Why LS Engine Swap Is A Bad Idea , Just Say No To LS Swapped BMW's
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 เม.ย. 2019
- Is Cletus Mcfarland Right ??? Why you should not LS Swap a BMW Or any car or truck for that matter, In this video i explain why LS Engine swaps are overrated and cost 10x more than you thought The end result is a car that is hard to sell and no one wants!!! For Business Contact :
Nathan's BMW Workshop
Po Box 115 Altenburg Mo 63732
nathan.youtube@yahoo.com - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
Theres a guy in his town with an ls swap that keeps gappin this guy😂
Isaiah Frost 😭😭😭😭
Not in mine
😂😂😂😂
Hahahahaha good call. LS are f*cken awesome. BMW motors are shite.
True story Isaiah
I'm a certified BMW technician and LS motors are way more reliable.
Finally, some truth from someone who should know.
LMFAOO
@@300gtmz what is funny about that?
I'm 14, and I'm thinking of saving up money to buy a ls, then in the future ls swap a bmw e36/e30. Think it's a good idea?
@@HolyDznzz yeah, I think it's a great idea. 836 is a pretty easy to swap. E30 is a little bit trickier. You have to relocate some more stuff. Either way really fun car when you get finished. Also they sell for a very good price
Anyone who gets offended when someone swaps something needs a new hobby.
But photographing children is illegal.
@@LemartesLogistics lmao good one
If there’s $1k running, driving, LS swapped BMWs in this dude’s town I’m on my way. It’d save me from having to sneak a BMW motor in the dumpster at work.
$10 to $15k for an LS swap??????? God forbid someone actually makes a $1,000 / $100,000 BMW 7 Series less than 8 years old reliable, fun to drive, easy to maintain, buy parts for and actually enjoy. I don't know how many BMW's less than 10 years old on craigslist now for $2000 not running. LS swaps are making BMW's great again.
He's salty couse he gets gap by ls.
I have a 91 735i 151,000odo no problems far as engine power
Yes bro at least 15k in PARTS. My buddy owns a shop and that's all he does is ls swaps. If I wanted to swap a ls3 into my e46 WITH ac it's at least 15k.
@@Vgk36 jeez 15k? 😅
@@Vgk36 Because, a low mileage LS3 is $6k alone dummy, and another $3k for the TR6060 transmission. But, an iron block 5.3 is $500.
So much misinformation in this video. We get it you either don't like LS engines or don't like seeing them in BMWs either way putting out bad information is lame. Most people that do LS swaps nowadays don't even use the LS1 but some sort of LS variant i.e. the 5.3 ,6.0 or the 6.2 LS3. I agree taking out a stock M5 motor if still running and healthy isn't the cheapest solution but if its blown why not. Whats the cost on a BMW motor these days? I can bet its not 250-500 like an LS you can pull from your local pick and pull. There is a reason a-lot of drag,drift, and road course cars have switched to the LS. RELIABILITY and cheaper power.
Danny Williams and if you blow one up its a 5 minute craigslist search to find a replacement.
His price point only tells the wrong story. Misleading points and his experience with what happened is his only.
@jokrj one transmission in the early e46/e39 was. The rest are getrag/ZF units.
So I was thinking about somehow giving my bmw more horsepower because it’s pretty boring, it’s a 2008 528i, and I was looking at about a 2005 6.2L LS swap, would that be a good idea?
Facts.
I have 7k total into my 5.3 vortec (ls) swapped bmw e46 including the car, coilovers, swap kit, engine, 700hp fuel system, and angle kit. It has been a great improvement over the factory engine and was relatively inexpensive in the whole scheme of things. Not sure why you would not recommend, I highly recommend it!
Where can I find your car at. I want to do something like that.
@@Jonathan-tb6fm I'm on instagram as carbonfibers14. I dont have any ls swap stuff on there yet because it isnt not quite finished. About 90%
Lies...after it's ls swapped it's Worth more and ls's are very dependable
This dude has absolutely no idea what he's talking about 😂😂😂😂
Yes the guy don't know shit
Lol hey do you think it's a good idea to LS swap a 745li? Gonna buy a cheap one with 200,000 miles & want to do an engine swap...
@@johncross3115 I can't think of a shitter BMW to LS swap. 7 Series are the epitome of BMWs lmao.
@@ZirahOG so that's a no?
@@johncross3115 do it
Firstly: Never listen to anyone who shops at Walmart.
😂😂😂😂
Wow 😂😂😂😂😂😂
Sorry dude, you sound like somebody has badly embarrassed you with their ls swap.
15-20k for an ls swap? Theres a lot of incorrect info here.
Theres a lot of bad info regarding LS engines and the cost of swaps. Swapping a shit box cast iron block out of a junkyard van and doing a lot of custom fab on your own can be cheap but far more expensive than you realize.
It costs every bit of 15k - 20k to swap an actual aluminum LS block that has above 500hp. You can easily spend 10k - 15k building one of those blocks to produce and handle power. You're looking at roughly 20k for a turbo setup.
@@architecteye6089 you must have never seen sloppy mechanics
@@architecteye6089 you're being stupid if you spend all that extra money just to save 100 pounds weight difference.
Lots of ignorance in this video lol
Also alot of LS issues are true, it's far from a Bullet proof engine to make 800hp
Nathans trying to steer us away from the LS's so he can have them all to himself 👀
Chris_1gs 🤣
More like telling us not ends up back firing and making us want them more.
😂😂😂 3k for my ls swap e36 including the car. You are throwing out incorrect claims about the ls and transmissions. Sloppy mechanics has proven the power and strenth of the engines. It’s all in the tune and having proper oiling.
I was about to say if your trying to convince someone to not do it you failed. Again Sloppy proved 700-900 is very capable stock with iron. Ls6 stock as been proven to 800 hp. And I can go get parts at any corner and still get 25+mpg
Trey Herrera tf is “proper oiling”
@@godly8320 Oil pan , oil pump , oil type , oil level , bearing clearances
Hey Trey, couldn't help but think of you when I watched this video. You have great content on your channel, keep up the good work. I have a 2000 540i and i'm dying to get the M5 E39. Keep killing it my man
@@godly8320 calm down, that man Trey knows his ish
This video should’ve been called “How to sound like a wuss for 6 minutes” 😂
hahahahahaha
🤣
Ls swap bmw don’t even sale for a grand???? 😂😂😂 get ur hands on ten I’ll buy them off u lol
That's what I was thinking I'll buy it right now
@@austinmiller6837 1000%
😂😂😂 this guys a clown
Show me one anywhere. Actually show me any ls swapped running driving car going for a g lol
If LS swapped BMWs were selling for a thousand bucks, I would buy them all day long.
318k miles on my LS with original transmission. Your crazy man!
Oh you are not biased at all. Rod bearings at a 100K miles on an e39 engine and you shrug it off as some scheduled maintenance. Not built cheap at all lol. What about the V10 M5's. Vehicle started at nearly $100K. Now no one wants to touch them. That engine is a disaster waiting to happen. Despite the fact that it is probably one of the nicest sounding sedan engines one could wish for.
What about the F10 M5 failed oil pump recall destroying $20k+ worth of engine on so many M5's. I can keep going on for a long time.
I used to always love BMW's until I realised when I was a teenager that BMW's of modern times are designed with planned obsolescence in mind. Show me how many BMW engines make it to 100K without issues and I'll show you a thousand GM LS engines which have surpassed it in reliability.
Let's talk E39 M5, that V8's counterpart is the 6.0L LS2. What does BMW have to show for all the complexity of design when we compare it's output and efficiency to that of the LS2? I have a gen1 CTS-V and a friend has an E39 M5. I keep on riding and riding while his engine has a problem every other day. Don't get me wrong, the e39 M5 is one of the sexiest sedans ever to come out of any company, but there is no way I would trade his car for mine.
I have 7 years of engineering education behind me and 10+ years of automotive engineering and I can tell you, in engineering the most sophisticated solutions to a problem are the most simple....NOT the most complicated. And there is where BMW excels, complex solutions to simple problems. Why? Revenue pure and simple.
Beautifully written, man. And spoken like a true engineer;
The simplest solution is often times the best.
Damn............. lol 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 Brovo! Couldn’t have said it any better
Cant argue with your statement... Absolutely correct
Great answer!
Single cam pushrod vs 4 cams dohc the ls is cheaper and easier to maintain can’t argue that. Parts availability and simplicity is what most ls guys are going for when they swap. BMW makes good engines as far as the straight 6s go (except I absolutely hate the e46 m3 exhaust note my yz250 sounds better) but v8 for v8 the ls is the way to go. But if I was the type of guy to own a 645i I wouldn’t ruin its value that’s just stupid, e30 e36 e46 sure. Maybe not the e30 😂
LS you cant hit the track every week no problems tho
Got probably $2500 in my LS 6.0 swap. Got the engine for free after a successful part out of a yukon Denali.
How many miles since the swap?
That’s a hell of a deal lol
Got gaped by the mail man with a ls came home and made this video
😂🤣
I'm not even going into all the misinformation, but just in short facts :
1) the lowest power we ever got out of a stock LS1 with headers & standalone is 427hp and 590Nm.
2) the only roadcar manual that holds up over 500Nm is a Tremec (which straight fits LS ofcourse). E39 M5 gearbox fails a lot and Getrag does NOT carry spare parts for that transmission
3) LS has the same weight as an M50, with even better weight distribution in the engine & smaller size
4) no BMW engine can deliver 600hp N/A reliably. Not S62, not S85 , none.
5) no BMW gearbox is suitable for big power. Not diesel, nothing. As soon as the car grips AND has torque, they all fail.
Who am I? I own & operate a BMW M & Alpina specialized workshop for 15 years and race / drift BMW and Porsche cars for longer than that. If we want a reliable, brand new availaible engine , its nonsense to look at BMW
I love informed opinions like these.
No BMW engine can do 600 reliable.
(Laughs in new M5, M6, M8)
All of those are stock.
Also the E90 M3 and the M4 can easily do that.
laen RELIABLY!
@@berkan5578 Ok guy so who is swapping those into other BMW chassis??? NOBODY
@@berkan5578 "600hp N/A reliably" N/A dummy. None of those cars are N/A.
I had a 2000 Tahoe with a 5.3, it had 275 in the clock when I sold it to a buddy of mine, he sent me a pic when it hit 300k. The LS engines have proven themselves as a capable and reliable platform.
😂😂 "20k to do a ls swap".. I did a 6.0 into my s10 for 3k and it makes 550hp st the crank and I've been Abusing it for the past 4 years.. I get it, you don't wanna put an American engine into your German car but you don't have to try and bash the LS. Everyone knows it's the cheapest way to make big horse power.. And the comment about bmws with LS's that they can't even sell for a $1000 is just ridiculous.. show me where and I will buy all of them up
Really, I want to buy a BMW ls for 1k also!
Please if your going to say there are $1000 BMWs with LS engines (or people trying to give them away), at least post them so we all can save the fuckin money doing it.
Buying an LS motor will set you back 3k by itself. Dude talking BS in this video.
@@DIYeverything513 you can get a 6.0 or 5.3 for like 500 bucks. I have one in my s10. I have like 3k into it (including the 500 for the engine) and it makes 550 at the crank. Check me out in Instagram: fvzombieboat ..You can spend a lot more if you want to buy a brand new ls3 or somthing, but I cant see 20k.. this dude is just a shit talker
More info? I want to ls swap my e46 m3
Not a big fan of LS swaps in bmw. I'm not inclined to agree it's a cheap motor. They run 300k+ consistently, the aftermarket is enormous. Admittedly, I'm putting the LQ4 6.0 in my 68' Commando. I'm not using power adders and a lot of the reason I'm using an LS is for reliability.
All engines have exceptions , but LS1 is getting very tired at 150k and most dont make it to 200k, if the engine held up that long the rest of the car and trans wouldn't , but like I said I was a chevy guy, im not telling anyone not to do something , just stated what I think about it
@@NathansBMWWorkshop Yeah, I can appreciate that, I guess we've had different experiences. I see lots of these LS (at least based) engines reach 300K. Mine has 180 and it still has the honing marks in the cylinders. I couldn't agree more an e39 m5 shouldn't have any kind of swap.
@@NathansBMWWorkshop I've had mutiple LS make it to 200k without issue. Hell my 6.2 L92 is at 160k. Trans is still the stock 6l80e with the same mileage. So you've moved from LS are junk, then to it must be a trans that will be bad if a LS makes it a long time, then if both make it the car must be crap. Get over yourself and your bias.
@@NathansBMWWorkshop "very tired at 150k, and most don't make it to 200k" That claim is 100% false.
Ya! Who wouldn’t want a reliable 450whp from a cam only LS!! My LS e30 fawks hard. Dude is a h8r and makes a bunch of generalizations because he’s an incompetent fanboi !
Not really the case with a 5.3 though? Not hating, just trying to learn since I’m thinking of a 5.3 swap in my E36
codenamecordon i was talking about the ls series not truck motors. A 5.3 will still make more reliable power than if you were to turbo your stock m50.
Cooper Stephens I have an M54B30 in it now and was thinking of turboing it, but then started seriously looking into the LS family. Mind you, I’m not in the USA so all the Chevy engines are way more expensive here. Iron 5.3 - 1200€, alu 5.3 - 1500€, alu 6.0 - 2300-2500€ without accessories. No LQs available, LS1s start at 3500€, the others I haven’t looked into since it’s already becoming ridiculous. I still really like the platform and I’m thinking of a cammed 5.3 for local ProAm
codenamecordon you ever make a decision? I have the M52tub28 w the 5l40e trans. Would love to turbo, but the swap tempts me.
E46 M52 the decision is made, but the whole build is on hold for a while for other priorities. I started writing things down in Excel and the LS worked out cheaper. Mind you - I wasn’t going to use the cheapest shit eBay parts for my turbo build and not expensive name brand stuff either. Just good reliable bits, but the turbo stuff ended up being more expensive than the LS swap, but the powerband and reliability are way better with the LS. The choice wasn’t hard when I had written everything down.
In the UK I've seen a few E92 M3s that have eaten their BMW V8 Engines and had LS swapped out and it seems the owners are much happier, as the car wont blow up and makes more power and torque and the LS is lighter and its much cheaper to make it go faster...each to their own.
Dude, 4l80e was the toughest transmission I've seen. My dads highway patrol Tahoe had 188,000 very hard miles before the state sold it. Didn't skip a beat!
Had a truck with the 4l80e that is over 300k and still going. Only needed a torque converter.
I would say the LS is still better than the early 90's LT1 with the opti spark. I would agree with you regarding heavily modified LS motors will have issues, but if you keep it stock no mods these engines could easily get over 300,000 miles on them.
Sounds like jealously, theres a reason ls fest exists
i've been diving into youtube LS swap rabbit hole for couple of weeks, and this was a voice of reason for the first time. Thank you.
I’ve done clean LS swaps for 3 grand.
With labor or do it yourself?
Cody Woods Doing the work myself.
That's really where the magic is. I listened to this guy, he's has some sort of issue going on. Sounds butt hurt about something. BMW's are known for NOT making it 10k past the 50k warranty. There is a reason people swap them its because the engines and transmissions aren't worth the $$$$ to fix them. Case in point, I have had 4 BMW's, (hers), the last one lost a timing chain at 60K. Class action lawsuit, BMW paid. The repair bill for the X3 was $8600.00 on a $10K car, (2013 X3). The BMW before that lost a clutch at 60k. The BMW before that lost a trans at 30k. Contrast that with my Chevelle LS swap. I haven't spent $8600. I have purchased a 4l80, had it rebuilt. I rebuilt a 6.0L new rods, pistons, cam and LS3 top end with rocker trunion upgrade. I purchased all the swap parts including headers and exhaust system. Note 6.0L was an lq4 out of a service truck with 200k miles. I stupidly tossed the rods and pistons because it had 200k on the block and crank. clearly, (I thought ), needed a bore and new rods / pistons. Machine shop called after a week asked what they were supposed to do as the bores were perfect at standard bore.
Seems this guy is full of shit. Maybe he knows it?
I’m with you on it not being the solution for resale, but man “LS with 4L80e is a weak combo” is a bad take
I have a 745i and as much as I love it, the N62 V8 is a total piece of shit. Its constantly leaking and you never expect what will go wrong every day. I agree though, LS/2JZ swapping an M car is sacrilege, but normal BMW's can really benefit from a swap (especially the V8s)
If any of your viewers have a LS swapped bmw wagon, I will gladly take it off there hands. Especially if they are trying to give it away.
#gottaloveawagon
#lsswaptheworld
You need one. My E34 Touring is a blast to drive. LS2,T56, KW Variant coil overs, Racing Dynamic sway bars, E46 M3 slotted and drilled brake, E39 M5 rear diff and a never ending smile on my face
Yes sir!
By this time next year i'll have an LS2/T56 E30 Touring pushing 400+ NA. No you can't have her!! LOL
This guy hasn't done anything with an ls in 10 years? They've changed quite a in ten years.
I own 2001 E39 530i amazing car full Exhuast headers intake reprogram ecu coilovers on 19s 255 tires front 275 rear wow handles so sick I can’t even explain love how it pulls
Supra TT where did you get the LS kit from I have been looking on the internet I have a 2002 E39 530i inline 6
Just because of this video I’m LS swapping my e90 my e70 , my e60 my f15 also 😂😂
I LS swapped my E30 it was very easy and it's makes STUPID power, I didn't go cheap by any means and I love it
I just saw a build sheet broke down to the bolts and it cost about 4500$. Still plan on swapping mine when my motor dies. More power and cheaper parts...
What what are you going to swap it to?
who tf are you to tell someone what to do with *their* car?
If someone wanted a Honda 4banger or even a GM ecotec in their M5, let em! It’s not your loss!
Have not seen an LS with a rod knock. Lifters go out before the crank.
the escalades have knock i believe. theres a specific one to avoid
The stock cranks are good, even up to 700-800 horsepower. The Rods on the other hand are the weak link. I’m would throw in a set of good aftermarket rods and forged pistons, that will fix any possible problems.
Nothing's ever perfect and it's not always about the money
"from what I searched on the internet." I was done right there.
I think it depends, i can get working holden LS1 with its 4l60 for 1.3k $ then swap it into whatever i have, even if i have to rebuild both engine and transmission it will cost less than 5k
Im swapping my VT 5.7 LS1 into my new RX8 i bought for 2.8k, the VT cost me 4.6k for the car, but sold the body and everything else for half the price i payed for the car!
A great buddy of mine needed a VT body a chassis.
The LS had about 92,421km on it and i thought it was a great deal!
But yea if you can find a LS for a cheap price, i would go ahead and swap it in my opnion
Cheers!🖒
The whole point in an LS swap is to save money. I have an E39 540i daily driver; the LS swap was the best thing I could've done.
I just switched to motorcycles anyway and use the car for grocery shopping which is sad cause i can walk to the store...
I have a 2003 e39 540i the original engine is blown. What ls do you recommend? How much is the cost? I’m sorta new to this so sorry for all the questions 😅
Not to be rude or anything, but I currently own a broken E39 540i and I can tell you that after I’ve done an M62 turbo build, and S62 swap, and even an S62 supercharged build, I’ve can honestly say I’ve been longing to do an LS swap on it since I first ran into engine problems with the previous engines I’ve had in them. If you don’t believe an LS swap is cheap, call any BMW specialist service center and ask them to price estimate how much cylinder head work would cost you. In Houston, it’s around 8500$ before tax, just for the heads alone. Nearly 50 hours of labor cost, and don’t forget that most of the time you can’t bring them out of shop parts because they won’t use them. I mean we’re talking almost 2x as much as the car itself is worth at that point. For a normal LS swap, your probably looking at 2500-3500$ for a full motor swap. So I challenge anyone (whose pockets aren’t in the upper class) to prove me wrong if they believe that BMW isn’t conning us all after their warranties are expired, or unless you own a shop of your own.
This is one of the most unintelligent videos I've ever seen.
4 month ago my buddy bought his dream car a 2012 corvette c6 ls3 engine he called me two weeks ago and told me his engine was making a noise so he took it to Chevrolet and they told him rod bearing failure, only had 80k on it.thats why I love my bimmers
Richard Peralta he just admitted to the m5 motor spitting out bottom end bearings at 100k... bmw motor costs twice as much if not more to replace.
Older BMW engines probably are the best for any BMW N62 4.8 V8 engine BMW engine swapped, older BMW engine's, today BMW since 2015-2024 impressive on reliability , older BMW models you should consider buying BMW the options of mods you can do with BMW i love 750I and 650I sedans .
My gm trans has 300k on it. How many miles your rod bearings have???? 😂😂😂
costs me a total of $800 ls swap into my Nissan truck...…. typical elitist
We've built tons of turbo LS engines with factory bottom ends that hold up 800-900hp... We done LS swaps in everything imaginable as well as Cummins swaps in almost everything. We are currently doing a turbo 5.3 (stock internals) in an e90 (09 335i) ...LS swaps may cost $10k+ if you are paying someone to do it (some of our customer builds were around that.... but more than half that is labor. wayyyy cheaper if you do it yourself.)
I have a white bmw 750Li she’s in safe mode trans been gave out I was thinking about doing a 6.0 ls and a 4L80e and a camaro back end but I think that’s my best best
A Texas Speed LT4 6.2L SC'ed ~$15K 650hp
In what word is any bmw engine more reliable than a ls engine??? I guess its different experience.. my brother owns a c5 z06 procharged has been going strong for years at over 500whp..... why would the ls craze be so big, strong and going for so long if the engines are trash.???.. people pull these engines out of the junkyard and boost them for years without problems...
So i would have to disagree with the reliability....i have a 4.8 im about to swap in a 1985 c10..we will see how it goes..
I agree that swaping a ls in a bmw would hurt the value..hell swapping in any engine in a e39 m5 would hurt the value in the long run.. a stock clean e39 m5 will bring the most money so that has nothing to do with whether it had a ls or not... just my thoughts...oh by the way i own a 2003 e39 540i m sport...and love that engine but scared as hell that it will break..lol
In the world where you are a BMW guy that wants people to overpay for your work. I'm sure most BMW owners have to pay someone to work on their car where a lot of people who do LS swaps do work themselves. Let's think about it LS engines have a bigger aftermarket Cost Less and are hands down more reliable than a BMW engine I have never seen or even heard of someone building a thousand horsepower BMW with the stock engine but I will admit I think BMWs are overpriced pieces of garbage after owning two of them a 7 Series and an M3 both had transmission issues. And I have also never heard of someone wanting to put a BMW engine in another car which I would expect them to do if they were so great like some guys do with Toyota engines
@@edbuckley1670 I have done several engine conversions on e30s I've owned out the back garden and driven them round for years having fun. My current car was a supercharged m52b28 but is now a 4.0 m60 v8 (all built by myself out the back) for the time being until I can afford to get the s62. Not all BMW transmissions are rubbish. The zf box put of the e36 me 3.0 are strong as oxs. I know a few who have ran 500 plus BHP m50 turbos through them for years with no trouble. There are others too like the diesel boxes. Proper strong. The idea that most BMW owners dont do their own work is just your opinion and opinions dont count as facts
Any car you keep for value should be kept original. But even IF a BMW engine was as reliable as an LS (it's NOT), the PROPER upkeep alone makes it way more costly. And that's STOCK!
Modified? Forget it!
But swapping an LS into say an E39 with blown engine makes perfect sense. How can you “hurt the value” of a non running $1000 vehicle? It certainly is not going to be worth less with a running and driving LS under the hood.
@@mlynch001 any e39 m5 you find for 1k you better buy it, blown engine or not..
If I found a Ls 745i and a stock 745i, I’d certainly opt for the reliable LS variant. Even if they’re the same price . Especially an f01 7 series , I’d LOVE a Ls powered f01 . Even if it’s less power lol
My brother has owned a Corvette Parts store in Northern C. for over 35 years. I have even worked there about 5 years, and we have had LS engines in our cars and know of probably over a 100 other customer and supplies who have pumped up LS engines. I am blown away by this video, as the vast majority of customers have had nothing but rave reviews of the LS engines (except a small amount of LS7 have well known top end issues). dozens of people we know have road raced road raced, drag raced these engines with no issues unless they were down on oil or over revved. Research the development where GM ran an LS at red line under load for like a day and half with zero issues. People routinely put supercharges on junkyard LS's getting 600-900 HP's and in some cases have tried blowing up engines and they hold together even after extremely high boost. Please tell me the weak area of an LS1,LS2,LS3's becarse there isn't one. Pistons, rods, cranks, cross bolt main caps and blocks more beefy that almost any other OEM engine out there??? Warmed up LS1's with 400-460 HP to rear wheels seem to run and run.
The first and only video I've ever seen speaking ill of an LS swap. And to suggest it's "...cheap built"? WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!
I got the GM 5-speed in my 2001 e39. Changed the fluid at 233K km, it was foul. Now shifts perfect. Did before too. No complaints.
if your e39 is a 540i or a diesel it will have the euro gm 5 speed, if not its the zf box in 01
@@NathansBMWWorkshop The hint is in my name ;) It's a 2001 523i THA market. I know there was no 523 in the facelifted cars, but Thailand got a Thai market only car, with a unique displacement; 2394cc. Went to change selector rod shaft seal and discovered it's a GM box. A5S350R I believe. Check it: www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/select?product=P&archive=1&series=E39&body=Lim&model=523i+2.4&market=THA&prod=20010100
@@NathansBMWWorkshop If you notice the diagrams of the trans in REALOEM on my spec of car it says A5S350R, but shows the ZF selector safety switch mechanism - the triangular piece on the side of the box, which I definitely don't have.
Now I remember - that had me confused for days. I even bought the ZF seal for $25 when I needed the GM seal for $5. I've found a few errors on REALOEM for my car. Understandable, it's an oddball.
If this guy thinks LS engines blow up easy, and he’s built “~10 of them” he needs to stop building engines. Your doing it wrong.
e92 M3 was the ultimate american dream come true, v8 LS swap for bmw performance
LS swapping is ALWAYS a good idea. I’m working with Santa right now swapping his sleigh to an LS. No more reindeer!
Other than rod bearing issues at 100k on the m5 it’s no biggy...😂😂😂
I lnow guys who have 200,000miles on ls motors and they're still more reliable and faster than my e46m3.
He also never mentioned the looooog list of other issuss those E39s have. Throttle actuators are also a nightmare.
@@realisrealite5554 well if ya want to sell it let me know first haha
Rite like that’s just some daily maintenance thing lol, just drop the bottom end it’s Soooo easy 😂 I’m LS swapping a 2006 E90 now
BMWs are great cars and their engines are pretty trick as well. That said, it's a BMW and if beat on will be looking for a potentially big fixit bill. LS swapping a BMW (say an E46) is a very cool idea. If done right everything will still work and the benefits from the LS are too many to count. Even though it's a V8, the outer dimensions of the engine fit in the BMW. That's owed to the fact that it isn't a DOHC engine. It's quite compact. Also, surprisingly, the entire package installed in many cases weighs less than the setup it replaced. Finally, here is the kicker.... an LS3 will put out about twice as much hp at the wheels than an E46 (M3) would put out at the crank. That's stock horsepower, not breathed on hp. So.... a little less weight, a little better weight distribution, an engine with great parts availability that's stout and easy to fix by so many mechanics, etc. What is not to love? Talk about a real sleeper. I'd love to have one.
I own a 700hp single turbo N54 335i, getting an E93 to LS swap because the LS makes better power for cheap.
Ls swap is literally the smartest idea for projects or cost of replacing the original motor in some cars. Cheap, extremely reliable, can get parts at practically any auto parts store. Sorry to say when my N55 shits out in my f02 its a 6.0 swap. I'm also doin a 64 Lincoln ls swap and it's literally 1/3 of the cost to ls swap than to rebuild the original 430 that weights 944lbs fully dressed and so far my ls6 cost fully rebuilt ready to go $3200
I love my LS2 T56 swapped E34 Touring, has a E39 M5 lsd with a 4:10 ring and pinion and I drive it daily with no issues. Everything works as the BMW bcm is wired into the ls2 computer so it even has air conditioning and cruise.
What are you full build specs brov that wagon sounds mean, doing an e46 myself
@@ThePhilmoreslim1 oh there is more, I just got bored typing it out. lol
@@derrekjohnson2919 is he right about the pricing?
@@miketheboss5290 No. Maybe if you bought an ls swap kit because you cant fabricate or weld. I had $6500.00 all in,including the cost of the E34 wagon. that is with Racing Dynamic swap bars,strut bar, coil overs and staggered M Parallels
@@derrekjohnson2919 wow, thanks for replying
I dog mt LS daily and its reliable as anything. 128k on the motor
Good points. For a rationally thinking mind.
That's funny, cause where I live (northern Europe, that is), people keep putting BMW engines in whatever old Volvo or Opel they've got. Normally a M50 tuned with forced induction to put out 600 angry horses or so. The right way to swap a bimmer is with another BMW engine. The mountings and clutches haven't changed much between years and models.
Yeah because in Germany your car is general thing like our LS not an import or foreign .
show me where they are selling 745's with ls swaps for a thousand dollars, pleaseeeeee!!! i would love one.
So would I...
I'd like a couple actually lmao
This is the smartest man on the internet. He's not fooled by stupid LS swap garbage. It's just an evolution of a junkyard engine
Thank you for this...bc I was about to buy an lse90...to do EXACTLY THAT lol...for my 2008 E90 South Africa.
What engine should I upgrade to? N54? And as far as an exhaust should I get one without a resonator?
"I'm not gonna tell anybody what to do but dont Ls swap your bmw"
The swap is easy on most platforms but the driveability mods bring the cost up then who wants a modest project money get thrown costs aren’t fully accounted for anyway 😅
When my E91s n52 finally kicks the bucket Imma ls swap it. I love the way this car looks and I don’t want to let it go itll be my passion project, rally-type build to handle the rough terrains of nwi/chicago roads
This or a B58. We’ll see when the time comes and what I find at the time
Summary of all of the points in this video:
0:54 - "It's a cheap built engine" (he says, right before talking about BMW rod bearing issues....)
1:04 - "They hold up for a short time on high horsepower" (maybe a junkyard engine)
2:27 - "You have to use the transmission from the LS" (no shit)
3:09 - "When you go to sell it, it's not worth anything" (no modified car is an investment)
Opinion, conjecture, and slander. There's no facts in this video. The most important thing to remember at the end of the day is that LS swaps are typically done with junkyard engines. People buy cheap pickup truck LS engines. The engine was probably never serviced, and probably treated like shit.
There's definitely a conversation to be had with the additional costs and complexities of a swap. But there's also a lot of issues with getting a bmw past 300k miles with 400bhp.
The swap may be somewhat complex. But I assume there are people making kits for these things now. Once that's all done it's gonna be way easier to work on. Even if you don't consider the weird over engineering that plagues bimmers just that fact that an LS is a cam in block engine means you're gonna have miles of space to work with.
@@Flabulo The other thing that isn't really being mentioned is that it's going to be far easier to get parts later on to keep the car on the road for an LS. So as long as the owner is planning on basically keeping the car forever and not selling then it might make sense. However if the intent is to race the car then you're likely going to want to include other mods to support the car. Throwing a stock engine in with a turbo and no supporting mods is almost always a surefire way to kill an engine prematurely.
In Australia I've seen many people motor swap BMW x5 over with Barra inline 6 motors and keeping the AWD by having 6 speed auto Ford Territory transmission in them. They seem to work out fine. I'm not sure about LS1 or LS2 v8 as you say may become costly and they can also have as much issues too.
Although the Barra inline 6 motor are a tank. They built to last. Easy to gain massive HP with little added. Very reliable motors guaranteed over million km before a rebuild needed even if it's turbocharged, as why in Australia many people do motor swap with the Ford Barra inline 6.
Although like you had stated I wouldn't swap any car with LS1 or LS2 motor. They not as reliable and like you said are very costly to do.
Here in Australia we can buy a second hand Barra inline 6 motor at auto wreckers for $1200 that has luck to have only done 60.000km to 80.000km. And that's nothing for these motors. Not even run in. we can buy a good second hand Ford Territory 6 speed auto AWD transmission for $1000. So its not very costly. Other than maybe another $1000 to drop the new motor and transmission in including other parts needed computer wiring lume, hoses, exhaust, new motor mount, ect. Works out far cheaper and more reliable than LS1 or LS2 would.
So I disagree with you in somewhat. I wouldn't say it isn't worth to swap any motor. As some motors is worth doing. Good example I can build a reliable Barra inline 6 motor to 1500 RWHP for $5000. You be lucky to get 400hp in LS1 or LS2 for $5000. And the LS1 or Ls2 still won't be as reliable
NATHAN, I HAVE A 1995 E34 WAGON AND I REALLY LIKE IT OTHER THAN 2 THINGS. IT IS A 525I AND DOES NOT HAVE MUCH TORK PLUS IT IT AUTOMATIC AND OVER TIME I HAVE PUT 3 TRANSMISSIONS IN IT. I WAS THINKING ABOUT PUTTING A 350 CHEVY IN IT. WOULD DO THAT OR IF IT WERE YOU WHAT WOULD YOU DO? THANKS!
What planet are you from? I think I smell the hate.... ls swap anything 8-10k all day long
LQ4 dropouts go for $1250 at just about any privately owned junkyard in the southeast. If you’re doing the work yourself you can be on the road easily under $3K with every swap part and swap included. The dude making the vid must’ve been fishing for clicks.
@@theclamhammer4447 check out my Instagram @bubblegumgumShoestringRacing my jeep ls turbo swap other than the ecu which could have just been switched out for a stock rewire, I have less then 3k in entire build including the jeep it made 711 at the wheels on a conservative tune up . A little hands on and putting money where money is necessary and cheaping on unnecessary items is how all builds.
@@theclamhammer4447 I know why you made the video I get it view's...... but spreading bad information is what's wrong with the internet #cnn fake news. I appreciate all builds down to little kids mini bikes it's about creativity and how far you can stretch that all might buck if you want it you'll figure it out
Bubblegum&Shoestring Racing uh wut? I didn’t make the video. Also I’m agreeing with you that the guy who did is just full of BS. I’m in the automotive industry. We do a ton of LS based swaps and builds here.
i helped my boi with a volvo 240 ls swap. it was dope. we used a custom bell housing with a 350z trans. thing rips wit 450hp!
He doesn't look like he is on drugs, but what is he talking about?
An LS is gauranteed to be overall more reliable than a BMW.
I donf know in which world, bmw m50, m52 m52tu m54 are solid
@@e39exclusiveclubpanama33 in the real world that's where
@@edbuckley1670 580k kms on my m52tub25 e39 only basic maintenance , water pump, alternator and so on 470k kms on a 528i m52tub28 and of course coolant piping and cvv has been replaced on both so if that is not reliable i dont knpw what it would be
I thought about LS swapping my E39 after blowing my 528i engine but it was just too much money. I agree taking care of the BMW V8 sounds like a better investment. Don't need over 350HP really.
Conflicted Somewhat Whereas My E46 Swap From 2.3 to 3.0l Cost Me Around 8k In Total After All Hickups . Mechanic Suggested An Ls Swap Since Og Motor Was Blown . Found One For 675 In A Junkyard . Paid 1500 For An M54b30 .
so far im in it about 2500$ and that includes the complete c5 motor only problem im having is the wiring harness. thats the only reason why i hate this right now but when i figure it out i wont have any regrets
I just KNEW the internet was gonna draggggg you for talking down on the ls engine. Then i saw this video has more dislikes than comments. The internet did not let me down here... These comments are fucking GOLD
He needs. Tooo wake up
I really expected this to be about how the bump in horsepower is gonna tear the car apart, but then my man went on to disrespect the most reliable engine in the world.
You say it’s a cheap built engine but fail to give any reasons why it is lol
What if I have an old e39 528i with an M52TU. I’m currently between building the stock engine to be a solid fun daily or going full LS swap. Also if planning to beat on it, an LS would make more sense than the bmw v8s bc parts are more accessible right? Totally agree that swapping an LS into a beautiful M5 doesn’t make much sense
I have an Ls swapped e37 98 roadster...466hp and 2800 pounds. 6 speed tremec...it's a blast!!
3 years ago this information was spot on. now, LS swap rx7 would sell for beaucoup banana bucks
IMAGINE BEING THE DUDE THAT SAYS BMW IS MORE RELIABLE THAN A DOMESTIC V8 LOOOOOOL. I'm a jdm guy, but even I know better bruh. The only thing more unreliable than German is other European cars. I did a LQ4/L92/LS6 swap into my GT86 for all in - $2500. Don't get one of the aluminum blocks for high high horsepower applications. FULL RQ ENGINE, YES THE WHOLE THING ($300), L92 heads ($500), LS6 intake ($250), Cam ($240), Waterpump ($40), Starter ($50), Standalone harness ($100 diy), and a used TR6060 ($2500) for a total of ~$4030. I sold the FA20 stock engine/tranny for $3500. Various mounts/protune and whatnot pushed the final $530 cost to about $2500. Getting a solid 500HP. Far cry from $20k that rich youtubers go to a shop and ask for all the best + built. The iron block I guarentee will outlast the BMW (which you yourself said needs to be rebuilt at only 160k km lol. The other advantage is if you want to go ported heads/new crank/heads/turbo for another $4k you can push 700rwhp+ reliably. I personally know someone who is getting over 1000+ out his Camaro. Oh and you don't have to pay the ridiculous BMW tax on it. All you have to do is wait until the stock electrics on the BMW to fail. Had an M3 and had endless electrical issues. Sold it. Great driving car, trash mechanical bits on it. Hell, my Subaru STI is more reliable with the rod-bearing-killer EJ257. Thanks for the clickbait tho lmfao.
Nice reply, bro.
He is talking practical regarding the E39 M5 vs E39 LSx swap. Cheaper to buy the M5 all the way as they are going up in value. Yes trying to sell a. LS swapped car if it is documented correctly people will pay for it. But if it was a backyard swap that was unfinished anyone would think twice.
LS swap an old Datsun 260Z. That’s a fun project car, but again not an investment.
When did rod bearing replacements become standard maintenance? When did reliability become a forgotten commodity? For the price to repair that rod bearing issue, especially if you didn’t catch it in time, you could buy a dozen LS engines.
Look at how hard he struggles to say the E39 M5 is a “fairly reliable” car😂😂 he knows the truth lol
It's it look original motor s62 still running at 1 million km in youtube it's better than any ls and Toyota engine truth is hard for you bmw are better kids🤣🖕🖕🖕 kepp hating bmw that while do nothing we had many bmw and never had problem but when is America mUh mOtoR UnRELiaBLe bla bla bla stop lying in Europe chevy ford and french car are unreliable and German are reliable
You don't have to build a t56 transmission. They are fine right out of the factory, or even wrecking yard. Also, if BMW LS swaps don't resale for much, I'm going to start looking for used LS swapped BMWs and let the someone else take the hit.
Dude reminds me of my neighbors kid who wanted to tell me why my LS was junk compared to his dad's hemi.
Ls swaps are great on regular 3 series. I agree with M cars though. You buy an M car to fully experience how good M motors are. Like my e46 330i i plan to ls swap since #1 you can get any e46 base models for dirt cheap from rolling shells to well maintained from 1k to 7k. I know the difference in weight from ls to m54 is only like 50lbs. The ls is worth it.