new/ rebuild engine for e36 318is

[Reticent Bard]

hey all, i need help since i will admit i'm still a newb to BMW so the ppl and places i know won't work.  I have a '94 (9/93) e36 318is coupe (U.S) production code BE53. it has about 320K on the clock and from what i know i'm the 3rd owner. The 2 po's were not kind so i've slowly been replacing alot of original parts.  i have a serious lower profile gasket leak, bad valve cover gaskets, and i just discovered that the #1 sparkplug hole was stripped out and "repaired" with a helicoil bonded to the plug itself. This is curently the only vehichle between my wife and me so down time is important.  With mileage being what it is, i am going to have to replace the engine....soon. Has anyone dealt with Bavarian Auo Recycling or know of another place to source a good warenteed engine? also is there a specific engine run i should look for that will work with my DME? i know i want to do a COP conversion so is there one available for the e36 m42? Since this would be the best time and it needs it, what about a single mass flywheel conversion (parts?from other BMWs) from what i could tell i think  have a stock 5sp Getrag 250.    Thank you al for your time and patience with the newb. 

Reticent Bard (RB)

[DesktopDave]

I'd be inclined to test the compression on the current motor, maybe get a leak-down test and crank endplay too. That will give you a good idea of your current situation.  I've been pleasantly surprised with the longevity of these motors - mileage is often a poor indication of condition. A stripped plug and valve cover gaskets are annoying but not fatal.

If your compression numbers are OK, do a refresh instead. IMHO a few gaskets are always better than a swap. I'd do a hose delete, get the injectors cleaned, buy a COP kit, new timing cover and oil filter housing gaskets, new water pump, etc. You could also upgrade to newer Bosch design III 4-hole #injectors. Bearings and a clutch could be done at the same time, along with a check on the driveshaft components.

However, if the motor is too far gone, you could use virtually any M42. Your accessory belt drive system will determine which is the easiest swap. Early motors had three v-belts, then there was a hybrid serpentine, then finally the full serp on the final motors. You can't mix and match, but any complete system would work in your car. Later M42s had the DISA intake manifold; those can also be swapped for the earlier manifold if you keep the matching DME and harness.

You can also use an E30 motor, but you'd need to swap the oil pan and some other bits. You'd also be stuck with the early-model cam drive system; personally I'd avoid that unless it was a really good deal.

While I'd avoid this myself, the conversion to a more common M50 motor and tranny (<1996 325i) might end up being cheaper in the long run. Beware of cracked heads though.

I have't dealt with BavAuto recycling myself, but they've been around for a long time. They seem a bit pricey but they know their stuff. Used engine warranties are problematic across long distances; I'd be tempted to get a few estimates on carpart.com locally, or find a good import auto recycler.

[Reticent Bard]

thanks dave!
i was looking at the prices for doing the gaskets/timing, local machine shop for a proper head repair. the bill for both hovered around $625 less shipping for parts. so knowing ( guess i should have mentioned, oops sorry) compresion is down about 30% last test and im burning/loosing oil at a rate of 1qt every 500 miles. thats why i looked at replacement first. also im confused. maybe it was a po but i have the 3 belt no tensioner set up from an early engine (though my PS pully is backspaced about 2-3 mm and throws belts) but i have the DISA lower manifold. i found it when i did the TB heater/hose delete and redid the vacuum lines to fix the eratic idle it had when hot.is there a DME to year model list you know of for the DISA intakes? as for a swap i considered it. i thought i read somewhere that the stock open 318is diff wouldn't hold the factory m50. is that true? thanks again for your help.

RB

[DesktopDave]

I'm not sure what the cutoff for the v-belt accessory drive is...sometime in '93, maybe? Hard to tell based on production date and model year differences.

I'm not 100% sure, but IIRC my P/S pump came with a bent tensioner bracket - it was pretty easy to line it up. I also think the motor mounting bracket is also asymmetric - it could be mounted entirely backwards. I deleted the whole system later anyway, LOL.

Given the low compression and other wear & tear, you're right about needing another motor. Low mileage M42s seem fairly uncommon though. As for the proper computer - the only way I know is to grab the DISA DME from the donor DISA car.  I had originally thought that all E36s had them, but I've seen the early manifolds on a few early E36s. There are a wide variety of DMEs for E36 M42s (357, 387, 590, 990...). I don't have a list of the DISA units, nor do I know off-hand which cars require the silver-label EWS-II units. All the EWS units should have the VIN printed on them, must match your transmission, and either require a dealer reprogramming or a wiring mod to run in a different car. BMW calls that 'aligning' the DME with the chassis electronics & keys. The E30s all have a 179 DME.

I'm pretty sure there isn't any chassis differences in the E36 sedan/coupe diffs regardless of motor, except for the M3. The M50B25 (325i, 323i) isn't all that much more powerful than the M42 regardless (189hp vs 138 and 181lb-ft vs 129). BTW, the 318Ti, Z3 and MZ3 rear suspensions are entirely different beasts, of course. You can use their motor & transmissions, but not the driveshaft or diff as they are based on the older E30 design.

I have bought entire cars just for motors, and I have also bought spare cars while waiting for my primary car to be repaired...it's a sickness, I know...but it's worked out so far. There are thousands of disposable FWD boxes like Cavaliers, Escorts, Neons, Sentras, Corollas and Focuses... My favorite disposable spear-carrier was a $300 Toyota Starlet. I bought it while waiting for my SAAB 900 to be resurrected. Two months later I drove it to a scrap yard and sold it for $200. Ended up costing me $100 + gas for the two months I drove it; far less than the bill for repairing the SAAB. I ended up keeping the wrong one!

[Reticent Bard]

every parts house i,ve checked as well as some parts changes in realoem point to 9/93 as the changing point so i guess i'll continue to run that angle finding the proper belt drive. i'm curently running sans PS and even my wife says its not that bad.lol  To clearify,if i pick up a reman shortblock and add my pullys and intake to it i should still be able to use my harnes,DME,ect..? yes? as for a spare spear-carrier im hoping that i'll have a surety bond for the title to my wifes Cabrio in hand soon while the state gets the legal stuff figured out. (i obviously like waiting lol)  thanks for your patience with me. lol     

[DesktopDave]

Yep - any M42 block should be the same AFAIK. There were detail differences in the oil pressure valve and cam drive, as discussed. The block itself didn't change until the M44 updates.

Did you mean reman. long block? A short block has no cylinder head. From what I've seen your belt drive accessories will mount on a newer model engine with no problem.

I'll double-check that for you too. I have both an early and a later motor; I'll see if I can't get you a few pics over the Xmas break.

[Reticent Bard]

yes long block. fruedian slip? lol thanks for your help dave.