Www.r3vlimited.com or www.m42club.com are both good for info.
Www.r3vlimited.com or www.m42club.com are both good for info.
An m44 is an easy swap. Use the m42 oil pan and the intake manifold and its plug and play. The good news is one needs to take off the oil pan and tighten the oil pan bolts anyway, and one needs to take off the intake manifold to solve "the mess under the intake". good luck
"An m44 is an easy swap. Use the m42 oil pan and the intake manifold and its plug and play." THIS IS NOT TRUE I WAS WRONG mea culpa.
In reply to bustedplug :
I may have worked out a deal on the M44 w/an engine hoist. The engine is out of a newer 318i, but if I'm swapping my M42 intake & electronics everything should mostly match up? Even if it's ODBI vs. ODBII?
It's the same clutch and flywheel? Lots of conflicting info on the different forums about temp sensors, crank sensors. If you have specific experience with this one, let me know.
EDIT: These engines are NOT interchangeable. ODBI vs ODBII necessitates an ECU change, as well as different camshaft sensors. It's been done (check out the M42/M44 forum)
M42 has partially forged internals, which some prefer over the M44. M44 has slightly more displacement (1.9 vs 1.8L), and a more usable torque curve.
Sorry to see the window in your block. We have a hoist here in Jacksonville your welcome to borrow if you need it.
I have an M44 out of a 318ti that you can have for free.
Its mostly all there. Removed it to swap a M50 into the car. At some point someone wanted to buy the cams/lifters and trays, so I removed them. He then backed out. I have all the parts, but not sure I noted where each lifter came out off.
Engine is in West Palm and you would have to pick it up.
In reply to Stampie :
That's awesome, pretty sure I'll take you up on that offer. How big is it broken down? Do you think it'll fit in a vw sportwagen?
In reply to Slippery :
This is very tempting. Is the head still on the engine, or did you remove it?
In reply to Hoondavan :
Its on the engine, as are all of the accesories. The cams, trays and lifters are the only things I removed and they are boxed up.
I can check it out this weekend if you like and send you pictures.
Hoondavan said:In reply to Stampie :
That's awesome, pretty sure I'll take you up on that offer. How big is it broken down? Do you think it'll fit in a vw sportwagen?
It could maybe fit but much easier to throw in my pickup bed and bring to you.
In reply to Stampie :
I'm just south of St. Augustine, about 45 to minutes from JAX. I could probably take my wife's minivan, but if you're OK with heading this way that'd work too.
In reply to Hoondavan :
Compared to our normal road trips that's nothing.
In reply to Slippery :
Yes! I'll send you an email to work out logistics.
In reply to Stampie :
Sounds good, I'll send you an email and we can figure out a convenient time.
Does anyone have any tips on M42 removal?
The Bentley manual is geared towards the M10 and M20 and isn't really relevant. It also doesn't address the transmission and drive shaft.
The best write-up I've read said to use 4 jackstands and start by marking and removing the driveshaft. Support the transmission with a floor jack.
I'never separated a transmission from an engine. Is it possible to leave the transmission where it is and only jack up the front two wheels? Maybe that's a good way to destroy your driveshaft and gumbo if the transmission slips?
I'd rather not leave the car in jackstands longer than I need to. It's in a somewhat high-traffic area and I wouldn't want someone (or dogs) to bump it and get hurt.
Preface ... I've never pulled an engine from an E30 so this is generic advice. If you can remove both as a unit it makes it easier to line everything up normally when you put them back together. That said we're stubborn and normally pull the engine separate because of how much space you need to create at the front. As far as jackstands we only leave it up to get underneath to unbolt those necessary parts. Once we go to remove the engine it's normally sitting on the wheels.
I made some more progress this morning with engine removal. I've removed the radiator, the intake, and most of the wiring. I still need to drop the alternator, AC compressor and the exhaust. Just about all of the forums I've read recommend pulling the engine and transmission together. Apparently there are a ton of torque bolts that are difficult to access.
On the + side, the head on the M42 is probably still good. No coolant in the oil and the coolant was still green.
Bigger question is about which engine I go with. Turns out Stampie's M44 is missing a few parts. I'm not sure if the head from my M42 would fit...but the head gasket kit would put the cost close to the M44 I can buy locally. The M42 I could get is a 3 hr drive and $500. That'd be easiest, but also the most expensive. 
The black debris is the insulation from the underside of the hood.
So after more research on the internets, some guys on the m42/m44 Facebook group (yes, there is such a thing) seem pretty certain that the writing loom and a bunch of other parts need to be swapped to put an M44 in an e30.
Does anyone following have direct experience with this?
I've made more progress with the teardown today. Header is off (but still connected to the downpipe), power steering pump and ac compressor are also separated from the block and zip-tied in place.
Here's a new picture of the carnage
Damn I had a M44 and didn't know it. Lol. Personally I would do a direct swap. It adhears to the KISS principal. Plus BMW 4 bangers are known to take well to turbos.
I just checked the two you pull it yards up here and neither have M42 cars in stock. How much recovery do you have? Might be better to buy a donor and sell off pieces to zero it out.
In reply to Hoondavan :
Going through some old pics. Turns out I didn't swap a(n) m44 into an e30, I swapped an e36 m42 into an e30 (please ignore what i said earlier about intake and oil pan.) What I did do that might be useful is install and remove the m42's twice.without the trans both times.Once in the shop and once in a gravel driveway. You can get to all the trans bolts by loosening the trans mount and lowering the engine. good luck
In reply to bustedplug :
I thought all e36s had M44s ...
In reply to Slippery :
Well I am no expert, but I think that obd1 e36's were m42 and obd2 e36'e were m44. In any case the first motor I put in the 91 318ic came with the disa intake and wedge shaped oil pan and serp belt setup (which consequently led to me believing that it was a m44). The oil pan wouldn't fit in the chassis and i used the e30 intake.
My understanding is that BMW transitioned from M44 to M42 in mid-year 95. I also think the 318Ti and (possibly) 318is switched sooner. The build date on RealOEM can determine which engine it should have. Either way, I've ruled-out the M44...too much work. I'll bite the bullet and find an M42. KISS is definitely the preferred path.
I'm on the road for the next week, so things will be on pause.
Back from nearly a week in Seattle. It didn't rain, Mt. Rainier was in full view the whole time. Unfortunately, a busy work schedule and a sprained ankle prohibited any actual outdoor fun. I did have plenty of time on the flight to scour the webs for an engine, hopefully I can drag an engine home this weekend.
Option 1: an M42 from a wrecked (rear-ended) E30 in Tampa (+3 hours away) area for $400. The owner sent me a vide of the engine running before he pulled it. He also bounced it off the rev-limiter a few times (ugh), but it did sound healthy. $400 still keeps me under challenge budget, and since it's a wrecked car there's probably a better chance it's a healthy motor.
Option 2: There's an M42 from an early e36 about an hour closer (Orlando area), but it seems to have a crack in the oil filter housing. Should be easy enough to swap my filter housing on there, as well as swap the oil pan & replace the gasket. Asking price is only $150...but also a little less certain. I've only messaged w/the owner, so I'll have speak with him. He bought the car w/a bad oil leak, it seems he didn't find the crack in the oil filter housing until he pulled the engine. I'll have to confirm.
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