The transmission output flange is the same regardless of the car it came out of. For example, same ZF 5-speed flange in 328 and 330. The 330 differential has a different input flange, and I beleive different output flanges (thicker axles). Driveshafts/trans/diff combinations are a pain. I've yet to fully map out what will work with what.

Ideally, you'd get a 330 5-speed with a blown motor and swap the trans, shaft, diff, trailing arms, and axles; trailing arms and axles due to different output on diff.

I am sure someone will be able to provide more info/corrrect me.

 

Ideally, you'd get a 330 5 speed with a blown motor and swap the trans, shaft, diff, trailing arms, and axels. (Trailing arms and axels due to different output on siff)

I don't completely understand what you mean. Pardon me, probably because English isn't my mother tongue. Do you mean I DO need other trailing arms in order to make the axles fit? Because that doesn't seem right to me.

 

I have gone through all of your issues and it is a minefield.
The 330 rear end and diff is a lot larger than any other non m model. Bigger everything. I upgraded mine as my 318 bits would not be up to the m54b30.
Type the 330 model details into Realoem and look up the driveshaft for the ZF 5 speed. The length of the driveshaft is shown against the part.
330s use a cv joint on the end of the driveshaft at the diff.
You can check your current driveshaft length and also how it connects to the diff by putting in your current car details.
I drove for a few months with everything behind the transmission being 318i. Was not happy with the potential for failure so made everything 330i.
Your current trans will bolt up and everything in the driveline stays the same, but is not as strong as 330 oem.
If you want to use the new 5 speed, like I said above, check trans lengths in Realoem. If they are different, find a non 330 M54 one that is the correct length. Custom made is very expensive.

 

Thank you for the replies, gentlemen.

So transmission wise it doesn't matter if I buy it from a 328i or 330i, but I will probably be best off buying the diff and driveshaft of the same car and not mix them up if I understand correctly?
Will the 328i diff/driveshaft be strong enough for the power of the 330i? I know it's not a huge difference in power, but the question is why they used a different model of driveshaft/diff ...

Is there a difference in quality between the U joint and the cv joint? As if: is one of them better than the other?

Thanks again!

If you want to use the new 5 speed, like I said above, check trans lengths in Realoem. If they are different, find a non 330 M54 one that is the correct length.

Realoem doesn't give lengths for transmissions, but iirc they are about the same length (not 100% sure though)

 

330 is 1550 mm but uses cv joint.
328 that uses same 5 speed on M52 engine is 1565 mm
Yours is 1585 mm.
So you need to really measure from the face of the output shaft to the face of the diff input shaft to get the correct length as I am not sure whether you can assume that the 328 shaft will fit as it was on an M52 engine.

I talked to a diff company and the bmw driveshafts are supposedly hard and expensive to modify as they are a press fit in each end. Yours can obviously be shortened....

You may also find another model that has a driveshaft that may fit after measuring.

Hopefully someone will have better info than my looking it up. I looked at pre 2002 models.

 

Again: thanks for the advice.

I am planning on getting a ZF box anyways, since I can get one with relative low mileage for a very fair price. AFAIK they are stronger than the getrags and shift smoother. About the rear end: if the output flanges of the 330i diff are interchangeable with mine (= 320i), then I would rather just swap them instead of changing the entire rear end, because that seems like a lot of work (and cost). I am beginning to think in the direction of ZF box, 330i driveshaft, 330i diff, 320i flanges and output shafts.

I wouldn't mind spending some ***8364;***8364;, but I would like to keep it as cost-efficient as possible. I love my car, and like to mod it and make it better, but I do not want to empty out my bank account like some others do (which I don't mind and is their right to do so) in order to get a few extra hp. I do all the labour myself btw. The thing is that I am rebuilding the engine now, and when it's completely done I want to do the swap including the box and diff and complete drivetrain, and I would like to be prepared, meaning that I don't come to the conclusion that some things won't fit and I am without a functioning car for a few weeks ...

Thanks again guys

 

I hope someone will provide definitive info, but I do not think you can change the 330 diff output shafts to 320. The 330 are larger diameter as far as I know. Also the diff is wider, so 320 axles will not then bolt on. I have a car hoist, and I will measure diff flange to flange for you later today.

Check Realoem for diff parts and check their diameters to confirm sizes eg bearings etc.

 

Well, fried green potatos, lookit that-did the 320 get a 168mm diff? If it did, (having lived with them for 20 years)
I would upgrade to the 188 in the 325/330. But as the 330 got the cv at the diff, all 330 is going to be a lot less confusing.

The 168 can hold 200 hp, but it has a relatively low torque rating, and a 330 would shorten its life if driven hard in low gears.

It is frustrating that BMW no longer shows the insides of diffs as they did with earlier models.

hth
t

 

Mine is indeed a 168 if I'm not mistaken. Since I don't feel like swapping out the entire rear end of mine, I might lean towards a 328i diff. If the 328i driveshaft would bolt up and the output flanges are interchangeable then I'm also very happy. A 3.07 ratio would also work for me, but this is found only on the 330i (AWD) or the 323i and I don't know if the 323i is 168 or 188mm (I'll have to look it up)

 

Oh, wow.

Half an hour later on RealOEM, and I know less than I used to.

To me it looks like the 320 got a 168 and very small (80 mm) output flanges.

The 323/328 got a 188 with larger (86 mm) flanges.

Then it gets really stupid- it's showing that 330s with autos may have an 86mm flange,
but the manual trans gets the 94 mm flange.
Because clutch dumps?
The 325 simply shows both options, with no explanation...

Now add in the 330- only cv on the diff input, and it's a mix- and- match smorgasboard.

phew.

You'll have to change your CV axles. Beyond that, I... have no idea!

t

 

The 320 M54B22 has the 188K diff. The 320, 1998cc got the smaller one

 

I'm thinking about letting the 330i parts for what it is for now, since it seems I have to change literaly everything. I DO still have the rear end of a 330i automatic. If the 323i/328i output driveshafts fit the 320i rear axle I think I might go with that, just to keep it simple.

edit: I'm getting confused. http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/par...53-USA-01-2000-E46-BMW-328i&mg=33&sg=05&diagId=33_1185&q=33131428124&series=E46 on realoem it seems like the output flanges of the differential is the same for 328i as for the 330i.

Anyways, if I figure it out, I'll post the result here. Keep in mind that that will be for the guture, since I still have to rebuild the 3 liter engine and then swap everything. When the swap is complete I'll let you know the result of the diff/axle story.

 

Guys. I recently found 2 deals, one is stripping a 328i for parts and can sell me the ZF gearbox. And someone else has a 330i with the same ZF. The problem with the latter is that he lives 3 hours away from me and won't ship it, while the 328i dude lives 10km away. Now, the 330i dude claims that the 328i box, coming from a M52 engine, will NOT fit the M54 block (gearbox article numbers are also different in realoem.com)
AFAIK those 2 boxes are interchangeable, and the 328i box will fit my M54 block no problem. Now, am I wrong with this and is this dude right, or is he out of his mind?