[andrew.nottingham]

Hello everyone,

I am working on a 2006 330i for my girlfriend's family. The car was diagnosed by a shop with a cracked #6 cylinder. The family took the car back, and recently bought another engine for it, and have asked me to install it. I believe the motors to be the N52B30 but i might be incorrect. The donor motor is out of another 2006 330i.

I have access to all-data, and have looked at the recommended procedure for removing the engine from the car. I have also searched around a little, and have decided i will be removing the front clip to make things easier. I have come to these forums for a little bit of general advice as i am a volvo guy primarily, and do not know much about BMW's yet.

The main reason i have decided to post is because i would like a little advice on some "while you're there" maintenance to perform on the new motor before it goes in. I know how the owner drives it, she tends to drive things hard, so i would like to bulletproof it as much as i can. I'm looking at things like gaskets, seals, etc to prevent issues down the road. Money is not really a problem, but i would prefer to keep it cheap.

I have also read about potential calibration issues between the ECU and new components, and would like a little more information about the challenges i might potentially face after the new motor is in.

Thanks,
Andrew

[dakine_surf]

Well I would get a bimmergeeks cable and download all the software. INPA and Ista D will help with dealership level diagnostics.

Really only one way to get that motor out, and its taking the front end off unless you want to really half ass it.

Well Yes there is a ton of things to do on that motor before you put it in. Why did #6 fail? These motors are pretty bulletproof, I'm surprised by a cracked unless it was money shifted.

What are the details on the donor motor. Depending on the miles, right off the bat I would probably replace the h2o pump, thermostat, starter, OFHG, valve cover and gasket as well as the oil pan gasket (all are known leakers.) Mileage dependent, coils and plugs... maybe the Vanos solenoid.

[andrew.nottingham]

Originally Posted by dakine_surf

Well I would get a bimmergeeks cable and download all the software. INPA and Ista D will help with dealership level diagnostics.

Really only one way to get that motor out, and its taking the front end off unless you want to really half ass it.

Well Yes there is a ton of things to do on that motor before you put it in. Why did #6 fail? These motors are pretty bulletproof, I'm surprised by a cracked unless it was money shifted.

What are the details on the donor motor. Depending on the miles, right off the bat I would probably replace the h2o pump, thermostat, starter, OFHG, valve cover and gasket as well as the oil pan gasket (all are known leakers.) Mileage dependent, coils and plugs... maybe the Vanos solenoid.

Sorry, I forgot to mention that the current motor has about 240k and the new motor has 120k. No idea why the old motor failed. It was an automatic transmission. Doesn't matter now, they already bought a donor engine with less miles so its a good deal all around. There was a new starter on the old engine (less than 2wks old), they requested that i put that on the new engine.

Is the OFHG the "oil filter housing gasket"?. Also the donor motor came with a cracked oil pan, so the donor motor will re use the oil pan off of the old motor, so that gasket along with everything you said before will be replaced. Seems like you left a good amount of sensible things to replace, i appreciate it. From my previous knowledge, vanos is BMW's variable valve timing?

Will the ECM have a hard time adapting to the new motor, is a bmw program required? I hope to keep costs like that down. I do have access to scan tools worth several thousand dollars with advanced features.

Thanks,

Andrew

[dakine_surf]

Your scan tools will probably work if they are professional, but honestly a laptop and Bimmergeeks cable with INPA and ISTA D will give you everything the dealership uses.

Plus I believe you will need to do some coding to the different computer systems to get everything to talk. So you will need the cable anyway. I haven't done a full swap but, as I understand you have to code a few of the changes in a few systems.

The engine Control module is called a DME... I believe most of the coding you will have to do is in there. Although you will need to also make the KOBI (guage cluster) talk as well. This might require adjusting the VIN in multiple modules.

I know there are a few threads about n52 engine swaps, use the search tool. I think its pretty straight foward.

Is the original car still on the original auto trans? Might want to do some PM in there or replace it all together if it has 240K on it.

[Jackma119]

Originally Posted by dakine_surf

Well I would get a bimmergeeks cable and download all the software. INPA and Ista D will help with dealership level diagnostics.

Really only one way to get that motor out, and its taking the front end off unless you want to really half ass it.

Well Yes there is a ton of things to do on that motor before you put it in. Why did #6 fail? These motors are pretty bulletproof, I'm surprised by a cracked unless it was money shifted.

What are the details on the donor motor. Depending on the miles, right off the bat I would probably replace the h2o pump, thermostat, starter, OFHG, valve cover and gasket as well as the oil pan gasket (all are known leakers.) Mileage dependent, coils and plugs... maybe the Vanos solenoid.

+1

[dakine_surf]

Also:

Yeah OFHG is exactly what you said. Just make sure you drain the coolant before you take it off otherwise you get oil in your cooling system, but I assume the motor will be dry when you do this.

All in all it shouldn't cost much to to do all the PM I mentioned while you are in there... Honestly less than $1500 in parts if you shop around which is nothing for the piece of mind of basically a new motor.

At 240K with being driven hard, I would assume the trans is on its last leg unless it was flushed every 50K... but it sounds like maybe this car didn't receive impeccable maintenance.

[Joebie]

I recently swapped an engine into my 2011 after shifting it wrong on the highway.

You can read about my experience here.

https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1567315

[dakine_surf]

Originally Posted by Joester

I recently swapped an engine into my 2011 after shifting it wrong on the highway.

You can read about my experience here.

https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1567315

YES!!! this was the thread I was referring to above, I couldn't remember your name Joester but you did a great job with keeping a build log and documenting most things very very well!!

Also Joester you might be able to give him move insight into the dme and what coding needs to be done. I know with n52 to n54 swaps, you need to get creative, change vins and code keys but I wasn't 100% sure this affects a straight n52 swaps

[rick100]

Originally Posted by dakine_surf

YES!!! this was the thread I was referring to above, I couldn't remember your name Joester but you did a great job with keeping a build log and documenting most things very very well!!

Also Joester you might be able to give him move insight into the dme and what coding needs to be done. I know with n52 to n54 swaps, you need to get creative, change vins and code keys but I wasn't 100% sure this affects a straight n52 swaps

n52 to n54 swaps? ... I do not recall any n52 to n54 swaps threads....

working on family members car is a nightmare... It could hunt you for years.. specially an engine swap. Be ready to be available 24/7 when something ( even if it s not related to what u did) goes wrong. I ve heard some horror stories .

[Joebie]

As far as I know if you're replacing the engine with an identical one 2006/2006 you shouldnt really have to do any coding or anything like that whatsoever.

Mine was a straight swap.

I replaced all the regular gaskets, along with a new flywheel, clutch, water pump and thermostat.

All in all, pretty easy, just t really time consuming. The DME box birds nest of wires was not very fun to get apart and together.

Label all hardware, take TONS of pics, take your time on everything and you'll be fine.

[smass]

A bad injector could hydro lock and break things. Make sure to keep the injectors from the donor. And possibly rear main seal. You will need lots of new aluminum bolts which can only be used once. If it has blue paint on it, it can't be re-used. Starter and oil pan bolts are an example and probably all bell housing.

Check for the broken bolt in figure 1 in this link. https://www.pelicanparts.com/BMW/tec...lt_Testing.htm

If your donor still has the intake manifold, sell your existing one for around $200. People do 330i conversions with them.

Google around and there is a pdf of the Bentley service manual. This is a straight swap without any coding needed.

[andrew.nottingham]

First off, thank you everyone for the advice, i really appreciate it! So much support, you guys are awesome!

The car was babied by the previous owner, and when it was bought it had a full detail done to it. You can tell the previous owner really cared about it. I understand the amount of miles on a (possibly) original transmission is a concern. I told the family this before they purchased an engine but also told them based on the fact that it shifted fine (no slippage), how well the previous owner took care, and also their budget, they could get bye on the transmission for now.

I don't know if anyone's interested, but I also get the motor when i'm done. If the block is truly cracked, nobody would be interested in that. But i'll probably part out the rotating assembly, head/cams/valvetrain, and intake manifold for as much as i can.

Thanks,
Andrew

[dakine_surf]

Originally Posted by rick100

n52 to n54 swaps? ... I do not recall any n52 to n54 swaps threads....

I believe there are a few e91's with n54 swaps running around... can't remember if it is here or on another site, but there are a couple out there, I've looked into it for my wagon.

[rick100]

I dont see the point though.. its not like the n54 alone would produce more power than the n52. Probably less. And its not like you could turbocharge the motor .. also you would need to swap the tranny with it . Dme. Etc etc

If there is. I would love to see what they were able to get out of it.

There is a turbokit available for the n52 that produces 350 whp but u need to get rid of the air condition and there is a supercharger that gets you borderline of 300 whp.

[hassmaschine]

There is zero coding or programming needed to put in another N52. You must use your original DME. Normally you need the original wire harness etc (unless the donor also was a 2006 330i). You also need the 3 stage manifold from the original engine, unless the donor came with one.

[dakine_surf]

Originally Posted by rick100

I dont see the point though.. its not like the n54 alone would produce more power than the n52. Probably less. And its not like you could turbocharge the motor .. also you would need to swap the tranny with it . Dme. Etc etc

If there is. I would love to see what they were able to get out of it.

There is a turbokit available for the n52 that produces 350 whp but u need to get rid of the air condition and there is a supercharger that gets you borderline of 300 whp.

Not sure if you are kidding here or just trolling...

The n54 *only* makes 70ish more hp stock yes, but the power potential of those motors makes an a very interesting case for the swap... 4-550 hp is fairly obtainable with mostly bolt-on's.

The magnesium in the block of the n52 is it's weak spot. Even with a supercharger 300-350 whp is all you get before it grenades itself.

[rick100]

Originally Posted by dakine_surf

Not sure if you are kidding here or just trolling...

The n54 *only* makes 70ish more hp stock yes, but the power potential of those motors makes an a very interesting case for the swap... 4-550 hp is fairly obtainable with mostly bolt-on's.

The magnesium in the block of the n52 is it's weak spot. Even with a supercharger 300-350 whp is all you get before it grenades itself.

obviously the one trolling or kidding here is you. There is already someone that ran 450-500 whp on the n52 without blowing the motor. If anything the block was able to handle 20psi , the tranny not so much , so n54 tranny swap was required . Not a build for everyone , but hey , it is possible for the n52 engine

https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1223874

Also , I m assuming that you do not understand that the N54 motor without a turbo is not going to make 70 HP more. So swapping N54 motor alone into a N52 vehicle is probably not going to give you more power than a N52 motor . I m assuming this is what OP was referring to when he mentioned N54 swap. How much power does the N54 make without a turbo?? I ll be very surprise if it make more power than the n52 motor

Now doing a full swap N54 is just dumb as you would need so many components from a 335 that you may as well just get a 335. This is the main reason why it has not been done yet . At least I do not recall seeing someone doing this swap , is just not worth it . I m guessing anything is possible , so if someone actually did it , I would love to see it.
The only thing being swap ( performance wise) from a N54 platform into a N52 that I remember seeing is the transmission ( on that turbocharge n52) and the n54 intake manifold ( there is actually a tune from BPC to ran this manifold I believe). Maybe some suspension component / braking components, that I m not too sure about

[smass]

Check the crankcase breather hose on the back of the back of the valve cover. Most of them are cracked at this age. And use the tow hook from the trunk tool kit to thread into the head by the oil filter. It can be used for lifting.

[andrew.nottingham]

Originally Posted by smassey321

Check the crankcase breather hose on the back of the back of the valve cover. Most of them are cracked at this age. And use the tow hook from the trunk tool kit to thread into the head by the oil filter. It can be used for lifting.

Solid advice! Thanks man!

BTW you guys are so much more responsive and cool than the people on the volvo forums lol.

[kkasson]

Originally Posted by andrew.nottingham

Is the OFHG the "oil filter housing gasket"?. Also the donor motor came with a cracked oil pan, so the donor motor will re use the oil pan off of the old motor, so that gasket along with everything you said before will be replaced. Seems like you left a good amount of sensible things to replace, i appreciate it. From my previous knowledge, vanos is BMW's variable valve timing?

This was already answered above, but just adding a little more info.

The oil filter housing gasket is between the oil filter housing and the front driver's side of the head. They're known to leak, but it's a very cheap gasket and is pretty easy to replace while it's in the car...with the engine on a stand it will be even easier and should take you all of about 5 minutes. The OFHG bolts are reusable, so no need to worry about that.

The valve cover gasket is also known to leak. This one is harder to replace while it's in the car, but still pretty doable. You should definitely replace it while you have the engine out though, as well. BMW changed the N52 engine in 2007 - 2007+ models have a plastic valve cover, your 2006 will have a metal one. On the metal valve cover the bolts are aluminum and not reusable, so you'll need a set of new bolts for it.

The 2006 engine has a separate CCV system - on the 2007+ it's built into the valve cover. At that mileage it's probably worth replacing the CCV if it hasn't been done already, but that will add some cost.

The biggest thing is to replace the oil pan gasket, which you'll already need to do. It's a major PITA while the engine is in the car - this is the one that is really a huge advantage to have the engine out for. Normally while the engine is in the car you need to support the engine from the top and lower the subframe to clear enough space to remove the oil pan. Oil pan bolts are aluminum - be sure you get a new set of bolts.

You should probably replace the engine mounts while it's out. I think the starter also uses aluminum bolts, so make sure you get those.

VANOS is the variable valve timing system, correct. On the N52 it's controlled by two oil pressure solenoids on the front of the engine. These solenoids will wear out eventually and cause a loss of performance. However they can be easily replaced while the engine is in the car, so that's not a huge deal. They run about $100 each.

The N52 also has a variable valve lift system called Valvetronic. There are two external components to this - a motor in the middle of the valve cover and a sensor at the front of the valve cover. The motors don't tend to have problems, but the sensors sometimes do. It's a plastic sensor that can start to leak oil through the pins of the electrical connector. It's often called the "eccentric shaft sensor". You need to remove the valve cover to replace it, so it's sometimes recommended to replace it whenever replacing the valve cover gasket. Depending on whether/how well your new engine has been cleaned, you may want to check the connector for signs of oil. The sensor is pretty expensive ($200 ish for OEM, $400+ for genuine BMW) so I hesitate to say to replace it unless it is in fact leaking.

There's a whole set of gaskets associated with the valve cover gasket besides the VCG itself - there's a gasket for the eccentric shaft sensor and for the valvetronic motor. You'll want to make sure you get the correct valvetronic gasket(s) - there are different ones for the 2006 metal valve cover and the 2007+ plastic valve cover. The valvetronic motor gasket is for sure different, the eccentric shaft sensor gasket may be the same, I can't remember.

I'd replace the idler and tensioner pulleys while it's out, and give it a new belt. The tensioner uses an aluminum bolt (the new pulley usually comes with a new bolt). I believe the idler pulley bolt is reusable.

You should be able to find all the info you need by searching the forum for the DIY on each of those jobs - OFHG, valve cover gasket, vanos solenoids, etc. Also, RealOEM.com is a great resource for checking part numbers and looking up part diagrams. You can enter the VIN or select by model/production date. This is assuming that the new engine does actually match the existing one. You may need to search by the donor's VIN if not and try to match things up.

Good luck!

Edit: One more thing - with regard to the water pump, you may have found a lot of debate on it if you've been looking around the forum. The water pumps for the N54 tend to leak, but the N52 just fails. There are differences of opinion as to whether to replace it preventatively or wait for it to fail, but they almost always throw codes if they're failing. I would guess that your scanner will be able to read them. It will be listed as something like "pump speed deviation".

[dakine_surf]

Originally Posted by rick100

obviously the one trolling or kidding here is you. There is already someone that ran 450-500 whp on the n52 without blowing the motor. If anything the block was able to handle 20psi , the tranny not so much , so n54 tranny swap was required . Not a build for everyone , but hey , it is possible for the n52 engine

https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1223874

Also , I m assuming that you do not understand that the N54 motor without a turbo is not going to make 70 HP more. So swapping N54 motor alone into a N52 vehicle is probably not going to give you more power than a N52 motor . I m assuming this is what OP was referring to when he mentioned N54 swap. How much power does the N54 make without a turbo?? I ll be very surprise if it make more power than the n52 motor

Now doing a full swap N54 is just dumb as you would need so many components from a 335 that you may as well just get a 335. This is the main reason why it has not been done yet . At least I do not recall seeing someone doing this swap , is just not worth it . I m guessing anything is possible , so if someone actually did it , I would love to see it.
The only thing being swap ( performance wise) from a N54 platform into a N52 that I remember seeing is the transmission ( on that turbocharge n52) and the n54 intake manifold ( there is actually a tune from BPC to ran this manifold I believe). Maybe some suspension component / braking components, that I m not too sure about

Dude relax... I was just saying tha with n52 to n54 swap there might be coding involved...

I honestly didn't even read this whole post... why in the actual fuck should you swap just the long block from an n54? The whole point of an n54 swap is to take advantage of the bolt on potential of the n54... the turbos... this post was not meant to derail the OP.

Sorry OP, I was only trying to say that I have only researched the engine swap thing from Joester thread and a couple of the n54 swaps out there which may require more coding but I'm not an expert... sorry I chimed in.

[rick100]

Originally Posted by dakine_surf

Dude relax... I was just saying tha with n52 to n54 swap there might be coding involved...

I honestly didn't even read this whole post... why in the actual fuck should you swap just the long block from an n54? The whole point of an n54 swap is to take advantage of the bolt on potential of the n54... the turbos... this post was not meant to derail the OP.

Sorry OP, I was only trying to say that I have only researched the engine swap thing from Joester thread and a couple of the n54 swaps out there which may require more coding but I'm not an expert... sorry I chimed in.

says the dude that reply to my first post and told me I was trolling .

I was just trying to educate you a little bit more on the n52. There is a misconception that the engine is weak under boost , but it has been proven wrong by 2 members already ( digidon running over 400whp , and BPC with their turbo build , also running somewhere around 400 whp) . Only weak thing about the n52 seems to be the tranny , maxing out at 350 . But n54 tranny swap is possible

Anyways , good luck with the swap op.