530 (6cyl) exhaust

[karl1171]

Can you fit a 1990 530 exhaust system on to a 1993 525 24v, (both UK versions)

I'm not sure if there is a cat on the 530, but think there is one on the 525. If this is the case even a physical fit would not be suitable I guess.

[Ferret]

They *should* mate up

530:
http://static.bmwfans.info/images/epc/MTQxMzUyX3A=.png (http://bmwfans.info/original/E34/Lim/530i-M30/ECE/R/M/1990/01/mg-18/ill-18_0071/)

525:
http://static.bmwfans.info/images/epc/MTExNTUzX3A=.png (http://bmwfans.info/original/E34/Lim/525i-M50/ECE/R/M/1990/01/mg-18/ill-18_0158/)

They both have identical mating hardware behind the cats. They take slightly different routes, so I'd just try it first.

A lot of the bimmer exhausts are interchangeable despite being different part numbers. I've got a 540i Tourer exhaust bolted to my saloon with no problems at all...

[karl1171]

Hmm: Thats different to the one I have:

Its a single pipe all the way down (well certainly from the centre to the back box) with a Y on the exit of the back box. The diameter is quite a lot bigger than one of the twin pipes on the 525 (as you would expect)

[whiskychaser]

The one Ferret lists as for the 530 looks like what is fitted to mine:
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=HD68&mospid=47405&btnr=18_0071&hg=18&fg=20
There are two hangers that clamp on to the back box seam , two '8' shaped hangers for the mid section and a bracket off the gearbox for the front. Mine is of course an auto and doesnt have a cat.

[BMWDriver]

Sounds like it's a non BMW part if there's a single pipe all the way like you say. Both cars should have a double pipe system all the way, except where they join at the front catalytic converter.

I'm not sure which of the two cars have the single pipe, but it's quite likely performance would be badly affected by this.

[sevenphotos]

Just a FYI, but I learned a bit on the main difference between, say, a 89-90 BMW 525i (M20) and 91-95 year models (M50). While the exhaust system is *basically* the same, with the same mounting points, the actual piping on the M50 motor exhaust is larger. Where it connects aft of the catalytic converter (5-6 area in the illustrations above), the piping on the M50 cars is larger and a little wider spread apart.

So basically, it won't bolt up at that section.

However, if you do something similar to what I did, and got a M50 exhaust without checking that, there is a solution. It's relatively easy to cut the mid-muffler off the old (M20) exhaust, and weld it to the rest of the (M50) exhaust. It cost me $85 to get it welded and installed, and works perfectly. Much cheaper than buying a new exhaust system to... (rear muffler had rotted out).

Cheers,

Paul