525it swap options

[brosher]

I've been doing some searching but havn't found any specifics on the tranny. If I were to put a 5spd in a 525it, which ones work? If I do a s50 swap, do I need an M3 tranny or is it the same as the one that bolts to the m50?

Is the S50 swap worth it? vf-engineering sells a M50 s/c kit that claims 300hp from the M50. The same charger on the s50 makes 350hp. Hmmm...

[Kobe Diesel]

If you get an S50 motor, make sure to get it with the transmission, dme, attachements, etc. i believe the manual tranny from M50 mates to S50. M50 and S50 are the same block, just different running gear and head.

I was highly motivated to do an S50 swap into my car when i realized that i couldnt find a motor that wasnt abused. i made a parts list, developed custom wiring diagrams, etc. and ended up not doing the swap at all.

The supercharger from VF sounds like a nice attachement. Do they have dyno readings to support the 300hp claim? I'd hate to spend $4k and not get the advertised hp/tq.

There are a few things that can be done to the M50 to bring it a little on the wild side.

[brosher]

If you've still got your planning material send me a PM.

They do have dyno's on the web site but I would have to search for actual people who have bought the kit.


M3 dyno
http://www.vf-engineering.com/images/kit/bmw/e36_m3/dyno1.gif

[Antrieb]

Ok the transmission will bolt up directly. Afterall, it is basically the same engine.

You're best bet would be an s52 with an OBD conversion. The s52's are far easier to find and have more potential to them. The good part about that is you have almost all the parts needed to convert it to OBDI right in the m50.

So, sell your car to me, buy a high milage 525iT with problems (like the one in Want Add) for ~$2-3k, and with the rest of the money buy your s52 and 5-speed tranny. I can help you do the tranny swap and install the egine to. :) Then you are going to need another $5-6k for a S/C, or you could turbo it for half that.