E30 Zone

I've just bought my first bmw a 2 door white saloon 318i its abit of a shed at the minute but the intention is to make respectable for next summer! My first project car......

But i have a quick query can anybody tell me if its got a m10 or the m40 engine in? It was first registered 17/11/1987 if thats any help? Hope somebody can help me.... cheers Matt.

It should be fitted with the M40

M40 is that the better engine of the 2? is there anyway of telling by looking at it?

Which is better ? How long is a peice of string........

Telling them apart... M10 has pipes that inject the fuel(similar to early diesel engines) M40 has Injectors on each cylinder. K tronic injection (M10) and L jetronic (M40)

Altought i may be wrong.....

Thanks, gonna have a look tomoz to dark at the mo cant see a damn thing!

K- jet was only on early M 10 engine {E 21} K jet has seperate fuel pipes from a distributer in the engine bay which go to each injector. L-jet has electric injectors. early E30 316 was carb , 318 was injection. m10 engine has a timing chain m40 has a timing Belt

it's a pre or post facelift model? cause there are a lot cars from 1987 that are prefacelift, and i think that they are with the m10, but that is a really nice engine too, really strong, my old m10 made god knows how much km on LPG, and i sold it to a guy and he is crashed it (e21) , and the engine was still in OK condition ( it used 1 li oil on 300 miles )

kirils wrote:it's a pre or post facelift model? cause there are a lot cars from 1987 that are prefacelift, and i think that they are with the m10, but that is a really nice engine too, really strong, my old m10 made god knows how much km on LPG, and i sold it to a guy and he is crashed it (e21) , and the engine was still in OK condition ( it used 1 li oil on 300 miles )

The change for the 318 from M10 to M40 was 04/1987, so you will find a mixture of both from around that time.

Oh dear what a lot of confusion!

1987 should be an m10.
M10 below

M40 below


M10s are Bosch L-jetronic Chain driven rightness,

where M40's are Bosch Monotronic Belt driven wrongness.

I used to have an m10 (had it for 4-5 years) and now have an m40.
The M10 is far revvier, make are much better noise, just generally seams more powerful. Bmw however claimed the opposite, but thats probably more to do with "newer is better type marketing".

M40's suffer from mangled campshafts and noisy hydraulic lifters, expensive and pointless to replace. Noise usually starts at 80 000miles and camshafts really begin to die aroun 120 000. Being montronic they also suffer from dodgy temperature senders crappy Idle control valves etc etc.

M10's have a better highermileage ability, super strong bottom ends. Main problem is that the eat distributer caps for breakfast!



Don't ever think of modifiy an m40, nothing with happen, while m10 can preety easily be modded to 160bhp, but 500bhp is possible (and has been done) with turbos.

enough?

Oh yea, check the price differences in service stuff at www.eurocarparts.co.uk M10 are a hell of a lot cheaper!

Gwynleym10 wrote: while m10 can preety easily be modded to 160bhp, but 500bhp is possible (and has been done) with turbos.

enough?

Brabham used a modified M10 back in the old Turbo days (1982 - 87) of F1 to produce a monster 1400Bhp.....

Well yes, but you couldn't do that at home.... The turbo on that thing was as big as the engine!

The M10 is a fine, simple, strong motor.

I used to race a 2002Ti...normally aspirated, on carbs (50DCO Webers) with a Shrick cam, Mahle pistons, fully lightnened and balanced bottom end and a "worked" head that gave 198bhp, reliably, at 7250rpm and would rev happily to 8500rpm...

You can put an engine like that together very easily and not to expensively, too...

After readng this and other stuff I really wish I'd gone for an m10 base.

Anybody know about the s10?

Thing is most m10 bases are rusting away! (like my old one...)

s10? I don't know anything about that

S14's Are loosly based on m10s. You can fit a 16v s14 head to a m10 bottom end.

Gwynleym10 wrote:Thing is most m10 bases are rusting away! (like my old one...)

s10? I don't know anything about that

S14's Are loosly based on m10s. You can fit a 16v s14 head to a m10 bottom end.

if you can find a cheap enough head

the rust was why i didn't get the 316 carb'd m10... was quite nice though and I fancied playing with carbs but alas the m40 wrongness took over

S10 ? Never heard of such an engine from/for BMW......

hoshy wrote:

Gwynleym10 wrote:Thing is most m10 bases are rusting away! (like my old one...)

s10? I don't know anything about that

S14's Are loosly based on m10s. You can fit a 16v s14 head to a m10 bottom end.

if you can find a cheap enough head

the rust was why i didn't get the 316 carb'd m10... was quite nice though and I fancied playing with carbs but alas the m40 wrongness took over

first time that an m40 ever passed an m10

first time that an m40 ever passed an m10

eh?

M40 could never pass an m10....

Whish I have got the old m10 on a rolling road to see the REAL differences...

Gwynleym10 wrote:

first time that an m40 ever passed an m10

eh?

M40 could never pass an m10....

Whish I have got the old m10 on a rolling road to see the REAL differences...

Chose M40 over the M10, passed over the M10....

Gwynleym10 wrote:

first time that an m40 ever passed an m10

eh?

M40 could never pass an m10....

Whish I have got the old m10 on a rolling road to see the REAL differences...

i was being sarky-m40 passed the m10 cos hoshy chose it-"but alas the m40 wrongness took over"

took over------->overtake--------> m40 passing an m10

capische?

i was being sarky-m40 passed the m10 cos hoshy chose it-"but alas the m40 wrongness took over"

took over------->overtake--------> m40 passing an m10

capische?

Oh i understand! Same here, got m40 now, but its going to binned in place of an m10andahalf(m30!)

My brain had just frazzelled when I found out I had a question about Nuclear power for the Secretary of State for next week

Do you think Matt (first poster) has got enough info on m10s and m40s yet?

Gwynleym10 wrote:My brain had just frazzelled when I found out I had a question about Nuclear power for the Secretary of State for next week

How do you stand on this change in policy ?

Gwynleym10 wrote:Do you think Matt (first poster) has got enough info on m10s and m40s yet?

think so-probably actually scared him away

m10 and 1/2 =m30, always a good thing! bit more than 1.5 times the capacity though...

A couple of things about thte pictures above.

M10s don't usually have the fuse box cover placed on the intake manifold...

They also usually do have a engine driven fan (and a bit of cowling, thoguh smaller than the m40). This particular one had an electrica fan conversion infront of the rad and no radiator cowling, hence alll the dogy tape to increase the flow.....

The pipes around the windscreen washer/suspension turret are for air-con, which is very much needed this time of year! (I use the heated seats during summer )

Gwynleym10 wrote:
My brain had just frazzelled when I found out I had a question about Nuclear power for the Secretary of State for next week


How do you stand on this change in policy ?

Started another thread
http://www.e30zone.co.uk/modules.php?na ... 652#235652

i think the gov is just scaremongering, so that we all don't oppose wind/wave/solar! I know what i would rather on my doorstep! The'll never get planning permission for nuclear powerstations

many thanks for all ur help and advice but im confused???? After looking up parts for my 318i u have 2 choices M10 M40.... But the CC for the m10 engine 1766 M40 is 1795....... my V5 says mine is 1795cc so does that mean ive got an m40 engine?? aaaahhhhh help!!!

what are the last 7 letters/numbers of your Vin number. ?

Check pics in post near the top...which does it look like?

I think it looks like the M40 picture 95% sure..... 2610246 are the last 7 numbers on the vin number...... From what people are saying this is the worse 1 of the 2..... any advice on what engine to drop in its place.....???
Thanks Guys.....Matt

Yup...that number comes up as an M40, car 10/87 production batch, 2dr manual..

If it were mine, and I wanted something faster/hairier, I'd sell it as standard and buy a 325 or M3 (or possibly a 318is) assuming you wanted to stick with E30s, of course

Thanks Fushion_Julz I wish i had the money to get an M3 Yeah im sticking with the e30's remember this is my first one and i only paid Ԛ£160 for her so i'll enjoy tinkering and hopefully show her off next summer (if we get 1) And if i win the lottery in the mean time......watch this space.... Thanks everyone....cant wait to get her up and running and maybe get to some shows and see some of the other cars on here!!

well..can't complain for Ԛ£160!!

The M40 might not be the motor of choice, but I bet it will respond to a bit of TLC and perhaps a few choice tuning parts (TB, panel filter, etc)...

enjoy it, for that cash you'd be mad not to!