Anyone have any info on M44 Conversion?

[Guest Anonymous]

Does anyone have any info on an m44 conversion? Pros,

cons, how its done ect.

Thanks

Todd

[Guest Anonymous]

(nt)

[Guest Anonymous]

Unlike on the E30M3 SIG. We've got kittens coming out of our ears over there. Ow! Me!

[Guest Anonymous]

Doing a M44 conversion is probably even harder, because they are OBD II, they have some sort of anti theft crap wired into the ignition, and they also have an air pump on the engine. Feel free to email me with any questions you have. It is really a challenge.

Things that you WILL need.

1)A very complete M42 or M44 engine with everything

2)Oil pan from a E30 M42 ( 91')engine (FRONT SUMP) The E36 M42 & M44's are REAR SUMP, which will not work on a 2002.

3A)A getrag 240 from a E30 M42 powered 318 (91'), and a getrag 240 from a 83' 320 to graft together (bell housing from E30 318 and the rear housing with mechanical speedo drive from the 83 320)

3B)Or you can use the larger getrag 260 which will require that you butcher the transmission tunnel a bit.

4) a complete 2002 front sub frame to modify, you will have to completely fabricate engine mounts, and much more.

5A) 320 rack and pinion steering. This is one way to make room for the M44 or M42 exhaust. If you choose to do it this way you have to fabricate a mount for the rack, and shorten and re-spline your steering column to work with the 320 rack.

5B) Other way to make room is to fabricate a custom idler arm for the steering that would free up the space that the stock one occupies, so that the exhaust will fit.

[Guest Anonymous]

No kittens were killed, not one post actually answered his question of...

"Does anyone have any info on an m44 conversion? Pros,

cons, how its done ect."

The search gave a bunch of garble with no specific answers...like

" The '91-up 318i has the nifty M42 (and later, M44) twincam 4, which _has_ been swapped into an 02 with much pain and suffering. The physical dimensions of the motor don't match up with the 2002 body very well"

"From what I've heard the M42 is supposed to be quite a difficult swap. Somembody on one of the boards has one. Seems like they had to use the steering rack from a 320i. -J

[Guest Anonymous]

need more infos to point 4: any pics or measures?

thanks

[Guest Anonymous]

No specific points yet. I have everything, I am just digging into the subframe, it will probably be a couple months, then I should have pictures to post. I have had to take care of a few little things, like removing the AC and powersteering pumps from the E36 M42 engine I have, getting a shorter belt, and making a custom dipstick that will work with the E30 pan. Then with Christmas and Thanksgiving I have not had time to do anything else.

[Guest Anonymous]

Ahh I see - I thought you already finished your conversion. ... but why making a new custum dipstick using the original M42-oilpan? I hope welding the correct engine- gearboxmounts and driveshaft is the most difficult part - or not ?!?! Another problem will be the right front swaybar: hope the Neue Klasse part will fit. I´m sure in 1 month I know more.

[Guest Anonymous]

They don't fit very well. You need to do a lot of fabrication and home engineering. All that for 140-150hp or so.

If you have the time and the parts and the inclination..... but most every bmw based swap is easier, better documented, and results in a faster (though possibly heavier) car. I have one, I know. In the time I have taken to understand what the PO did in the swap, my friend Mark completed the s14 swap, and he had an instruction book to help! On top of it he was able to call a range of vendors across the country to ask questions and buy parts from. If you go m42/44 you have a car that you have to run in mod class at any autocross or club race. I'm not saying the end result is not fun to drive cause it is. Just that the payoff (on paper) for the work is marginal.

BTW my car uses the e30 m42 engine and trans. e21 rack and pinion mated to a modifyed e30 steering collum. Completely custom control arms with revised mounting points at the subframe. A sectioned widened trans tunnel with revised rear mounts. A stock e30 325is driveshaft with revised center bearing mount. Sits on modyfied e21 motor mounts all in a heavilly modifyed subframe. Suspension and brakes are all upgraded too.

I did not do the conversion.

Good luck,

Jonathan T.

[Guest Anonymous]

The front sump E30 M42 oil pan has the dip stick in front, near the crank pulley. You have to tweak it quite a bit to get it around the serpentine belt on the E36 M42.

[Guest Anonymous]

Jonathan speaks the truth. It kills the cars hopes for being competive in any class. I am going to do the conversion without modifing the control arms. The reason I went with the E36 M42 instead of the E30 M42 is that I can use a Downing Atlanta supercharger kit on the engine to push the horsepower just over 200hp. And the cost of the M42 and the supercharger add up to what I would pay for a 100k+ worn S14 engine.