M20 help and info please

[Dan318-is]

il get straight to the point:

whats difference between early and late m20 engines?

does the 318is m42 engine and m20 engines use the same or different gearboxes??

whats the standard power ouput on m20s?

What were the main faults with them?

ANY HELP OR INFO THANKS A LOT IN ADVANCE

[Adammcf]

Just to confuse things even more my car seems to have to have a latter top end etc and an early bottom end?! No idea how or what the difference is.
The owners manual and badges say Alpina Sports pack so not sure if thats why.

[Dan318-is]

must be a good thing tho?

is there any power difference?

[Jimbob]

I think the pistons are different, earlier pistons achieve the higher compression for the earlier engine, also has a cooling system with a flaw - expansion tank right next to exhaust manifold...also uses an older ECU (pants for chipping).
Early engines have been found to hold their horses more than the later.
Gearbox is different.
Standard bhp is 171 and 160odd torque I think.

[Dan318-is]

are newer ECU's compatible on old engines?

im dropping the m20 into a 318is shell so cooling thing shouldnt be a problem shoud it

on the gearbox side of it, f*ck

[Adammcf]

If mine somehow has an early bottom end and the rest is the later I'd love to know what the power etc is.

[Jimbob]

It's all possible mate, just a lot of complications when converting the 318iS to M20.
You would need the bare wiring loom leaving the ecu through to the crank sensor to change the ECU from the later engine, and you can use the later engines cooling system, a la 327i

[Dan318-is]

lol is that what you got??

im defs guna keep my 318is for a year but i dont no what engine to do up at college

you reckon a 2.7 convrsion is cheap enough and easy whats involved?

i mtie jus buy an m20 an if its to harsh to drop in just flog it