E34 Engine Conversion

[funkmaster]

Ive picked up an E34 518i '91 for £400. Its in Superb condition throughout but after 2 months of driving it i cant handle the "Power Issue" i used to drive nothing but VW Golfs as silly as it sounds previously, theyre practical, fast and there cheap enough to sort out come problems. Going from a MK3 VR6 Golf to this is a killer, but i need the space.

Ive put this point across to a couple of people, and theyve suggested to sell the car and buy a bigger engined E34 but i really think ill have a job on my hands finding one thats had so much tlc. Ive been to ChippedUK's forums and the main guy recommended an engine swap with a 535i, what sort of mpg am i looking at here, and has anyone here done anything like this before???

If anyone can give me a list of parts for the conversion (or recommend a different conversion) it would be a massive help!

I will get some pictures and show you project notes/pics as it progresses as soon as im put on the right path :D

Ps. The Gearbox and Clutch need replacing as its not engaging 4th gear anymore (whines & crunches and spits the stick back out :D)

[Paul in NZ]

I have a manual 535 and i dont thrash it and my "city" driving is pretty easy..my average consumption is 13 l/100 km,when i bought the car from a guy in Auckland where the traffic is bad,the consumption was 17l/100k.On the highway,(never flat in NZ) my best is 10L/100k.If you are willing to wait you will find a nice car.Any engine gbox/clutch combe you find is likeley to be tired too.I am not sure but you may need a new diff and driveshaft too.....Even a 535 doesnt "feel" that fast

[bahnstormer]

535i will be slower than a vr6 golf i'm afraid to say =[
and the MPG, well just forget about it. best i've seen
highway was liek 22-24mpg and then city, i hover around
11mpg ... almost like a ferrari i tell myself =] heheheheh

[E34-520iSE]

You could get a hold of an M20 2ltr or 2.5 (better) engine and make a good 2.7. I am in the process of doing this very mod. Chipped UK states that 235BHP is possible. I have an M20'd 520 so the conversion will be relatively simple, however I havent seen a 518 so I don't know what you would need to change. Even if you put in a standard M20 2.5 you would notice the difference, and a 2.5 M50 would be great! It won't be a rocket-ship but you should have a healthy amount of power considering the weight of the car. It might end up a lot of hard work for you though if there's a lot of wiring/transmission/braking modifications. Hope this helps!

[nsbone_1988_520i]

You could get a hold of an M20 2ltr or 2.5 (better) engine and make a good 2.7. I am in the process of doing this very mod. Chipped UK states that 235BHP is possible. I have an M20'd 520 so the conversion will be relatively simple, however I havent seen a 518 so I don't know what you would need to change. Even if you put in a standard M20 2.5 you would notice the difference, and a 2.5 M50 would be great! It won't be a rocket-ship but you should have a healthy amount of power considering the weight of the car. It might end up a lot of hard work for you though if there's a lot of wiring/transmission/braking modifications. Hope this helps!

M20B25 is the easiest but you'll need the airbox, inlet manifold, wiring harness, gearbox, longshaft, engine subframe, gearbox subframe etc etc.

I am into this conversion, but it will be easier, being currently already an M20 engine (2.0L), as i can just change the engine block, if i don't mind minor detail, and just let the car run first and later to look for 2.5L manifold and stuffs etc...

[Warren N.CA]

The majority of the rest are started, but never finished.

Count on spending more money to do the conversion than it would cost to sell the 518i and buy the one you want. A really nice 518i should be very easy to sell, at a profit, considering your low buy-in.

Mike Miller had a lot to say about the futility of engine swaps in the latest BIMMER magazine.


Ive picked up an E34 518i '91 for £400. Its in Superb condition throughout but after 2 months of driving it i cant handle the "Power Issue" i used to drive nothing but VW Golfs as silly as it sounds previously, theyre practical, fast and there cheap enough to sort out come problems. Going from a MK3 VR6 Golf to this is a killer, but i need the space.

Ive put this point across to a couple of people, and theyve suggested to sell the car and buy a bigger engined E34 but i really think ill have a job on my hands finding one thats had so much tlc. Ive been to ChippedUK's forums and the main guy recommended an engine swap with a 535i, what sort of mpg am i looking at here, and has anyone here done anything like this before???

If anyone can give me a list of parts for the conversion (or recommend a different conversion) it would be a massive help!

I will get some pictures and show you project notes/pics as it progresses as soon as im put on the right path :D

Ps. The Gearbox and Clutch need replacing as its not engaging 4th gear anymore (whines & crunches and spits the stick back out :D)