Will an M54 Bolt up to an m3's subframe without modification?

[wrongturn]

Long story short, my copart m3 turned out to have a hole in it's block. Transmission is fine though. I can't sell the car for what I bought it for so it's time to have fun with it.

I can buy a donor e46 so parts won't be an issue. My question is, will an m54/52 bolt in no problem or would I need to use a non m subframe? I'm going to be keeping the g420 trans since it's not an smg.

I have the car all pulled apart so I'm just trying to figure this out before I buy a wrecked 330i for parts

If all goes to plan, it will be boosted of course I work at a junkyard so I have access to endless parts but I want to keep this simple since I prefer not to fabricate stuff if I don't have to

[bigjae46]

Yes

[sev]

subscribed for the build thread!

[thegenius46m]

Long story short, my copart m3 turned out to have a hole in it's block. Transmission is fine though. I can't sell the car for what I bought it for so it's time to have fun with it.

I can buy a donor e46 so parts won't be an issue. My question is, will an m54/52 bolt in no problem or would I need to use a non m subframe? I'm going to be keeping the g420 trans since it's not an smg.

I have the car all pulled apart so I'm just trying to figure this out before I buy a wrecked 330i for parts

If all goes to plan, it will be boosted of course I work at a junkyard so I have access to endless parts but I want to keep this simple since I prefer not to fabricate stuff if I don't have to

Majority of both cars are virtually identical and the M54 will be a direct swap relatively easily.

[George Hill]

If you are boosting, skip the M54 and go to to an M52, run it on an MS43 and you'll have full integration into the E46 chassis.

[bigjae46]

If you are boosting, skip the M54 and go to to an M52, run it on an MS43 and you'll have full integration into the E46 chassis.

Especially trying to boost a later model M54 with an MS45 DME is a total PIA. Speaking from experience.

[liam821]

My question is, will an m54/52 bolt in no problem or would I need to use a non m subframe? I'm going to be keeping the g420 trans since it's not an smg.

The e46m3 and e46 non-m front subframes are exactly the same except for the X-brace nutserts in the later model M subframes and some of the non-M subframes (318/325) have additional holes for different engine mounting points. (weaker). The wider suspension is all because of the suspension bits.