Apex Speed Technology offering S54 (E46 M3 motor) Pectel stand alone engine swap kits

Neel, are you guys in the process or have already developed a stand-alone for the newer Direct Injection motors such as the N54?

This setup is going to open up the S54 to a lot more enthusiasts who make custom builds. Great work Apex!

Cool GUI too.

Good work. Loving the swap stuff.

Let me ask an example like this. I know that there are many bells and whistles but just want to get an understanding. Say someone has an E30 and they want to do an S54 swap. Something like this would be perfect right? What would they need to make that happen?

This kit is absolutely perfect for ODB-I or older swaps like the E30. For the E30, we make the harness plug directly into the stock harness. So in that case, you figure out how to install the engine and the wiring is a snap. The stock ignition key, tach, check engine light, A/C etc all works perfectly. This is one of the reasons its hard for me to put pricing up because every system is built to suit depending on options like this.

In fact, we can do this for almost any OBD-I swap - wanna put an S54 in a 72 Ford Pickup? No problem, we can make it plug right in.

We make swap kits for all non Direct-Injection BMW motors. I'm working on posts for all that soon.

-Neel

Neel, are you guys in the process or have already developed a stand-alone for the newer Direct Injection motors such as the N54?

We have already, but the direct injection hardware is so expensive it doesn't make a lot of sense. Just the electronics to run an N54 cost about $15k, and there's no benefit to it versus an M54 with a turbo.

-Neel

Originally Posted by Apex Speed Technology

We have already, but the direct injection hardware is so expensive it doesn't make a lot of sense. Just the electronics to run an N54 cost about $15k, and there's no benefit to it versus an M54 with a turbo.

-Neel

Interesting info.

Originally Posted by Apex Speed Technology

Typical kits are around $6000 including ECU with base calibrations and complete harnesses - just connect 12V, ground and starter button and you're running.

Thanks,

-Neel

Neel, I appreciate you saying this. This is exactly what I said but you told me I was wrong

Originally Posted by 5mall5nail5

Neel, I appreciate you saying this. This is exactly what I said but you told me I was wrong

He didn't tell you that you were wrong only that you exaggerated the cost a bit. Plus, you already have a thread for that so let's not drag it into here.

Originally Posted by Apex Speed Technology

In fact, we can do this for almost any OBD-I swap - wanna put an S54 in a 72 Ford Pickup? No problem, we can make it plug right in.

This... is so cool. A 72 ford pickup with a turbo S54 isn't a bad idea haha.

Originally Posted by Sticky

He didn't tell you that you were wrong only that you exaggerated the cost a bit. Plus, you already have a thread for that so let's not drag it into here.

I believe I said (and I am working off the top of my head here) $6 - 8k. He said kits are about $6k yet harnesses go from $500 - $10k as he states, so if anything, I under-estimate .... But you're right. So was I

Originally Posted by Sticky

This... is so cool. A 72 ford pickup with a turbo S54 isn't a bad idea haha.

Sticky - it sounds so cool. But in reality, the engine harness has VERY little to do with what chassis it is in. The only thing an ECU needs from the chassis a ground points and 12V supply. Thus the reason its so easy to put an M50TU motor into an E30. All you need is the engine harness, you don't mess with ANY chassis wiring. Same for a 2JZ swap or anything else really. Need a main relay that provides 12v to the ECU and a fuel pump relay. Done.

Originally Posted by 5mall5nail5

Sticky - it sounds so cool. But in reality, the engine harness has VERY little to do with what chassis it is in. The only thing an ECU needs from the chassis a ground points and 12V supply. Thus the reason its so easy to put an M50TU motor into an E30. All you need is the engine harness, you don't mess with ANY chassis wiring. Same for a 2JZ swap or anything else really. Need a main relay that provides 12v to the ECU and a fuel pump relay. Done.

Well no matter what it's cool. I like the idea that you can put an S54 into basically any OBD-I car.

Yep - you can put it in an OBD0 car. You can put an S73 in an OBD1 car too. Or a B&S into an OBD1 car, etc. Anything will run in anything. After you put anything in an OBD1 or OBD2 car, its no longer "OBD" so far as the gubment is concerned.

Originally Posted by 5mall5nail5

Yep - you can put it in an OBD0 car. You can put an S73 in an OBD1 car too. Or a B&S into an OBD1 car, etc. Anything will run in anything. After you put anything in an OBD1 or OBD2 car, its no longer "OBD" so far as the gubment is concerned.

If the government had their way we would not be able to do any cool swaps at all. Now someone go put this motor in a pickup!

Yep - you can put it in an OBD0 car. You can put an S73 in an OBD1 car too. Or a B&S into an OBD1 car, etc. Anything will run in anything. After you put anything in an OBD1 or OBD2 car, its no longer "OBD" so far as the gubment is concerned.

Yes, and frankly anyone who's smart enough can do everything that you or I do. That's not the point. We do the research on how, we calibrate things like tach outputs, we figure out the wiring and find the connectors so YOU don't have to.

Unless you've done a bunch of this and do it regularly for a living, I'd be weary of any implication that its simple and easy to do. And go read your posts, you deliberately and clearly misrepresented our pricing and continue to.

-neel

Originally Posted by Apex Speed Technology

Yes, and frankly anyone who's smart enough can do everything that you or I do. That's not the point. We do the research on how, we calibrate things like tach outputs, we figure out the wiring and find the connectors so YOU don't have to.

Thank you.

Originally Posted by Apex Speed Technology

Yes, and frankly anyone who's smart enough can do everything that you or I do. That's not the point. We do the research on how, we calibrate things like tach outputs, we figure out the wiring and find the connectors so YOU don't have to.

Unless you've done a bunch of this and do it regularly for a living, I'd be weary of any implication that its simple and easy to do. And go read your posts, you deliberately and clearly misrepresented our pricing and continue to.

-neel

Calibrate tach outputs?

neel - i've got someone who i'm providing a s54 to who's planning on fabbing an inexpensive e30 conversion kit (mounts/headers/etc). both he and i would be interested to hear what total cost on ECU/harness would be for that conversion.

Originally Posted by dreikraft

neel - i've got someone who i'm providing a s54 to who's planning on fabbing an inexpensive e30 conversion kit (mounts/headers/etc). both he and i would be interested to hear what total cost on ECU/harness would be for that conversion.

Who is going to be making that kit and how much $? Very interesting...

Originally Posted by Sticky

Who is going to be making that kit and how much $? Very interesting...

can't disclose just yet. but its less about providing a product as it is providing information because the info on s54 swap on e30s is hard to come by and he wants to make it more readily available. his focus is mainly engine management; alot of the hardware will be e36 based. ill make a thread when the time is right, but for now i'm interested to see if apex can provide an affordable ECU/harness package as that is key when it comes to e30s.

Damn you Neel for making me want to put an S54 into my E28