6sp conversion on my 540iT. Did not know what all it would intale with the programing.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by lashtx View Post
    Excelent work!!

    I would love to do the 6sp conversion on my 540iT. Did not know what all it would intale with the programing.
    There are others that are probably more knowledgeable ( e.g. Mark@EAC) regarding that particular swap, considering that that particular combo never existed in the US? So i would assume that the DME coding may not be as straightforward.
    Mine was an existing combination so it was fairly simple. Attached link walks you through the necessary steps. They are for a E36 but they worked for me.
    http://www.bimmersport.co.nz/forums/...pic=30526&st=0
    The assumption is that you would have the coding equipment and software to do it. If no, check out the Diagnostic software forum.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    May 2013
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    Pleasanton, CA
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    1998 BMW 528I Touring
    Been searching all day for a more current thread so I'm bringing this one back to life. Anyone have a list of all needed components. I hate finding out I am missing stuff mid job.

  12. #12
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    1998 528i Sport
    Quote Originally Posted by slepac View Post
    Creeper....otherwise i would be in the hospital right now....

    Couple of notes:

    I think the tune is still auto as it still gives me blip when i shift...Will have to look into that over the weekend.

    2nd gear is giving me a bit of vibration at higher RPMs, shifter shakes noticeably. Guibo and the driveshaft look OK, although there were no special marks on the driveshaft/guibo to align to, so the overall assembly may be out of balance?

    No stalling or surging or other items i had with the good ole GM 4 speed, gets in gear and goes.
    I had the same problem when i swapped out my transmission. Ontop of the transmission where the shifter assembly connects to the actual transmission its held by a clip. I broke my clip originally when removing it the first time and i didn't replace it, so in second gear the shifter vibrated. Just a though you could have a whole whole different issue, and yeah the hardest part is the damn exhaust, its one whole peice and its a major PITA i wish it was like the 3 series when it unbolts apart halfway through.

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