Don't laugh at me..M42 power

[FredK]

With a 24v engine, you can feel the weight transfer even with power steering.

A 24v swap is a different kind of fun. It's still a hoot to drive. It's like eating french fries. Regular fries are good maybe with a sprinkle of salt or some ketchup. Chili cheese fries are good, but in a different way. They're heavier, but still satisfying. The 24v cars are heavier, but still satisfying, especially the S5xUS varieties.

[e30s52]

Meh, I've been thinking about selling the S52 motor and putting an S14 + dogleg in the car. The balance is hard to beat.. I'm going to corner balance it with the coilovers first though, gotta give the S52 pig motor a bit of a chance. Mine doesnt have A/C or P/S and still feels nose heavy compared to the M20. It is fast though, I'll say that much.

I still have my power steering but no a/c. It really is a big motor for these cars. I cant imagen what an s38 is like or an m30 for that matter.

[ob_318is]

I run bosch +4 and love love love them...

Next is only run premium fuel or you will hear valve tick...

Yes definitely, on my recent oil change after seafoam, I used these sparks...and this past Sunday was the first I ran premium fuel in my 318, I guess it does get rid of the valve tick just a little bit...but that's good to know.

[SpecM]

Yes definitely, on my recent oil change after seafoam, I used these sparks...and this past Sunday was the first I ran premium fuel in my 318, I guess it does get rid of the valve tick just a little bit...but that's good to know.

don't listen to him

low-octane fuel will NOT cause "valve tick", it causes detonation (spark knock)

[gearheadE30]

Replace the muffler, get a Mark D chip, 4-pintle injectors, lightweight flywheel, fix the throttle stops, and maybe a fan delete. Its tough to get power out of an NA M42, but they are very fun to drive. I can keep up with a stock 325i manual as long as its above 4500 RPM and 2nd gear. The flywheel kills acceleration in the first few gears. Any mods to the M20 though and I don't think there's much hope. that's not the point of the car, though.

[nando]

M20 flywheel and clutch setup doesnt weigh any less than a M42 flywheel and clutch setup.So its worthless.

an M20 single mass flywheel is definitely much lighter than an M42 dual mass.

[FredK]

an M20 single mass flywheel is definitely much lighter than an M42 dual mass.

How much does the M20 pressure plate weigh in comparison to the M42 pressure plate? Just wondering if that was the basis of the comparison or not.

[nando]

I don't know, it's probably heavier, but the M42 flywheel weighs twice as much as the M20 flywheel, and you can shave the M20 FW down to 13lbs safely. No way a couple pounds on the pressure plate is going to make up the difference between the flywheels.

[Dillinger]

I have seen some na m42s get some respectable hp and from what I understand the flywheel mod gets good bang for the $.

[2002maniac]

Intake, worthless. 1hp maybe

Stock exhaust flows very well all the way back. Don't bother changing it unless you're after a louder sound.

I tried cams in my car and they were great at WOT over 4000 (ruled on the track) but around town the torque was seriously weak.

MarkD chip is the only worthwhile power mod for M42's

[gearheadE30]

For the record, my car didn't have an exhaust when I bought it. I think that you would gain a bit of torque with stock parts because of the increased back pressure. And I would argue that 19lb or 22lb 4-pintle injectors are a very worthwhile upgrade.

If you plan on autocrossing the car, check the rulebook to make sure the mods are legal. Stuff like the flywheel puts it way out of class.

[KenC]

The M20 flywheel swap will save you about 4lbs. The M20 pressure plate weighs way more than the M42 one. That being said, 1st and 2nd gear are much quicker now.


My M42 has a Mark D chip, COP kit, M20 flywheel, and clutch fan removed and is much quicker than it was when stock.

[Liam]

M42 Has 19lb multi pintle injectors right out of the box.

A lighter flywheel is a must: http://www.evolutionzen.com/m42-flyw...onversion.html

Changing the intake runner profile and gasket matching is a must as well.

No gains to be had with the headers (BMW really did get that one right) but a flowmaster with a 3.5" tip works and sounds bitchin'.

You can play with the cam timing to get some more top end but it isn't very "street-able".

And yes the e30 balances very well with the M42

[gazellebeigem3]

M42 Has 19lb multi pintle injectors right out of the box.

A lighter flywheel is a must: http://www.evolutionzen.com/m42-flyw...onversion.html

Changing the intake runner profile and gasket matching is a must as well.

No gains to be had with the headers (BMW really did get that one right) but a flowmaster with a 3.5" tip works and sounds bitchin'.

You can play with the cam timing to get some more top end but it isn't very "street-able".

And yes the e30 balances very well with the M42

i cant find any info about the s42 on your website. any pointers?

[nando]

The M20 flywheel swap will save you about 4lbs. The M20 pressure plate weighs way more than the M42 one. That being said, 1st and 2nd gear are much quicker now.


My M42 has a Mark D chip, COP kit, M20 flywheel, and clutch fan removed and is much quicker than it was when stock.

but that's assuming you don't shave down the M20 flywheel at all.. that could be another 5-10lbs there, depending on how far you go. AFAIK, you can't shave dual mass flywheels.