How To Fit E90 Brake Booster Into BMW E30 M52 Swap RHD | Slim E9X Servo Install Guide | 043
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- čas přidán 30. 07. 2023
- How To Fit E90 Brake Booster Into BMW E30 M52 Swap RHD | Slim E9X Servo Install Guide | 043
In this video, I share a detailed guide on how to install a BMW E90 brake booster into a BMW E30 right hand drive.
Here's what I used in this video:
E90 Brake Servo: ebay.us/TopN1v
1602/2002 Brake Fluid Reservoir: ebay.us/44sum7
Grommets: ebay.us/2GdX3P
Brake Line Adapters M12 to M10: ebay.us/q0Q2kD
13mm Vacuum Bung: ebay.us/65SM1E
Brake Line T-piece: ebay.us/gEJ3pw
Longer Clevis Pin M10 35mm: ebay.us/bDqOG5
The Wrong Brake Line Flaring Kit: ebay.us/x3P5yu
My reason for wanting to E90 servo swap my BMW E30 build is quite simple. I'm planning to do an M52 engine conversion on this car, and the E30 brake booster will not simply work thanks to being too wide of a diameter and fouling both an M52 or M50 intake manifold.
There are a few common ways to solve this problem, the seemingly most simple would be to relocate the E30 original brake servo slightly over to one side, away from the manifold, this works but it involves cutting the firewall and drilling new holes, plus modifying the clevis in a way which requires you to buy an extra one.
In the UK, a very common route is to use a Renault Clio Servo, this is a very specific brake booster found on a Mk2, 1.2L Clio from 2001-2005 model. These are becoming near impossible to source now, let alone in good condition. I couldn't even find a good photo of one. But this comes with its own difficulties regarding the clevis again as it has an adjustable push rod.
In the US, the equivalent to this would be the Porsche 944 brake booster swap, but these are less common in the UK, and they are very old parts now which is off-putting.
X3 brake servos are also becoming a common swap, but whatever option you go with will come with its own set of compromises and complications. I settled on the E90 E92 E9X brake servo to fit into my E30 as the best option, although still not as simple as I'd like.
When fitting a BMW E90 brake booster into an E30, there are plenty of factors to be aware of. If you live in a LHD area, like the US, you will find that LHD E90s have the brake master cylinder ports on the booster on the wrong side for the E30, so a top tip for those across the pond is to pick up a RHD E90 brake servo.
On that note, if your E30 is left hand drive, you will need to modify the clevis, many do this by simply welding the E30 clevis onto the E90's rod. However, for a RHD install, I found myself to be very lucky and no welding was required - you can stick with the E90's original fork which was a massive plus thanks to the janky brake pedal linkage.
For LHD E30's the clevis meets the brake pedal directly so there is insufficient space for the larger E90 fork.
Despite the E90 being a slimmer brake booster to fit with M50 manifold, the brake fluid reservoir is still too large. Luckily you can pick up a BMW 2002 or a 1602 brake fluid reservoir. There are a couple of versions, one with a clutch line takeoff and one without. With a RHD E30, you can get the latter.
To fit the 2002 brake fluid bottle you need to switch the rubber grommets out on the master cylinder for smaller ones.
Once this is done, you will need to fit M12 to M10 brake line adapters so your BMW E30 brake lines will work with the new E90 master cylinder ports.
You'll also need to bung the spare hole for vacuum on the E90 booster and switch the E30's vacuum line into the other.
I also had to trim the E30 engine bay sound deadening so the E90 booster would mount flush to the firewall on its two studs.
With it mounted in place, I set about bending my brake lines to meet the new brake master cylinder, the front E30 brake lines needed to go via a T-piece splitter to feed both front calipers as my E30 is a non-ABS model.
I even give a guide on how to do bubble flare brake line fittings using a double flare brake line kit, it works pretty well considering its not a bubble flare tool.
Finally, I used a longer clevis pin with some stacked washers to connect the E90 booster fork to the E30's brake linkage.
For more helpful how-to guides and restorations: www.spannerrash.com/
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Another video I have been looking for! This is also on the list due to my s38 swap, didn’t think the clio boosters were as available as they used to be. Great information too, you really do put some effort into these vids!
Couldn't even find a decent pic of the correct Clio booster 😆
Someone else in the comments mentioned that having tried both, the E90 booster gives much better feel. Looking forward to feeling it.
Hope the vid helps you along with the build mate!
use th E65 brake booster for E38/39
And yet another great video! I have been working for more then 25years on different E30's , and still doing this. Love to see your progress , you should have way more followers! Cant wait till the next one
Thanks so much Frank! 😃 You must've built up a wealth of E30 knowledge and experience with that many years under your belt!
I'm still figuring things out as I go. 😁
Great to see another quality upload. You got quite the collection of tools for the jobs at hand 💪
Cheers pal! 😃You can never have enough tools. Every job I do it seems I'm missing something.
Probably why the collection has grown so much. 😆 Most of them are hand-me-downs from the old man to be fair though.
Fantastic video!. Very concise and easy to follow. Professional end result. Well done that man.
Thanks Matthew - Thats a glowing review! 😀 Hope its clear enough for those trying to do the same mod.
Dude!! Wish I was a methodical and patient as you seem. Awesome stuff
Thanks man! None of my swearing made the edit luckily. This e90 booster tested my patience at times. 🤣
Your videos are so well explained and your information is very insightful
Always look forward to seeing what you do next to the E30 👍🏾
Thank you mate! I hope the vids prove useful to you. 😃
Thanks! Been meaning to do this for years. Bought an X3 booster about five years ago which looks very similar.
Cheers! Yeah should be a very similar install to the E90 one, hope its useful for you.
Used the clio booster on mine and tbh they both look just as painful as each other. Will say you made a lovely job of it mate👍🏽
Thanks mate! Yeah, there's plenty of difficulties whichever servo swap you do. But not being able to find a Clio one made the choice a lot easier for me. 😂 They seem like very rare things these days.
Indeed your have eared my great respect!! Your videos are IDEAL for e30 fanatics!! Great analysis in terms of technical issues, as well as PERFECT sound quality!! Thanks mate and many thanks frankly!!!
That's extremely kind of you to say, thanks John! 😃 Really hope my vids help you out with your own E30 project.
Amazing video !! Well done !!
Thanks mate! 😃
Such good info in here thank you mate, i would have definitely welded the E30 pin on, at least with this info i can knock up a new pin and some spacers on the lathe to get the job done.
I was bloody certain I'd need to weld the E30 clevis onto it. Everything I'd read said so.
Glad I offered it up to the car and checked before getting handy with the angle grinder. 😆
Hope the vid helps you out with yours!
@SPANNERRASH and all - Another Tip that the lad at the scrapyard told me is that pre facelift E90s didn't have the Booster Vacuum Sensor, I got that one and seems like I wouldn't need to block that off. Haven't done it yet so not sure if anything else is different :) Great Guide as always!!!
Ahh yes somebody else mentioned about that additional port. I thought all E90's had it but evidently not. Finding one without will save you sourcing a bung. 😃 Cheers!
Brilliant tutorial! Made it look easy, I know it’s not!!
Thanks Logan 😄 definitely took a lot of figuring out for me this one. Really happy with the result though.
Big thank you for the video on the topic. I use E60 booster with E34 rubber mounts and this brake fluid reservoir (03.3508-5851.3) exactly the same as in the video but with an added port for the clutch.
Sounds good! Hope the vid proved useful for you, thanks for sharing the extra info.
Great video! I too was dreading the part where I would have to weld the E30 clevis onto the E9X booster but I found out just as you did that there was no need to do so. I used a longer clevis pin in mine which I handily had in a box of bits. Another thing to note is that there is a E9X booster which only has one vacuum port. When I bought mine off eBay I had to double check the pics of the actual part to make sure it only had one port.
Thanks mate! Ahh I didn't know one existed without the additional port, that's good to know, thanks for sharing that, it could help someone select theirs better.
I hadn't even thought about that until I got the booster to be honest.
For once I think RHD have an easier time with this one. Normally it's just extra complication.
Forgot to mention the braking feel of this booster compared to a clio booster is absolutely superb, it’s a night and day difference when compared to the clio one.
I found the clio booster gave me very wooden brakes that did nothing until they would lock up suddenly with very little braking feel at the pedal.
The E9X booster gives a very nice pedal feel and you can feel the brakes coming on progressively and no locking up.
I’m sure you will be very happy with this setup when it’s all up and running, I definitely was with mine.
@@ajbrar6554 Oh wow, well it sounds like I've done the right thing going this route then! Can't wait to see how it all feels when used in anger. Cheers!
Ευχαριστώ πολύ, όλα σου τα βίντεο είναι αναλυτικά και η αλλαγή κινητήρα σε Μ52 που εδώ στην Ελλάδα είναι πολύ δύσκολη, με τα βίντεο σου πιστεύω πως θα την κάνω την μετατροπή. Το δικό μου ήταν Μ40 316i 1990 το μετέτρεψα το 2015 εγώ σε 318is και τώρα θέλω να το μετατρέψω σε M52. Ευχαριστώ.
Ακούγεται ότι το αυτοκίνητό σας ήταν αρχικά σαν το δικό μου. Χαίρομαι πολύ που τα βίντεο είναι χρήσιμα για εσάς. Μου άρεσε να έχω ένα E30 318 πριν από χρόνια, ελπίζοντας ότι το M52 E30 θα είναι το επόμενο επίπεδο από αυτό όσον αφορά τη διασκέδαση. 😃
Very very clean install 😊
Love it.
Better than my installation on the lines. But mine is ABS, so had to custom it.
Small heads up, on the servo matting side, try to apply some sealant or gasket, this has a purpose of not letting water in and movement of the firewall against the servo. Can have some creaking noise due to only 2 bolts.
Oh, another tip, F10 brake reservoir sits in very well and looks like factory fitted.
Clears the throttle body of the M52.
Thanks Felix, yeah I thought ABS would make life a bit more awkward so I'm lucky I guess.
The E90 booster did actually come with a little foam gasket which I made sure to put on, hopefully that prevents any creaking etc.
Would the F10 reservoir fit with an M50 intake manifold too? I'm debating trying one out when the engine is in. 😄
Yes, it does clear the M50 Manifold also. And looks factory made.
Very useful video - thanks.
As a suggestion: Autodoc are offering significantly better prices and lead-times on the BMW 2002 reservoir and grommets than the Latvian site suggested
Good find! Thanks for sharing that
nice work. i would make a bracket to pick-up on the reservoirs mounting holes. Maybe drop it down to pick up on the master cylinder/servo mounting studs directly below?
Thanks Martin, yeah I plan to do pretty much exactly that. No doubt there will be a lot of refining to do to this E30 once it's all back together. I'll be keen to get things like that resolved once it's a car again.
On Z3s they use M12 and M10 brake unions so that you don't mix up the lines going to the ASC controller...think it's M12 nearside and M10 offside...
That's interesting, I didn't know that was a thing but it makes quite a lot of sense.
just had a look at the Z3 braking system diagram...they are all M10s at the calipers but when you get to the unions on the ASC module, it's M12 nearside and M10 offside
Can't wait to see the engine in the bay with your booster work.....will you trim off the break fluid container fastener holes?
Thanks John, hopefully it fits like I expect it to! 🤞
Good question on the fastener holes, I'm considering a little bracket to secure it to the booster and use them.
While I'm sure it's not going anywhere, because it only connects via push-fit with the 2 tubes, it doesn't feel as solidly on there as the one I removed did. Not helped by it being taller either.
So I'm considering that more than chopping them off.
thank, great info!!
Thanks Abigail, hope it helps! 😁
Great video 👍the the e90 booster from a petrol or diesel model?or are they the same
Good question, pretty sure they're exactly the same!
Heya mate , what size pin did you order ? Ordering some parts now but waiting on the booster to arrive so i cant measure it . Great videos mate. !!!
No problem, it's the M10 35mm one here: ebay.us/bDqOG5
Hope that helps, good luck on the booster swap. 😃
In mine i have put in from golf mk1 series didnt touch anythin even the rod for the pedal is exact replacement and have no problem years now. I used the original e30 pump
Nice, I haven't heard of that option before, but it sounds like a good one. Cheers
@@SPANNERRASH you dont have to do anything its an exact replacement i am bmw mechanic i have put the engine back at 2008 and still everything good
If your making a line up from the T piece to the cylinder you could do away with the adapter
Very true, could have just done an M12 fitting for the fronts between it and the T-piece. But I didn't have any M12 fittings, and I'd still need the adapter for the rear.
There are a few ways to skin a cat, but I think this arrangement worked out pretty well. 😁
@@SPANNERRASH very indepth - i like it, i fitted m52 to my e21
What’s the part number for the right hand drive master cylinder with the ports on the left side towards driver fender. Perfect for US M5x swaps
Here's the info:
BMW 3 Series E90 E91 E92 E93 LCI Brake Servo Unit Master Cylinder 6788040 (UK market, RHD).
OEM part no.: 34336779721 34336785665 34326764117 6788040
Hope that helps!
Does the master cylinders have the same cylinder size for both front and rear as the original one?
Almost certainly not, but I've also switched the calipers so that was already out the window. 😆
I suspect the front/rear ratio will still be good but I will hopefully find out very soon!
Turned out to be such a relatively easy swap! Nice one. Not sure but doesnt the pin need to sit more firm? In the e30 it can't move if i'm not mistaking. Maybe add some extra spacers ? Guess the pin could wear over time when it's able to move. Or i'm just being too precise, thats also a possibility 😂 can't wait for the engine fitment. What are your plans with the engine on the channel? Gonna rebuild it first ?
Took me a while to figure it out if I'm being honest! 🤭
I think the pin is spot on, sure there's no play in the E30's clevis/pin but seems to be like as long as it's kept around central, which the spacers solve, there's nothing really to go wrong with it.
I think the extra wear will be a long way into the future but, interesting point. Maybe I'll grease it every so often. 😆
Going to give the M52B28 engine a good check over and unless I see something that warrants a rebuild I'm just going to send it. I'll have to tidy it up a bit first though, it can't look scruffy in my shiny engine bay.
I can always rebuild it in the future, but I'm dying to get this car moving under its own power again ASAP. Fingers crossed I can proceed with the plan and don't find anything wrong with it. 🤞
The vice is bolted to the bench!
Finally! Works a lot better bolted down too, it was driving me mad. 😂
😂
What and where can I get the rubber grommets and adapters for the brake line.
All parts linked in the description my guy! :D
1602/2002 Brake Fluid Reservoir: ebay.us/44sum7
Grommets: ebay.us/2GdX3P
Brake Line Adapters M12 to M10: ebay.us/q0Q2kD
13mm Vacuum Bung: ebay.us/65SM1E
Brake Line T-piece: ebay.us/gEJ3pw
Longer Clevis Pin M10 35mm: ebay.us/bDqOG5
The Wrong Brake Line Flaring Kit: ebay.us/x3P5yu
Brake Fluid Reservoir from F10 looks more OEM
Interesting, I'll take a look. Is it a direct fit to the E90 booster and would fit with M52 + M50 manifold?
How much longer is the e90 servo over the e30 one?
A fair amount but to be honest I don't think I measured it in that direction, didn't really see the need. Howcome?
Pozdrav sta uraditi sa kvacilom?
Kako njega povezati na posudu od kočione tekućine?
Bok, na E30 s volanom na desnoj strani kao što je moj, kvačilo ima poseban spremnik na suprotnoj strani odjeljka motora tako da to nije problem.
Za model s volanom na lijevoj strani, možete dobiti isti tip rezervoara iz 2002., ali s dodatnim otvorom za vod spojke. Mislim da sam to spomenuo u videu.
Nadam se da pomaže! 😁
Does anyone know the part number for the spring tensioner that is seen at 14:05 ?
Hi Joe, I think 35211157854 but its NLA.
Strange how the don't show the spring on the diagram here: www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=AB12-EUR-05-1990-E30-BMW-316i&diagId=35_0047
Hope that helps!
I have seen people using the e60 reservoir because it is smaller than the e90 reservoir and does not sit at an angle in the car. I will try this soon
Interesting, I'll look that up. The 2002 resevoir does seem to be a very good solution, especially using the E30 top for the level sensor.
@@SPANNERRASH yes and the E30 top fits the E60 reservoir as well, you don't even have to change the grommets to fit it on top of the brake cylinder. But I think it depends on the intake manifold and how much space you have, it seems to work well with M50 swaps
@@Valnar1512 It sounds very interesting then, thank you for sharing the knowledge on that!
What vaccum pipe did you use for the servo? , im using a generic pipe and its got quit a big kink in it, thanks!
The one which connects to the intake manifold? I think I covered that in a later video, the one where I fit the M50 intake manifold.
However, I can tell you I used an off-cut of PAS line. A very sturdy line. It's strongly advised that you use a reinforced and/or steel braided line for this.
If it's a soft line and it collapses, you will lose braking force and it could end in disaster. Definitely don't run one with a kink in it.
@@SPANNERRASH Thanks man, i done the e90 booster swap already and just finished the mondeo mk3 caliper upgrade. But not 100% happy yet 😂 will try replacing the pipe 👊🏽
@@e30hope No worries mate, glad to help. Mondeo caliper upgrade sounds interesting I will look that up.
Awesome series dude! Me and my dad are following along, M52B28 into a 316i.
We've gone for the same E9X booster you've done but the pedal doesn't return? Not sure if you or anyone watching encountered this?
That's amazing that you're working on pretty much the same build with your dad too. 😆
I hope the project is going well, the brake pedal with the E90 booster feels really great so far, feels totally normal and returns.
Check your linkage I reckon, maybe its catching on something.
@@SPANNERRASH thanks dude! MOT booked now 🤞. We've sussed the brake issue, where my 30 has ABS you need to adjust the pedal so that the linkage lines up. There's a nut behind the pedal on the linkage that allows for adjustment. Hopefully someone finds it helpful.
@@SPANNERRASH This is dad all good mot passed and hes like a Cheshire cat , great series and thankyou for all the tips and guides
@@davidthomas8317 Haha perfect! I was grinning like a Chershire cat too, enjoy 😃
what's the part number from the servo?
Here's the info for the booster I got:
BMW 3 Series E90 E91 E92 E93 LCI Brake Servo Unit Master Cylinder 6788040 (UK market, RHD).
OEM part no.: 34336779721 34336785665 34326764117 6788040
Hope that helps!
Hello! Do you need anything else to put the admission multiple?
Hi Rodrigo, not sure I totally understand your question, but this setup worked great for me and I left no steps out of the guide.
@@SPANNERRASH I was referring to the intake manifold, I already installed the e90 brake pump and I have a problem with the installation of the intake manifold
@@rodrigotv9934 Ah check out my later video about installing the larger M50 manifold. It's tight but with a little trim of the fins on the manifold it fits perfect! You will see 😃
@@SPANNERRASH Thanks Bro! 🤙🏻
Hi, would the e90 booster work with e30 master cylinder? Don’t really want to play with hard lines
Interesting question, sadly though I'm pretty sure the answer is no.
The studs that fasten on the master cylinder to the E90 booster are nowhere near the ones on an E30 MC.
I can't think of a way to make it work without some kind of adapter, which would definitely be harder to make than messing with the lines! 😄
@@SPANNERRASH that is good to know, might give it a try making the hard lines then. I wanted to do some sort of upgrade to my brakes but not sure what yet, might just go for harder pad better discs and braided lines. I want to turbo my m20 might be enough stopping power anyway
@@Dsilveiro by all accounts this E90 booster should make the brakes feel a bit keener than the stock E30 one. But I reckon you're right about trying the others first.
A quality set of pads and discs could transform the initial bite, and some quality fluid could help reduce fade from repeated stops.
Of course, if the soft lines are original they might be bulging under hard pedal stomping, so switching them for braided sounds good too.
Bear in mind though, the tyres will probably have the biggest impact when it comes down to stopping distance, especially if you've no ABS like me! 😆
@SPANNERRASH I do have ABS and brand new tyres, always wanted wilwood 4pot but maybe don't need that much stopping power
Thank you for a very informative video. You’ve gained a subscriber 😊
Would the E90 brake booster fit with a M60 V8 swap?
Great question! I think yes, but having never done an M60 swap I can't say for sure.
Hopefully someone with the knowledge can chime in and answer that here for you. 🤞
Pretty certain you need to do the relocation into the glovebox, there are kits out there to do this!
There is simply no room for it on the bulkhead with a V8 so are 3 options.
1) run it booster-less via a pedal box
2) use the E34 style remote booster mounted behind headlight. Some adaption of factory brackets and frame rail required.
3) locate inside the car in the glove box area at a 90deg angle.
The latter of which I chose to do for my E30 M60. (Long term project) 😅
Would a brake booster from an e90 automatic be the same
I certainly think so, but I'm not 100% sure about that so worth researching.
@@SPANNERRASH do you have the part number you used please
@@Graham.-E30 Cant remember it if I'm being honest. This one looks spot on though: ebay.us/TopN1v
I doubt the auto ones are any different, but I'd hate to be wrong about that.
If you pick one with only one vacuum hole though you won't have to plug the second. 👍
it is indeed proportional valve. but i have mine removed completely. i have 1to1 same vuild as yours, and i was worried that removing it from the game will make it lock the rears. however already 2t km on ODO and everything brakes as a charm. no sign of rear over braking.
Aha!! Thank you for clarifying that, I thought it might be. I might try removing mine at some point too and see what the effect is, I guess no effect in your experience. 😄
@@SPANNERRASH you actually can remove straight away. as later it will be pia to reach it there. main differense is that original e30 brake master had equal size out-ports for front and rear + you (as i :) ) had drum rear brakes, so therefore pressure going to the rear and the front was equal, however braking effeciency of drum rear and disk front brakes was different. so thats where proportioning valve comes in play.
however in newer e90 beake master cylinder you can see the diameter of the front and rear outgoing ports stamped on the body of master cylinder. and main thing that they are different from the factory 👌
@@Johnson26905 I see, that makes sense! Well that's really typical as I do want to remove it now, but since filming I decided to go ahead and bleed the brakes back up!
I think I'll save removing it for a later date because I absolutely hate getting brake fluid everywhere. 😆
But now its definitely on my list, thank you for enlightening me on that!
You could also replace it with an adjustable one
@@mcjjordan Good thought!
What year e90 booster did you need?
Earlier ones come without that second vacuum hole, so if you want an easier time go with one of those.
@@SPANNERRASH i found one with only one port, can that work?
@@SPANNERRASH also my vehicle is a 1990 320i came with abs module would the install be any different
@@drayescobar9469 One port is simpler, it will be ideal. The ABS model E30 will be much the same. The only difference is that the lines will go from the master cylinder to the brakes via the ABS, rather than directly. I think when you lift the bonnet and trace the lines that will become much more obvious to you.