M42club.com - Home of the BMW E30/E36 318i/iS
DISCUSSION => Engine + Driveline => Topic started by: Febi Guibo on April 13, 2006, 02:06:36 PM
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okay, I got Don's answers...
these, in fact, may bring up even more questions, but first off, big thanks to Mr. Duncan for fielding the questions
....and for those of you planning on fielding a SCCA GT3 car (come on, you want to!), please head over to http://gttechnic.com/ and buy some stuff.
Anyway, take a look... if for some reason, your question got mangled in the process (my fault), or you're question didn't get answered (maybe my fault), or was not answered fully enough (um... guess who's fault)... please PM me.
Again, pls. remember that gt-technic doesn't deal in anything related to street cars... so it was a tad difficult to answer everything in the detail that I know some of us would have liked... but THANK YOU DON!
Ok, without further ado:
The following is about the best I can do, and please keep the following in mind:
We are interested in race cars only here. The street car conversions
are illegal in California, so we can't recommend anything here and
these is absolutely no market for the street version of the M42 out
this way. If there were, we probably would cater to it.
I can offer only race engine work, and almost all of it is custom. I
sell separate internals by request such timing chains and water pumps
- real BMW race parts, but the custom parts have to be as part of an
assembly.
You need to be knowledgeable about engine assembly as you are always
on your own after the parts are shipped. If you blow it up, it is
99.9% of the time a rookie error at the customer end over which we
have no control.
This engine business is serious in so far as the cost is usually
beyond what most customers can really afford and they get in really
deep before they learn what they are doing. As soon as they pop an
engine, they blame everyone else and generally never acknowledge that
they don't know jack to begin with to intelligently analyze the
situation.
I am really only help for the guy who has an advanced understanding of
the undertaking.
Tell us a bit about yourself,
and how you came to building BMW race cars?
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Well, it's pretty much all on my website: http://www.gttechnic.com/about.html
I've had a long standing affiliation with BMW products, since I was a
BMW dealer principal in Montreal, Canada, beginning in 1972. At that
time I developed an ongoing personal relationship with a few
individuals working at BMW Motorsport on the original CSLs.
In 1997 I sold my interests in M Service, an independent repair
facility for BMW and Mercedes Benz automobiles located in Walnut
Creek, California, and have been pursuing my current project ever
since.
Personally, I own two fine examples of BMW racing heritage - a 3.0 CSL
and an M1 pro car, plus an E36 318is daily driver.
Why did you choose the M42?
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First and foremost, it's the only legal engine in the SCCA GT3
category for the E36.
As the S42, per the BMW M nomenclature, it was the engine they ran in
all their touring cars as in the BTCC and the various touring car
series throughout the 90s. It's a very solid powerplant and much
cheaper than the S14.
What's the M42's overall potential?
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Like any engine, in an overall sense it depends upon the displacement.
What's the M42's overall potential?
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Up to 9500 rpm if you have the correct internal components
How high can you take the compression?
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Maybe 13:1?
What's a realistic power goal for a streetable engine?
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As we focus on race engines, I really have no idea about that.
What's the deal with the M42 harmonic balancer?
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It's a flimsy part. Get a race damper for this and you will also need
the pickup wheel
What about these hydraulic lifters...?
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Throw them away and get a good solid tappet cam and tappets
Does lightening the reciprocating mass have a big benefit?
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In general, you'll get quicker acceleration.
What are the benefits of an individual throttle body setup?
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You get the fuel and air more evenly metered, but I'm not a tuning expert.
What are the options for an M42 ITB for a street car?
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We do race cars and I honestly have no clue about the street car
angle. I don't know of anyone playing with the street version of this
engine.
I know that BMP has a dbilas ITB, and a turbo deal for this engine
that they raced and that VAC has a program they are about to undertake
to develop this engine for the street, but it may be for the track as
well.
How light a flywheel is practical for a streetable car?
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Just use the E36 aftermarket items that are available. They fit the same.
What About Forced Induction?
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For street cars, I would consult BMP; they should know (see above).
Are there any advantages for the E36 version M42 over the E30's?
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No. We use the core engines interchangeably except for the valve stem sizes.
okay... also, I am all in favor of hitting knowledgeable, accomplished folks up with M42 questions... so if you have any suggestions re: who we should hit up next, please let me know here: http://m42club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=214
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Back from the dead. Thanks Febi. Great info from the racing buildup perspective.
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Nice research. It is good to see how real racers do their stuff. $111k is a bit steep for a 318is, but if it's competitive in GT3 it's likely worth it.
He has a 3.0CSL and an M1. My two favorite BMWs - how do I get a gig with Motorsport like that?