- Joined
- Feb 23, 2023
- Messages
- 121
Hello everybody, this is an idea I had last night. I want to swap my C55’s stock 722.6 5-speed auto for a ZF 8HP70.
They already make an adapter for the bellhousing/torque converter, so bolting it together will be easy!
All that would really need to be done to mount it in the car and have all the mechanicals working is:
• Transmission mounts
• Cooler and cooler lines
• Custom driveshaft
• A custom mount for the BMW electronic shifter (since you must use it)
Speaking about electronics! There is a company named TCU Lamik that sells a standalone TCU kit.
I’ve been doing quite a bit of research, and a lot of people say this is an amazing kit. It’s able to talk to the factory CAN system to keep all the gauges working—shift indicators, gear display, and more! It would be almost like it came from the factory with an 8-speed.
Why do I want to do this? It’s simple! The 8HP70 is a modern torque converter transmission, but with 8 speeds, extremely quick shifting, and the ability to do some crazy stuff—like programming it to run as a manual and even using the torque converter as a clutch!
The factory 722.6 is very strong, but that’s about where the pros end. It’s slow, outdated, and only has 5 gears. The 8HP will completely change the car—and do it reliably!
This swap has already been successfully done on a few Mercedes models from the same era. After seeing the adapter kit yesterday I knew I had to make it happen. Once I get started I will be updating this thread with my progress so stay tuned.
They already make an adapter for the bellhousing/torque converter, so bolting it together will be easy!
All that would really need to be done to mount it in the car and have all the mechanicals working is:
• Transmission mounts
• Cooler and cooler lines
• Custom driveshaft
• A custom mount for the BMW electronic shifter (since you must use it)
Speaking about electronics! There is a company named TCU Lamik that sells a standalone TCU kit.
I’ve been doing quite a bit of research, and a lot of people say this is an amazing kit. It’s able to talk to the factory CAN system to keep all the gauges working—shift indicators, gear display, and more! It would be almost like it came from the factory with an 8-speed.
Why do I want to do this? It’s simple! The 8HP70 is a modern torque converter transmission, but with 8 speeds, extremely quick shifting, and the ability to do some crazy stuff—like programming it to run as a manual and even using the torque converter as a clutch!
The factory 722.6 is very strong, but that’s about where the pros end. It’s slow, outdated, and only has 5 gears. The 8HP will completely change the car—and do it reliably!
This swap has already been successfully done on a few Mercedes models from the same era. After seeing the adapter kit yesterday I knew I had to make it happen. Once I get started I will be updating this thread with my progress so stay tuned.
