September - GGC BMW CCA

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Last First City Model Year Refered By
Aosmis Michael San Mateo M3 2003 Sanford Lavine
Astromoff Anna San Carlos 318ic 1997
Avila Ronnie Pinole 325i 2006
Ayson Adrian Fremont M3 1988
Berg Ingrid San Francisco
Bigler Odalis Richmond
Bigler Punita Cupertino
Bonifacio Paul Palo Alto 330i 2006
Boynton Gary San Ramon 330ci 2006
Burgis Jon San Francisco M3 1995
Carey Jamie Alamo 530i 2002
Cassady Chad Monterey M3 2003
Cavicchi Sco Livermore
Coelho David Los Altos M6 2006
Cohen Jonathan Napa 550i 2007
Eby Rebecca Mountain View
Fitzgerald Michael San Leandro 540ia 2003
Gentry Nick Napa
Gibson Simon Orinda M5 2001
Graner Wayne Windsor 318ti 1995
Haines David Los Gatos
Hanes Ben Albany 530i 1995 M. Schwarzbart
Harris Tim San Francisco 325ix 2007 S. Angelopoulos
Hartwig Gregory Oakland M5 1988
Heffington Jaime San Francisco 330ci 2002
Hsu Harry San Jose J. Spira
Hubbard Paul Lafayee 650i 2006
Huffman David San Francisco M3 2006
Jones Olin Oakland 2002 1973
Jordan Tom Fairfield 740il 1995
Kam Ed Fremont 328i 1997
Kenner John San Anselmo Z4 M Cpe 2006
Kincannon Dirk Alameda
Krautkramer John Mountain View 330i 2006
LaBarbera Bob San Jose 530i 2003
Lackey Roger San Mateo M5 2006
Laning Bruce Napa M3 1995
Last First City Model Year Refered By
Lapkin Andrew Burlingame M3 2006
Lavengood Wayne Salinas 325xi 2006
Leventini John San Francisco M3 2004
Levy Howard San Francisco 325i 2006
Malone Jerry Mill Valley Dinan 5 2000 Mike Mills
Mann Ron San Francisco 740il 1997 David Cecil
Martin Theresa Santa Clara 323i 2000
Masek Michael Castro Valley 325i 1991 Sco Miller
Matsumoto Keith Hayward Sven Schindler
Mayne Stephen Greenbrae
Murphy Maryanne Campbell 635csi 1989
Nguyen Thuan Santa Clara
Odulo Daniel San Jose
Oxford Michelle Lompoc 330i 2006
Patel Samit Monterey 550i 2006
Pelgri Chris Oakland M6 1987
Peit Brandalen San Jose Z4 2006
Piccione Daniel Novato M3 1995
Pizarro Eric Santa Clara M5 2001
Ploshay Jeff Cupertino 540i 1995
Rajan Karthik Foster City
Rich Mahew San Jose 540ia 1999 Dave Rich
Robertson Alan Menlo Park 325es 1986 Paul Kunz
Rosseer Eric Menlo Park
Sahly Krista Santa Rosa M3 1998
Samoulides Jeannee Walnut Creek 325i 2006
Seshens Eric Milpitas
Smith Richard El Sobrante
Tien Jing San Jose J. Spira
Tramontin Michael Larkspur M3 2002
Truong Jimmy San Jose E90 2006
Walheim Jon San Francisco X3 2006
Wang Dennis Santa Clara 325i 2003
Weiner Randy Oakland 325ic 1995
Wilkins David San Jose Z4 2006
Wong Man Millbrae 330ci 2000
Yee John San Jose X5 2006
I‘m looking for a 1990-91 E30 318i with the M42 motor for my
daughter for when she goes off to school this Fall. I would like it to
be a five-speed (I haven‘t seen any automatics) and have a sunroof.
She prefers a four-door, but will consider a two-door. I‘m not
interested in an E30 with the M20 motor (325e or 325i) because I
don‘t want to deal with changing a timing belt every 60,000 miles.
That‘s the great thing about the M42 motor: they use a timing
chain. What are your thoughts? Andy S.
The E30 318i (four-door) and 318is (two-door) with
the M42 1.8-liter sixteen-valve four-cylinder engine were
produced during model years 1990 and 1991, though they
were all considered a 1991 model year.
I’m not sure I would call these cars “dime-a-dozen.”
Indeed, these days they are fairly thin on the ground,
good examples even more so. Most people bought them as
“Corollas” and thus many died young. If you really want a
“dime-a-dozen” car, get her a 325e: hugely overpopulated
and readily available.
M42-powered E30s in the U.S. weren’t offered with
automatic transmissions. They also didn’t have check
control panels above the rearview mirror or full OBCs in the
dashboard. They all had driver’s-side airbags, which in an
E30 will cause an annoying and largely unfixable steering
column clunk. (When we tell people they all clunk, they
really do, just some more than others.)
M42 engines built prior to 11/93 had a profile-gasket
problem. This gasket is sandwiched between the lower timingchain
case and the cylinder head. When it fails, all the coolant
falls out of the engine, usually when you least expect it. As
nightmarish as this can be, I have to believe all the ones that
are going to fail already have. The rest were probably changed
preventatively and are not something to really worry about
any more except on maybe an oddly low-mileage car.
As a side note, timing belts are cake to change on an M20
engine in any BMW chassis: four relatively easy, but timeconsuming,
hours. At the same time, you should do a water
pump, timing belt tensioner, thermostat, and accessory belts
because you’re there and you have to lay hands on them
anyway. It’s maybe $200 in parts if you pay full-pop retail. Do
it every four years or 50,000 miles and you‘ll have an engine
that will run a long, long time. Just make sure you use an OEM
BMW water pump. For an additional $15, it is money well spent.
Additionally, to think you’re going to get the miles out of
an un-opened M42 that you would an unopened M20 is just
plain foolish. The rubber-band M20 is an outstanding motor
and with regular rubber band replacement (and lile else
except oil changes and the occasional Inspection Service) will
easily run past 250,000. [I have one with 270,000 that’s still pulling
smooth and strong. – kk] Most M42s will rale themselves to
death because nobody ever replaces the timing-chain tensioner
when they first started making noise. Once the death rale
occurs, everything else in the chain‘s path starts to wear.
Replacing these pieces is not a small undertaking, and thus
many M42-powered E30s get scrapped.
I’m not saying the M42 is a bad engine. A good M42-
powered 318i or 318is is actually a very decent car. However,
they require some care and feeding they almost never receive.
What will give the 318 a lile more zip? As with most
computer-controlled BMWs, the M42 responds very
well to either a Dinan or Conforti chip in its brain box.
However, adding a cold-air intake—especially an unbaffled
one—makes noise and does lile else. Free-flow exhaust
systems are okay, but many sacrifice torque for alleged peak
horsepower gains (and one thing the M42 needs more of is
torque). Replacing the standard 4.10 differential with a 4.27
from a 318iC will give the
car a lile more pop off
the line.
Here’s a trick when
replacing the clutch. Let’s
say the twin-mass flywheel
is grooved to the point
where it cannot be surfaced
(yes, you can usually
surface them) and/or the
twin-mass mechanism has
goen loose and raly. You
can replace the flywheel
with a European-market,
non-air-conditioner M42
solid flywheel. They weigh
much less, cost much less,
and it really wakes up the BY JONATHAN BUSH
engine. Of course, you
have to have a healthy idle
control valve and associated plumbing. Otherwise, when the
engine drops down to idle with the air conditioning on, the
motor will want to stall. But this upgrade makes for a very
happy car with much improved mid-range response, even
without the aermarket chip.
I like the M42-powered E30s. A good friend of mine has
a 318is with 150,000 on it (we did the European flywheel
trick on his car). He commutes long miles and is religious
about maintenance. Guess what? His timing chain bits still
rale a lile. Further, I once picked up a white 318i four-door
from Double 02 Salvage in Berkeley and drove it around
for a couple of days. What a lile sweetheart of a car—good
vibe, did everything well, ice cold a/c. So we rewarded it by
puing an E36 M3 motor in it. The good lile car became a
great lile car.
In fact, with a lile care and feeding, almost any M42-
powered E30 can be a great lile car.
Meanwhile, Back At The Wrench...
Email your questions to: TheWrench@ggcbmwcca.org
22 September 2006 die flüsternde Bombe
September 2006 die flüsternde Bombe
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