[MADCustomsDad]

Hello all,
Just joined today. I have a 92 525i, my son has a 91 318ci that he replaced the 1.8 four banger with a 2.5 vanos engine, and my stepson has a 95 325i. I'm pretty unfamiliar with Bimmers but willing to learn all I can. I need to know how practical it would be to replace my engine and automatic tranny with one out of a 95 525i. Thanks.:help

 

[Torque]

It would be fairly straight forward since they are (in a nutshell) the same engine and transmission.

There are 2 key things to keep in mind though. The 95 has two things the 92 does not.
The first is VANOS (variable valve timing), and the second is EWS (key in coil detection - the key has a chip in it, coded to the cars computer so that only the correct key starts the car). What that means for you is: you have to swap over the ecu at the very minimum; the whole ignition thing is optional really as the EWS can be disabled by changing the computer chip (google BMW EWS delete, you'll find loads of stuff).

Lastly, visit the 5 series subforum here and download the Bentley manual that's pinned to the top of the forum. It is pretty much a 400 page manual detailing how to do everything to an e34. There are also some other valuable links there; you really should have no problem figuring it out.

Keep us posted on the progress and if you have any questions, just ask. This might not be the most active forum in the world, but those of us that do post on a regular basis are fairly knowledgeable for the most part.

ps. Welcome to Bimmerwerkz.

 

[Kai]

Welcome. E34s are great cars, I'm sure you love yours. Good luck with the conversion, I have never done anything of that magnitude, but like Torque said, the Bentley manual is full of everything you could possibily want to know. Post some pictures of all the BMWs in the family and keep us updated on how the work is coming along.

 

[BimmerE39]

Welcome to the Werkz! I highly recommend opening a thread in the E34 section of the 5 series forum regarding your question on the engine/tranny swap. More members are likely going to see/answer your question there.

 

[MADCustomsDad]

Thanks for replies.

Thank you for the replies. Especially Torque who told me pretty much what I had already been told and reinforced my desire to do this swap. The donor car is an early 95 model and I've been told that they didn't put the security in until later in the model year. I will have to check the ECU and make sure. Thanks also for the welcome. I'm gonna' enjoy this forum.

 

[MADCustomsDad]

It would be fairly straight forward since they are (in a nutshell) the same engine and transmission.

There are 2 key things to keep in mind though. The 95 has two things the 92 does not.
The first is VANOS (variable valve timing), and the second is EWS (key in coil detection - the key has a chip in it, coded to the cars computer so that only the correct key starts the car). What that means for you is: you have to swap over the ecu at the very minimum; the whole ignition thing is optional really as the EWS can be disabled by changing the computer chip (google BMW EWS delete, you'll find loads of stuff).

Lastly, visit the 5 series subforum here and download the Bentley manual that's pinned to the top of the forum. It is pretty much a 400 page manual detailing how to do everything to an e34. There are also some other valuable links there; you really should have no problem figuring it out.

Keep us posted on the progress and if you have any questions, just ask. This might not be the most active forum in the world, but those of us that do post on a regular basis are fairly knowledgeable for the most part.

ps. Welcome to Bimmerwerkz.

Thanks for the reply. You pretty much confirmed what I had been told about this swap. I don't think the donor car is a late enough build to have the security but I will check the ECU to make sure.

 

[Torque]

Don't quote me on this, but I think they made the switch in 1/95 ... I could be off on that.

btw, Are you swapping in a manual tranny in for a auto or is it auto into an auto?

 

[MADCustomsDad]

Engine and Tranny Swap

It will be automatic to automatic, the wife is just not coordinated enough to drive a manual. Or so she says ;-)

 

[MADCustomsDad]

Yikes, it's been a while

Wow, it's been over a year since I joined. Been out of the state. Well, I bought the 95 5 series and since it had only 131K miles I kept it and am using the 92 as a donor car. Bought it for only $500 because the guy that had it said he had been trying for about 8 months to get it to start and it wouldn't do anything for him. Brought it home to the boys' shop, cleaned the battery terminals (including the extra red wire terminal which is where the problem was) and it started up right away. Only had the car about an hour or two before it was running. Drove it to Texas, drove it down there for 14 months and drove it back to Tennessee without having any problems with it. WOW!
Anyway, thanks to all of you who responded to my first question last year, I appreciate the advice very much.

 

[witeshark]

Happy that the thread helped out!