UK Project BMW E46 357ci V8

[BikealarmBlair]

I thought you might like to see my little project I've been doing & am part way thro. I've been posting it on E46Zone so I've copied it over hope it works...

As some of you are already aware I do some wiring work for Craig Taylor @ DynoTorque / CAL Sport apart from running a motorcycle dyno Craig is also an expert fabricator/engineer & puts LS 1/2/3 engines into different cars I've wired a dozen or so up for him & the V8 rumble/torque has finally got under my skin so he's making me one

I've bought a 2001 325 M Sport Coupe for the conversion into which is going an LS1 5.7l GTO engine & 6 speed box, it's not 'just' an engine swap tho it'll need hand made header pipes, prop, steering rod etc & while we are it were installing the rear end from an E46 M3 to give the car an LSD upgrading the suspension & brakes as well as sorting all the niggles with the car.

It's going to take quite a while to do & the engine is on its way from Canada & should land end of May or early June, in the mean time I'm assembling/sourcing all the parts etc

The Car...



M3 LSD Diff & rear end


LS1 5.7l GTO Engine & box


Laser cut widgets for the custom headers


The Carbon cube trim was worn out on the drivers door & needed replacing as I had to the door trim off to fix the CDL I decided I'd have a go at painting the trim & see what it looked like


I think it looks ok not sure if I'll do the rest or just get a new carbon trim for the drivers door



All the old bits engine/box/ecu/diff etc will be up for sale soon if anybody is in need of parts.

Rear AP calipers being sized up for brackets onto M3 read discs



A quick update or backdate
I sourced an M3 propshaft from a local breakers for £95

Brakes are proving to be a tad more trying tho...... The rear AP I'd sourced was TVR Cerebra I have a mate who has one (suprisingly enough with an LS V8 in it) & he had a matching AP for the other one I had so we swapped only for me to discover his AP a rear & mine is a front!!! Never mind I'm still going to get the brackets made up & when another rear caliper turns up I'll fit them then.

Front brakes are causing problems too well the brembo I won on eBay hasn't turned up lots of comms from the seller before I paid & zero since, his auction said the item was in Malvern & cash on collection but when I'd won he made some story about being on holiday in Aus for 5 weeks & his sister had them in newcastle so he could only post them etc... So I'm currently going thro the eBay dispute system....

Well I have to give eBay a thumbs up money was back in my account by lunch time yesterday & I 'think' I may have sourced some AP 4 pots too

Loobed my old black MV1's on still not sure on what to do about wheels unlike most I really like MV1's but this is 3rd car that's had them,,,,









Well the scales say 1421KG lets see how much it gains when it's finished.

Craig measuring up for the mounting brackets for the AP Calipers & bigger discs



Brakes




It needed a small spacer to clear the wheel but I'd intended to run spacers as the wheels sit to far in anyway so I popped next door & pinched some from driftworks....

Next up is the AP rear calipers



While I was @ driftworks I got Phil's old H&R anti roll bar off him for mine, my pile of stuff in the corner is getting bigger



Ready for bodyshop





Rear brakes are done




Car is back from bodyshop & Droftworks brought round a load of boxes (HSD's anti rollbars brakelines & loads of powerflex bushes.
The new radiator, engine mounts & fuel pressure reg/filter have been delivered too.

Engine should be here next week too Craig is stacked with big jobs so I doubt much if anything will start to happen for the next week or two but I'll be badgering him lots n lots!!!

Shiny things




Tomorrow I'm taking the subframe/diff etc out so I can measure up for the additional suports, I guess the project starts in ernest tomorrow

The engine is just waiting for customs clearance then I'll be off to London Port to collect it, I'm ready to burst!!!

We have started!!!

Complete back end removed so Craig can stiffen up the subframe mounting points




& it's a good job we were planning to stiffen the back end up.... the trained eyes will see the crack starting & the movement on the spot welds

[BikealarmBlair]

Today I've removed the 2.5 engine/gearbox/wiring & front suspension.

[BikealarmBlair]

There isn't a lot of the car I bought left...... Tomorrow will be spent delivering all the bits I've removed to it's new owner & gettibg the boot floor ready for the DynoTorque upgrade kit.

Oh & more shiny stuff arrived today too



The DynoTorque subframe kit waiting to be fitted







I've not done much the last few days, Craig has had a look at the engine & the clutch is fubar'd It seems clutches are a weak point on LS1's & the clutch of choice is an LS7 but to fit an LS7 clutch you need an LS7 flywheel too all in about £700 ish Why did I buy that cam LOL after a bit of surching I found a brand new one that's been taken off a new engine for £300

Ive put the new front shocks on




Craig busy making a racket grinding & then welding in the DynoTorque subframe strengthening kit








Tomorrow I'll finish re-bushing the M3 subframe, anti roll bar & trailing arm & start sorting brake lines then I can re-fit the petrol tank & subframe maybe....

Painted the repair




Subframe poly bushed



& then got it back into the car



Got the rear suspension & brakes on & ran new braided brake lines to the front



How sad am I



Craig's been busy today

He's made an new steering arm & relocted the ABS




Going to be a slow couple of weeks on this now when I ordered the engine I ordered it with a certain type of sump unforttunately the breaker didn't have one so he fitted a different one thinking it would be ok so after a quick measure up it defo won't fit with this sump & I've been able to source one in the UK so the sump he's fitted is being sent back & a the correct sump is being sent out to me, so just a case of being patient which is something I fail at!!!! The frustraiting thing is had he asked we'd have told him the sump he fitted wouldn't work.... until the sump is in Craig can't mount the engine, so he can't make the headers or get the propshaft modded & I can't start the wiring etc....

Anyway I can't post without one pic so here's what the engine looks like with no sump




I've made a start on the wiring....




& pushed it outside for a wash



The black wheels look better clean & in the sunlight

& That's where I'm at stuck waiting for Calspeed to send the correct sump & ThunderRacing to send the cam...

Has anybody else done one of these & can give me some help with the can bus tacho & coolant temp??

Blair

[BikealarmBlair]

As I said not much can be done until the sump etc turn up but I've been doing my best to keep it moving along...

All the brake lines are now connected to the moved ABS pump



Done as much of the wiring as I can for now



What do you do when you can't buy a big enough back box? Well if your Craig Taylor you just cut/weld/bend one till it's the right size....







And then this morning Fedex handed me a package....



Just waiting (still) on the sump despite lots of assurances from the place I bought my engine (Calspeed & Performance) from were still waiting for them to sort their mistake out.

A minor update

Sump has finally tuned up late today so things should start moving forward, not that we've been idle while waiting for it..

Craig has fitted the new cam, cam chain, pushrods, uprated valve springs & collets





The engine just waiting for the correct sump.....



We've been able to do a bit on the exhaust & some of the pipework under the bonnet






A friend of mine has been over today looking at the canbus side of things & it's quite involved & going to take some work to do so as temp quick fix I'm going to install a set of E36 clocks I have while Rob works on the can bus.

The engine is in the hole !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Excited me................................................ MUCH!!!!!!

This morning Craig fitted the LS7 clutch & T56 gearbox together & then poked the engine into the hole.....




& the he made some engine & gearbox mounts



& it's in



That's a very long difficult day made to sound very easy.... it's not trust me!

I've dropped the prop off to be shortened & have the correct end fitted for the T56 box & in the morning I'm off to Jetex to collect the bends & pipe/parts so Craig can start making the headers

Did I mention I'm excited!!!

[mateo m3]

very nice

[Maynor]

That is a hell of a great introductory post! Nicely done. Keep us updated.

I love the fact we're starting to see more and more E46 conversions now too.

[bimerok]

Nice! I'm glad you moved your thread here. I was following you on BF.uk, but they have some problems sending out update emails... Will be watching you here. Awesome job!

So looking at the pictures, it seems that you were are using F-body (1998-2002) sump for your conversion. Is this right?

[sjbdeebo2]

Awesome swap. E46zone seems like a pretty sweet forum

[BikealarmBlair]

Yeah FBody sump or oil pan I think you guys call them.

[M5Hunter]

I keep beating around doing an e46 or e39 swap, but I love the size of the e36. Swap is looking good, cant wait to see the headers!

[Fair]

Nice work so far. What wiring harness is that - the GTO harness? Are you just modding that for the LS1 computer then tackling the CANBUS mess that BMW has next? That's the fun part, since everything goes through the damned BME DME.

What oil pan ("sump") did you go with? We tried several OEM pans and none of them work. But I did find one that does fit the LHD E46 chassis very well...



Looks like BMW put the ABS in the same spot (left side) on RHD cars as our LHD cars... weird. That must make it tight under the hood, with the ABS on one side and steering shaft on the other. I don't think we'll have to relocate the ABS or alter the steering shaft on our LHD E46 LSx, but its still VERY close.

Subscribed.

Best of luck,

[gisqc]

What oil pan ("sump") did you go with? We tried several OEM pans and none of them work. But I did find one that does fit the LHD E46 chassis very well...

So you are saying the F-body pan that fits the E36 chassis doesn't fit in the E46? Do you have more details about your find?

[BikealarmBlair]

Craig has used an Fbody oil pan & has modifed the subframe.

Engine fit's well but the T56 is very tight. some E46's have the ABS mounted on the other side to mine between the servo & wing (fender?) I was going to relocte it but we didn't need the extra space so we just moved it a few inches I think the pics make the passenger side of the engine seem tighter than it is for space. Craig has finished the headers on the drivers side today.

Yeah std GTO wiring/ecu, I'm going to install some E36 clocks to get the car up & running while we learn what else needs a can signal & then we (Rob!) can work on the can system without the added pressure of time.....

[gisqc]

Craig has used an Fbody oil pan & has modifed the subframe.

Engine fit's well but the T56 is very tight. some E46's have the ABS mounted on the other side to mine between the servo & wing (fender?) I was going to relocte it but we didn't need the extra space so we just moved it a few inches I think the pics make the passenger side of the engine seem tighter than it is for space. Craig has finished the headers on the drivers side today.

Yeah std GTO wiring/ecu, I'm going to install some E36 clocks to get the car up & running while we learn what else needs a can signal & then we (Rob!) can work on the can system without the added pressure of time.....

How bad did the subframe have to be modified and does it let you sit the engine all the way back to the firewall or so?

[hefftone]

I like the way the engine brackets were made. Looks like they sit on the factory rubber bushing mounts, that right?
Great build thread, thanks for sharing the info.

[BikealarmBlair]

Yep sat on new OE BMW mounts not sure how the subframe was modded apart from it was cut & welded & the engine sits back aprox 10 mm off the bulkhead

[STANIMAL]

This swap is worth doing . Very nice work guys . It makes me wonder when someone will build an affordable e46 swap kit.

[BikealarmBlair]

It's been a busy few days for Craig @ DynoTorque he,s made the exhaust headers & connected them to rear section along with sorting power steering lines.

This



+



=

[Maynor]

This swap is worth doing . Very nice work guys . It makes me wonder when someone will build an affordable e46 swap kit.

What's your idea of affordable?

[weaksauce]

very nice

[fok]

Chunky monkey conversions! Tell Craig he should lay off the cake!

Looking good!

357 on the boot is very subtle and is probably going to take some explaining to Englishmen!

[BikealarmBlair]

Well I guess you could say we've been busy....








& she runs

http://s1196.photobucket.com/albums/...t=b3371d83.mp4

[bimerok]

Beautiful!!!

Any info on the gauges? Were you able to solve the CAN Bus or adapt the e36 gauges?

[BikealarmBlair]

Still plenty of work to do before it's finished if a car like this is ever finished.....

Seems like I've got a faulty brake master cylinder as I no pressure to the rear brakes, not ideal
Needs to have the wheels aligned etc & still quite a bit of wiring/interfacing to sort out so still a few late nights left in it yet!!!!

But I'm a happy chap Craig's work is amazing I can't thank him enough for the work he's done & the endless advice & use of his workshop for the last month or two, I honestly wouldn't trust anyone else with car/van/bikes

[BikealarmBlair]

Oh yeah it's gained a bit of weight..... It's 1499kg so 78kg heavier not all of that is engine tho, it's down to bigger brakes/wheel spacers/anti roll bars/diff/boot floor mods etc so it's about the same weight as a STD M3