Author Topic: will a 318is head fit on a 318i? (Read 16019 times)

snake952 · « **on:** October 15, 2008, 04:55:45 AM »

I have a 318i and i was wondering if the head of a 318is would work on my 318i?is the block the same on both engines?

ose30 · « **Reply #1 on:** October 15, 2008, 06:13:52 AM »

Just for our American friends, he most likely have a M40 8V engine sold in Europe (316I & 318I)

snake952 · « **Reply #2 on:** October 15, 2008, 07:03:20 AM »

mine is a m42

ose30 · « **Reply #3 on:** October 15, 2008, 07:23:15 AM »

So what car do you have? Is it a 4dr US market 318I? Then you have exacately the same engine a 318IS have. In Europe 316I & 318I had 8V M40 engine. In Europe M42 was available only for 2dr E30.

snake952 · « **Reply #4 on:** October 17, 2008, 02:52:12 AM »

i have a European 318i 4 dr

ose30 · « **Reply #5 on:** October 17, 2008, 06:36:31 AM »

In Europe 318I had a 8V M40 engine. If there is a M42, it's not cars original engine. If you have M42 why on earth do you want change 318IS head to it? You already have that head. I just don't understand your question.

Is this what you got? This is an European 318I engine. If not, then you do not have original engine

Or do you have a engine which look more like this:

gearheadE30 · « **Reply #6 on:** October 28, 2008, 09:51:18 AM »

The block is the same on both motors. The 8V head would require an entirely different timing system to work, so I wouldn't mess with swapping them.

nTranced · « **Reply #7 on:** October 28, 2008, 03:20:05 PM »

wouldnt the piston only have 2 valve reliefs per cylinder

xwill112x · « **Reply #8 on:** October 28, 2008, 04:29:51 PM »

that pic doesnt look like it's in a e30 318..

looks more like at m42 swap into a 2002

ose30 · « **Reply #9 on:** October 29, 2008, 01:56:10 AM »

Quote

that pic doesnt look like it's in a e30 318..

looks more like at m42 swap into a 2002

What difference that does make if M42 is installed into older body? it's still a M42 engine.

In Europe E30 318I did NOT have 16V head NEVER ! All 318I models had 8V M40 engine (look the picture i posted earlier). Only North American market 318I had the same engine as 318IS had.

So back to the original question,

Quote

I have a 318i and i was wondering if the head of a 318is would work on my 318i?is the block the same on both engines?

Quote

mine is a m42

Quote

i have a European 318i 4 dr

What he wrote does not make any sense !

if someone have a european 318I (as he claims) how he can have a M42 installed? And why he ask is it possible to install a 318IS M42 head to the 318I engine (M42 as he wrote). He claimed he had allready a M42. This whole think is just confusing.

El-Kanal · « **Reply #10 on:** October 31, 2008, 08:36:03 AM »

He obviously has an 8Valve M40 engine in his car and asks if he could put an 16Valve M42 head on.
It can�t be done without bigger modifications to the engine block though and as mentioned the timing is completly diferent.

Deftones · « **Reply #11 on:** December 21, 2008, 11:47:48 AM »

Quote from: gearheadE30;59628

The block is the same on both motors. The 8V head would require an entirely different timing system to work, so I wouldn't mess with swapping them.

think it's correct, you may also change all the electronics... oil squirters are both in i and is?

Froos · « **Reply #12 on:** December 23, 2008, 05:05:10 AM »

no the oil injectors for cooling the bottom of the pistons is only m42, also you would need different pistons etc so getting a german ebay is engine would be easiest and smartest thing to do. \but indeed unless the engine was swapped there are no 318i with m42's sold in europe