MyE28.com

mewherman wrote: May 21, 2024 2:25 AM
So I bought this cheap because it was in shockingly unrusty conditon for a 1979 528i in Canada, and it has what is allegedly an M30b35 with that I think is called the 265? 5speed transmission and it ran and drove onto my trailer.

My main question is whether it actually is an M30b35.(it does appear to have the toothed tone wheel for motronic 1.3) I also have many misgivings about the quality of this engine swap.

So this photo is of the oil filter housing, now I'm a non-expert but the b35 in photos I've seen has this top loading cartridge set up, but this guy looks like it's from the original engine or maybe the whole bottom end is original who knows, all I know is it's facing downward and is jammed so hard into the engine mount that there is no way you can change the oil.

Another thing that I have no photos of is the transmission mount, it only has one mount on the passenger side, the transmission case has right and left flanges for mounts, but the bracket only has accommodations for one mount, also all the nuts are finger tight on the mount.

The engine has strong indications that it originally had an engine driven clutch fan which is missing for obvious reasons, there is a small electric fan operating as a pusher in front of the rad, is this original? Or has someone put this there, also I have yet to see it do anything.

The transmission has a strong whining noise in neutral. Maybe there is no oil in it? Who knows.

There are a few other things I have questions about, I appear to have most of the vacuum lines for the evap system missing? Is this going to cause all kinds of issues for me? There are also many electrical plugs that are just plugged into nothing and I have no idea what they are supposed to be for. That said, the engine runs just fine after I changed a fouled spark plug.

I've ordered a number of parts to hopefully get this recommissioned.

The main issue I have at the moment is actually the fact that the person who swapped this bodged the throttle, and the original parts from the E12 chassis that I need to hook up the throttle cable and make it work are missing.

Namely "lever" Part #: 35411113233 and "rod" Part #: 35411107644

also, nothing electrical works except the power sunroof.

My main question for you kind-hearted forum users would be to pursue my photos and see if you can eyeball anything I might not notice that I should be paying attention to. I would also love some wiring diagrams for this engine, so I can trace down this rat's nest, otherwise it will never be reliable.

Mike W. wrote: May 21, 2024 12:45 PM

mewherman wrote: May 21, 2024 2:25 AM
So I bought this cheap because it was in shockingly unrusty conditon for a 1979 528i in Canada, and it has what is allegedly an M30b35 with that I think is called the 265? 5speed transmission and it ran and drove onto my trailer.

Welcome to the group!

If it's a 5 speed and the speedo works it's a 265, that's the only 5 speed with a speedo drive. The 265 has a 3 piece case, plus a removable bellhousing. To further confuse you both the very similar, but 2 piece case 262 and the 265 have a 262 number cast into the front part of the case.

First of all, thank you for taking the time to reply!. I neglected to mention that it is missing the clutch inspection cover and you can simply see the back of the flywheel. I was not able to find a part number for this piece. It does have a speedo cable installed but the speed cable upper part is broken.

My main question is whether it actually is an M30b35.(it does appear to have the toothed tone wheel for motronic 1.3) I also have many misgivings about the quality of this engine swap.

The intake side of the block will sort of tell you the displacement, the original 2.8 would have a 2.5/2.8 cast in denoting the 86MM bore, a 3.5 would have a 3.5 as it was the only one with a 92MM bore.

It does say 3.5 on the intake, but my googling has shown me photos of b30b34 engines that have the same intake so I wasn't sure if that was diagnostic.

So this photo is of the oil filter housing, now I'm a non-expert but the b35 in photos I've seen has this top loading cartridge set up, but this guy looks like it's from the original engine or maybe the whole bottom end is original who knows, all I know is it's facing downward and is jammed so hard into the engine mount that there is no way you can change the oil.

I don't know why it would be jammed against the motor mount, but you're correct, it is the earlier oil filter.

Yeah I'm not sure what to make of that, there must have not been room for the top loader filter housing or they couldn't use it for whatever reason, the bottom of the filter housing is touching the rubber mount.

Another thing that I have no photos of is the transmission mount, it only has one mount on the passenger side, the transmission case has right and left flanges for mounts, but the bracket only has accommodations for one mount, also all the nuts are finger tight on the mount.

Odd looking yes, but that was stock on E12s and E24s thru 82.

Well that is good to know other than the nuts that hold it on not being tight.

The engine has strong indications that it originally had an engine driven clutch fan which is missing for obvious reasons, there is a small electric fan operating as a pusher in front of the rad, is this original? Or has someone put this there, also I have yet to see it do anything.

Yes, it should have an engine driven fan. It's a tight fit, so tight that I've found the minimal fan shroud to have no effect, figure half an inch clearance between the fan and the radiator. But they did also come with a pretty beefy aux electric fan in front of the A/C condenser, 2 speed off switches on the bottom right of the radiator, low speed is nearly silent, high speed you can hear on the freeway. 5 blade, roughly 15" diameter

yes the threads of the fan mount are almost touching the radiator, so you are saying this electric fan is capable of cooling the engine?

The transmission has a strong whining noise in neutral. Maybe there is no oil in it? Who knows.

While rugged and strong, the 265 does have a problem with the input bearing getting noisy. Change the oil, GL 4 is spec'd, especially in Canada a GL 5 will make for difficult cold shifting. There's a thousand threads and opinions on the "perfect" tranny oil.

Yes, all fluids will be changed, it only whines in neutral with the clutch engaged, not while driving.

There are a few other things I have questions about, I appear to have most of the vacuum lines for the evap system missing? Is this going to cause all kinds of issues for me? There are also many electrical plugs that are just plugged into nothing and I have no idea what they are supposed to be for. That said, the engine runs just fine after I changed a fouled spark plug.

I like the evap system stock, it works and decreases emissions a little bit without making it run any worse. Unplugged electrical plugs? E28s had a few, but not E12s that I can remember, so probably a fallout of the less than perfect engine swap.

Yes, so there are probably four or five electrical plugs that appear to be part of the engine harness that are not connected to anything, there is a green coloured vacuum switch on the intake that is part of the purge evap that has nothing going to it. I'm not sure if that should be plugged or what.

I've ordered a number of parts to hopefully get this recommissioned.

The main issue I have at the moment is actually the fact that the person who swapped this bodged the throttle, and the original parts from the E12 chassis that I need to hook up the throttle cable and make it work are missing.

Namely "lever" Part #: 35411113233 and "rod" Part #: 35411107644

Don't hold your breath on those parts fitting that intake, the E12 rod went up thru the intake between the runners.

Oh no, it's the rod and linkage that came from the accelerator pedal in the cab to the fulcrum that is on the engine mount that is missing. The way that the throttle is hooked up on e12 swaps based on the article on the firstfives site uses these missing parts.

also, nothing electrical works except the power sunroof.

Windows might be as simple as the circuit breakers that are located on the kick panel below the steering column.

The breakers are not blown but I'm not too worried about the troubleshooting of stock electrical system stuff. I ordered a copy of the e12 shop manual with the wiring diagrams so it should be just a matter of diagnosing and replacing or repairing those parts.

My main question for you kind-hearted forum users would be to pursue my photos and see if you can eyeball anything I might not notice that I should be paying attention to. I would also love some wiring diagrams for this engine, so I can trace down this rat's nest, otherwise it will never be reliable.

Your pics aren't bad, but bigger would be a big help. Yes the photos became compressed and you can't see anything, I'll post direct links later and take more photos.

Wiring diagrams for many E28 and newer cars are located here, http://wedophones.com/BMWManualsLead.htm If a price is listed it's usually still available, but the prices are not at all accurate.

A valuable resource that lists most every part is here, https://www.realoem.com/bmw/

Thank you!

https://www.firstfives.org/ is a forum for E12s. I'm there also. Not very active these days, but it's pretty slow here too.

Yes, I joined that site but I have not received an activation email.

Theotherotter wrote: May 21, 2024 4:21 PM Congratulations (I think?!) and welcome. Looks like it has the makings of a nice car if you can tackle all the hacked stuff.

I also have an E12 with a B35/5-speed swap- in my case it was a well-done swap, done about 10 years ago in California and BAR legal.

I cannot offer nearly the input that Mike W. did, but I will say a few things.

It should have an engine-mounted fan, whether using the original E12-style pump nose and clutch (that requires you to remove the radiator in order to remove the fan) or the later E28-style pump nose and clutch. Confirm tight clearance; I don't have a shroud on mine, and as long as the cooling system is bled it's never run hot, and that includes long stretches of doing 80-100 across Montana and South Dakota in the summer.

Oil filter is older style and install looks like a cluster.

Photos of underside of trans should help identify, but I'd probably trust Mike W.

Don't take any indication of a part being available on a web site at face value if you have reason to believe it's been NLA - call and have them check. My water valve failed this spring and I found sites that showed it in their inventory but I doubted that - rightfully - and when I called and had them check they confirmed it was NLA all the way back to BMW in Germany. I did find a NOS one and it's a whore to replace, which is why I've been putting it off.

Theotherotter wrote: May 21, 2024 4:21 PM Congratulations (I think?!) and welcome. Looks like it has the makings of a nice car if you can tackle all the hacked stuff.

I also have an E12 with a B35/5-speed swap- in my case it was a well-done swap, done about 10 years ago in California and BAR legal.

I cannot offer nearly the input that Mike W. did, but I will say a few things.

It should have an engine-mounted fan, whether using the original E12-style pump nose and clutch (that requires you to remove the radiator in order to remove the fan) or the later E28-style pump nose and clutch. Confirm tight clearance; I don't have a shroud on mine, and as long as the cooling system is bled it's never run hot, and that includes long stretches of doing 80-100 across Montana and South Dakota in the summer.

Oil filter is older style and install looks like a cluster.

Photos of underside of trans should help identify, but I'd probably trust Mike W.

Don't take any indication of a part being available on a web site at face value if you have reason to believe it's been NLA - call and have them check. My water valve failed this spring and I found sites that showed it in their inventory but I doubted that - rightfully - and when I called and had them check they confirmed it was NLA all the way back to BMW in Germany. I did find a NOS one and it's a whore to replace, which is why I've been putting it off.

Aldo525 wrote: May 21, 2024 5:19 PM Hi, nice car, not too much e12's left here in my country....just curious about the color name/code??....engine bay is "yellow" but outside is "white". Maybe a full color change outside but the original color is the old fashion way....no colors like that today, just silvers, greys, black.....

mewherman wrote: May 21, 2024 4:47 PM
So it should have some kind of fan up there I imagine. Perhaps I will simply installed a larger or additional electric fan. It did come with a new water pump and old fan clutch and pully but no fan.

Mike W. wrote: May 21, 2024 10:00 PM

mewherman wrote: May 21, 2024 4:47 PM
So it should have some kind of fan up there I imagine. Perhaps I will simply installed a larger or additional electric fan. It did come with a new water pump and old fan clutch and pully but no fan.

There's an early and a late fan clutch, which require a different water pump and pulley. The early one, which a '79 would have come with, has a 4 bolt flange. That fan clutch is just stupid expensive. The later one has a threaded hub, oh, about an inch in diameter and the fan clutches aren't cheap, but not outrageous either. Beware parts with the URO name, they seem to be getting a little better, but they don't have a great reputation. Both have the same minimal clearance.

mewherman wrote: May 21, 2024 4:47 PM Oh I am excited and optimistic about the car, I think most of it is very fixable with regards to what has been poorly done. The main work is accomplished, no looking for a rare (around here) old engine and transmission and the body of the car is really solid, not a hint of rot in the rockers or arches. The suspension and brakes look like the were redone before the project was abandoned and it has a lot of newer poly bushings. Someone clearly cared about the car at some point.

So it should have some kind of fan up there I imagine. Perhaps I will simply installed a larger or additional electric fan. It did come with a new water pump and old fan clutch and pully but no fan. The engine seems to run really well and doesn't smoke or make any unusual noises.

The main issue for me will be redoing the poor electrical work and finding some NLA missing parts. I received an email as I kind of assumed I would that they didn't actually have the missing parts I was looking for. So it is going to be down to me either making versions of these myself or finding used examples. I think I could make the rod with parts from amazon but the linkage at the throttle pedal with the splined shaft would be difficult.

What does the throttle set up look like on your e12? How has it been done? If you could provide me with some photos I would be very grateful or perhaps what parts were used instead of the stock parts. Same goes for the clutch fan, which part # fan clutch, blade, and pump do I need?

Some of the other missing parts are the heater cover that screws to the firewall is missing and it is missing the under dash pad on the driver's side.

Thank you very much!

mewherman wrote: Jun 17, 2024 10:25 AM

I will also say although the engine sounds healthy and make a lot of pleasant noise, the car isn't fast at all, my partner could most certainly trounce me in the 1/4 with her high-milage 2010 Nissan Xterra. I imagine the 2.8 liter engine must have been really gutless for this to be a big upgrade.

Mike W. wrote: Jun 17, 2024 1:01 PM

mewherman wrote: Jun 17, 2024 10:25 AM

I will also say although the engine sounds healthy and make a lot of pleasant noise, the car isn't fast at all, my partner could most certainly trounce me in the 1/4 with her high-milage 2010 Nissan Xterra. I imagine the 2.8 liter engine must have been really gutless for this to be a big upgrade.

While cars have gotten quite a bit faster, even with the 2.8, at least with a manual tranny, they were good performers. 1/4 mile in the low 16s and top speed around 120. With any 3.5 they are quite quick. Timing and restricted/plugged cars are a couple of things that can have a dramatic effect on power.

mewherman wrote: Jun 17, 2024 10:25 AM ...
I also repaired the following electrical items, turn signals, gauge cluster, speedo (not electrical but whatever) I did a few other things I can't recall now.
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I'm not sure how to get any trouble codes out of this thing to see if it has issues with could be causing it to be "derated" I did notice that it doesn't have an oxygen sensor and I think it is supposed to, it also seems to be running a bit rich based on the black residue in the tailpipe. I bought an adaptor to hook up to the large round connector under the hood but I couldn't get anything out of it with my code reader, and there is no engine light to use the throttle pedal procedure thing I found online.
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