M10 engine from E30 into 2002

[Maruni02]

Hi everyone,

Has anybody install early type M10 engine from E30 injection or carby into 2002?

Does the engine mounting from E30 engine fit without modification, and does it straight fit to 02 gearbox?

Thanks

Wally

[eurotrash]

Its been done.  Motor is a direct swap.  Wiring and fuel lines are the bulk of the work. 

 

[TobyB]

Yes,

yes,

and

yes.

 

t

affirmatvely.

[Mike Self]

Couple of things to consider--

1.  you'll need a 2002 oil pan and oil pump, as the shape is different on the E30 M10 engine

2.  the distributor turns backwards from the 2002's so you can't (for example) use an all mechanical tii dizzy.

3. The displacement is 200 cc less than the 2002, and the DIN horsepower is almost the same, so you're basically gaining the improvement of EFI over a carburetor.

4.  You'll need to install an electric fuel pump for the EFI, and find a home for the Motoronics box.  Both are easy as this has been done many times with both an E30 M10 engine and the M20 six.

 

mike

[Maruni02]

thanks guys for all the inputs

[kota02]

Hello,
I need help here and would really appreciate if I can be pointed in the right direction.

Here is the sequence of events that has led to the present day.:

1. Bought the car as a basket case and got it running and drove it for about six months.
2. The engine started running really rough and decided to find another motor.
3. Bought one from a running 1983 320i with everything, that is fuel injection, wiring harness, the whole nine yards.
4. Took off all of the 320i stuff and bolted on the original carb, pulley, replaced the waterpump but forgot to swap the oilpan. More on that later.
5. Then I ran into the distributor gear being cut into the other direction, so I took the gear off and flipped it and installed the original distributor.
6. Me and my friend, who owns an auto repair shop, were able to get the engine running. At that point, I moved from Virginia to Iowa and got the car shipped.
7. The car would fire up, but when I drove it, it would not accelerate, rather felt like it was being restrained. In my infinite wisdom, I thought it must be the timing issue, and decided to fiddle with the distributor position. The engine stopped and it has not fired up since then. 
8. That was one year ago, in the meantime, Iowa winters happened, when you just don't do anything, and I did not.
   Back on the project now.
9. Since then, I have found another friend, who is a mechanic and works on BMWs. We bought a rebuilt distributor for 1983 BMW 320i.
   I still have the wiring harness, it is all hooked up correctly, I think, but still no spark in the plugs.

I am really hanging by the fingernails here and do not know what to do. I think I have followed the advice on this thread, 

 

@Mike Self if you can give me some insights, I would really appreciate it.
Thanks,

Akshay

[TobyB]

First, see if you're getting spark.  Do this at the coil.

 

Once you are, check at each plug.

 

THen baseline the timing- tdc on #1, rotate the distributor

until it pops a spark on #1.  That will get it started.

 

Then use a timing light to set something like 10 BTDC and try that.

 

As you probably figured, swapping just the gear on a distributor doesn't work

if it has mechanical advance- the advance turns into retard, and

that's not good for much.

 

But at point 2- if the engine started running rough because of

carb or ignition problems, an engine swap won't make a 

hoot of difference, and the replacement will run similarly poorly.

 

fwiw,

t

 

[kota02]

Hello Toby,

The engine started running really rough and one of the cylinders had no compression. In hindsight, I should have just replaced what needed to be replaced and I also think I should have started with a carb rebuilt kit or a new carb. The car ran great when it did run. But that is water under the bridge now. 
I will try and follow the TDC procedure again this weekend. We have checked the TDC multiple times, with the notch on the pulley, with the valve cover off and with the distributor.
My friend thinks it might be a faulty ignition control module, so I have one coming in on Friday and will try that over the weekend.

[tech71]

Take all the E21 ignition stuff off and put in a pile somewhere. Install the 02 distributor, coil and resistor if required from your original 2liter engine.. See if it runs. If so, why even put all that e21 stuff back on?

[kota02]

With the original distributor, engine would idle great, but as soon as I drove it, it was bogged down. And then I could not start it at all. That was last June.

[ketchup]

What part of Iowa are you in? I’m in Omaha and I just went through all of this exact same Saga in the past year. If you were to completely replicate my set up, you would be in business. 

[tech71]

I guess I get confused easily, at this point I'm not even sure which engine you are talking about. Whatever, are you getting adequate fuel to the carb?

Fuel tank could be full of water, crap thats clogged the fuel filter. It did sit for a year... I think

2 hours ago, kota02 said:

The car would fire up, but when I drove it, it would not accelerate, rather felt like it was being restrained.

 

Edited April 19, 2022 by tech71

[ketchup]

[kota02]

28 minutes ago, ketchup said:

What part of Iowa are you in? I’m in Omaha and I just went through all of this exact same Saga in the past year. If you were to completely replicate my set up, you would be in business. 

I am in Ames, IA.
You are god sent....Yes, I will replicate your setup. My car is very similar to yours, just black.

 

[ketchup]

Well, I can’t promise anything, but I can at least share what I found. I’m at the office now, but once I’m back in the shop in the next day or so, perhaps I can just do a quick video recording of my engine bay and explain the things that I overcame.?