In my quest to save my DII after fighting the 4.6, I was in search of currently supported engine conversions. I came across Rocky Mountain British's post about BMW M54 swaps. They don't have much detail on their site but it sounds pretty straight forward. My first thought was that it would feel under powered even with the 3.0L. Sure it has slightly more HP but it is really lacking in TQ. The X5 3.0i reviews I read made it seem like it was a decent performer. The X5 and the DII are similar in weight. Granted the DII is lacking a gear in the transmission that will hurt it.

Curious if there was any intel on this? I didn't see a thread discussing this specific engine in a DII. The engines are plentiful and affordable. The components that are required from other donor cars are affordable as well. Seems he has the interface to the DII computer sorted out. I am curious about the throttle as I think the M54 is DBW, as well as how much of the M54 donor car harness you will need.

 

Been exchanging emails with Jordan on the swap. Seems like he has it all worked out and it's pretty straight forward. My biggest reservation is the lack of TQ the M54 makes. I am sure at WOT the M54 would be faster than the 4.6 but that isn't how most people drive. I really enjoy the torquey nature of the 4.6 and how relaxed it is going down the hwy not having to hunt gears on every hill. The M54 and DII is a very unlikely pairing so it's a bit amazing it was even thought of much less proven.

 

As a good friend of Jordan's I was around that truck plenty before he sold it. I wouldn't hesitate to buy anything from him, does great work and almost always available if any questions come up. In stock form and at elevation he was quite pleased with how the truck drives. I don't think the motor fits if you have anything but stock tire size though for the exact reason you are concerned. But if it did well here in Denver then it's going to rip around even better at sea level or lower elevations.