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Getting Ready
The car was shipped to our shop in Texas by truck, and after an initial examination, we ordered the new engine and set right to work. Out came the S14 engine and transmission for immediate shipment to Gil Caravantes of San Francisco who needed a spare for his failed racecar engine after the BMW CCA 2002 National Championship Race. Next we removed the old engine wiring harness and the bad control unit in preparation for the upgrade parts. While waiting for the new engine to arrive we fabricated a few needed brackets, modified a set of 635 motor mounts to use for the conversion, modified and installed a brake booster from an E21 to give more intake manifold clearance, rounded up an oil pan from an E34 525i, ordered a dipstick and an oil pump pick-up for a M50 525i, and installed a 6 cylinder coding plug in the instrument cluster to make the tach work. 

We also installed the Suspension Techniques adjustable rear sway bar at this time. Later, after the engine installation, we would install another Suspension techniques sway bar in the front to help control the slightly heavier front end of the car and provide additional clearance for the E36 catalytic converters in the E30 body.

The E30 M3 comes with a 4.11 differential ratio, which is fine for a "not enough power" engine that needs to get moving off the line, but is entirely inappropriate for the six-cylinder replacement. While still waiting for the new engine, we took out the 4.11 and installed a 3.25 limited slip differential from an E36 325i. Next we checked over the car and discovered that all the brakes were a bit compromised, so we replaced all the worn rotors and reassembled with new PBR Metal Master brake pads. We also installed new stainless steel reinforced brake hoses for improved brake pedal feel.

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