M30 Removal tips?

[Mr Project]

Chances are good I'll be helping a friend remove an M30 from a wrecked '89 535i this weekend or next. Any tips for quick and easy removal when you're not terribly concerned about the rest of the car?

My 535i is the only car I own that I haven't had the motor out of (yet?), so any tips are appreciated. I've got the Bentley, but looking for the board's wisdom...It's an auto tranny, too, so if there are any specific issues with that, let me know

[Mr Project]

Forgot to mention this will be going in an '83 533i at some point...what all I do need to make sure we grab?

[George M]

without going into excruciating detail, my vote since the car is wrecked...for expediency is to pull the engine and trans out as one unit versus separating the engine from the trans and pulling them out separately....should save you a good chunk of time and need to use 3 foot extensions etc to disconnect the autobox bell housing from the engine while in the car.
George

[George M]

also...putting a later model M-30 into an early E-28...consider all the engine management due to the motronic difference...the oil filter housing...gravity feed versus hanging and engine mount.
George

[Mr Project]

I wondered about that. Is there enough clearance to get the whole assembly out as a unit from the top? It's a front hit, too, which I suppose means that there will be less space, but that we could cut/bend things if needed.

[Mr Project]

Also, on the swap...I know the passenger mount will require some fabrication, not too worried about that. Which DME do we want to use, though? Can we swap the accessories from the E28 onto the E34 motor and go that way, or better to use the E34 DME and wire it to the car?

[George M]

hood off of course...no brainer if hit in the front...either cut or unbolt the front grill work...engine/trans should have plenty of room to come almost straight out as a unit...shouldn't have to do even a big pivot which is common when both are brought out together. More of a finesse game with good bodywork/grill worked intact...not so in your case.
George

[George M]

your DME question is a question of pain versus gain :-) The later Motronic 1.3 is the ticket but then you would have to retrofit an E-34 car harness to an E-28 car which is a completely different animal with different sensors etc. You would be best advised to check in with the guys on the E-28 board over at Roadfly for their advice. Believe prevailing opinion will be to adopt old engine management/sensors to your later M-30 engine...much easier but they may have some tips how to adopt the later E-34 harness, and DME to the E-28 car.
George

[Mr Project]

Thanks. We'll have some time to figure that out before we swap it into the E28, but I want to make sure we get anything we might need for the swap. I'll be sure to grab the DME and any harnesses I can.