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E39 LS1 Swap Completed

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298K views 505 replies 106 participants last post by  technician117  
R
#1 ·
Summary - 1998 549i with a 402 LS2/T-56, did the swap in 14 weeks with 4 weeks of a break in the middle. Everything is done except for the AC (wiring is finished, but I need to make up the lines) and some tweaking. I have plans for forced induction after I drive it for awhile.


Here it is, enjoy :)

I picked up a very clean 1998 BMW 540i:













Stock weight (with almost no gas in the tank):




Exhaust (98 Camaro Manifolds and custom center section with cats):









Modified GTO Oil Pan:



Finished Engine Bay:


















Finished Car:













Finished Weight (this is with a full tanks, s there is about 15-16 gallons difference between the before and after pics, so the car lost a little weight :D )






 
M
#2 ·
Swap looks pretty swell.


Were you able to retain any of the factory electronic gizmos? Cluster, OBC, mpg?
 
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R
#7 ·
Thanks for the comments.



The OBC is gone and the cluster is on its way out :) Actaully it will be there but it will be covered by new gauges.

Essixtytwo said:
I applaud you for the work itself. OTOH, this is blasphemy to me. I mean really, just the VAG expansion tank pictured there brings tears to my eyes.....:crying2:
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hihaWell it was the right configuration and the right price - plus it isn't electrical so it might last for a longer than a week


Mike S. said:
Nice work. I enjoyed seeing that box and pan brake outside the shop with the exhausts.

How's it run?
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It runs pretty well. It is pretty quick, but will be a lot more so once I add the forced induction :wroom:
 
B
#9 ·
Nice swap, very good to see you lost a little weight as well! Engine swaps arent my cup of tea but its good to see a finished project. Those LS motors are so easy to make power from, its probably already very near if it has not already exceeded M5 power. With a good F/I setup you will be walking all over ESS M5s (sorry guys)

Its a nice swap, and as OC here said in this post, at least it was not done to an M5!!
OC e39r said:
Glad it wasn't an M5
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O
#8 ·
Glad it wasn't an M5
 
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L
#10 · (Edited)
Nice project!! Can you describe how you handled the driveshaft-to-tranny interface and how did you move the shifter far enough rearward?

I wish more folks would try a project like this after getting a $20K+ estimate to replace a failed motor (that often leads to car retirement). Compared to engine swap projects to extend life, far more M5's are scrapped and parted out. Becoming "dead" is hardly better than getting an ethnically diverse heart transplant. That applies to humans or machines.
 
R
#13 ·
I hadn't thought of using an M5, but thanks for giving me the idea :biggrinbounce: anybody have one for sale cheap :deal: ?


Lscman said:
Nice project!! Can you describe how you handled the driveshaft-to-tranny interface and how did you move the shifter far enough rearward?
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Driveshafts are actually very simple, although them seem to cause a lot of concern. After talking to a local driveshaft shop that has done a few custom pieces for me in the past, they convinced me to keep the 2 piece stock setup. From there I mimicked the stock angles (although it is not all that critical with an independent real suspension), took the measurements and they modified the stock driveshaft. I have had the car to highway speeds and there are no vibrations or strange movements from the back. I also installed a M5 differential (I really wanted a 3.46 ratio but the cost was crazy) and I reinforced the diff mount - I posted pics in a separate thread along with pictures of the useless Dinan reinforcement "kit".

I used a GTO shifter which places the shift lever about 2.5 inches toward the rear, allowing me to put the shifter dead center in the stock shifter hole with a reasonable amount of firewall clearance.
 
R
#19 · (Edited)
Not a particularly difficult swap if you are comfortable with fabrication. I swapped in a much milder can in anticipation of forced induction, right now the car has roughly 450 hp and 450 ft lbs at the flywheel.


Lscman said:
Can you please tell me what car donated the transmission? I'm still not understanding how the front driveshaft interface is accomplished because most domestic cars use a slip yoke and the BMW uses a rigid flange. Something needs to prevent the driveshaft from moving fore and aft. In domestic cars, this is usually accomplished by relying upon the rear flange on the differential. BMW takes the opposite approach, using the tranny flange for the same purpose. I am not familiar with the tranny used in the GTO, so maybe that's the missing link in my mind. Perhaps it's not a slip yoke design?
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It is pretty straightforward. Nothing needs to prevent the driveshaft from moving back and forth and in fact you have to allow some movement. The driveshaft is fixed at the rear. the CV joint at the rear allows some movement and the slip yoke also lives up to its name and allows some movement. However, there is only a very small amount of movement in an independent rear suspension setup, there is much more with a live axle.

The transmission is from a 2001 Camaro (it has been rebuilt and improved, but that is what I started with). This transmission does indeed have a splined end, which is the same as millions of other transmission (like the Turbo 350 for example). The driveshaft shop uses a slip yoke that fits the transmission and a u-joint the other end of the u-joint is attached to a tube which is welded to the front portion of the BMW driveshaft (they pick a tube diameter that slips inside of the BMW driveshaft). Then it is high-speed balanced.
 
S
#17 ·
LSx motors go in anything.

Jag owners throw them in to replace heavy 6's or finnicky V-12s'
They fit in Nissans and are super popular with old Datsuns
Hell there's even kit to put them into Miata's, and it only adds 50 lbs to the car!

If I had an LS 5-series I'd totally throw a twin screw on top :)
 
owns 2002 BMW M5
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M
#22 ·
Outstanding technical discussion! I really love it when people start doing things that make others (including myself) think really hard.

Looking forward to the answers.
 
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G
#23 ·
What are you using for the engine management and is it tied into the cars computer at all? Nice job.
 
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R
#25 · (Edited)
I don't see the cost/benefit of trying to use a GTO driveshaft - first off its center bearing looks weaker than the e39's and making it fit the M5 differential flange would be a PITA. If I need to make a change I will use a single piece driveshaft with a slip joint in front and the BMW CV at the rear - removing the center bearing would take care of the issue.

I am using the stock GM computer, which has as much, if not more, functionality than most stand alone ECUs.

I spoke to the driveshaft shop today and they knew of the issue. They had several ways to eliminate the issue (and we had probably discussed it at the time) if I want to and also told me that there are plenty of cars and trucks that use a "double slip" set up from the factory. For now I am going to give it some more thought and keep an eye on the center bearing.

Thanks again for the information
 
C
#27 ·
rao said:
I don't see the cost/benefit of trying to use a GTO driveshaft - first off its center bearing looks weaker than the e39's and making it fit the M5 differential flange would be a PITA. If I need to make a change I will use a single piece driveshaft with a slip joint in front and the BMW CV at the rear - removing the center bearing would take care of the issue.

I am using the stock GM computer, which has as much, if not more, functionality than most stand alone ECUs.

I spoke to the driveshaft shop today and they knew of the issue. They had several ways to eliminate the issue (and we had probably discussed it at the time) if I want to and also told me that there are plenty of cars and trucks that use a "double slip" set up from the factory. For now I am going to give it some more thought and keep an eye on the center bearing.

Thanks again for the information
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Understood - didn't know if the GTO option would be more or less hassle. It definitely looks like the original GM ECUs are becoming the preferred options these days now that enough tuners know how to manipulate them (although a lot more folks THINK they know how to manipulate tehm than probably actually do).
 
R
#32 ·
I have about 3k miles on the swap and so far so good :D





I have most of the little issues sorted out and am finishing up plans for the turbo to come this winter.
 
V
#33 ·
Love the swap and appreciate all the hard work. You should treat that car to some nicer wheels, IMO. :)
 
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R
#36 · (Edited)
I actually hunted around quite a bit for those wheels. I wanted staggered wheels with 9" rear wheels in 17" and there aren't too many of those out there. The rears are OEM wheels that were never offered in the US. I like the plain look ;) In any case the original 16" wheels go back on in a week or so with all seasons for he winter.

russap5 said:
Have you changed anything in regard to the driveshaft? Or have you left it the way it was?

When do the turbos go in??
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I have been keeping an ear and eye on the driveshaft and so far it shows no signs of trouble.

The turbo goes on sometime in the winter. I keep changing my plan as to how I want to set it up.

lugnuts said:
nice swap! I see your in naperville I'm just up the road from you, would love to check out the car in person some time.
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Not a problem. Shoot me a PM or e-mail
 
R
#34 ·
Have you changed anything in regard to the driveshaft? Or have you left it the way it was?

When do the turbos go in??
 
X
#40 ·
Love the swap, I'm a big fan of the LS-series motors. If I ever have a problem with my M5 motor, I'd seriously consider this swap.

As for the driveshaft, I don't agree with your statement about the drive angles not being important. As a Merkur XR4Ti owner, with an IRS and similar 2-piece driveshaft, I can tell you it's very important if you want to maintain vibration free driving. One of the common problems with those cars was the rear trans mount sagging and throwing off the angles. The trans output shaft and rear diff flange need to be on parallel planes. The XR4Ti uses a slip yoke in the front, rubber donut, center bearing, and a u-joint flange on the diff, maybe you could adapt the center bearing from it, or find a similar IRS car to look at.

Another possibility would be a one piece aluminum or carbon fiber driveshaft, it could potentially transfer more vibrations, but the aluminum and CF absorb the vibrations compared to steel. Most of the XR owners who swap in a T5 mustang trans go this route, a one-piece aluminum driveshaft from a mustang, adapted to fit our rear diff.
 
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R
#42 ·
Thanks. I am going to post a video below, although it is not as action packed as you all might like :).






The fact is that driveline angles are less important in an IRS setup. I matched the factory angle of the 2 parts of the driveshaft (the rear part was easy since it is stock). The issue raised had to do with the fact that I have a slip yoke in th e front and a CV joint in the rear. This could lead to the driveshaft moving fore and af and overwhelming the center bearing. It is a valid concern, but several factory vehicles are set up this way and it is something that I will keep an eye on, especially if I boost the power. The solution is to eliminate one of the joints that allow fore and aft movement, most likely at the differential. This is a little challenging since there is nothing off of the shelf that will get the job done - I will have to make something to fit. Alternatively, I could change to a one piece driveshaft and leave the fore and aft movement "problem" alone. The good news that in the real world it has not presented a problem.

930chas said:
Awesome swap!! I love it!! Have followed your e36 swaps as well. Very excited to see what your winter time plans bring to the car. :flag:
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We will see.

I forgot that I did have a video - of the gauges working :wroom: I got that sorted out a month or so ago.

 
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