E34 Trans Crossmemebers - manual and auto the same???

[shrike071]

I have 99% of the parts for the trans swap. Trans, pedals and brackets, switches, etc... I am pretty sure that the driveshaft will transfer since the manual trans I am installing is OEM to this car and year. Will I need a different crossmember or a modification of the one in there?

Thanks a ton - I'll be creating a website with all the pics and writeups of my conversion to an S52 & 5 speed manual once the parts get here.

As it is now, I am going to start the website with the complete front suspension rebuild and the installation of the Bilstien shocks and the lowering springs.

[yaofeng]

The transmission cross member is different between the auto and 5 speed I think. They are different on the 540. The auto transmission is longer so it goes farther behind on the car. [The cavity under the car body widens so the cross member for the auto transmission is longer to bolt on to the widened cavity. I hope you get the picture.] The above statement is wrong. I must be getting senile. The cavity for the transmission under the car body is the same for the 6 speed and the auto. Since the 6 speed is shorter, the cross member needs to span the wider part of the cavity so it is longer. The cross member for the auto is shorter.

As a result of the auto transmission being longer, the drive shaft is also of different lengths. At least the fron part is different. It is shorter on the auto transmission. The rear section is the same.

Cross member for the auto shown below.
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b274/yaofengchen/BMW_95_540/DSC_3579.jpg

Cross member for the 6 speed in the box. It is longer.
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b274/yaofengchen/BMW_95_540/DSC_3010.jpg