Cheap/Basic M42 Mods.

[fiftytakedowns]

LEgit, Ill think Ill do that then!

[Cyrix2k]

I'm not running p/s with my p/s rack right now and it's fine. Actually, I think the steering feels very light when the car is moving at all - it's only hard to turn when the car is dead still (and you really should try to avoid doing that anyway).

[rThor432]

DK hows the PS loss? Im getting sick of it . but Im wondering about the safety (like hydroplaning, spinning out ETC.

Ha, ditch the PS-- if you are considering getting rid of it then you don't need it. I drove my M20 car without it for years. Then bumped up to an S52 and still ran it like that. With the M42, being much much lighter than the engines I've had lately, you won't even barely notice. Well you'll notice, but it will be good.

Why are you worried about safety?? Plenty of E30's in Europe came without PS from the factory. Mine uses a non-PS rack now. For what it's worth, I ran the stock rack with no PS pump for years with no issues.

[Cyrix2k]

I wouldn't put nitrous on an m42 period. Get a real motor.

fixed. The m42 has its place, but overall, it's near the top of its game barring expensive mods and even afterwards is largely gutless. I'd much rather have a torquey motor than a high revving one. In race applications, I can see a built M42 being nice. For the street... I'll take an I6.

Oh, and I own an M44 powered e36. It sounds like a lawn mower and just never idles as well as the I6s. I *much* prefer the M20 or M5x, neither of which are all that expensive to swap in and yield much more usable power.

[fiftytakedowns]

Even after the ltw flywheel I feel like I need some more oomph....
DK hows the PS loss? Im getting sick of it . but Im wondering about the safety (like hydroplaning, spinning out ETC.

I really wonder How much power we can get out of the m42 without doing internals.

[fiftytakedowns]

o0o0o sounds fun!

[Voluted]

www.catcams.com has cams for the m42 as well but i have no idea about cost (check out the chart below). They sell more agressive cams but they require different springs/lifters to install.


O.E.M.
255 / 255°
207 / 207°
9.70 / 9.70mm
0.90 / 0.65mm
O.E.M.
HYDR: O.E.M.

1301411
257 / 257°
215 / 215°
9.90 / 9.90mm
1.30 / 0.95mm
O.E.M.
HYDR: sport

1301413
269 / 269°
225 / 225°
10.00 / 10.00mm
2.05 / 1.55mm
O.E.M.
HYDR: sport

[decay]

yeah, looking at the retail for my ITBs i don't think i'll be going with dbilas. not raking in the iraq money any more, which is why progress on my car has slowed so drastically. :)

i was asking about stock cam profiles because a trick i've seen used on VW and nissan twincams is buying a "sport" cam for the intake and then swap the stock intake cam over to the exhaust side. asked robert (peerless) about this and he thinks we could do the same on the M42.

anyway someone on m42club found the specs for me:

Application: O.E.M.
Duration [0.1mm+cl]: 255/255°
Duration [1.0mm+cl]: 207/207°
maximum lift [cl=0]: 9.70/9.70mm
Lift at TDC [cl=0]: 0.90/0.65mm

so everything is the same except the lift @ TDC. am i reading it right when i think that means they're basically the same except the intake cam has a more convex ramp? or is it just that TDC just falls on a different place in the "bump"?

looks like it might not be worth the trouble but i thought the idea was worth investigating.

i will probably just go with delta regrinds like 2002maniac did. i've done enough weight and parasitic-drive reduction (ps/ac/clutch fan all gone) that losing a bit of low-end would probably just make it feel like it used to before; and another ~100lbs is going to come out of the car before i get around to this anyhow.

[z31maniac]

dk, Metric Mechanic and VACMotorsports have M42 cams as well as Webb and possibly DBilas.

[decay]

To the guys talking about regrinding the cams

What are a safe set of specs to go with an what can the factory valve train even handle? I know a little about cams, but never ordered a custom grind and about the only thing I know to do is to get in contact with Delta cams.

i don't have anything about specs for you, but a friend has an intake cam from these guys:

http://www.webcamshafts.com/

in his m42 and seems happy with it. you could check with both; even basic info on lift and duration would let you make something of a judgment call on which you want.

edit: also found these:

http://www.deficarsport.com/touring-bmw-m42-4cyl.htm

i would be very interested in the specs on the stock cams myself, if anyone has them.

[thedguy]

To the guys talking about regrinding the cams

What are a safe set of specs to go with an what can the factory valve train even handle? I know a little about cams, but never ordered a custom grind and about the only thing I know to do is to get in contact with Delta cams.

[e30guydownunder]

yeah, what's this talk of shortening the driveshaft? I'm positive the input flange is in the same place.

The driveshaft is telescopic. The flange on yours may have been loose and you without noticing adjusted the length of the tailshaft. It is a very minor change in length.

Plus shortening the driveshaft excessively and putting it out of the way makes it a bit easier to get the diff in position.

[getouth]

what about hi comp pistons?

[KenC]

Had those and are great for top end power. I dyno'd 136 to the wheels with those, delete parasitic fan (efan), 4 pintle injectors (mustang), ebay proformance chip, and cleaned up vacuum lines. Warning though, you do lose a good bit of low end torque. When I put my stockers back in for the turbo setup, gained ALOT more torque below 3000rpm.

do you remember what regrind it was? 256? 270?

[Asbradley21]

I wouldn't put nitrous on an m42 period. Get a real FI system.