E36 LS3 / TR6060 Swap

Hard to get very good pictures but the bottom is just about half painted. Paint will end up a stain black.

From the back

Awesome work, this is going to be a kick ass car when it's done. Wouldn't mind one just like it in my stable, haha. Keep up the good work, looking forward to updates!

thanks! Yes it is going to be VERY kick ass when done.

More done on the bottom....only one picture right now as the battery went dead right as I was taking the picture.

Might need a little touching up here and there once it is all dry. Bottom of the frame rails up front still need to be cleaned.

Can't wait to stat hanging new parts. Its going to be so nice with everything clean.

Underneath the car looks amazing, gotta add that to my to-do list. Any pointers for making the job a little easier (besides using a lift haha)?

Thanks! I was bending up brake lines today and wow is it nice to work on with everything so clean.

The lift was the HUGE help. I used stainless brushes to get all the dirt off...brake clean if it was oil/grease, then soap and water with brushes to get the last of it off.

I brushed on the paint. I found the BEST brush were the cheap throw away plastic/nylon bristles. I used the chip brushes a little but the bristles fall out. Oh....make sure you have good gloves. Or thinner close by or both.

Also wear a hat and a hood. When I first started doing it I didn't have a hood on and I got some in my hair. Good thing I have dark hair.

Took the top off the engine crate. Going to start fitting it on Friday.

Man this thing is clean...it does only have 27k on it so pretty much brand new.

Started fitting the engine today...

First of all the LS3 oil pan does not fit. I happened to have an LS1 oil pan on hand (I knew it was a good idea to hang onto it).

Here is the difference between the two pans

Sitting in the bay

underside

Really nice attention to detail on this build. I like that everything is getting cleaned/powdercoated. Nice high-end treatment.

It sure is nice working with new parts....everything is so clean.

Gas tank is cleaned and about ready to go back in. Once the new fuel pump is installed.

Before...

Front Spindles Before the bearings went on..new dust shields, etc

All put together (full torque once they are on the car)

Upper rear control arms, bushings pressed in

Rear Trailing arms, new bushings and wheel bearing. Just need to press the hubs in

Great build!!

What kind of paint did you use on those rear trailing arms?

J

thanks!

All the suspension parts are powder coated...no paint

just wondering are you concerned with the angle the engine will be sitting from front to rear...i have heard rumors of LS engines failing because the angle is changed and oil flow is not correct.. i could see this being a problem if there is a drastic change but i am being told it can be a couple degrees off and thats enough to cause problems......

also the M engine wouldnt be for sale is it

The angle would have to be changed a HUGE amount for that to be an issue. So no I am not too worried about that...this is my 3rd LSx swap so... My personal car has 5-6k miles post swap.

The M engine is already sold.....I will be swapping it into an e21 this spring/summer

It seems with any swap there is lots and lots of research. Actually one part that I really like. The LS3 AC compressor has the line exit direct into the frame rail so that wasn't going to work. I happen to have a truck bracket and come to find the LS3 has the same belt spacing as the trucks....

Tried a couple different truck compressors, no go... lines again exit directly into the frame rail.

Thought about using the stock s50 compressor and make a bracket. It would be nice to use the stock lines. It does "fit" but sits about 2" further back than stock so the lines really wouldn't work anyway.

A couple pictures of how it fits.

Belt lined up

I really wasn't too happy with that so started digging. I use google images a lot to find things...seems to work the best for me and is the fastest.

I found a bracket to use a sanden compressor on the LSx.....like this. I THINK the lines will clear the frame rail from all my measurements. If not there are different sanden compressors with the lines that come out the back.

Some more digging and I found that the trailblazer/enovy has a different AC compressor than the other trucks with the LSx engine. The compressor has the outputs more on the TOP..... looking like this might work. I have a compressor coming tomorrow to see if that will fit. Looks like the bracket can be bought new from GM for around $25. A few pictures of that setup...these are not mine.

Picked up a trailblazer compressor...

It fits great. I'm not sure if I will keep this exact compressor as it is painted black. New rebuilt from the parts store but just looks out of place not matching the engine. Gotta see what else I can find. But this type works for sure with the LS3 belt spacing or truck for that matter.

Line location

Clearance to rail

From the front...uses a truck tensioner

Here is the bracket. LS3, truck, trailblazer. I will have to drill a hole or weld an ear to the back for the lower hole as the LS3 mounting is a little different. Top bolts are the same and everything lines up tho. There is even a cut out on the back of the trailblazer bracket where a hold could be.

just MHO, but a black component will disappear rather than draw attention, especially mounted low like that one. i appreciate your attention to detail, but i wouldn't sweat it if i were you.

Engine mounts made

I am REALLY digging this tubing notcher

Engine side....

Start with some paper...

Convert to metal

Passenger side

255lph fuel pump in stock housing

those motor mounts look great!

thanks!

I was hoping to make the trans mount and start on headers today but I come to find that there is no rubber mount on the tr6060. drat! I have a rubber mount on the way.

Either way...lots of other things to work on.

Brake and fuel lines....powder coated...calipers will be coated to match

Clean tank ready to go back in

Straps with new pads

Tank is back in

Just some random pictures now that it is raised up.

Great build. I kinda wish you did this swap to a 328i instead though.

why?

New bushings in the rear subframe just about ready to go in

Coilovers

Front of the diff reinforcement

Got the rubber trans mount so the plan was to make the trans mount. Looking like I need to figure out the shifter situation before that can happen tho. This is a tr6060 so the shifter uses a linkage unlike on the t56. Trans has to be a little lower to give room for the linkage...

Thinking of using the camaro shifter holder and modifying it a bit.

BMW compared to the camaro shifter

The shaft diameter is just about the same so I am thinking a BMW knob will fit.

Camaro shifter pulled apart

What I am thinking is cut the arms that go to the trans off (where the ratchet is in the pic below). Then mount the camaro rear carrier to the bottom of the e36. Then weld the mounting location from the front (cut off) back a bit further to mount to the trans. Finally shortened the shifter linkage.

By lowering the back of the trans the space between the brake booster and valve cover it REALLLLLY tight. I will probally change the engine mounts so it sits a little lower and gives more clearance at the brake booster. I have about 3/4" between the pan and the subframe right now so there is some room to go a bit lower.

A little more progress on a shifter option. I am looking at a couple different options but right now I am planning on making a new carrier that would mount directly to the trans. It would use the camaro shifter or an aftermarket short shifter.

Drew up a test in Alibre (3d Cad) and printed out a test in ABS Plastic.

On the printer.

You can see there is a little ledge down in there.

The camaro shifter uses a plastic bushing similar to how BMW does. <img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-d5lyTptKMI8/UVoWNJuvxOI/AAAAAAAAF-4/8LBdC1UGFZM/s640/IMAGE_51426B44-E276-4DFA-9539-69E9393043E2.JPGp/img]

It uses a little locking plate to hold it in. https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-nPQYehhCb9k/UVoWSb6NF9I/AAAAAAAAF_A/icrmKCm1eUE/s640/IMAGE_BDB031FB-24FB-47EC-ACFD-24A376895B00.JPG" alt="" />

Up in the car...

The idea right now is to make the piece I made out of plastic out of metal. Then make some supports from the carrier ring down to the mounts on the trans. Then also make a new selector rod that will go between the shifter and trans.

Congratulations, that's awesome!

This is the second time I've seen, and the first on the GRM forum, of someone using home-grade 3D printing to prototype part of a project.

This is a Big Deal, and I find it very exciting! Love the whole project, but really fascinated with this prototyping aspect...

Yeah I agree it sure is pretty amazing being able to do this. I am a school teacher by day and I started a 3d design class this year.

I was thinking about the shifter solution and was all...I should print a test and see if my idea..drawing will work. A couple hours later and I have a real object in my hand....

Then made out of metal.... The stock camaro carrier has the shifter coming from the bottom up. This design has it from the top down. That way if the shifter ever needed to be replaced it would be MUCH easier. It also will make getting the entire assembly in and out of the car a lot easier.

There will be a plate thin plate on the top to hole it all together.

You can just see the small lip down in there

The circle might get squared off on two of the sides to make welding a bracket to go to the trans easier.