01 X5 4.4I 6spd Manual

[Nick P]

Originally Posted by Skyline

To clarify the statement I made, it was relating to using a non-BMW transmission,(for the purpose of avoiding custom tranny-to-TC connection.

So you'd need to find a tranny where the main shaft could be adapted to fit the pilot bearing, (and many times this is changed in swaps), and get a flywheel that can bolt up to the crank. Then either a custom bell housing or an adapter plate, and everything else is off the shelf. Since there are firms here in the US that make these kind of swap parts all the time, this may be a better route than trying to cast a mega-buck TC adapter and cut a custom shaft like you did. The "downside" is that you'd end up with a different feeling gearbox. The upside is that it would be a hugely strong gearbox and TC capable of handling any sort of power adders you wanted. For example there are TCs that come in the SRT and Hemi Jeeps / Durangos designed for a lot of HP and torque. Some use double width chains.

You don't get me - it would be a "mega-buck" TC adapter, if would do it in Germany, which I didin't.

My goal wasn't just to make it happen, but to do it the way, like I think it would be right.

In any case, you'll need an custom made shaft, which wasn't that exepensive either.

For 35 000 I could even order a heavy duty Drenth or Drexler rallye drivetrain for 1000 hp, or I could use an 6mm aluminium tube for 20$ and bore holes on ot just to connect the tranny and TC, so I'd do the same conversion for 1000$ total, using used parts like flywheel, clutch, clutch cylinders, cheap gearbox etc. I don't know how you will make a clutch egagement combinig BMW parts and some parts from different manufacturer, so your clutch would work properly, not to mention the clutch sensor, which is still engaged in my car...but it's doable and the car will move - if that's all that counts.

But as I said - it's doable on different ways and I'd love to see other V8 powered X5 with manual tranny.

[Skyline]

Check out this web page:

If anyone can make the right parts, I'd bet this place could:

Engine to Transmission Adapters | Advance Adapters

Once you have a T-5 or whatever bolted up to the engine, all the other mechanicals will be easy; everything would be off the shelf except driveshafts, which can be ordered inexpensively. These are trannies that can be built to take huge power, (worked LS1,3,9, etc), so that will not be an issue.

Then it's just the electronics, and that would seem quite difficult to me.

[Nick P]

By the way, considering some US-tranny swap, I'd swap the engine too - a LS1 powered X5 with AWD would be great!

[Skyline]

Originally Posted by Nick P

By the way, considering some US-tranny swap, I'd swap the engine too - a LS1 powered X5 with AWD would be great!

There's a firm in Britain that has a business based on putting LS1s in the previous generations of Range Rovers, (the generation prior to the BMW motor, with the crappy 1962 Buick alloy V8). Apparantly the wiring was a major issue, but they got everything working. The problem is not getting the car to run; there's huge support for free standing ECUs and everthing. You can even buy a crate motor from GM Performance, California emissions legal, complete with fuel injection, ECU, all sensors, and Cats. The problem is getting everything else in the car to work like your dash.

[Nick P]

Originally Posted by Skyline

There's a firm in Britain that has a business based on putting LS1s in the previous generations of Range Rovers, (the generation prior to the BMW motor, with the crappy 1962 Buick alloy V8). Apparantly the wiring was a major issue, but they got everything working. The problem is not getting the car to run; there's huge support for free standing ECUs and everthing. You can even buy a crate motor from GM Performance, California emissions legal, complete with fuel injection, ECU, all sensors, and Cats. The problem is getting everything else in the car to work like your dash.

You're talking about the P38 Range and Overfinch, I presume. I love P38, someday I'm gonna buy one of these!

Actually, it's not necessary to get all electronics work - you can use an aftermarket ECU to make the engine run and keep the stock wiring, to get the main things working.

If everything will be OK with this conversion, I'll also instal LSD mulitclutch units into the diffs - I know a guy in Germany, who can make a great price for this, so with 2 locked axles there's no need in any DSC. So if I would go the LS1-way on X5, a couple of lights on the dash wouldn't bother me at all!

[SlickGT1]

Nick, so how much did the 4 custom parts cost you?

Also, what did you use for the flywheel, clutch, pilot bearing? Thanks.

[Nick P]

Originally Posted by SlickGT1

Nick, so how much did the 4 custom parts cost you?

Also, what did you use for the flywheel, clutch, pilot bearing? Thanks.

May I answer this question better like this - the whole conversion cost me about the same as Brembo BBK for E53.

I had to use the regular 540i LUK dual mass flywheel and stock M5/540i clutch, pilot bearing was included in the clutch kit.

The very weird thing about the flywheel was that the M5 flywheel doesn't work on M62, even these parts look absolutely the same, the top dead point mark on M5s flywheel is different by 90 degree and you can set it up right even by determinig it manually, so if someone want's to do the same, please use only the 540i flywheel.

The pedals and clutch hydraulics were taken from X5 3.0.

The shifting mechanism was combined from X5 3.0 and 540i.

[SlickGT1]

Originally Posted by Nick P

May I answer this question better like this - the whole conversion cost me about the same as Brembo BBK for E53.

I had to use the regular 540i LUK dual mass flywheel and stock M5/540i clutch, pilot bearing was included in the clutch kit.

The very weird thing about the flywheel was that the M5 flywheel doesn't work on M62, even these parts look absolutely the same, the top dead point mark on M5s flywheel is different by 90 degree and you can set it up right even by determinig it manually, so if someone want's to do the same, please use only the 540i flywheel.

The pedals and clutch hydraulics were taken from X5 3.0.

The shifting mechanism was combined from X5 3.0 and 540i.

Wait so the entire thing cost you under $5k. That is a really good price considering everything works. Are there plans to mass produce your parts?

[Nick P]

Originally Posted by SlickGT1

Wait so the entire thing cost you under $5k. That is a really good price considering everything works. Are there plans to mass produce your parts?

I meant all over 380mm rotors kit then - so it was a bit more But that includes everything also the workshop labor.

I think, if I had enough interested people (al least 5-6) I could provide such a kit for about $3-3,5k but without all the OEM BMW parts needed fot the conversion.

Going bigger Numbers, like 20 kits, such a kit would cost rather $1-1,5k.

But I have to mention this only works on M62 powered X5 AND only Getrag S6S with the latest TBAF code.

[Skyline]

>Nick;

At that price level, I think you'd have other customers for the conversion bits. Overall, great job in getting this done.

Any kind of swap you can imagine is certainly possible if you throw enough money or engineers at the problem, (thinking about the LeMans X5!) But the fact that you've kept as many original or 540i/M5 BMW components as possible and done it without spending ridiculous money is what makes it exciting.