M42club.com - Home of the BMW E30/E36 318i/iS
DISCUSSION => Engine + Driveline => Topic started by: denious on April 11, 2007, 05:18:52 PM
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OK so when I bought my car, the dude told me it had an e36 m42 in it, plus showed me a paper stating a purchase of an engine and its installation by a garage. The fact is, I didn't know anything about BMW engines, and well, engines in general, so I just believed him. Lately I more and more get the feeling it's actually the original m42 in it... So, um, how do I check? :o :o
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One way you can check is by looking at the accessory belts if it's a serpentine style belt (parallel lines) then it is out of an e36
If the belts have jagged like teeth then more then likely it's out of an e30.
(I know there are more ways then just this so people post up!)
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The score for the moment:
e30: 1
e36: 0
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One way you can check is by looking at the accessory belts if it's a serpentine style belt (parallel lines) then it is out of an e36
If the belts have jagged like teeth then more then likely it's out of an e30.
(I know there are more ways then just this so people post up!)
exist e36's with no serpantine style belt before 1993 the only way to know about your motor is to look the intake they have lot of diferents for e36's m42
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Intake manifold...
The E30 one has 4 individual runners in a "C" shape running from the plenum. The below pic is the E30 M42.
(http://bmw.e30tuner.com/images/my318is/mod/copcon/bmw072.jpg)
The E36 one looks like a curled up maze of runners, very different than the M42.
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Possibly a short block and all components transfered over?
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Here're some pics of mine. Yes, I know it's horrendously dirty, has duct tape, no cover for the wires and yes... No wipers or linkage or anything; I'm making room for a flux capacitor module.
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Good grief that's dirty!
Everything I can see indicates that it is an E30 M42. Looks like mine though mine is a whole lot cleaner lol.
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looks like m42 intake.
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Well I'd be surprised if it wasn't m42 in the 1st place... :)
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Well, underneath all of the grime, it looks like......an E30 M42!! It has the right intake and the individual belts, which are the only telling points aside from serial #'s that I know of
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If they just replaced the short engine they may have used the original intake system and ancillaries drive system.
Serial number would probably be the best way to check.
Possibly another way to tell might be the fact that the E36 M42 had a knock sensor. I am not sure exactly how it is located but the realoem.com diagram below (see part # 15) may help you locate where it is or where it was (maybe there is a hole or something that doesn't exist on the E30 M42)???
(http://www.realoem.com/bmw/diagrams/c/c/6.png)
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The easy way to put an E36 M42 in an E30 is to swap the manifolds and accessories. I would also say that to be sure you would have to check the serial numbers if you can't find out where the knock sensor bolts.
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engine degreaser
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ok I'll check for the knock sensor
where can I find the serial number?
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look on the back of the head, inbetween the firewall and the motor. You will see a big plug, if you have a mirror use it to look there see if the vin sticker is still on the back of the block.
I have a 92 e36 motor that i swapped everything over from my orig 91 e30 motor. you can tell that its not stock m42.
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The knock sensor hole is there on e30 as well, only difference will be if they left the knock sensor in, if it is the hole I think it is. If I get a chance I can check tomorrow, I have an e36 block in the garage. We have a plug there I think.
Only way to tell is buy serial number.
If it is a new enough e36, it will likely have different cam sprockets. That would require pulling the valve cover. Keep in mind, my e30 has e36 sprockets because of them being changed.
Why does this even really matter? These motors last a long time with proper care. Pull the lower pan, check the bolts and call it good.
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I need new engine belts, so I wondered which ones to get. But seeing as mine are toothed I guess the e30 ones?
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I need new engine belts, so I wondered which ones to get. But seeing as mine are toothed I guess the e30 ones?
A ribbed, wide, single belt would be e36 belts (it also has one smaller v belt).
3 or 4 belts is v-belt which is an e30 belt system.
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I really don't get that. I basically am getting 2 belts: for the alternator & for the PS. The current belts I have are not wide and have teeth. Hm?
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I really don't get that. I basically am getting 2 belts: for the alternator & for the PS. The current belts I have are not wide and have teeth. Hm?
You have an e30 belt system.
Those are called V-belts. The notches are to help them bend tighter.
Toothed belts have matching notches in the pulleys and are used on cams, serpentine belts (e36) have ribs on the belt and pulleys.
e36 has only one thin v-belt for the water pump and power steering(?) and a single serpentine for the rest.