BMW - Engine swap with different transmission?

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Sun 9 Aug 2009 15:36
Engine swap with different transmission? - Rover P6B
Hi! I'm looking at (eventually) getting either an E38 7-series or an E39 5-series (almost certainly a Touring) and I quite fancy the idea of swapping in an E65 745D engine (I love the idea of diesel V8s), but I'm a manual man and don't know if a manual gearbox exists that could handle the torque of the 745D. In fact, I don't even know if the Steptronic auto from the E38/E39 will handle the 745D and I don't know if I could somehow mate up the box from the E65 to a conventional lever as on the Steptronic 'box - I doubt you could adapt/replace the steering column to take the E65's little switch thing and, in any case, I don't like it much. Help!
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Sun 9 Aug 2009 15:58
Engine swap with different transmission? - Manatee
You're joking, right?
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Sun 9 Aug 2009 16:52
Engine swap with different transmission? - gordonbennet
If the thing would fit then the nightmare begins.

Fitting large engine's years ago wasn't easy and you didn't have management sytems to worry about.

The thought of trying to get the brain of the recipient car to talk to an engine or gearbox it was never meant to have fills me with dread, using the donor car's ecu's wouldn't be any easier, as there'd be no loom to accept them.

The costs would be astronomical.
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Fri 14 Aug 2009 02:21
Engine swap with different transmission? - Rover P6B
Well, surely using all the electronics from the donor car would make it work? Anyway, there've been plenty of other swaps done in modern times (E39 M5 suspension & mechanics into 540i Touring, E46 M3 mechanics into E30 325i)... anyway, who says you need more than a simple ECU? What if you're not bothered about having an onboard computer calculating mpg and all that? Also, surely reworking or replacing wiring looms would be doable with enough time/patience/money?
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Sun 9 Aug 2009 20:25
Engine swap with different transmission? - Steve Pearce
Might be possible in an episode of Scrapheap Challenge, in the real world I doubt it.
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Sun 9 Aug 2009 20:59
Engine swap with different transmission? - Martin Devon
Clearly I am not the only one who likes a drop of HOBGOBLIN. The thing of dreams. Not the Hobgoblin, but your proposal. Love it, but no, not doo-able.

Thanks P6.

Regards.......Martin.
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