E30 Zone

Or rather, I need less noise. The 1600 m40 in my car is tapping like crazy from the top end despite a flush and change to decent oil, and it smokes alot.
I think the only decent thing to do is pull the engine out and give it a good overhaul, but.. having an empty engine bay and not putting a bigger engine in it just seems wrong.
So, Im thinking of either a 1800 m40 or the m42? IS engine of which there is a 91k mile 1900cc example in an e36 compact at my local breakers.
How difficult is the m42 to fit? I'm guessing It'd be complicated by not being from an e30. I can't afford for it to be off the road too long so any help would be well appreciated. Cheers ralph

The 1900cc engine is an M44...

This one fits fine with the E30 M42 intake & exhaust manifolds and sump (your 316 sump will fit) as well as the rest of an iS exhaust system but the wiring is abit of a ballache to say the least...


The Earlier 1.8 E36 engines prior to '96 are more or less the same but with slightly better head design.

These will only require the manifolds and sump to be swaped over and the wiring will be plug and play affair.

Pre '94 E36s are the same story then but they have the older E30 design head.



Your right not to put the 316 engine back in. M40s should never be put back into an E30 if they ever come out with the choice of better engines out there