engine and drivetrain Got The Donor For My M42 Swap!

[Koblenz]

Thanks tashakes.  No rush. My E30 requires some maintenance first.

[tashakes]

Update.  Received the car about 2 weeks ago and looks like the auction forklift punched a hole on the lower oil pan.  Car arrived (I wasn't there) with no oil, so when it was started to drive it off the transport it sounded horrible.  I was BUMMED!  Purchased an oil pan to see if the engine was shot.  It shouldn't be cause the engine was perfect at auction (supposedly!).  Today I got the oil pan in, and thank goodness the engine is still good.  No bad noises, no tapping, nothing, smooth as silk.  I lucked out, the car has a rebuilt tranny, a new steering rack, new radiator and hoses, new muffler.   All in all the car is in such good shape that I had my doubts for a moment about using it as a donor.

 

Anyway, for the guys waiting for parts, it will take me another couple of weeks to sort through it all.  At least now I know that this swap is gonna happen.  Had my doubts there for a while.  Will update again soon.

[Koblenz]

Glad to hear the engine wasn't toasted. No rush on parts.  Ready when you are!

[DUDOK]

Hopefully, this is not the one you bought.  It could explain the oil pan.

[tashakes]

Progress on the swap: 

 

- Got the mounts and manifold ordered from jakeb and waiting for them. 

- Sold my M10 with EFI to a local FAQer, so I know its going to a good home. 

- Pulled the M42 today, will start cleaning it up and checking for the condition of the chain guides, replacing gaskets and painting the valve cover and intake manifold.

 

[Harv]

Thank god you didn't drive it before you pulled the motor! The 318is is one of the best cars BMW ever made.

Read about "the mess under the intake" and get in there too.

John

[tashakes]

Thank god you didn't drive it before you pulled the motor! The 318is is one of the best cars BMW ever made.

Read about "the mess under the intake" and get in there too.

John

Oh but I did.  And pondered for 4 weeks before slaughtering the poor bastard.....  I figured that I took a risk, was very close to loosing my ass, but in the end it paid off.  If I wanted to take the same risk again, I may not be as lucky.  Plus it is an i not an is and has 2 doors too many.

 

I got the mess under the intake guide and will take care of it while checking the chain guides.   Putting in a new water pump as well while the engine is accessible.

[tashakes]

Power washed it and removed the power steering pump not needed. Will start cleaning up and replacing maintenance stuff this weekend.

[tashakes]

Got the mess under intake taken care of. New water pump, thermo, gaskets. Removed intake mani and valve cover to refinish. Replaced oil filter, replaced water temp sender. Removed exhaust mani. Some studs came out with the nuts, replacing them.

Have 3 bad threads on the head that hold the valve cover, will fix them this week with coil repair. I don't want any leaks

More to come soon. Waiting patiently for my mounts, hopefully they get here soon.

Helpers work for beer!

[tashakes]

Car, meet engine, engine, this is car.  May you live long and prosper......

 

Got the engine all cleaned up, this weekend will install new water pump (large top bolt is frozen!), and new thermostat.

[schoir]

Keep up the good work.  You have come a long way from the first idea of embarking on this project.

 

Looking forward to seeing more updates.

 

Regards, Maurice.

[tashakes]

Day off from work, dedicated it to the swap. Only two mishaps, one my stupidity the other I still need to get an answer on.

1- when cutting the battery tray out, I cut one of the brake metal lines. Any suggestions on repair or replacements will be appreciated. It is the line cloest to the tray, looks like it's going to the rear of the car or the pedal box, not sure.

2- the right side mount does not align with the rubber mount, the hole is too far in and a large chunk of the rubber is not on the metal mount. I am not sure if I'm missing something or what. I am waiting for Jakeb to respond to my email to see how it's supposed to be done.

Other than that, a bunch of raw knuckles but very happy to have come this far.

[tashakes]

Repaired the brake line today, here is how. 3/16" compression fitting from autozone. Fits just a little tight but seems like it will do the job. Once I finish the swap I will keep an eye on leaks.

[Koblenz]

I wish I had seen this earlier.  For what it is worth, did the same repair to the SAME brakeline about a year ago.  No leaks.  AND I had to replace the male adapter.  Got all of it at O'Reilly.  Fit like OEM.

 

Thanks for the blower and the peanuts that blew into the neighbor's (all of the neighbors) yard. LOL!!  Very windy day in Florida.

 

Good luck with the build.  Keep us posted.

 

Gary

Edited April 20, 2014 by Koblenz

[tashakes]

Hey Gary. Thanks for the info, glad I'm not the only one trying this fix. I was surprised I was not able to find much info on the subject. Do you know where that line ends up at?

Glad that the blower box is there. Hate them peanuts too! But they are a necessary evil.

Cheers

Edward