Engine Swaps,how Difficult Are They, 320D To 330D?

[clarkey1984]

Just a bit of wild thinking on my part here, as by reading on another thread, i gather that an engine swap on an E46 is near enough plug and play, so i was wondering what would be involved of ditching my painfully slow and worn 165k 2.0 diesel motor for something bigger, and diesel powered, im thinking a 330d engine.

I have weighed this up, and im not sure if id be better to just sell my 320 as is and then go and buy a 330 instead, but thats no fun is it, plus this car has so much history (i bought it from a good mate of mine who owned it for 5 years nearly) and id hate to lose that.

[Adam T21WAH]

nothing is imposible if you through enough time and money at it.

its your motor if you feel the rest of the car is good, and are able to get parts 'worth the money' then go for it.

if you change car then you could end up with a bag of bolts and regret it!

[momo]

Off the top of my head you'd have to swap over:-

ECU

Wiring loom

Engine

Gearbox

Clutch & Flywheel

Rear diff

Brakes all around

Suspension

Exhaust

330d lump is quite a bit heavier.

You could do it the "cheaper" way and just swap the engine, ecu and gearbox over but I'd personally consider that dangerous..

And for the cost of swapping the engines you may aswell just upgrade the car..

I think only mad engine swaps like Blair's chevvy swap are worth it..

If you said you wanted to go for a 535d engine or something - that'd be cool (but VERY expensive)!

[suhail97]

Why not try a diesel NOS kit?

[James Martin]

And to be captain boring here, your insurance company may say :-S and when you DO want to sell the car, it will be hard.

Is the 320d a four pot? If my missus' compact is anything to go by don't four pots have a different airbox config and engine bay layout to make it look like there's more under there?

Diesel could be different because of the extra plumbing I guess, not my field.

If you do want to have fun, why not buy a 330d and put a 316i badge on it!

Sent from my HTC Vision using Tapatalk

[Matt_S]

Six pot petrol swaps (320 to 330) yes. Diesel swaps no, Theres too many other variables to be changed imho.

[CliffThomson]

I'd agree, too much to be done to swap a 320d to a 330d. Easier to sell, or PX for a 330d.

C.

[Matt_S]

Put it back to std. Sell it. They command good money still. And then get a 320d E90

[Aidan316i]

If you said you wanted to go for a 535d engine or something - that'd be cool (but VERY expensive)!

Transmission tunnel in an E46 cant take the gearbox & prop apparently

And engine swaps are fun! Just bloody expencive!

I still havnt even saved a fiver towards my engine swap!

[Matt_S]

Transmission tunnel in an E46 cant take the gearbox & prop apparently

And engine swaps are fun! Just bloody expencive!

I still havnt even saved a fiver towards my engine swap!

Thats bollox. You make it fit! And as for the prop, get one custom made with the front half and yoke from the donor car and the rear from the E46. Oh and balance it.

[Aidan316i]

Thats bollox. You make it fit! And as for the prop, get one custom made with the front half and yoke from the donor car and the rear from the E46. Oh and balance it.

I stand corrected

I'd of swore someone on here said that

[chris]

Everything in the 330d is different. So larger diff, prop etc etc. sell and buy a 330d imo. Much stronger engine and parts to the 320d as well.

[Longun]

If the parts can be picked up cheap enough and you can do it yourself, labour charges would be very expensive, it I don't see why so many people are against it. Resale isn't an issue on a car with a value of less than 3/4k imo.

My 320d around 200bhp (190 realistic) standard 330d 204bhp. Can't see why 320d brakes make it dangerous, or why some of the other components couldn't cope with a 330 lump. Might be different when the 330 got mapped as then the 320d stuff might be struggling then.

[chris]

It's mainly the diff and running gear, as the 320d's components would have to cope with quite a lot extra torque. And of course you would want to map it, otherwise why do it? You can get a 320d to 205 fairly easily

[Longun]

Fair point about the torque, forgot the 330 has a fair bit more. Yes you'd certainly be mapping the 330, else as you say why bother

[momo]

Can't see why 320d brakes make it dangerous, or why some of the other components couldn't cope with a 330 lump.

The 330d is MUCH heavier than the 320d. Probably a good couple of hundred kilos. Don't know about the other 330d owners out there but I found the standard 330d brakes really quite poor.

All that weight with 320d brakes I think you'd be pushing it quite a bit! As I said before, I honestly wouldn't feel that safe behind the wheel of a car like that.. At the very least you'd want uprated discs/pads.

[Longun]

The 330d is MUCH heavier than the 320d. Probably a good couple of hundred kilos. Don't know about the other 330d owners out there but I found the standard 330d brakes really quite poor.

All that weight with 320d brakes I think you'd be pushing it quite a bit! As I said before, I honestly wouldn't feel that safe behind the wheel of a car like that.. At the very least you'd want uprated discs/pads.

Is the 330 really that much heavier? That would give a mapped 320 a better power to weight than a standard 330 and not far off a mapped 330.

Brakes on the 320 aren't terrible. I've driven quicker cars with older brakes that felt less safe. They're nothing special but certainly not dangerous even after a map and decat.

[Blair]

I see all the haters are out again.... At OP ask on E46fanatics or bimmerforumns where a few have done similar swaps & won't just rubbish your idea like this site.

I'm amazed people on this site like my car! Anybody that suggests doing anything other than a normal bolt on mod gets rubbished.... And people stating stuff won't fit when they haven't tried it themselves.........

[chris]

I see all the haters are out again.... At OP ask on E46fanatics or bimmerforumns where a few have done similar swaps & won't just rubbish your idea like this site.

I'm amazed people on this site like my car! Anybody that suggests doing anything other than a normal bolt on mod gets rubbished.... And people stating stuff won't fit when they haven't tried it themselves.........

I can see where your coming from, but yours is different from the norm. If its an M3 lump into a 318, or even better a comapct or estate, then brilliant. But one tractor engine to another tractor engine

[Matt_S]

Blair, I dont see the point of the OP doing it for a few reasons:

1) Its not like he cant go BUY an E46 with a 3L diesel engine in it from factory!

2) Its not just a plug and play swap like the petrol engine swaps

3) Its not JUST the engine/box that need swapping, its the brakes and diff/prop/suspension too.

I just think its moronic to do it to his car, when he could sell it, or part ex it towards a 330d. Im not against engine swaps. Ive done a few in my Nissan days!

Edited April 15, 2012 by Matt_S

[Blair]

I can see where your coming from, but yours is different from the norm. If its an M3 lump into a 318, or even better a comapct or estate, then brilliant. But one tractor engine to another tractor engine

Don't see how it's any different at all, if I had come onto this site & said "hi guys I want to buy an e46 & put a yank V8 in what do you think?" If your honest almost every single person on here would have slated the idea because it doesn't fit them or they can't do it for whatever reason (skil/budget/patients etc) infact many people did say that!

The OP could be a dreamer? The best engineer on earth? A millionaire? Boyd Coddington so don't rubbish someone's thoughts unless you know it can't be done.

[Blair]

Blair, I dont see the point of the OP doing it for a few reasons:

1) Its not like he cant go BUY an E46 with a 3L diesel engine in it from factory!

2) Its not just a plug and play swap like the petrol engine swaps

3) Its not JUST the engine/box that need swapping, its the brakes and diff/prop/suspension too.

I just think its moronic to do it to his car, when he could sell it, or part ex it towards a 330d. Im not against engine swaps. Ive done a few in my Nissan days!

Disappointed in you Matt coming from Jap crap/drift scene you'll have seen people do stuff that makes no sense financially just for fun or because someone said they can't!!!

Maybe the OP has a mint 320d with upgraded suspension/brakes etc but his swil flaps have destroyed the engine & his long lost uncle buck has left him his wrotten as pair 330d which has done 1k from new & he's got 6 months garden leave from his job as a rocket engineer..... Obviously I'm talking b******s but I'm trying to make the point that most people on this site rubbish others ideas for no good reason.

[chris]

Did you buy your car to stick with the current engine, or was it always planned to have the LS1 in there?

And fair enough. OP are you prepared for all the work?

So short list

Engine, hopefully later M57TU lump (complete so airbox and housings) plus mounts

Full exhaust from a 330d, and manifold etc

Gearbox (6sp) from a 330d

Fuel pump and lines from a 330d

Diff, prop shaft, drive shafts from a 330d

Complete ECU and engine loom from a 330d

Some bits you can use, just get coded. So cluster, LCM etc

Yes this can be done, but personally if you are going to do it, then 535d injectors, uprated Garret turbo, quaiffe LSD. And then strenghten the rear subframe as the 330d's were.

Really would like to see it done, but would be boring just to do the engine swap, so get it to 350 or 400 horses

[Matt_S]

Disappointed in you Matt coming from Jap crap/drift scene you'll have seen people do stuff that makes no sense financially just for fun or because someone said they can't!!!

Maybe the OP has a mint 320d with upgraded suspension/brakes etc but his swil flaps have destroyed the engine & his long lost uncle buck has left him his wrotten as pair 330d which has done 1k from new & he's got 6 months garden leave from his job as a rocket engineer..... Obviously I'm talking b******s but I'm trying to make the point that most people on this site rubbish others ideas for no good reason.

LOL. No need to be disappointed mate. I stuck a Skyline engine in my S13 before anyone else, and it cost me $$$$! People used to ask me "why dont you just buy a Skyline" and Id say 'cos I dont want a Skyline and cant afford an R34' whcih was true.

Then, years later, we put an RB26DETT into my mates S14a and then swapped it out to another mates car a couple of years later.

IF, like you suggest the guy is lucky enough to be in those exceptional circumstances, then its up to him. But if the OP has any small amount of common sense, he'd be best to stick with the std motor. Has the OP considered that the car wont be a 330d, it will be a MODIFIED 320d and therefore straight away, it wont be insurable via the normal routes that he perhaps takes.

When you budget an engine swap, price it up and then add at LEAST 20% as all jobs cost more than you think.

I think it fair that we advise the OP on all matters, rather than just not add to the OPs bubble of 'a 330d lump in my car? Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!'

Or else, we may be reading of a 'unfinished project up for grabs' thread in 6 months time!

[Blair]

Did you buy your car to stick with the current engine, or was it always planned to have the LS1 in there?

Mine was bought to do the swap.

And fair enough. OP are you prepared for all the work?

So short list

Engine, hopefully later M57TU lump (complete so airbox and housings) plus mounts

Full exhaust from a 330d, and manifold etc don't need the exhaust just the headers & adapt to fit original exhaust

Gearbox (6sp) from a 330d just use the 5speed

Fuel pump and lines from a 330d 320 ones will be adequate

Diff, prop shaft, drive shafts from a 330d use 320 stuff when if it breaks upgrade it!

Complete ECU and engine loom from a 330d don't forget EWS or you'll needed to be an expert with NCS