When you install the new engine, bear in mind that you can move these mounts to get a good fit before tightening them again.
BMW engine mounts are remarkably simple and straightforward. Undo the nuts and the engine lifts right off. The body-side mounts are movable so you can adjust the new engine to fit perfectly.
The engine lift point at the forward end is located right around the VANOS hardware. A convenient lifting loop is provided for you, and this attaches to strong points on the engine for safe lifting.
With the clutch and flywheel off, the S52 engine lifts out of the engine bay quite easily. Be sure you’ve drained the oil before you begin, as it’s much harder to drain with the engine out.
The flywheel is already removed from this engine for the lifting process, but you can also see the rear lifting tab, which you find on the driver’s side just behind the cylinder head.
Here’s the body-side engine mount, with its rubber isolator and vibration dampener. This mount moves around a bit so you can position the engine onto it and then tighten everything into place.
The engine mount is fixed to the side of the engine and made of cast aluminum. This is a great place to grab on and move the engine around, but make sure your hands are out before settling the mount onto its pad.
Installing the S54 engine is the easiest part of the operation. The oil pan and other parts are similar enough that it drops right in. The challenges come with the various sensors and other connections that differ from the E36 line.
The stock radiator is a good unit, but those plastic tanks are prone to cracking. If you’re investing the money in an S54 engine, buy an aluminum high-performance radiator. They don’t cost much.
This custom radiator incorporates shrouding, an electric fan, and a separate aluminum overflow tank. This does a much better job for a performance build in the long run.
You can see how all the fittings are TIG welded on the custom radiator. If you want a new water temperature gauge or electric fan thermostat, this is the way to do it.
Once all of the connections are made to the S54 sensors, the DME calibrates itself to stock parameters, but most builders choose to take the car to a tuner at this point for custom programming.
The fuel charge in an engine does its work by expanding as it burns, pushing a piston down in the cylinder. Once the fuel charge has accomplished this task, an efficient engine evacuates spent exhaust gases as quickly as possible, although turbocharged cars scavenge a bit more energy out of the gas on the way out. The exhaust system performs this very simple function, and the exhaust is a great place for you to easily bolt on some low-cost horsepower and torque.
Tip: A note of common sense: Always replace all gaskets and worn fasteners when replacing exhaust components. Exhaust leaks are easy to avoid and a pain to fix.
But before you work on the exhaust, bear in mind that the exhaust system is also a critical emissions control system. Both federal and state laws govern what you can and cannot do to your car.
The catalytic converter has been the cornerstone of automotive emission controls for the past 35 years. Controlling emissions from street cars is an important environmental concern. Cars today are far cleaner than in decades past, thanks in large part to improvements in catalyst technology.
The catalytic converter is a muffler-type device that uses a ceramic or stainless steel alloy web that holds reactive catalyzing material (usually palladium or rhodium). When the exhaust gases pass through the catalytic converter and heat the catalyst, a chemical reaction occurs that helps change carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide, and helps to burn off any unburned hydrocarbons that remain in the exhaust stream before it exits your car.