Installing E36 M42 into E30?

[sbarton]

What is different on the E36 M42 from the E30 M42.  I'm sure the wiring harness is different, but anything else?  
What is required to swap an E36 M42 into an E30, other than swapping the engine harness?  

Is swapping the engine harness just that easy, or are there any gotchas?  

Thanks.

-Scott

[DesktopDave]

There's a few different M42 versions floating around out there.  I'm pretty sure the e30 harness plugs right in to all of them...but I haven't done it myself.  Here's some things I've heard:

All e36 M42's have a different oil pan.  You'll need the e30 two-piece one, it's a direct swap.  Later motors ('93-on?) also have the DISA intake manifold & a different fuel rail.  Easiest answer is the e30 manifold.  Again, direct swap.
Later e36's have a serpentine drive system.  You can swap the crank pulleys to retain the v-belts to keep your P/S and A/C setup.  Might be easier to swap the P/S pump if you've deleted your A/C, but I'm not sure on that.

Using the e30 harness gets you around the late M42's EWS as well.  Might be some different temp sensors, coil packs are different, etc.  Post your experiences - I'm heading down this road myself and it'd help us out immensely!

[Asudds]

Reviving an old thread,

Looking to buy a fresh motor rather than fix my e30 m42 that is burning oil and mixing coolant.

Any advise on e36 m42 into the existing E30 m42 other than:

Oil pan swap
Intake Manifold Swap
No use of the knock sensor

Did any Z3's get the m42 or are they all m44?

[Jaredmac11]

What are you retaining from the E30?

I would assume you will need the E30 mounting arms, the E36 are pretty different.
E36 have EWS.  In 92-93 its a simple wire snip.  In mid 94 and beyond its EWS2 and you need a chip to 'delete' EWS2 as far as I can tell (someone please correct me if Im wrong).

I wouldnt use the E30 wiring harness because the E30 M42 didnt have knock sensors afaik.  Why give that up?


I have not swapped an e36 m42 in to an e30, but I am swapping an e36 m42 in to my e21 and I require some e30 parts.

Z3 was M44 only.  The E36 M42 ran from 1992- middle 1995.

[Asudds]

I have a compete running 1991 318is e30

I simply need to know what is required to get the e36 m42 to plug and play with my e30 as I found a good complete e36 m42 engine locally.