I just got a kit+mani on ebay. I'll measure everything up and give ya some specs. I wanted to do this myself too but found myself in your predicament, so I just bit the bullet and got lucky with a used kit

 

That would be awesome! Also, let me know if there was anything difficult about the swap. And if theres anything in particular I need to prepare myself for. What could make it easier, stuff like that.

I've been thinking doing a write up on this swap when I go through with it. Its seems to be a pretty wanted mod for us e36er's and we cant seem too find anything but half assed write ups on the net...

 

Well you can follow the Pelican article for removing the old manifold, which isn't too hard. The nut closest to the firewall is a bastard.

As far as the adapter kit goes, you're dead on thinking you don't need to buy a kit for $150. They're absolutely overpriced. All you need is the necessary hosing with a bunch of hose clamps and connectors.

In the end, the hose needs to look like the blue piece in this picture courtesy of Bimmerworld:

That piece connects the crankcase breather to the manifold and the ICV (I believe). I'd say before taking all the vacuum hoses apart under there, as there are a good amount of them, label where things go with tape or something similar. I started the swap process and didn't label anything. I ended up not having the right parts, and was left with a large vacuum leak, and a screwed up car (I connected the vanos plug into a plug on the fuel rail. Needless to say it ran like crap).

Other than that, make sure you have all the gaskets: the 6 for the m50 manifold, 1 for the throttle body, and enjoy the swap experience.

!!!ALSO!!! I don't know what you've got for mileage, but when I took my M52 manifold off, two of the injector tips cracked. It was an easy enough fix to get the repair kits for $6 per tip, but just a reminder: they can be pretty brittle and crack easily. Depending on how lucky you are, a piece or two might fall into the actual cylinder. Be ready for it

Manifold Removal

Bimmerworld Adapter

 

I feel comfortable with piecing my own kit together. I just don't know where the main plastic piece that actually enters the manifold came from?

 

Unless your crusing at 4500 RPM's and higher, you'll actually lose some torque down low

 

Yeah, i've read that. But about 80 percent of people who have done the mod claim they can't even feel the loss. It makes plenty of sense. Bigger bores = Better air flow + OEM part + $27.00 at Salvage Yard = Cheap Gains. Essential if your up for future upgrades. You can tell the M52 is choking for air at higher rpm's as is.

 

Amen to that. OEM upgrades rock, because you can tell people its stock and they believe it, until you race them The way I look at it is this: Low end power is the stuff that gets you into trouble, because either you have too much fun with it, or you accidentally get too comfortable with it (without suspecting it). When your in the high range, you know what your doing with the gas, and youre there 97% of the time when your racing anyway. Get what I mean? :thumbup: