E53 M54 to M57 diesel engine swap (with 6-speed manual transmission) *pic heavy*

vbelsky · #1 06-20-2021, 01:06 AM

In July of 2020, I bought a 6-speed manual transmission out of a late-model xDrive E53 3.0i.

Yes, just the trans.

Then I set off on a search for the perfect example to swap the trans into (I wanted sport package, coil suspension, and black interior), and in August of 2020, picked up a 2006 black on black, sport package 3.0i with running boards, heated steering wheel, and PDC, that was a European delivery owned in the Czech Republic for several years by an American helicopter pilot, before being brought back to the US where it was built.

Then I got the rest of the parts I would need to do the manual swap. The manual and auto share the exact same driveshafts and the same transfer case. The gauge cluster is also exactly the same between manual and auto, and coding it to manual turns off the PRND LCD display.

In October of 2020, I had completed the manual swap.

Fast forward to June of 2021. I'm now taking on another project with this X5; swapping in an M57N diesel engine with a matching ZF GS6X53BZ 6-speed manual AWD transmission for it (the current M54 engine manual transmission will have to find a home in yet another X5).

Parts I've acquired:
-Engine wiring harness
-Complete engine
-Stock intercooler piping and intercooler
-3.64 ratio diffs from the 00-03 4.4i. M57N manual has 3.23s and M57N auto has 3.91s. The 3.64s are easily acquired in the US and are an intermediate ratio between the two.
-6-speed manual AWD M57N diesel transmission from a 2007 E83 X3 3.0d (same part #, ratios, etc. as the E53 one; it's identical)
-went to the junkyard and got a 58-pin body to ECU connector to repin the two body to ECU connectors (X60001 and X60004) to the single 58-pin version the DDE5/EDC16 ECU for the diesel engine will use (connector X2412). The connector came out of an E90 328i and needed a small ridge ground off in the center.
-UK market diesel gauge cluster; has MPH and MPG (although the US and UK gallons are different; a US gallon is around .83 UK gallons)

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vbelsky · #2 06-20-2021, 01:06 AM

Reserved another box. Stay tuned.

Effduration · #3 06-20-2021, 06:02 AM

subscribed...

Looks really interesting. I presume you sourced the engine & harness from Europe?

I have looked (briefly) at this swap and noticed that the M57 (not sure it was the upgraded M57N) was used in marine applications in the states. Yanmar diesel engines use an M57..but I didn't see a whole bunch used Yanmar engines floating around. Look like they were sold in limited quantities.

Good luck...eager to follow. thanks for posting.

crystalworks · #4 06-20-2021, 08:27 AM

This will be very cool. Subbed.

X5chemist · #5 06-20-2021, 08:44 AM

Interesting. A diesel would be awesome!

How hard are differentials to swap? 4.11 gears are racing gears. I have to step lightly on the throttle. With suspension parts being replaced or upgraded, the X5 takes off hard. Fixing the transfer case gear made a huge difference too.

andrewwynn · #6 06-20-2021, 09:38 AM

Dif swap is 2/10 difficulty compared to the diesel swap.

The torque of the diesel will make a much better match with the V8 differential. The 4.1 vs. 3.93 or whatever is only 5% difference but cog the first gets you approximately across one lane off cross traffic launching from a traffic light on the 4.1.

Why the need to swap the gauge cluster?

andrewwynn · #7 06-20-2021, 09:39 AM

If my auto wasn't performing flawlessly (at just shy of 200,000 mi), it be asking about a new home for that xm.

X5chemist · #8 06-20-2021, 09:52 AM

The 4.11 gears get it off the light quick. The 5 speed trans goes through the first four gears fast. Cruising 2600 RPMs is not bad. Lower would be better. A 6th gear would be nice. Mine is averaging 16-17 MPG in the city. Only one trip out town so far. It maxed out at about 24 MPG. The current lifetime since a new battery is 16.6 MPG.

andrewwynn · #9 06-20-2021, 10:10 AM

I find it comical that under light acceleration my auto it's in 4th by the time I get across a big intersection.

Wife's auto 8 Shifts so smooth o usually don't know when it shifts other than at WOT where it occasionally chips all four tires at 75 ish on the freeway onramp. (no idea which Redline gear shift is that speed on 50i 2011 but it's an interesting experience to have DSC kick on at nearly 80 just from a Redline shift.