318i to 320i swap, not for power...

[secondtimelucky]

Hi all!! Managed to kill my 318i (not!) anyway i just sent off the funds for a 320i 6pot, not for power, just for the noise how easy is this swap, and is there anything i need to worry about as i have never done an engine swap before... im pretty handy with the spanners but its the electrics im concerned about, ecu/wiring etc...

cheers in advance

[Brianmoooore]

There's no problem with the electrics at all, assuming both new engine and car are both facelift.
Keep the respective engine looms on the engines when you swap them, and the 320 engine loom just plugs in where the 318 loom unplugged, BUT see my stickied warning at the top of this forum.
If there's a brown wire connected to pin 20 on the car side, then disconnect it!
IMHO, it will be a disappointing swap though. You could get a CD of six pot sound.

[secondtimelucky]

Cheers, i was hoping that was the case. So what year is facelift from? Mines on a H plate, and im not sure what era the engine is coming from is there any way to tell by the wiring when it arrives?

[SCOTT325SE]

its on a "G" liam, so facelift. straight swap over as i discussed with you.
incidentally, facelift is from August(ish) 1987 which makes most facelft cars F plate or later. there were some early E plate faclift cars though. Si316 has one such car - originally a 316 carb.....now an M10 flyer!

[secondtimelucky]

Nice one bud, i couldn't remember lookin forward to getting my car on the road again, from 4 pot rightness to 6 pot righteousness