Introducing the E39 LS3 Build! | BMW E39 LS3 Swap
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- Опубликовано: 31 мар 2020
- Welcome to the Tire Kickers channel! In 2015, my dad decided it was time to ditch the tired and worn out 4.4L V8 that is standard in the E39 540i and begin the LS3 swap. The M62 BMW engine had seen 220,000+ miles in its 15 years of service and the signs were clearly pointing to it needing a major overhaul soon. We have absolutely nothing against this engine as I still daily drive an E39 540i, it was just time for a new and exciting challenge. With that being said, my dad has invested countless hours into building this car and has made an effort to document every part of the project. We're really excited to show you what he has been working on the past 5 months, so definitely stick around until the end of the video!
THE DETAILS
6.2L V8 LS3 Engine
- Manufacturer: Chevrolet
- Vehicles: 5th gen Camaro SS & C6 Corvette
Baseline Dyno Numbers (as of January 2017)
- Power: 381.46 whp
- Torque: 386.80 lb-ft
- With modifications to the intake and the addition of a proper tune, these numbers increased. Unfortunately we do not have the data to back this up.
As far as future content is concerned, you can expect a comparison of what this car used to be (my E39) versus what it is now (this LS3 beast). We also plan to dive into the technical details and explain what a project of this magnitude requires. This video is intended to be a quick summary of everything that has happened in the past 5 years without dragging it out. Feel free to drop a comment down below if you have a question you'd like us to answer or have a video topic you want to see, and we'd be stoked for you to SUBSCRIBE so you can keep up with everything that's in store! 
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Some might see this as a reliability upgrade.
M62 engine is definition of reliability
@@IM_ACID Until the chain guides break.. or the VANOS fails...
@@zaknefain100 not if you maintain it properly
Plus everyone knows that the guide chain is trash quality from bmw in that gen car
After market ones are better and the prices too
If you know how to change them since they don’t cost you a lot of time and money you’ll be set
That's what I'm thinking
Sweet build. Supercharged LS swap and still has A/C!
I remember seeing this car at Cars and Coffee dallas back in 2017, I had just gotten my e39 i6 and this was the first and only LS swap i've personally seen. Keep it up 🤙🏼
OMG only 2k views and 600 subs, you deserve to be big
Wow! Great job!
Rebadge the car into 562i! Lmao, anyway nice swap mate!
haha we considered that, it would definitely confuse some people! Appreciate it!
@@TireKickers rebadging is definitely in order... I was actually Thinkin bout upgrading to an 2001 m5 low miles and starting my build all over again -but I’d rather complete my very own (1998 e39 528i) started build & see where it takes me ... thank you for making this video... I’ll drop a video on my RUclips channel soon watch out for it... I’ll tag you guys in it
I’m curious mounts transmission and ecu used on the swap aswell as manifolds
Wicked!
wow amazing shop that's awesome bro airplanes and all so cool!
Yeah man it's a lot of fun and nice to have all the space!
I like it!
I would like to do a E38 740iL body, white with tan interior. The Corvette power plant and 6spd transmission is my choice to RUN!🤩👍
That sounds shockingly similar exhaust wise. Almost exactly like an m62tu.
I have an E38 that I plan on doing an LS swap with eventually. How did you handle the tachometer and other electronic connections to the car.
U need more subs bro!
What trans are you using!? This is awesome btw, great job!
how did you make all of the gauges and the key work? I have an e60 parts car and I want to put it in my e39. DVMD says no way to do it. The two DME's not workable
If you've got the footage I'd really like to see the electrical systems you stripped out that were no longer necessary with the LS installed. It's a spaghetti nightmare under the carpet and sound deadening material. Great project!
We’re working on a write up summary for the electrical stuff that we can share with the community in the near future. I also expect that we’ll make a video about the electrical work, so if we have that footage you mentioned we’ll make sure it’s included. It’s definitely the biggest headache of it all, but thanks for stopping by!
@@TireKickers any follow up on this yet? currently in the process of doing this myself
Great job! 381 hp. You're just 15 hp shy of BMW's own S62 396 hp V8. A free flowing exhaust and a K N filter would put you over the top. Bet this costs a whole lot less than an S62
Appreciate it Brian!
Sir that's 381whp, crank is 450hp atleast the bmw has 396hp which is lower.
381whp is way higher than 396 crank hp
Omg it’s real!
What electronics interface are you using? The main wire harness or custom. I have an E39 540I M-sport 6spd. I love my car but I want to restore it any information will save me so much time in getting the parts together.
How did you get the odometer to work with this motor properly???
Awesome work! What exhaust are you running on that? I’m LS swapping a 740il and I don’t want it to sound like a freight train…
How much was this build? I love the e39 540i but not down to revuild an m62 just for the timing chain guides to go again
Sooo sick!!!
How was the process of the wiring? In the process of swapping a turbo 6.0 in my e39!
How did that work for you im thinking about swapping mine e39 530i as well
What engine mount kit did you guys use
I mean holy shiiiiit !!!!! I thought my 2002 540i was the shit nvmnd !!!!
What kind of headers are you running ? Do you have a 4l60 or 4l80 trans?
Which headers did you use?
did you use the stock E39 gearbox or did you swap it to something else?
Didn’t need to change the trans? An how much did the ls3 engine alone cost
What muffler model numbers did he use?
What needs to be done to swap the Ls in
what kind of radiator you use it
What do you need to Ls swap it from m62
where did he purchase the motor mounts????
I have a E39 a was considering scrapping. I also have a crate LM7 from summit. Was the work worth it to you?
How much does this cost? I want to ls swap my wagon 😣
What kind of transmission do you have
Good work driveshaft for t56 ?
How much bigger is the ls3 vs ls2..how was fitting the engine,? Looks greatly fit in there
Theyre almost identical in size the difference in the ls3 and ls2 is the ls3 is an aluminum block, bigger bore and crank but pretty much same size as a 6.0 ls2
How much was the swap around?
Power steering how he make it work
Этот свап моя мечта😁
Man I want to do this to my E39. Unfortunately beyond my mechanical skills.
I decided to do this swap to my 99 e39 528i
Sweet man, is it done or are you still working on it?
Sorry to bug you guys again, but what did you do for the drive shaft? Shortened it up or custom one piece?
Jerome Irving no worries man good question, the drive shaft is a Camaro/BMW hybrid. From the flex disc (giubo) to the UV joint is the front half of a 2010 Camaro driveshaft, and from the UV joint to the diff is the stock BMW driveshaft. We took everything to a shop to have it properly put together and balanced. Also, send an email to thetirekickers@gmail.com so we can send you the pics of the shifter that you asked about yesterday.
Is there a build thread anywhere for this car I have a 99 540i 6sp that I’d like to swap.
We've put together a google doc that documents a decent amount of the build. It's not completely polished up yet, but will hopefully help explain the biggest challenges we faced. Feel free to send an email over to thetirekickers@gmail.com if you're interested!
I was thinking ford Barra or a JZ2 ???
WHAT SHIFTER TI YOU USE FOR THE TR 6060? I WILL BE DOING A SIMILAR SWAP ON A E39 WAGON AFTER THIS PANDEMIC IS OVER.
It’s a stock 2010 Camaro shifter that came with the TR 6060 transmission. It places the gear lever about 3/4” farther forward than the BMW Getrag shifter. We have pictures if you need them.
YES PLEASE, BECAUSE SIKKY MANUFACTORING NOW MAKES A SHORTHROW THA BOLTS IN LACED OF THE SHIFTER PLATE ON THE TR6060
FORGIVE MY SPELLING
Hello, I have a big request for you, I want to assemble a BMW E 39 540 car. I have an LQ9 engine. I want to make 500-600hp out of it. there are many questions about the swap. if you can please tell me in more detail. I will be grateful to you. thanks
Question? Is it a bmw/corvette
corvette/bmw
I need to get in contact with you guys, located in Kansas, wanting to do an LS3 swap on my 528 E39, any tips or suggestions would be the most appreciated! Thank you
Hey Taylor, feel free to send an email over to thetirekickers@gmail.com and we'll be happy to help answer any questions you have!
Voll geil! In Deutschland gibt es sowas nicht! Wieviel hat der Umbau gekostet? Gruß Erik
Vielen Dank! Wir schätzen, dass der erste Teil der Renovierung etwa 12.000 US-Dollar gekostet hat, aber mit dem Kompressor wird es mehr sein. Wir planen, bald ein Video darüber zu machen!
I've been on my E39 LS3 swap since 2017 and now I'm done just trying to figer out my cluster pin out
How easy was it or hard
@@THEOAKLANDBABY510 I'd say it was hard considering it took him 4 years lmao
Did you guys make the mounts yourself or did you buy them? Im about to purchase jesus freak mounts to put a ls in my 528 wagon
A guy named Madison Belcher was making the mounts for the 540, but Jesus Freak is the guy for the 528. Hope that helps!
@@TireKickers yes sir I guess Madison isn't making mounts anymore?
@@PolymathDom That's what we've heard, kinda unfortunate but I think there are some other options out there for the 540
What did you do for wiring? All dash functions work?
We originally used an "Arduino" that converted the tach and water temp signals from the GM E67 ECU into readable signals for the BMW instrument cluster. To answer your question, all dash functions worked but we're currently working on getting away from the Arduino because our tuning software wasn't registering other important data like knock and alcohol values after the Supercharger install. We've had a couple questions about wiring so we're making sure we document everything so we can share in the near future.
Wiring the instrument cluster for the E39, be it 528/530/540 is straight forward. But you do need to know if you have the Low Cluster or High Cluster. Low cluster has 2 plugs in the back and the High cluster has 3 plugs. You also need to have BMW Coding software, PASOFT or NCSExpert/NCSDummy to code the cluster. You can search the interweb for the coding software. You are basically turning off TACH/Temp from CanBus to Analog. All 1997-1999 cars used analog signal, so all the tech and pins are already in the cluster.
You can also turn off the Traction control light in the cluster, code the cluster to a manual gearbox if needed, and you can get the CEL light to work in conjunction with the GM ECU. Its only a ground that turns on the light in the cluster, and that's exactly how the GM ECU operates. Uses a ground to turn on the light when a code is thrown.
All the Pins for the Tach/Temp and CEL are in the cluster already, in fact, the wires are already in the plugs, and color coded, so you could if you so desired, trace the wires into the E-Box under the cabin filter on pax side of car and tap into them in the e-box. I basically made my own, color coded, 4 wire bundle, and ran that to the ebox. Im lazy that way and didn't want to trace wires. 2 wires for the BMW coolant sensor that you will be installing into the rear of the passenger side cylinder head, 1 wire for the Tach and 1 wire for the CEL.
On the back of my high cluster is a "18-pin black
plug". The Check engine Light is powered through X16 #17, so don't screw with that wire already there. It is providing the +12 for the light. The ground to "actuate" the light is X16 #2. You will run the single wire from the GM ECU for CEL, its a ground signal, to this pin.
In the coding you will also need to change the following:
Can-drehzahl (rpm) Konventionell
Can-ganganzeige (gear display)
Konventionell
Can-kuehlmitteltemp (coolant temp)
Konventionell
Motor-faktor (4cyl or 6cyl tach)
2_imp/umdrehung (for 4cyl tach)
If you are using NCSExpert you can change all of the above, including the 2_imp per revolution setting. In PASoft the only option available for selection is for 3 or 4 Imp. I will tell you I have both software packages on a stand alone PC PASoft is way easier to use than NCSEpert.
These are all on 26-pin blue plug on IKE cluster (High Cluster):
#3 tach
(Run the white GM Tach Signal wire in the GM bulkhead connector to this pin, if using a stock GM harness and GM fuse box that has a bulkhead connector)
#18 BR/GE and #19 BR/VI coolant temp - Use this temp sensor - 13621703993
Double temperature switch. Its a stock BMW sensor and literally screws into the head of the LS motor. No thread adapter is needed. I snipped the coolant temp plug off my old BMW harness and it plugs right into this sensor and you can tap the wire into #18 & 19.
Depending on whether or not its intercooled, one can make an educated guess as to your new power numbers (at least until the official dyno numbers come out). Add 20 percent of your baseline power numbers if not intercooled, 30 percent if intercooled. Per my desktop Calculator, 381.46 x 1.2 (non-intercooled) = 457.752 hp (go ahead and round up to a nice 458 - anyone complaining about fudging one quarter of a hp really needs to get life) or 381.46 x 1.3 (intercooled) = 495.898 hp, or let's round it up to a nice 496 hp, right at exactly 100 horsepower more than an S62 V8 powered M5, or more importantly, just 4 hp shy of an E60 V10 M5 (without the camshaft bearing issues and the five figure ($35k plus, not counting labor cost to replace the engine) replacement cost of a new S85 V10 engine assembly). Might be best to go with the more conservative engine numbers until the dyno test reveals the actual output. My estimates don't count any other modifications to the engine.
Not sure what your dad paid for the swap in all, but even if it does approach the $12k overhaul of the stock M62 engine, he's still coming out way ahead of the stock 282 hp the original engine put out, and hopefully the maintenance is a lot more liveable with the LS3.
Good luck and please keep us all posted! (already clicked on Subscribe button)
I'm a numbers guy as I have an Engineering background, so I appreciate your calculations. We're looking forward to getting the car on the dyno and I'll refer back to this comment to see how everything compares. There have been some minor things that have required our attention to get it ready for the tuner, but we'll summarize all of that in a video in the near future.
The S85 is an awesome engine, just unfortunate that it has those issues that you mentioned. I'd imagine we'll also make a video on the total cost of the swap, although the time invested is immeasurable at this point. My dad has always wanted to do a project like this so it's pretty cool to see it come to fruition. Thanks again for watching and supporting!
Brian, with the ported supercharger, 4 1/2" intake tube, extreme fueling, and extreme intercooling its going to be way more than 458.....but once we hit the dyno we will have solid numbers that we will share. The journey is more than half the fun....
How much would you charge to do this again I just purchased a 540i
If you're interested in doing something like this in the future, we'd suggest budgeting about $10k for all of the parts including the engine, transmission, driveshaft, motor mounts, etc. Labor is another story because there's a decent amount of customization involved and we did this ourselves so I don't have an exact number to quote for you, but it'd prolly be somewhere in the ballpark between $5k-$10k.
@@TireKickers hi man do you have a list of all the added parts that i would need to buy in order to do this for a 528i
Hey how do I talk to you?
Is the Rear diff stock? Also is the suspension and brakes stock?
The rear diff is from the E39 M5, we're running EAS Tuning Coilovers, and have the M5 brakes in the rear with stock brakes in the front. A big brake kit for the front is at the top of the to-do list!
Tire Kickers thanks for replying when it comes to the rear diff is it the stock M5 gear ratio of 3.15? And does it have the stock 2-clutch LSD layout? Or did you upgrade it?
@@hookahspot8973 its the stock M5 gear ratio and 2-clutch layout, but we bought a 4-clutch pack that we'll eventually instal.
Sweet thanks for the info appreciate it
@@hookahspot8973 Anytime!
Why didn't you put a 5.0 coyote engine..? Was it because that is a physically larger engine or just personal preference...?
LS swap sooo much easier, cheaper, and much more well documented, as well has having much more aftermarket for swaps like these. Also yes size, the LS is physically much smaller than the coyote, and is still pretty tight in that engine bay
Did the guy programming the arduino unit ever change email, I am having trouble getting in contact with him
Just sent you a response to your email, let us know if you have additional questions!
I would be interested in know how you did the wiring harness integration into bmw harness... i currently am working on my 2000 540i ls swap build. Going single big turbo on it.
Will this pass the smog? lol
haha yes it will, and has for the past 3 years!
Still sounds like a bmw v8 strangely
What oil pan did you go with?
What? Why?
I see that vw coolant bubble
That’s offensive
Hahah glad you were able to look past the Corvette motor 😂
Do a giveaway lol or just let me give you like 5 k and my 01 530i in mint condition!!!???
Swap and supercharger costs more than 5k in parts alone I'd imagine, not even mentioning the time to swap it
Awesome car... I’m in awe...imma post this video on my Instagram page... I’ve watched these two last e39 videos of yours maybe a half dozen times already... here’s my e39... Instagram@e39my_baby
It's Not a e39!
what a downgrade.... poor 540.. I hope it had some engine issues or something... if not, why didnt you get a 520 or 525 ?
I think you’d change your mind if you had the chance to experience the car. There were lots of reasons we swapped the powertrain, but the primary reason was the stock BMW engine had 240,000 miles and would have cost just as much to rebuild as the LS3 swap. We still have a stock 540 and E46 M3 in the family to compare it against, and this thing is quite a beast.
Nice way to ruin a perfect E39.