Auto to manual

[E46 KDT]

Hi guys 

just joined the forum even tho I’m part of the e46 fanatics one as well, but nobody there knows shi* about the M43. Anyways was thinking of converting my auto box to a manual. Anyone know the cost on labour for that? 

[momo]

If that other post about your insurance is true - sell the car mate! Get something cheaper then if you really want, buy a 330Ci manual down the line.

I don't know about yours specifically but I know someone who can do 330d/330i Auto-manual conversion for around £900 supplied and fitted. Well, that was the price last time I checked. I would expect the gearbox for the 318 to be cheaper.

[E46 KDT]

On 27/12/2020 at 22:40, momo said:

If that other post about your insurance is true - sell the car mate! Get something cheaper then if you really want, buy a 330Ci manual down the line.

I don't know about yours specifically but I know someone who can do 330d/330i Auto-manual conversion for around £900 supplied and fitted. Well, that was the price last time I checked. I would expect the gearbox for the 318 to be cheaper.

I will never sell this car! I have put way to much into this. so many parts changed. And it was my first car so again another reason not to sell it. Every week I wash her and 2 times a week I use a jet wash to remove the mud in the week well and body, since its winter. 

£900?! Send me the guys number! £900 is way to good to be true. And where is he located? 

 

Edited August 20, 2023 by E46 KDT

[momo]

Good to see someone taking pride in their car! Keep it up!

The guy i've heard of is Las Erikas on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/erikaslas

However if the rest of the car is in good enough condition, i'd keep it as it is then maybe go for an engine & gearbox swap. I personally don't think the E46 suits anything under the 325.

There's another guy on Facebook called Nick Jupp who breaks E46s. If Las doesn't have what you need, Nick will. But Las is the man to fit it all. He's done loads of conversions on the BMW E46 Owners Club FB group.

[E46 KDT]

7 minutes ago, momo said:

Good to see someone taking pride in their car! Keep it up!

The guy i've heard of is Las Erikas on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/erikaslas

However if the rest of the car is in good enough condition, i'd keep it as it is then maybe go for an engine & gearbox swap. I personally don't think the E46 suits anything under the 325.

There's another guy on Facebook called Nick Jupp who breaks E46s. If Las doesn't have what you need, Nick will. But Las is the man to fit it all. He's done loads of conversions on the BMW E46 Owners Club FB group.

Oh lovely lovely I’ve sent him a message on Facebook so hoping he opens it and replies back. 
yes agree as well on the engine but again it’s all due to the insurance price at my age and location. Getting insured on a 1.9L coupe bm is hard enough as it is at 18 living in London so getting insured on a 2.5 or bigger is basically impossible. 

[E46 KDT]

12 hours ago, momo said:

Good to see someone taking pride in their car! Keep it up!

The guy i've heard of is Las Erikas on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/erikaslas

However if the rest of the car is in good enough condition, i'd keep it as it is then maybe go for an engine & gearbox swap. I personally don't think the E46 suits anything under the 325.

There's another guy on Facebook called Nick Jupp who breaks E46s. If Las doesn't have what you need, Nick will. But Las is the man to fit it all. He's done loads of conversions on the BMW E46 Owners Club FB group.

Looks like he has sorted me out! He said he’ll do the conversation on mine. He wanted to also swap it for a 325 engine but just the insurance is the only thing stopping me so I said next year I’ll get the engine swapped. 

[momo]

Nice! He seems to do loads so you should be in good hands.

Is it not worth hanging on and doing the engine and gearbox swap together?

You could always go down the "engine converted to 6.2ltr but says 1.0ltr on log book" route? lol 🤣

Edited December 29, 2020 by momo

[E46 KDT]

9 minutes ago, momo said:

Nice! He seems to do loads so you should be in good hands.

Is it not worth hanging on and doing the engine and gearbox swap together?

You could always go down the "engine converted to 6.2ltr but says 1.0ltr on log book" route? lol 🤣

Do you know how many he’s done? How’s yours since you got yours done by him. 
also I just want the manual conversation done at the moment then the engine next year. And how long did he take on your conversation? 

[momo]

2 hours ago, E46 KDT said:

Do you know how many he’s done? How’s yours since you got yours done by him. 
also I just want the manual conversation done at the moment then the engine next year. And how long did he take on your conversation? 

He didn't do mine, sorry.. Mine is manual from factory.

I'm a member of a few Facebook groups and every time someone asks the question - he's the man they all quote.

Las Erikas for conversions (and some parts).
Nick Jupp for any other part you need
Glen B Wilding for diesel tuning (he's tuned a 320d to 330bhp I think?).
Matthew Berry for performance clutch kits

[E46 KDT]

32 minutes ago, momo said:

He didn't do mine, sorry.. Mine is manual from factory.

I'm a member of a few Facebook groups and every time someone asks the question - he's the man they all quote.

Las Erikas for conversions (and some parts).
Nick Jupp for any other part you need
Glen B Wilding for diesel tuning (he's tuned a 320d to 330bhp I think?).
Matthew Berry for performance clutch kits

Ah I see I see. 
well I’m going to buy a new clutch anyways and a new master cylinder and new bolts so probably in parts like £500. 

[E46 KDT]

On 29/12/2020 at 19:49, momo said:

He didn't do mine, sorry.. Mine is manual from factory.

I'm a member of a few Facebook groups and every time someone asks the question - he's the man they all quote.

Las Erikas for conversions (and some parts).
Nick Jupp for any other part you need
Glen B Wilding for diesel tuning (he's tuned a 320d to 330bhp I think?).
Matthew Berry for performance clutch kits

hey mate yeah Las said £800 and I thought he meant £800 in labour but I spoke to him again today and he said it was £800 in parts and labour! 

Do you now anybody that has used him to get theirs swapped? as im a bit suspicious with the £800 for everything. 

[momo]

If you're on Facebook check him out - there's lots of people on there who have nothing but good things to say about him. BUT as with the nature of Facebook it's difficult to go back and find old posts.

Tbh it doesn't sound that cheap? Seems about right to me..

Gearbox will only be a couple of hundred so he's charging maybe 50% of it for labour (if you take the rest of the bill as all the other bits that may be needed). £400 for a swap is about right, isn't it?

Here's a 318 manual gearbox for £110

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-3-SERIES-2003-E46-318-2-0-N42B20A-ENGINE-5-SPEED-MANUAL-GEARBOX-2200022597-/252857523170

(no idea if it would fit yours, but more for guidance)

[E46 KDT]

8 minutes ago, momo said:

If you're on Facebook check him out - there's lots of people on there who have nothing but good things to say about him. BUT as with the nature of Facebook it's difficult to go back and find old posts.

Tbh it doesn't sound that cheap? Seems about right to me..

Gearbox will only be a couple of hundred so he's charging maybe 50% of it for labour (if you take the rest of the bill as all the other bits that may be needed). £400 for a swap is about right, isn't it?

Here's a 318 manual gearbox for £110

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-3-SERIES-2003-E46-318-2-0-N42B20A-ENGINE-5-SPEED-MANUAL-GEARBOX-2200022597-/252857523170

(no idea if it would fit yours, but more for guidance)

I’m only a bit worried cause tbh £800 sounded really cheap for me that’s all. 
yeah I have Facebook and I’m on the e36 E46 Owners club Uk and he’s also on there. 
 

[momo]

Probably worth asking if he's going to put a new/used clutch/flywheel/bearing in there when he does the swap.

But tbh the more I think about it - £800 sounds about right. Especially if he has all the conversion parts on the shelf.

[E46 KDT]

On 21/01/2021 at 13:16, momo said:

Probably worth asking if he's going to put a new/used clutch/flywheel/bearing in there when he does the swap.

But tbh the more I think about it - £800 sounds about right. Especially if he has all the conversion parts on the shelf.

I see cause I want good parts to go into the swap. so I have a spreadsheet on the parts. 

 

 

Edited August 20, 2023 by E46 KDT

[E46 KDT]

43 minutes ago, momo said:

Probably worth asking if he's going to put a new/used clutch/flywheel/bearing in there when he does the swap.

But tbh the more I think about it - £800 sounds about right. Especially if he has all the conversion parts on the shelf.

He said “used good mate” so I’ll have to trust him. 

[momo]

If you have the budget - get new clutch/flywheel kit ready for the swap.

Used will work but the gearbox is already down, no point paying for labour again in a year or two.

[momo]

Also price wise you have to remember he breaks BMWs too - he probably paid £500 for the whole car so doing the conversion for £800 he's probably made back the entire investment already, but he's still got the rest of the car he can sell in bits. He'll make a big chunk on that!

Your spreadsheet looks like mostly new parts? That'll be why it's so much cheaper

[E46 KDT]

1 minute ago, momo said:

Also price wise you have to remember he breaks BMWs too - he probably paid £500 for the whole car so doing the conversion for £800 he's probably made back the entire investment already, but he's still got the rest of the car he can sell in bits. He'll make a big chunk on that!

Your spreadsheet looks like mostly new parts? That'll be why it's so much cheaper

Yeah I think I’ll get the new clutch kit from euro car parts cause it’s only £114. And yes all the parts of the spreadsheet at brand new. 
I said to him I’ll get back to him end of the month about it cause 99% I’ll do it at the end of the month once I get paid. 
I hope he’s good. Cause it’s 70 miles away from me. 

[E46 KDT]

7 hours ago, momo said:

Also price wise you have to remember he breaks BMWs too - he probably paid £500 for the whole car so doing the conversion for £800 he's probably made back the entire investment already, but he's still got the rest of the car he can sell in bits. He'll make a big chunk on that!

Your spreadsheet looks like mostly new parts? That'll be why it's so much cheaper

Spoken to him some more and I’m going tomorrow to him to drop the car off. And he said he’ll start work on Wednesday and it’ll take 2-3 days 

[dontpannic]

On 21/01/2021 at 22:30, E46 KDT said:

Spoken to him some more and I’m going tomorrow to him to drop the car off. And he said he’ll start work on Wednesday and it’ll take 2-3 days 

How did it go?

If and when my auto box dies a manual conversion is on the cards for me I think!

[E46 KDT]

On 17/02/2021 at 15:27, dontpannic said:

How did it go?

If and when my auto box dies a manual conversion is on the cards for me I think!

Well, I went to him and dropped the car off and after 3 days I came to pick it up and I test drove it and it was horrible to drive. The gear changes were sooo bad  and half the time it didn’t want to go into first. He had fitted my 318ci with A 330 clutch and flywheel which were way to heavy for my engine, he also changed my diff as I had a 4.44 diff from my old automatic so in 5th gear I was doing 30mph at 2k rpm! That meant my top speed was like 40mph hahah. He changed the diff to a 3.45 diff which fixed that problem. The biting point was really small and that made moving off extremely hard, also when I changed gear the whole dam car would shake soooo much and it felt like the back of the car was crashing.

 

 But it was like 11pm and my only way home was to take the car home since there were no trains running from 11pm back to London. 

 

After 3 weeks he was able to change the flywheel and clutch and he changed it to a 318 single mass flywheel and a 318 clutch. Whilst I was there, I thought may as well change the diff bushings to poly bushings since mine were on the way out and I also changed some of the shifter bushings and also the gearbox mounts. I also saw that the manual gearbox was leaking so I ask him to change it for another one and he did that as well. I then test drove it and it was really good, the clutch was soooo much lighter than before and it was 10 times easier to move of in and the gear changes felt sooo smooth. I was really happy with it. 

 

Also, when I went back to him, he did all those changes for free for me which I really appreciated, it made up for the bad 330 flywheel and clutch that he fitted.

 

The only reason he didn’t do my car correctly the first time was because he said he had never done an m43 engine before, and that’s understandable cause the m43 is rare and nobody with an m43 gets a manual swap hahah. They swap the engine at the same time. But he’s done sooo many manual swaps he’s extremely good and for the price he charged its unbelievable! Id highly rate him.

  

So even after all that trouble it was 100% worth it. I love to drive the car now and now in town I get 28mpg and on the auto id get 20mpg and on the motorway I now get 47 mpg were before on the automatic id get 40mpg. So, I have saved on fuel as well. Like weekly I’m saving like £6 in fuel.

 

I also kept my old diff which I’m selling now and also my old automatic gearbox which I’m also selling. 

[momo]

Glad it worked out!

Yeah, can imagine the M43 is a bit of a new one for him.. Haha. Well, at least he can say he's done one now!

[dontpannic]

Thats good to know. Hopefully my auto box doesn't die, but at least I have a source now if I don't fancy doing the swap myself lol.

Thanks for updating us!

[momo]

2 hours ago, dontpannic said:

Thats good to know. Hopefully my auto box doesn't die, but at least I have a source now if I don't fancy doing the swap myself lol.

Thanks for updating us!

He probably has a good selection of Auto Boxes lying around if you just want to do a straight swap! 😆