bilbo

Ledgend! Thanks a bunch, I'll will be reading for weeks!! how'd you come by the tech info? I trolled the internet every day for a full week looking for somthing with that kind of information and got no reward at all, if fact got every other riceboys tech enquires instead.. all looking somthing like mine, 320i to man, 320i conversions, e36 swaps. just those three will find you trolling junk for hours alone.. So so Glad to finally have the info, really stoked. Cheers Bro

Hi Andy yes pic's soon, unfourtunatly the car is on axle stands in my garrage with no bonnet/seats,center console etc it wouldn't seem right to at the moment, but soon, very soon I hope to have it rolling along. will take some pic's out and about. Thanks for your interest in my ride! Where can I view pic's of yours mate? also Have you done many mod's?

Hi, does anyone know if there is a more informative workshop manual covering the e36 (other than the Hanes auto repair shop manual) that can be purchased readly.. Looking for something that provides good technical coverage on the drivelines of e36 with ZF 5spd man & Getrag's 5spd man's also if such a thing exsists. Hanes workshop book really only just bothered to touch on the subject in name only! There lackluster manual for the e36 simply just discarded the topic of driveline repair as being a professional service task only.. bugger that! I'd really like to know more about the inner workings of them. really interested to also know how other members have got on sourcing hard to find tech info? all tips on serching / sources are most welcome!

I am attempting a manual swap this weekend, I have a 1993 e36 german assembled 320i fitted with an m50b20 engine. For the conversion I have a choice of either a getrag220 with the duel mass flywheel, but that gbox does have play in the output shaft approx 3mm slop.. And then I have a ZF with a solid flywheel an no play, but strangely the zf isn't an exact match to the back of the engine, not all bolts line up.. explained further down. also I don't know what starter motor to buy? I have been told that the one from my e36 m50b20 will not fit as it was mated to an auto (jatco) and that the ZF ringgear wont accept it. And aside from that, on the Zf g/box only the big main bolts will lign up to the m50b20 engine.. I have made sure that the g/box and engine are correctly mated, and that there is no gap between the two. sadly for me I just dont know enough about the either of them, finding any real info has been really really hard so far. I have been told that getrags are a good box and are strong.. and because it will match that I should ues it slop and all, and then I remember it has a duel mass wheel that I am not sure on at all.. and so since I have been told zf's are better and that it also has a solid flywheel and good clutch I thought it made sence to fit that instead. Am I making a mistake?? I really need good sound advice to know what is the best path to take do I go getrag, or ZF and if I go zf what starter will fit it, and will I need to do anything other than bolt it up and plug it in? Thanks to all wo have been helping me so far, youve all been really great

Just wondering if there is a common/standard zf manual 5 speeder As I cannot locate any info on the web about manual zf gearboxes. Keep getting refrences to zf automatic 5speed! thanks

Thats good to know, thanks that saves me another task.. I thought vtnz would pick it up at check time as they usually find somthing like it. Shame that they are the only wof shop open untill 5pm or id definatly be looking else where.. cheers polly

Hi Brent, Thanks for that info a real weight of my mind. So yea thanks cause it Looks like I will be continuing on with the conversion afterall! now just have to find that missing m20 starter for it, I am going to blank off the small bolt holes that dont line up with metal putty. that takes care of wof issues haha. also happy to hear that my 220 might not be to shagged after all, might even sell it on as a going concern now Cheers the only other consern is the cross member/ drive shaft, the x member does seem to be close at this point but it hasent been bolted in yet, then there's the manual drive shaft, though I do think that will be all good.. will be attempting the completion of the job this weekend! got pedal box to install, clutch lines, drive shaft, exhaust mani, not to much really... thanks for helping me!

Hi polley, the box was removed from a 520i early 9ts Have checked, and the engine meets the boxes shape exactly bar the small bolt holes. so aside from the, missing bolts I should be ok to use it? I have the drive shaft from a manual e36 that was ment to go in with the getrag I got, the zf appares To measure the same as the 220 so im thinking I should be ok to use it too, aside from that I am not 100% about tricking the ecu into thinking it is in nutral, untill I can reflash it. But thinking thats the least of my issues.. Do you know if I can use the jatcoes starter with the zf manual. Sorry for all the questions, and honestly thanks for your help so far

Hi, thanks for the welcome I just posted a new topic in the Maintance forum asking for a bit of help. I hope it was the right area to do so. Thanks for the referal to the guys doing drive in swaps, But that's not for me I'm a tight ass and far prefer to attempt to do most anything myself first. even though it sometimes may cost me twice what it would have to get somone else to do it for me, so I going to keep trying for a solution, fingers crossed! as for the engine, would love to replace it but I don't have the spare funds to do both at the moment. just spent my last spare $100 on a thrust bareing.. will definatly keep that in mind though.. I do however have some other good's to install down the line, have vogtland sport lows x4 and some sachs shocks to suite, waiting for christmas for that one also have a set of factory 19" bmw rims to fit tyres to and then on car, can hardly wait for that!! Cheers Josh

Hello, I have a 320i e36 1993 with a jatco auto and an m50b20 engine. my jatco had had it so I brought a manual conversion on t/m and upon recieving it realised that it had a duel mass fly wheel which had 3-5mm verticle slop/free movement, and 1-2mm parallel play. it also had alot of play in the output shaft and clunks when moved either side. I thought it must be quite worn, so I thought I would hold off and see if I could find another box to replace it with. I did at the local wrecker, Got a zf in good order with solid flywheel and a good clutch to boot for just $300 Was told it would mate up no worrys, but... I got it up, but only the main bolts line up, the box meets the dowells and matches the engine but the small bolt holes are about 3mm to the left of the engines bolt holes... Wt? I don't get it, I have searched for hours online, using google. I have tryed all kinds of different frazes, words numbers relating to box, swaps relating to intended swap, but have been rewarded with alot of info on everything but what I need... Gods Please let there be somone who has done this swap who wants to be freakin Orsome enough to help me out. I really don't want to give in on this and go back to an auto, but am at the crossroads please any help or advice, greatly recieved

Hi everyone, I am stoked to have a membership thanks A bit about me, My name is Joshua, I love the E36 bimmer!! I have a 1993 320i auto in black very tidy, pic's to come and my partner has a 318i of the same year auto also but in silver also very tidy. I had been ultra keen to put a manual in it, and had been searching the net for info on Manual swaps as my Jatco had had it. that's how I found this site, priour to that I didn't think we kiwi's would have had one this well made let alone even a basic web site, so I was really happy when I realised the site was local... I had been on the look for tech info on gearboxes of the manual persuasion, as I am totally stumped I have a full getrag 220 conversion, and a zf 5spd with solid flywheel and good clutch, but progress has come to a half untill I can find some solutions to my problems.. So yea you will no doubt find me asking alot of well thought out questions, I will use the forum search first and then ask if I can't find an answer. I am very new to computers and forum's also so please let me know (nicely) if possable if I happen to be doing somthing wrong ie wrong area for question, or the like. I genuinely don't mean to annoy anyone.. so sorry in advance. Thanks all best regards J