1970 Bronco BMW Diesel Swap

[Dylan_Shaffer]

Are there any manuals that fit this engine? And low range transfer cases that fit those manuals?

This website has adapter kits for certain manual transmissions and transfer cases though I believe they’re all Europe based models and would be harder to source here. I was originally going to make my own adapter to use my nv4500 until I realized you could use the Zf8hp with this engine

 

[Broncobowsher]

I have come to love this ZF 8-speeds. I don't care what engine it's behind, they work. I've lost track of how many vehicles I have driven with them. Even a few that never existed. R2.8 and the 5.0 V8 Cummins. Watched a presentation on that transmission, amazing simple as well. No sprags, only 5 frictions. That's less than any 4-speed I know of. The gear spacing is money. Not too close, but not too wide.

 

[sprdv1]

I’m following as well. I like different builds.

Should be a good one. Best of luck w/the transistion..

 

[Dylan_Shaffer]

Came across this video, does a decent job going into some of the details of this engine

 

[chuck1022]

Hey everyone! Figured it’s time I get a build thread going. I’ve had my bronco for about 9.5 years and daily drive it for 7 of those years. I’ve decided to swap a bmw diesel and automatic transmission into it and as you’d expect the project scope seems to increase indefinitely.

The engine: the engine is an m57 diesel found in the 2009-2011 bmw 335d sedan and the 2009-2013 bmw X5 diesel. It’s a compound turbo 3.0 inline 6 with dual overhead cams. The block and head are aluminum and it comes stock with all forged internals. It’s one of the most reliable and overbuilt engines bmw has made. With the stock turbos and high pressure fuel pump you can expect 440hp and 700tq at the crank with a tune once you remove all of the emissions stuff. This is essentially the configuration I’ll be running. It should get around 30mpg on the highway but time will tell.

The transmission: the transmission is a bmw zf8hp70 made by ZF. It’s an 8 speed transmission from the 2014-2019ish bmw x5 diesel. These things are super robust, shift extremely quick and smooth and are being use by every major car maker now. You can find them in everything from a dodge ram to a Lamborghini. The bmw variant has the largest output shaft and smallest bell housing making it ideal for this swap. There’s actually a good amount of support for this engine and trans combo in Europe which is where I sourced the adapter plate.

Transfer case: I’ll be using the ATC45L transfer case that comes in the BMW X5 and blurs right up to the trans. It doesn’t have a low range but for what I do (mostly city highway and desert) I’ve never needed low range.

This project has made me super thankful for this forum as well as any other classic car and off-road forums I’ve been on in the past. Turn out BMW guys are generally super unhelpful and reluctant to share knowledge, essentially the opposite experience of what I’ve had here.

I’ll slowly start to add more info and post updates about things I have completed on this build and my progress going forward!

Happy to answer any questions and take any suggestions!
View attachment 911517

Damnit Dylan. I have zero interest in doing this to my Bronco but now I have follow this build . This is going to be fantastic!!!!

 

[Dylan_Shaffer]

Welding up seemingly endless holes in the engine bay this weekend, need to clean it all up then it’s ready to blast with paint. Still debating wether I want to modify the cowl to go straight across to make more room for an ac unit at some point.

 

[Tricky Dick]

modify the cowl to go straight across to make more room for an ac unit at some point.

Is this needed for the Vintage Air kit or do you have something else in mind?

 

[Dylan_Shaffer]

Is this needed for the Vintage Air kit or do you have something else in mind?

I don’t believe it’s needed but I figure more space always helps. I’m still not sure which ac system I’ll go with.

 

[bigmuddy]

I had mine modified for possible future ac or just to have the extra room. Makes a world of difference.

I don’t believe it’s needed but I figure more space always helps. I’m still not sure which ac system I’ll go with.

 

[Shimmy]

Awesome! I have an F15 X5 as my daily driver. be careful with that transmission. they are sensitive to tire sizes and touchy to fluid changes.

 

[Dylan_Shaffer]

Working on boxing this in this weekend

 

[Qumanchew]

Somehow I missed this for the past month. Awesome to see someone going a different route, and a diesel to boot!

Please keep this thread alive, I really want to see where this goes!

 

[Dylan_Shaffer]

Made a bit of progress, aiming to make the rest of the panels and weld it up next weekend.

 

[lars]

Made a bit of progress, aiming to make the rest of the panels and weld it up next weekend.

You won't be sorry that you raised/leveled the cowl there. I installed a VA system in my running Bronco, dashboard and everything else intact. It was a huge job, and I wish now that I'd leveled the cowl like that. Further, I'd advise making the horizontal surface into a removable panel. Even with the extra volume from the raised cowl, there is still very little room to get your hands in to install the evaporator, etc. What some who install AC into a bare tub with the dashboard removed don't seem to think about is the effort they will have to go through if/when one of the hoses connecting the heater core to the firewall fittings lets go. Having to remove an intact dashboard just to replace a hose would not be fun. I did think of it, and while I wouldn't have to remove the dash because of other changes I made, it would still be miserable. If that top panel is removable, it would be a lot easier.

 

[willtel]

You won't be sorry that you raised/leveled the cowl there. I installed a VA system in my running Bronco, dashboard and everything else intact. It was a huge job, and I wish now that I'd leveled the cowl like that. Further, I'd advise making the horizontal surface into a removable panel. Even with the extra volume from the raised cowl, there is still very little room to get your hands in to install the evaporator, etc. What some who install AC into a bare tub with the dashboard removed don't seem to think about is the effort they will have to go through if/when one of the hoses connecting the heater core to the firewall fittings lets go. Having to remove an intact dashboard just to replace a hose would not be fun. I did think of it, and while I wouldn't have to remove the dash because of other changes I made, it would still be miserable. If that top panel is removable, it would be a lot easier.

Do you have any ideas on what type of joint you would use to make it removable? I cut my cowl apart last weekend for an AC install and I'm one step behind Dylan now. I just can't grasp what we could use to make it removable and still seal well from the vent still in the hood.

 

[Dylan_Shaffer]

Do you have any ideas on what type of joint you would use to make it removable? I cut my cowl apart last weekend for an AC install and I'm one step behind Dylan now. I just can't grasp what we could use to make it removable and still seal well from the vent still in the hood.

I’m going to make it solid instead of removable, while it’d be easier to access the ac components with a removable piece, I don’t expect to have to do that often (hopefully) and having it be removable seems to lend itself to more potential problems than I’d like such as water ingress and degradation of the firewall/cowl structure overall. These bodies are already flexy enough

 

[bigmuddy]

Do you have any ideas on what type of joint you would use to make it removable? I cut my cowl apart last weekend for an AC install and I'm one step behind Dylan now. I just can't grasp what we could use to make it removable and still seal well from the vent still in the hood.

I think I would flange the panel then install with nutserts and a bit of RTV or something waterproof. You hopefully won't need to get in there often.

 

[Dylan_Shaffer]

Got mega side tracked with some other projects but finally getting back to working on this. Got the firewall panels made and mostly in this weekend and just need to finish welding. They’re not perfect but neither am I. Stoked on how it came out.