Shifting gears....literally! LS/CD009 swap in a E46 BMW
#1
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So I've been watching some of the swaps going on in E46 BMW's here and in the other forums, and considering jumping on the bandwagon. Prices on really decent early 2000's 3-series' are coming WAY down in my area, and in the end I could end up with a better car overall than my New Edge Mustang. While I have questions galore, one fundamental one stands out. How "livable" are the taller CD009 gear ratios (3.794, 2.324, 1.624, 1.271, 1.000, 0.794) with a E46's stock rear gear? Quick 'net search shows a manual trans car having a 3.15, and an auto having a 3.46. I'm not looking to build a monster, just a fun daily driver.....so I'm not against building a NA 4.8 if the price is right. From what I gather, 4.8's need a little more RPM to make power than a typical 5.3, so would this setup work well with the right cam? What say you all?
#3
TECH Addict
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If you have the E46 with 6 speed manual trans, you might have 3.46 in the diff. Some sport packages added with the 6spd. (My 330XI has deeper gears than a regular 330XI was a factory ordered car.. )