DCT to Manual SWAP

[amrazM]

I will be using this thread to keep you all updated on the progress of this.


To give some background I decided to convert my car from DCT to manual because I miss having a manual sports car and the age old arguement of sell it and buy another one is invalid at this point due to the pricing trend of these cars and I couldn't replicate my build for what I could sell it for. Its a 2011.75 E90 M3 ZCP with a G-Power Sk2 supercharger kit on it with a BPM Tune.

The car has always ran strong, it always hit the right notes for me but the DCT just took away that last bit of interaction you need in your fun car. The BPM tune on this car definitely took things over the top in the short time I used it with Mikes tuning, I stopped using the car last year due to some personal issues but this year I do actually plan to use the car all the time.

A short list of the notable mods the car currently has is the G-Power Sk2 supercharger system, KW Clubsport Suspension, BBS RIA wheels, SF/Diff bushings, Vac Bearings, NBT Evo, custom Individual Audio system.

Here are the parts that are needed to do the swap.
GS6-53DZ Trans - It has to be the M3 transmission due importantly to the "Zero Gear" sensor on top of the case. Other than that and the oil cooler/temp sensor, gear speed sensor, its a similar trans to that of the pre-lci 335i with the exception of the sensors and the different gearset. Its the same transmission as the E60 M5 just with different oil cooler ports and a oil pump on the box itself. The 550/650/M6 use the same trans 53DZ with a different end code for different provisions on the case.

Driveshaft- you need a manual driveshaft, the 6mt shaft is 1433MM and the DCT shaft is 1456mm.

Differential - Manual diff is required or the car will be very lazy. Manual ratio is 3.85, dct is 3.15

Wiring - as far as the wiring goes, you need to get a manual transmission harness, this is still available new from BMW for $164. You will need to buy or make a 4pin harness for the clutch switch hall sensor that goes on the clutch master cylinder, the lines here are used for start signal and the cruise control cancel signal to the DME.

Pedals - Im using an OEM M3 pedal box, you cant use the DCT one because it doesnt have the main hinge pin for the clutch pedal.

Hydraulics - All the parts to get the hydraulics going are still available, Clutch slave cylinder, clutch master cylinder, the feed line from the reservoir to the clutch master cylinder, pipe from the master to the slave, there is a small rubber section that goes female to male followed by another hardline with a bracket securing it to the slave cylinder.


As far as hardware, I will be using a TTV lightweight flywheel with a OEM twin disc clutch. This is a geniune dealer clutch, this setup is a unsprung/unsprung setup but i've used a similar setup on a N54 and it drives fine.


The shifter for my application is a RTD Carbon V4 with a CAE XS DSSR with is adjustable to get the shifter zero position in the right position to get the movement right between the 1-2/3-4/5-6 gear throws. If anyone wants to know, the DCT cars have the cutout in the floor from the factory with the provisions under the car for the stock shifter if wanted.


53DZ in all its glory, I have a second transmission on hand and I will soon be announcing the availability of high friction syncros for all versions of the gs6-53DZ to get rid of the 2nd gear grinding these cars experience and require a new trans.

I will keep the updates coming when possible, I work for the city government and alot of my winter is dedicated to snow/snow-ice prevention.

[Blindside_137]

I have wondered about this myself. Can't wait to see the progress.

[GotV8?]

Definitely will be checking in..Goodluck with the conversion project!!

[Beemer892]

Amazing project. Thanks for sharing!

[Drifter2090]

Nice! Keep us updated

[drwankel]

As far as I know, the big hurdle in doing this swap has been the electronic side of things. Will be interesting to see how you tackle that.

[e46IX]

Good luck Amraz and thanks for the pointers helping me with mine. Did the entire job by myself in my home garage.

My E92 M3 Individual Laguna Seca, originally DCT converted to 6-speed. Local Toronto guys know about my conversion.

[Mog-10]

Yes manual swap! We need more of this!

[wyatth]

Very cool. Not as simple (or necessary, ha!) as the SMG-6MT E46 swaps, but cool to see this possible and documented.

[Mog-10]

The op is also adding a theft deterrent.

[Le Patron1]

I would kill for that RTD shifter

[darren p.]

Originally Posted by amrazM

I will keep the updates coming when possible, I work for the city government and alot of my winter is dedicated to snow/snow-ice prevention.

I always figured you worked at the dealership on 11th ave based on the pics in your signature. Figured you were getting all the parts at work until I read the above. Ha!

Cool project, I guess with the blower you don't want to go to the 4.10 R&P, would be a great time to do it otherwise. Have you considered an upgraded diff? I Didn't realize it was the same gearing as the M5, my buddy has one and it feels like it has taller gears, maybe it has a lower final drive?

[amrazM]

Originally Posted by darren p.

I always figured you worked at the dealership on 11th ave based on the pics in your signature. Figured you were getting all the parts at work until I read the above. Ha!

Cool project, I guess with the blower you don't want to go to the 4.10 R&P, would be a great time to do it otherwise. Have you considered an upgraded diff? I Didn't realize it was the same gearing as the M5, my buddy has one and it feels like it has taller gears, maybe it has a lower final drive?

Whats up bro, I used to work there probably until 2017, but I work for dsny now so you know how it is when the city starts to see snow. This winter seems to have alot more snow that winters recently. I would love to put a 4.10r/p in my car but the parts just to get the swap going are around $5k so far so maybe I will consider a diffsonline diff next year with a 4.10 setup. Im actually thinking about going back to NA just because of the type of driving I do with the car, im definitely planning to put a lot of miles on the car this year. the e60 m5 with a manual is the same internal transmission gearset, the differential is a 3.62 tho instead of the M3's 3.85.

Originally Posted by drwankel

As far as I know, the big hurdle in doing this swap has been the electronic side of things. Will be interesting to see how you tackle that.

Im pretty good with coding, besides running the clutch hall sensor wires the coding is on the easier part of this job. you are just changing the vo and recoding the modules in the car. If you change the vo you can use ista-p to program the entire car for you to reflect the changes but im probaby just gonna use ncs and default code the whole car. the dme mss60 doesnt have a specfic data byte to differentiate between manual and dct like some of the other dme's do, its just the info memory from the car that feeds into the dme.

Originally Posted by e46IX

Good luck Amraz and thanks for the pointers helping me with mine. Did the entire job by myself in my home garage.

My E92 M3 Individual Laguna Seca, originally DCT converted to 6-speed. Local Toronto guys know about my conversion.

Im gonna make it up north this year, hopefully we can meet up.

Originally Posted by wyatth

Very cool. Not as simple (or necessary, ha!) as the SMG-6MT E46 swaps, but cool to see this possible and documented.

Not really as simple but not really alot more to it than the basic concept of changing the transmission and the parts specific to it.

Originally Posted by Mog-10

The op is also adding a theft deterrent.

the long forgetting talent of knowing how to drive manual.

[//steve\\]

and here I am wishing I had a DCT car.

[rhyary]

Originally Posted by //steve\\

and here I am wishing I had a DCT car.

Isn't that funny how we all love cars, in so many different ways.

[ruff1017]

Amazing!!
Keep up the good work

Try driftflo for the 4.10 gear sets
He has exceeded my expectations of any vendor I've ever worked with.
Extremely knowledgeable and patient. He answered all my dumb questions and
talented.

[GeorgeA]

Originally Posted by e46IX

Good luck Amraz and thanks for the pointers helping me with mine. Did the entire job by myself in my home garage.

My E92 M3 Individual Laguna Seca, originally DCT converted to 6-speed. Local Toronto guys know about my conversion.

Did you document the process? Interested in seeing how the wiring/electronics portion went and the cost of doing this conversion.

[DirtyM3]

Awesome

[Oreo Cat]

Sub, thinking about doing this

[amrazM]

Originally Posted by GeorgeA

Did you document the process? Interested in seeing how the wiring/electronics portion went and the cost of doing this conversion.

Im waiting on a coolant pipe from Germany. Manual cars have a different cooling pipe that connects the rear of the cylinder heads and goes to the aux water pump on the driver side frame rail. On the dct cars it uses a hose that runs to the dct heat exchanger then to the aux water pump. Other than that everything is going according to plan, also changing the two sap valves at the same time. I’m pulling the engine out to do this tho, it’s easier to pull the driveline out the front than try to pull a dct box out of the car while working on the floor.

I will Document this entire process from start to finish including the wiring, all I can Say is if you’re even remotely considering this start buying the parts now. At the very least buy a gearbox and hold onto it, people are using the m3 manual trans in the M5 now too and it’s becoming harder to source. The same trans is used on the manual N62 but without a neutral sensor and without any cooling provisions in the bell housing. It’s possible to make it work but you’ll have to add these sensors, machining it isn’t hard but buying the sensors is costly. The hall sensor for the top of the transmission is almost $500 by itself.

[amrazM]

Some photos from the process, s/o to rcracin for hooking me up with a slave cylinder at the last minute when I got the wrong one.

basically, how it started after the car was sitting for 6 months. sent my kw clubsports for a rebuild which was suppose to take 3 months, going on the 6th month at this point thats why the suspension is hanging.



making some space to pull the heart out.


this was the end of the first day, basically, engine out without much of a fight.


the offender to be removed.


ttv flywheel, from the uk. nice piece but makes a considerable amount of noise.


trans swapped, gearbox put back in, hydraulics ran. wrapped the soft section of the line coming out of the car with some tape cause all the factory heat protection disintegrated.


car back together.


the wiring was the difficult part of the job, no resources on the web to tell you how to do this part.


car done and running with no issues.



in short, the swap was a success.

[amrazM]