M42 Cam Gears NLA

[ThatOneEuroE30]

Bummer to hear that they truly are unavailable right now, but I am still certain that they will be back soon. Fortunately, true M42 fanboys like myself already have a new set saved up, now if I only had a new vibration dampener and idler sprocket...

For everyone else, dive those junkyards and hunt down a good set on eBay.

I became a true m42 fanboy too late in the game and now im SOL until they come back :(

[roguetoaster]

Bummer to hear that they truly are unavailable right now, but I am still certain that they will be back soon. Fortunately, true M42 fanboys like myself already have a new set saved up, now if I only had a new vibration dampener and idler sprocket...

For everyone else, dive those junkyards and hunt down a good set on eBay.

[fresh_TD]

Update: Just hung up with Pelicanparts, they reached out directly to BMW for me and they are not to be found anywhere. Waiting to hear from the guys at Tischer (getbmwparts) but I suspect the same news. Absolute crap considering how many M42's are still out there. I have my engine in pieces and now an unknown timeline before I can get it back on the road.

I have a nice good used set, if you need them.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

[av8drvr]

Update: Just hung up with Pelicanparts, they reached out directly to BMW for me and they are not to be found anywhere. Waiting to hear from the guys at Tischer (getbmwparts) but I suspect the same news. Absolute crap considering how many M42's are still out there. I have my engine in pieces and now an unknown timeline before I can get it back on the road.

[av8drvr]

Well, that is lame. I just ordered 2 sets to keep in storage from getbmwparts.com (they usually indicate when they are out of stock of something) at $40 per sprocket.

ECS, RM European, Turner, FCP and most of the other common sources seem to be out. Pelican Parts looks like they have them in stock still. Get 'em while you can, just in case.

What I fear is that they return to production under some "OE" brand which outsources the casting to China and the parts end up being pot-metal that fails catastrophically 5 minutes into service.

I ordered two off Getbmwparts last night after seeing this thread and received a message this morning of “on order”. Did you get something different? I was just about to start buying for a total timing refresh, this really bums me out.

[bmwman91]

Well, that is lame. I just ordered 2 sets to keep in storage from getbmwparts.com (they usually indicate when they are out of stock of something) at $40 per sprocket.

ECS, RM European, Turner, FCP and most of the other common sources seem to be out. Pelican Parts looks like they have them in stock still. Get 'em while you can, just in case.

What I fear is that they return to production under some "OE" brand which outsources the casting to China and the parts end up being pot-metal that fails catastrophically 5 minutes into service.

[Steve Corbett]

I have an M42 W/5 Speed set up from a 91 I may be getting rid of, Had a cracked head. Replaced the head, timing gears, chain and guides. Could never get the car started. Ended up selling the car and helping the kid put in an M20 I had laying around.

[jaredmac11]

The e36 M42 sprockets fit, right? I think the early M42 timing system in general is poorly designed but the Cam sprockets on my e36 M42 look fine. Even the E30 ones look good. I have 2 sets and all look good. 'Look' good anyways.

[Jordan]

That's quite dumb of BMW, but I also imagine they will come around available again. At a much much higher price than when they went NLA of course, which is typical BMW.

Glad I have a nice set of used ones with no appreciable wear.

[ThatOneEuroE30]

I hope so, because the engine eats its cam sprockets and just about every single M42 on the road which hasn't had them replaced by now surely needs them.

I was one of the lucky ones who did all the timing stuff just in time. My sprockets looked great. I wanna buy a second m42 and rebuild it completely. Thats becoming quite the task. I can even find one.

[varg]

so even if they are really NLA from BMW an aftermarket supplier will step in.

I hope so, because the engine eats its cam sprockets and just about every single M42 on the road which hasn't had them replaced by now surely needs them.

[jaredmac11]

These m42's will soon be as expensive to rebuild as the s14...

They're already expensive enough to rebuild....

[roguetoaster]

I doubt they've been ended, but are probably just backordered awaiting new production. After all, the M42/44 had a very large production run, so even if they are really NLA from BMW an aftermarket supplier will step in.

[Codym42]

Well, that's a shitty thing for BMW to do. Of all the things for them to discontinue...they choose cam gears.

Part of the reason I went for an m52 swap was because of the cost to rebuild one of these things. The #6 chain guide is $189!!

[ThatOneEuroE30]

I need to get one rebuilt stat and hoard all the parts i can.