Messages

1

Engine + Driveline / M42 engine interchange - E30/36

« on: April 05, 2007, 07:33:07 PM »

Who knows, maybe I'm overreacting to a stuck lifter or something.  New (to me) engines make new noises...

I think that was the last I'll be hearing from my optimism for a while, there's a bit of bearing dust in the oil, and a second "listening" really convinces me it's a rod bearing.

Time to go shopping, I guess.

2

Engine + Driveline / M42 engine interchange - E30/36

« on: April 05, 2007, 04:41:37 PM »

That's a good plan, except I live at an apartment complex.  Happily, they rent garages and I have two of them.  However, one is full of my 240Z shell which I'm in the process of welding the passenger floor back together.  That's my "real" project.  The other garage is so full of tools and Datsun parts that I couldn't fit a parts car in there.  I'd get evicted if I left anything outside.

Hopefully soon I can get into a house where I can have my own salvage yard out back

I checked under the cam cover but there's not much visible there.  The cam sprockets do look pretty worn but can't really tell the condition of the guides.  I'm going to go buy a fresh open oil pan in a bit and see what comes out of the sump.  Who knows, maybe I'm overreacting to a stuck lifter or something.  New (to me) engines make new noises...

3

Engine + Driveline / M42 engine interchange - E30/36

« on: April 05, 2007, 03:27:01 PM »

According to a BMW mechanic I just spoke with, the accessory mounts are not the same between E30 and E36 M42's.

In case anyone wanted to know.

4

Engine + Driveline / Temp guage says "Hello!"

« on: April 05, 2007, 03:13:20 PM »

My gauge was settling at about the 3/4 tick mark with occasional waving fits like you described until I pulled the cluster and cleaned up the ground pad.  After that I had a stable reading just under the halfway tick mark at operating temperature, but that was only a couple days ago.

5

Engine + Driveline / M42 engine interchange - E30/36

« on: April 04, 2007, 10:30:01 PM »

My "new" 318i seems to have developed either a very bad valve tick, a timing guide problem, or perhaps a rod knock.  At first I did not think it was the bottom end from poking around with a screwdriver to my ear, but the knock seems to be load-sensitive so until I can open things up I'm going to plan for the worst.

Anyway, if I have to find a new engine, what are my options?  I'm probably not sinking hundreds into timing bits for this 180k engine.  An M42 from a 1989-1991 E30 318i would be a no-brainer but if I found an E36 M42, can I assume that all the E30 accessories and manifolds would bolt up?

So much for my "car-to-get-me-through-trackdays-without-hogging-the-garage-while-I-build-my-240Z-ITS-car" :mad:

6

Site and club discussion / How Did You Hear About Us?

« on: March 30, 2007, 07:53:49 PM »

Wikipedia.  I had already ran across the ad for the car in Craigslist and was doing my homework, reading the M42 wiki page when I saw this link.

It's been a good beater so far, hopefully it'll be a good track beater in short order.  It will be the fifth car I've driven over four track days when I make it to my next one...