m10 to m20 transplant

[mcgrath]

I have a 84 325e parts car, with a complete good running driveline. I want to put this in my 85 318 (m10) The 318 has a 5 speed and the 325e has an auto. At the moment I can't afford to convert the 325e to a 5 speed and I really need to do this engine swap because my m10 just spun a rod bearing.

My questions are:

Will it be easier to use the 325's fuse box and harness or splice into the 318's box?

Will there be any fabrication I will have to do to make this work?

Thanks,
Steven

[KenC]

The M10 manual tranny won't bolt up to the M20.

[rs4pro3]

Since your eta engine is an 85 it should have the rectangulor plug at the fuse box the same as the 318i. So very minor wiring will be needed.

What is stopping the 325e from be a driving car?

[mcgrath]

the 318 is the 85 the 325e is the 84. the passenger side frame rail and floor board are completley rusted through and it had bad hail damage. was also t-boned in the front passenger fender. I bought the car for a parts car because my 318 has a good body and interior.

[mcgrath]

I know the m10 tranny won't work with the m20. im chagning the whole driveline, but I cannot afford a 5 speed tranny for the m20 so I wanted to know what kind of trouble i'm looking at putting an automatic m20 in a 318 5 speed.

[rs4pro3]

Nothing to hard, You'll need the change the pedal box(unless you want to leave the clutch pedal in there?) you'll need the auto tranny shifter stuff that bolts under the center consule, driveshaft, It's just a drop in mod with some minor wiring.

[mcgrath]

I will keep the pedals setup like they are so I have less to mess with when I do convert the m20 to manual. The wiring is what has me worried the most. My 318 is carbed and I whacked the harness, but I have the fuse box and harness for the 325e already pulled so Ill try to use that. is there any other wiring that ill need to grab from the 325?

[KenC]

The 318 is carbed? Is it a european grey-market import? AFAIK there weren't any carbed M10s in the US.

[mcgrath]

I converted it. it's only runing a single mikuni 44 PHH sidedraft but it used to put out more power then the injection system.

There were no carbed E30 m10's or E21's in the US just the 2002's is all that I know of in the US.