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M42 or M44 engine swap into an 02?


ewill2002

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Gentlemen:

Several threads on the M42 Engine swap, but can't seem to locate anything on an M44 engine swap. I was told that the M44 is almost identical to the M10 and it's production was based off of it.

Any information or sites would be helpful.

http://project-schnitzer.blogspot.com looks great for the M42.

Thanks

1976 2002 (Grey Ghost)

2002 X5 3.0i Newly Added

2001 Z3 Roadster 2.5i

1976 Malaga 2002 (totaled by city bus)

1985 535i (totaled. Hit from behind)

1981 320i (trade-in. AC issues)

LIFE IS SHORT, TIME TO DRIVE.

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I donk know man....the numbers on the M42/M44 stock seem like a tuned M10....less headache. M20 seems like alot more bang for the buck.

1976 BMW 2002 Fjord Blue Ireland Stage II • Bilstein Sports • Ireland Headers • Weber 38 • 292 Cam • 9.5:1 Pistons • 123Tune Bluetooth 15" BBS

2016 BMW 535i M Sport

1964 Volvo Amazon Wagon
http://www.project2002.com

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M42/44 engine makes 138 hp. I think a nicely modded M10 would give you that with less money involved. What about transmission? What will it take to make that work in the 2002?

1976 BMW 2002 Fjord Blue Ireland Stage II • Bilstein Sports • Ireland Headers • Weber 38 • 292 Cam • 9.5:1 Pistons • 123Tune Bluetooth 15" BBS

2016 BMW 535i M Sport

1964 Volvo Amazon Wagon
http://www.project2002.com

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M42 is a 1.8L motor used from 91 to 95 on E30/E36. M44 is basically the same motor as a M42 except it's a 1.9L and it was used on OBD II E36 & Z3's. E36 gained some weight during the production run and M44 was introduced for more power to offset the weight gain.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_M44

G-Man

74 tii (many mods)
91 318i M42

07 4Runner

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m42 has no rocker arms,

m44 reintroduces evil, horrible

no- good rocker arms.

They now look like a nissan, tho...

hee

Owning an M42 in an E36- it's a nice motor. But OBD-1.

We proved that the 5- speed would fit in the tunnel.

But would want a low- ratio r&p, as 5th is 1:1.

t

"I learn best through painful, expensive experience, so I feel like I've gotten my money's worth." MattL

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Can someone explain the difference in operation between the M42 head and M44 head? I can picture how the M44 works but how does the M42 actuate the valves?

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=CG73&mospid=47506&btnr=11_1565&hg=11&fg=25

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=CG53&mospid=47505&btnr=11_1143&hg=11&fg=25

EDIT: oh now I get it, this photo makes it pretty clear:

IMG_1321.jpg

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M42 is a 1.8L motor used from 91 to 95 on E30/E36. M44 is basically the same motor as a M42 except it's a 1.9L and it was used on OBD II E36 & Z3's. E36 gained some weight during the production run and M44 was introduced for more power to offset the weight gain.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_M44

G-Man

Except the HP is EXACTLY the same and the Torque is only different by a few ft-lb....so essentially identical performance.

both show 138 HP @ 6000 RPM

1976 BMW 2002 Fjord Blue Ireland Stage II • Bilstein Sports • Ireland Headers • Weber 38 • 292 Cam • 9.5:1 Pistons • 123Tune Bluetooth 15" BBS

2016 BMW 535i M Sport

1964 Volvo Amazon Wagon
http://www.project2002.com

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I'm considering that direction quite seriously for the following (humbly opinion-based) reasons:

1. M42 vs. Built M10 - I am currently on the path to convert my M10 to a distributorless EFI engine with Megasquirt. I've got the first half of that done and the learning curve has been pretty steep. I'll sing the praises of the Megasquirt crowd, but there's an advantage to sticking with the M42's OEM engine management. The M42 came with distributorless ignition, dual overhead cams and fuel injection from the factory.......tuned by some guy with a lot more schooling than me. Sure, the M42 will require custom mounts and exhaust, but how much would you really spend to get your M10 to 138HP. Be honest! I've got a mildly ported E12 head with 9.5:1 pistons, an 02 Again header and a Weber 32/36. While I'm sure that a bigger cam would get me a few more HPs (at the expense of gas mileage), I doubt that I have more than about 115HP at the flywheel. Ultimately, the M42 has everything that I've been trying to squeeze out of my M10: reliability, extra horsepower and fuel economy.

2. M42 vs. S14 - The S14 makes 192-197HP over the M42's 138HP and fits nicely with stock 02 mounts. The S14, however, is ridiculously expensive. You'll be competing with a LOT of E30, E21 and 2002 owners for an S14, which means that you'll pay around $2500 for a clapped out motor or up to $10,000 for a newly rebuilt one. I just bought a running M42 and transmission for $600. M42s are plentiful!

3. M42 vs. M20 - The M20 is a simple and ubiquitous motor. Easy power upgrades and cheap parts make it a great swap choice with a few exceptions. It does require a bit of fabrication. You have to cut up your forward firewall to cram it in there. As for the transmission, you have to find an E21 323i unit, which (as I understand) is about as commonly found as $100 bills on the sidewalk. If you want an overdrive 5 speed, good luck. the E30 5 speeds that come on the M20s are too big to fit in the tunnel without modification.

Additional Musings:

While the S14 was obviously a further evolution of the M10 design, the M42 isn't a bad spiritual follower of the M10. All three motors are overhead cam four cylinders that slant to the passenger side. Not that it matters, but they all share the 1-3-4-2 firing order. Also, I kind of like the M42's intake.....very similar to the tii design.

Ultimately, it's still a zippy four cylinder motor that, in my opinion, fits the character of the 2002/1600. The weight difference between the motors is negligible (or so a cursory glance at googled information claims).

Admitted faults of the M42:

1. Fabrication Required: You've got to get custom mounts built. You can buy them from Jakeb on this FAQ, but that's about your only option for now. I hear that Tom at 02 Again is working on some, but I'm not sure if/when they will be available. Additionally, there is a somewhat resolved issue with steering centerlink clearance. See HERE.

2. Electronic Speedometer is Necessary: You can go with a new but non-stock looking aftermarket VDO like this:

VDOSpeedo.jpg

*from Jakeb

Otherwise, you have to have someone like North Hollywood Speedometer convert your cluster. They do amazing work, but I was quoted $550 for the job. The last option is to wait for me to finish my conversion. If they work out, I'll be selling conversions for $350-400.

The one upside to having to convert to an electronic speedometer is that, once in place, you can use whatever transmission, differential and tire size combination that you want and it only takes a few minutes to easily reset your speedometer to work.

ClayW
1967 1600-2 - M42 - 1521145          Follow my project at www.TX02.blogspot.com          E30 DD Project Blog

 

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Nice write up....but 138 is not too optimistic for an M10...in fact a Tii is rated at 130. So we are really talking 8 more HP than a stock Tii...Fuel economy would be better on the M42/44. I am just on old school guy I guess...lol...not into Megasquirt and gimme some big carbs, a cam, nice compression ratio and I am gonna be in the 140 range. Now the M42/44 has some nice things going for it if you plan on a Turbo. So modding it gives you the ability to get alot more out of it than an M10.

1976 BMW 2002 Fjord Blue Ireland Stage II • Bilstein Sports • Ireland Headers • Weber 38 • 292 Cam • 9.5:1 Pistons • 123Tune Bluetooth 15" BBS

2016 BMW 535i M Sport

1964 Volvo Amazon Wagon
http://www.project2002.com

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Ball park the cost for me? Just curious. Saw the build and thats ALOT of work but its cool seeing a modern powerplant in the 02...enjoy!

1976 BMW 2002 Fjord Blue Ireland Stage II • Bilstein Sports • Ireland Headers • Weber 38 • 292 Cam • 9.5:1 Pistons • 123Tune Bluetooth 15" BBS

2016 BMW 535i M Sport

1964 Volvo Amazon Wagon
http://www.project2002.com

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.... modding it gives you the ability to get alot more out of it than an M10.

That's a good point that I forgot to mention; 138HP is the starting point for the M42. While an M10 is certainly capable of producing big HP numbers, I would suggest that one might more easily and cheaply reach specific power goals (200HP?) with an M42 over an M10. It's just more modern technology.

I do like the idea of working with the M10 and I love the sound that DCOEs make, but I'm ready to make this daily driver a reliable and fuel efficient car......with a few extra horsepower to spare.

ClayW
1967 1600-2 - M42 - 1521145          Follow my project at www.TX02.blogspot.com          E30 DD Project Blog

 

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