M42club.com - Home of the BMW E30/E36 318i/iS
DISCUSSION => Swaps, Turbos, Buildups => Topic started by: M42_Jester on February 09, 2014, 07:17:49 PM
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So below is a collection of images of an E36 318is M44 engine with an ARMA Supercharger kit in Japan.
Can someone please tell me why ARMA continue to say that this will not bolt on to the M42? As far as my understanding goes, the M42 and M44 are identical in every way except for the bump up to a 1.9L and MAF instead of an AFM. Surely those 2 reasons alone would not prevent this from working?
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I believe there are some differences, and that you could probably make it work by modifying your M42 with some of the M44 components. I believe they have a different belting setup that works with the SC. Downing Atlanta had a kit that was M44 focused but they later modified it setup that would work on a e30 M42. I'm sure someone else here can provide better information.
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I think the main problem with an M44 S/C kit on an E30 M42 would be the v-belt accessory drive. I'd bet they use the serpentine setup.
The front sump oil pan in the E30 is also problematic. The M44 also has a significantly different ignition system, so their tuning chip won't work. None of these problems are impossible to fix, but they'd add to cost and difficulty.
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I should probably clarify that I am talking about the E36 M42 and not the E30