LM7 with a 4l80e into an E39

[Quicksilver328i]

I've been working on the swap for a few weeks now, got an engine off craigslist (came from LKQ originally) and a transmission from a junkyard. I'm not going to keep the LM7 forever, unless it outperforms my expectations, but since all the Gen III motors are the same, I figured I'd start with the cheapest engine so I could spend more $$ elseware.

Anything I don't cover just ask, I've got no secrets in this build.

Some pictures (and descriptions as needed)





Tranny fluid looks great


Taping up the ports




Filthy subframe out of car


Engine and Tranny going together


Enlarging the trans tunnel to fit the big auto


Mocking up engine mount arms to sit on the stock BMW mounts






Test fitting the motor (just resting on oil pan, clearly the truck pan won't work)






More of the mounts (took me a few tries to get them how I wanted)






Bought a Moroso oil pan




Couldn't wait to get it in the car




Motor going in for another test fit after more trans tunnel work




Made a trans cross member


The welds are mostly mine on this, and I accept that they aren't perfect, I'm still learning to weld

[Quicksilver328i]

Cut the metal for the motor mount arms


Tacked them together


In the car


Drivers side trans clearance


Passenger side


Pressure washed the engine bay (not done, just got tired of getting splattered after a couple hours)




Motor mounts are welded (all my welds again)








Started working on the drivers side header (no manifolds fit out of the box, and if I'm going to modify something I'll just make headers). This is a major undertaking, I keep having to cut apart my work, very demoralizing after a while. None of it is particularly hard, just very time consuming.

Version 1 in progress and complete (upper portion)










Cut them apart and redid them to make them equal length




In the car






Working on making them longer


Thats pretty much where I am on actual parts assembly. I've been collecting some other things and will cover their installation as I get there.

Thanks to those who have been fielding my PM's recently as well, and if I can help anyone out let me know.

Tyler

[hefftone]

Damn, thats the most awesome first post I've ever seen in a build thread! Those engine mounts are ultra beefy! Nice job!

Ever think about bringing the manifolds forward instead for a single turbo? It'd make a awesome vehicle.

[rao]

Looking good, keep at it

[Quicksilver328i]

Damn, thats the most awesome first post I've ever seen in a build thread! Those engine mounts are ultra beefy! Nice job!

Ever think about bringing the manifolds forward instead for a single turbo? It'd make a awesome vehicle.

I have considered a turbo, and had one on the I6, and as a result have zero faith in my ability to make a turbo car reliable. There is just too much crap going on with them. This car will probably get a magnacharger, MVS 1900 or 2300.

I'll be putting an FTI high stall (3300ish) converter in and running an M5 diff with M3 internals (3.62 gearing should help out behind the auto) and am hoping for at least a low 11's car when everything is said and done. If things go right I'll be a bit quicker than that, but anything in the 11's will make me happy.

Looking good, keep at it

Thanks, I don't have a wife/gf at the moment, so I figure my free time is meant for the car.

[kenndoggy]

LQ9 is the 6.0 motor, right? If so, you should make plenty of power. You have the cathedral style intake ports too, so an LS6 intake is a direct fit. Throw a cam in it and go have fun. if you feel you need to rebuild later - just get a stroker kit and swap heads.

[hefftone]

LQ9 is the 6.0 motor, right? If so, you should make plenty of power. You have the cathedral style intake ports too, so an LS6 intake is a direct fit. Throw a cam in it and go have fun. if you feel you need to rebuild later - just get a stroker kit and swap heads.

Yes, but he's saying this is an LM7, which makes it a 5.3....

OP, What did it come out of to have a 4L80e behind it? I thought most of the 5.3's were backed by 4L60/65's.

Did you test fit the truck maniflods flipped/reversed like the F-body (camaro/firebird) guys do for turbo manifolds? I've been curious about that for a looooooooong time.

[kenndoggy]

Yes, but he's saying this is an LM7, which makes it a 5.3....

OP, What did it come out of to have a 4L80e behind it? I thought most of the 5.3's were backed by 4L60/65's.

Did you test fit the truck maniflods flipped/reversed like the F-body (camaro/firebird) guys do for turbo manifolds? I've been curious about that for a looooooooong time.

Oh, I'm braindead :P Could have sworn I saw LQ9. I DO know that OP said he got the trans separately. 4L80's were mosty in 2500's, express vans, etc.

[AutoRotate]

Sweet! You're just learning to weld and you're already creating custom headers?!?!

Big ups to you. I can't wait to see more progress here.

[Quicksilver328i]

LQ9 is the 6.0 motor, right? If so, you should make plenty of power. You have the cathedral style intake ports too, so an LS6 intake is a direct fit. Throw a cam in it and go have fun. if you feel you need to rebuild later - just get a stroker kit and swap heads.

Yeah, not really worried about engine, if I stay iron block this will just get rebuilt and bored, if not I'll either go L33 (5.3L aluminum still low comp. but way better heads) or LS1/LS2. I'd really prefer aluminum, 85 lbs lighter...

Yes, but he's saying this is an LM7, which makes it a 5.3....

OP, What did it come out of to have a 4L80e behind it? I thought most of the 5.3's were backed by 4L60/65's.

Did you test fit the truck maniflods flipped/reversed like the F-body (camaro/firebird) guys do for turbo manifolds? I've been curious about that for a looooooooong time.

I didn't really want to run them forward, but it doesn't look like they'll fit, I can take a look later.

The transmission came out of a 1995 2500 work truck. Was an AT&T truck, looked well serviced, had been sold a year or two earlier and the engine looked like it had issues (oil everywhere, etc.). Hoping the tranny works, if not, $1600 for an upgrade/rebuild.

Oh, I'm braindead :P Could have sworn I saw LQ9. I DO know that OP said he got the trans separately. 4L80's were mosty in 2500's, express vans, etc.

Sweet! You're just learning to weld and you're already creating custom headers?!?!

Big ups to you. I can't wait to see more progress here.

Yeah, I mean, welding is pretty easy when its just steel and using a mig, just have to be really patient. Cutting is actually the hard part if you can believe it.

[mateo m3]

nice work!!!!

[bimerok]

cool. Keep updates coming. You're off to a good start!

[hefftone]

Did you modify that subframe at all, or does that moroso pan clear it they way it was?

Very informative thread. I hope you can tell we appreciate you taking the time to share. I also hope you'll keep it coming.

Oh, I'm braindead :P Could have sworn I saw LQ9

I think you saw.... LKQ + seeing the truck manifold in pics....then you probably made the rest of that shit up!!!!

[Pzary3233]

Great intro post to the conversion forum! A lot better then the nancys who don't even bother to search!

Love it!

[Quicksilver328i]

So last night I got all 4 of the runners down past the steering column. Extended one runner past further down. Its cut at ~33", target to the collector is 31-32". Primaries are all within an inch of one another in length, so while I'd love to cut these up and redo them (because of fitment/design) I'm just going to leave them as is.

Picture of how they sat when I finished last night.


Right before that


Installing and removing these will be nearly impossible, it took me 10 minutes to wiggle this one out after I welded the primary in place.

I'm waiting on my starter to arrive to work on the passenger side, but without the steering shaft in the way I'm expecting it to go together much easier.

[ForceFed7]

Subscribed. 5.3L into an E39 is a great budget LS series build.
H/C 5.3L aluminum may be in my future if this 4.4 take a dump.

Great job and great progress. Look forward to more info/pics. Also, there may be a market for the mounts so keep a template!

[Quicksilver328i]

Did you modify that subframe at all, or does that moroso pan clear it they way it was?

Very informative thread. I hope you can tell we appreciate you taking the time to share. I also hope you'll keep it coming.

Sorry, missed this last reply.

The pan I bought clears as is, but you may note, I don't have a front sway bar on the car. The headers won't clear the sway bar the way I made them, not will the oil pan (I think, if it does its close) so I'm going to be coming up with something different for that (again, I have some ideas for this, just haven't gotten that far yet).

The pan is a Moroso 20140. I wanted a remote oil filter so I went with the Moroso, otherwise I was eying the autokraft (similar price with pickup tube, etc., and the baffling looks nicer. But I don't know how it would fit - the engine may have to slide back further, and in my case, I'd have even more pain fitting stuff if I did that.

The subframe will have some skid bars (probably nylon) added to the bottom, as the pan sticks about 3/4" below it in the rear, and the headers go slightly below as well, so cheap insurance against engine destruction, but need to sort the sway bar first.





Ok, long post, I'll finish with pictures, they tell the story.








I case anyone wonders, I have to remove the motor mount arm to slide these in (and raise the engine a bit). But they aren't as bad as I expected.

Subscribed. 5.3L into an E39 is a great budget LS series build.
H/C 5.3L aluminum may be in my future if this 4.4 take a dump.

Great job and great progress. Look forward to more info/pics. Also, there may be a market for the mounts so keep a template!

[bluejeansonfire]

sick

[Quicksilver328i]

Ran out of welding wire, will get more and continue welding the header up tomorrow. Should hopefully have one complete header by days end tomorrow.

[newkidbimmer]

OOOO i look forward to seeing this done. This too sick dude.

[Quicksilver328i]

Drivers side header is done, I need bolts for the starter so I can get working on the passenger side.

[milKt]

sick

You know it.

He's gonna be whipping our asses............ and he'll have a fast car too.

Great JOB!!
I can't say how nice of a project you've got going.
Fairly cheap, inspiring, skilled, wooded, snazzy.

[Pzary3233]

What collectors did you use? those look much better then the formed collectors that I currently have.

[M5Hunter]

work looks good!

[Quicksilver328i]

What collectors did you use? those look much better then the formed collectors that I currently have.

Its this kit:
http://www.mandrel-bends.com/catalog...teel-1020.html

They sell it in stainless as well. The merge bullet stuff is really slick, and the venturi cone is nice, although I'm not sure if I'm going to swell back to the 3.5" they want it to. I've read you can have 12-18" of 3.5" and taper down to a smaller pipe and see gains in scavenging, so if I have room I'll try to do that (V-band between the collector/cone) but if not I'm just going to do without, as most headers don't have that venturi cone anyway.


Edit -forgot to say, thanks guys, on to do more work.