KwS 2373 Report post Posted January 12, 2016 i think you would need to replace the radiator if the trans cooler has failed, as its integrated into it. Better off buying a cheap oil cooler and plumbing it separately. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gjm 3193 Report post Posted January 12, 2016 So... Engine, box, rad, cooler, etc from 'spare' car. That'd cover the chunky bits. Technically, what is required? Wiring, coding, new/different parts...? 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KwS 2373 Report post Posted January 12, 2016 actually looking at realoem i might be wrong, looks like the heat exchanger is attached to the radiator and then coolant is transferred from the radiator into that. Must have suffered an internal failure. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ahmedsinc 414 Report post Posted January 12, 2016 (edited) I have the trans in the parts car connected to the m54b25, but the n46b20 engine uses a different trans. If I simply just swap out the trans on my car (no engine conversion) then I need to buy a trans. I dont need to buy another trans cooler though, as I can steal the one off the parts car. I will have to remove and clean so many parts on my n46 as the sludge will be everywhere. I will have to put a radiator flush through too, to get all the sludge out of the water galleys in the engine. My bad, completely overlooked the need to replace the N46 slushy. http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/bmw/auction-999797069.htm Swap across your M-sport bits into this and sell the remainder of the lemon. Not the cheapest solution but if you need a car on the road quickly it will be better than going through the ballache of a full engine, driveline & loom conversion. Really feel for ya dude, this sucks!! Oooh, nearly forgot - you'll need to add about a grand to the conversion costs to get the cert done. Might be cheaper but given it'll be engine + trans and other bits I'd anticipate around 1k Edited January 12, 2016 by Ahmedsinc Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KwS 2373 Report post Posted January 12, 2016 in your second photo on the first post, you can see the trans cooler, between the rad hose and the fan down the bottom. almost looks like a hose has come off (hard to tell in shaky cam though)? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
polley 916 Report post Posted January 12, 2016 The mayo on the oil cap and in the radiator look different to me. I think they are different substances but I'm no mechanic. Car is not driven hard at all, and wasnt when it happened, but of course all possibilities have to be investigated, so thanks for the head gasket suggestion. A little on the bottom side of the oil cap is normal if the car dosent get its oil up to temp regularly enough, small amounts of water in the oil evaporate and accumulate up around the cap. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zero 1160 Report post Posted January 12, 2016 My bad, completely overlooked the need to replace the N46 slushy. http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/bmw/auction-999797069.htm Swap across your M-sport bits into this and sell the remainder of the lemon. Not the cheapest solution but if you need a car on the road quickly it will be better than going through the ballache of a full engine, driveline & loom conversion. Really feel for ya dude, this sucks!! Oooh, nearly forgot - you'll need to add about a grand to the conversion costs to get the cert done. Might be cheaper but given it'll be engine + trans and other bits I'd anticipate around 1k My car is just a dumb n46 with a broken mirror and dirty wheels but I love this car - its my baby. And I don't have $5k to drop on another car. When I had this car only a short time Glenn said to me to not get emotionally attached to it but it was too late, even then. 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zero 1160 Report post Posted January 12, 2016 i think you would need to replace the radiator if the trans cooler has failed, as its integrated into it. Better off buying a cheap oil cooler and plumbing it separately. trans cooler is separate. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zero 1160 Report post Posted January 12, 2016 in your second photo on the first post, you can see the trans cooler, between the rad hose and the fan down the bottom. almost looks like a hose has come off (hard to tell in shaky cam though)? No hoses came off - just a terrible photo as Mount Vesuvius erupted. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
qube 3568 Report post Posted January 12, 2016 what i would do is swap all the nice bits like msport kit and interior over from the 2004 318i into the 2001 325i then paint. no worries about cert or motor/trans swap and the time and labour you saved should cover the cost of a cheapish paint job? only downside is you're going backwards from an 04 to an 01 but you're going up in every other way. was there anything missing in your parts car? if i remember correctly it just had a smashed rear bumper or something wasnt it? 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
*Glenn* 854 Report post Posted January 12, 2016 Talk to Ray @ HellBM he's done a hell of a lot of conversions on E46's 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zero 1160 Report post Posted January 12, 2016 what i would do is swap all the nice bits like msport kit and interior over from the 2004 318i into the 2001 325i then paint. no worries about cert or motor/trans swap and the time and labour you saved should cover the cost of a cheapish paint job? only downside is you're going backwards from an 04 to an 01 but you're going up in every other way. was there anything missing in your parts car? if i remember correctly it just had a smashed rear bumper or something wasnt it? Nothing else missing from the parts car except I completely butchered the wiring loom in the cabin. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ahmedsinc 414 Report post Posted January 12, 2016 what i would do is swap all the nice bits like msport kit and interior over from the 2004 318i into the 2001 325i then paint. no worries about cert or motor/trans swap and the time and labour you saved should cover the cost of a cheapish paint job? only downside is you're going backwards from an 04 to an 01 but you're going up in every other way. was there anything missing in your parts car? if i remember correctly it just had a smashed rear bumper or something wasnt it? +1 Though I disagree that it's going backwards - going form a newer car with a large number of known reliability issues to an slightly older car with far fewer problems sounds like an upside to me The M54 wagon is only 3 years older, not 300! I can't imagine there'd be a huge difference in real world gas mileage either, not like going from a Prius to an old school 440 Mopar Nothing else missing from the parts car except I completely butchered the wiring loom in the cabin. The diagrams are pretty comprehensive in the Bentley manuals - unless you've set fire to the looms everything can be fixed Guys like Brent & Ray would be able to supply you with what you need too, could even go harvesting from Pick a Part if you have the patience & time Hope you start getting some happier news soon! 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jeffbebe 1559 Report post Posted January 12, 2016 Have some drive shaft safety loops you can have to ease the financial pain a tiny bit if you do the M54 swap. 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zero 1160 Report post Posted January 13, 2016 Man, you guys are awesome - you've really cheered me up. So today, seeing as I couldn't get to work anyway I striped out all the cooling system parts and washed them out. The transmission cooler and its lines had the same milkshake in it that the cooling system did, so I'm pretty sure it was a transmission oil cooler fail. My plan atm is to take out the transmission and either rebuild it or replace it, replace the oil cooler, and get the car back on the road. I will use the oil cooler off my parts car for the time being, but as soon as I have some spare cash I will replace it for a new one, as I don't want to go through this again. How easy/hard is it to replace the necessary parts in a transmission? Obviously I will be doing filter and oil anyway. Thanks for all the pm's of support, and offers of parts and help. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KwS 2373 Report post Posted January 13, 2016 IMO probably cheaper, easier and quicker to just get a replacement used trans? 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zero 1160 Report post Posted January 13, 2016 IMO probably cheaper, easier and quicker to just get a replacement used trans? The problem being I wont know what condition the used one will be in. Its definitely an option though. Trying to get the trans out at the moment and its proving a challenge. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hybrid 1039 Report post Posted January 13, 2016 Just get a used trans, rebuilds are almost the price of a new one. Or just convert to manual. Hellbm has a new shipment of manuals that have just landed. 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zero 1160 Report post Posted January 13, 2016 So ran out of daylight tonight, but will finish off getting the trans out in the weekend. There is not much info online on getting an auto out of a n42/n46. Plenty on six cylinders and manuals though lols. I've realized I will have to pull the exhaust off, and pull the driveshaft off at the diff end and then slide it out the back of the trans. Everything else is ready to go though. I'm considering putting new fluid and filter in the box after its had a thorough clean, and see if it will work. If so that saves alot of money, and if not, I'm only out the cost of the fluid. With the box out I can replace the engine sump gasket far more easily which was on my list to do anyway. I have a new fuel filter to go in too, and a new oil level sensor seal which is just preventative maintenance. Any other things I should be replacing in there while access is pretty easy? I have nearly new radiator / water pump / thermostat / water hoses, and engine oil cooler was done about 30k ago. Thanks in advance for any advice. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gjm 3193 Report post Posted January 13, 2016 If you go the route of new 'box fluid and filter, use a cheaper fluid. If it works, run it 'round the block a couple of times and replace fluid and filter again, using good fluid this time. Fingers crossed it is that simple. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
_ethrty-Andy_ 2122 Report post Posted January 13, 2016 (edited) Just get a used trans, rebuilds are almost the price of a new one. Or just convert to manual. Hellbm has a new shipment of manuals that have just landed. id argue if similar price, the rebuild is the way to go, another used could be 6 months away from failure it self. at least a rebuild is under warrenty Edited January 13, 2016 by _Ethrty-Andy_ 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BM WORLD 1258 Report post Posted January 13, 2016 have good cheap low km trans here if needed 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
allan 295 Report post Posted January 13, 2016 Reading your post it sounds like you have not removed a trans before correct /incorrect? As you have found the exhaust needs to come off then the main heat shield a few 8mm speed screws from memory. This will give you access to the drive shaft centre bearing and greater ease to remove the drive shaft end from the diff.These torex bolts can be bloody tight make sure the socket or spanner you use is a good fit and square on to them before applying pressure. It might even require one to place a bar or such in the universal joint and get it so it locks against the car floor to assist with the loosing of these bolts. Once you have the trans and torque converter out what was your plan to get these flushed out properly first time round?. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zero 1160 Report post Posted January 14, 2016 Reading your post it sounds like you have not removed a trans before correct /incorrect? As you have found the exhaust needs to come off then the main heat shield a few 8mm speed screws from memory. This will give you access to the drive shaft centre bearing and greater ease to remove the drive shaft end from the diff.These torex bolts can be bloody tight make sure the socket or spanner you use is a good fit and square on to them before applying pressure. It might even require one to place a bar or such in the universal joint and get it so it locks against the car floor to assist with the loosing of these bolts. Once you have the trans and torque converter out what was your plan to get these flushed out properly first time round?. Yea, first time pulling a trans on a beemer. As far as flushing them out, I'm not really sure - maybe trans oil in a squirter bottle? What would you suggest? I hear these boxes can be damaged by using the wrong oil, so I will have to investigate the correct fluid. Thanks for your advice. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zero 1160 Report post Posted January 14, 2016 have good cheap low km trans here if needed Thanks heaps brent - you have pm Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
