e36 m42

[jrobie79]

I know this isnt posted int he swap section, figured I'd get a faster response here.

So I've done the search and I'm still wicked confused about putting an e36 m42 into an e30. The donor engine is coming from a 1993 e36 and going into my e30 318is. What do I need to put on the e36 engine to get it to work. I have a full m42 from my e30 that can be used for parts. I would like to pick this up on Saturday and put it in that afternoon.

[DesktopDave]

I haven't done it myself...but from what I recall you'll need the following E30 parts:
Upper & lower oil pans
Intake manifold  (early E36s used the same one)

You might need to swap pulleys too - there were several revisions of the accessory drive.  The v-belts were in all E30 and a few early E36s, then switched to a serpentine setup.

The temp sensor in later cars is a single unit, but I believe the second socket is still drilled & tapped.  Just switch the E30 senders...split the loom, etc.  The later motor has knock sensors too, just leave them disconnected.  There may be differences in the loom, so I'd wire up the later M42 with the earlier E30 loom.

Later E36s have a single coil box as opposed to the four-coil rack of the earlier cars.

You may also run into EWS on some late-model E36s.  The earlier version just needs one wire spliced.  The later unit will need the E30 loom and DME (or a chip from Barrie...BMWConnect here on the forum).

I think that about does it!  If anyone has done this firsthand, feel free to correct me.