Author Topic: What engine do I have lol (Read 5581 times)

denious · « **on:** April 11, 2007, 05:18:52 PM »

OK so when I bought my car, the dude told me it had an e36 m42 in it, plus showed me a paper stating a purchase of an engine and its installation by a garage. The fact is, I didn't know anything about BMW engines, and well, engines in general, so I just believed him. Lately I more and more get the feeling it's actually the original m42 in it... So, um, how do I check?

jajou318 · « **Reply #1 on:** April 11, 2007, 05:23:50 PM »

One way you can check is by looking at the accessory belts if it's a serpentine style belt (parallel lines) then it is out of an e36

If the belts have jagged like teeth then more then likely it's out of an e30.

(I know there are more ways then just this so people post up!)

denious · « **Reply #2 on:** April 11, 2007, 05:48:42 PM »

The score for the moment:

e30: 1
e36: 0

m44power · « **Reply #3 on:** April 11, 2007, 05:56:34 PM »

Quote from: jajou318;23552

One way you can check is by looking at the accessory belts if it's a serpentine style belt (parallel lines) then it is out of an e36

If the belts have jagged like teeth then more then likely it's out of an e30.

(I know there are more ways then just this so people post up!)

exist e36's with no serpantine style belt before 1993 the only way to know about your motor is to look the intake they have lot of diferents for e36's m42

bmwman91 · « **Reply #4 on:** April 11, 2007, 06:08:18 PM »

Intake manifold...

The E30 one has 4 individual runners in a "C" shape running from the plenum. The below pic is the E30 M42.

The E36 one looks like a curled up maze of runners, very different than the M42.

Wizard · « **Reply #5 on:** April 11, 2007, 06:17:14 PM »

Possibly a short block and all components transfered over?

denious · « **Reply #6 on:** April 11, 2007, 06:22:40 PM »

Here're some pics of mine. Yes, I know it's horrendously dirty, has duct tape, no cover for the wires and yes... No wipers or linkage or anything; I'm making room for a flux capacitor module.

strad · « **Reply #7 on:** April 11, 2007, 06:35:18 PM »

Good grief that's dirty!

Everything I can see indicates that it is an E30 M42. Looks like mine though mine is a whole lot cleaner lol.

jajou318 · « **Reply #8 on:** April 11, 2007, 06:35:55 PM »

looks like m42 intake.

denious · « **Reply #9 on:** April 11, 2007, 06:42:05 PM »

Well I'd be surprised if it wasn't m42 in the 1st place...

gearheadE30 · « **Reply #10 on:** April 11, 2007, 08:11:39 PM »

Well, underneath all of the grime, it looks like......an E30 M42!! It has the right intake and the individual belts, which are the only telling points aside from serial #'s that I know of

johna · « **Reply #11 on:** April 11, 2007, 08:37:44 PM »

If they just replaced the short engine they may have used the original intake system and ancillaries drive system.

Serial number would probably be the best way to check.

Possibly another way to tell might be the fact that the E36 M42 had a knock sensor. I am not sure exactly how it is located but the realoem.com diagram below (see part # 15) may help you locate where it is or where it was (maybe there is a hole or something that doesn't exist on the E30 M42)

D. Clay · « **Reply #12 on:** April 11, 2007, 10:53:13 PM »

The easy way to put an E36 M42 in an E30 is to swap the manifolds and accessories. I would also say that to be sure you would have to check the serial numbers if you can't find out where the knock sensor bolts.

logger · « **Reply #13 on:** April 12, 2007, 10:19:49 PM »

engine degreaser

denious · « **Reply #14 on:** April 12, 2007, 10:51:44 PM »

ok I'll check for the knock sensor
where can I find the serial number?