'02 Engine swap

[Don Cicchetti <dcicchet@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi fellow Bimmer lunatics,

I got the car back last friday with the new motor from the 318ti!   Whew,
what a project.   Briefly, its a '71 '02 and we put in a 95 318ti engine
with 3K on it.

It's a long story, but basically, about two years ago, I saw a Roundel
article about Pete McHenry putting a 6-cylinder M3 motor in a 318ti, and
called to ask him about the feasibility of putting the 318 motor in an '02.
He liked the idea, and we worked out a engine/trans combination that would
work and provide a speedo drive, and we worked out a price for the motor
that he pulled from the car in the article.

Pete recommended Carl Nelson at La Jolla Independant BMW svc. in La Jolla
since I am in southern California.   I called Carl up, and he took on the
project.

It turned out to be one of the most difficult engine swaps he or I have
seen.   I have done a couple, a 289 ford V8 in an Austin Healy 3000, (yes I
was a stupid college kid), and some odd Chevy car/engine combinations, but
nothing like this, so I am glad I didn't try it myself.

Why did we do this?   Well, back when the project was started, the smog
laws here in CA required *every single piece* of  engine-damaging,
power-robbing, poorly-designed-yet-expensive, smog crap that came with the
engine to be fully functional.

The only way around this benighted policy was various illegal schemes and
maneuvers, and frankly I'm too old for that garbage, or
hoping/begging/praying with the smog ref. for an exemption because the car
"runs so clean".

So, combine those facts with the fact that I *hate* distributors anyway,
and I hate carburetors almost as much, and the 318 motor is pretty modern
and efficient, my wife and I decided to give it a go.  (She loves old cars
actually, and was not hard to get on board for this project, silly girl..)

Sooo.. what'd we change for this engine swap?

- -fabricate. motor mounts
- -fab. trans mount
- -fab. shifter platform
- -cut, weld, rebalance driveshaft
- -move battery to trunk
- -install pump in gas tank, and second pump in engine compartment, and
change fuel lines
- -remove brake booster, fab. new pedal box with remote booster
- -replace 95 computer with 94 so we didn't need to deal with the anti-theft
system on the 95
- -fab. throttle linkage to cable throttle
- -Change oil pan/pickup to clear the steering gear
- -modify steering gear
- -fab custom exhaust
- -modify the serpentine belt and pulleys to eliminate the power steering pump
- -install a large, expensive, crossflow radiator w/required overflow tank
- -make a hybrid transmission up that will have a speedo drive (the 318ti got
it's drive from the diff.
- -Cut out the entire floor pan and tunnel, and install a larger one from a
320i to clear the new larger transmission.
- -fab a custom wiring harness and locate the computer under the dash
- -recalibrate speedo to read accurately at a different cable rotational speed
- -cut a hole in the front bulkhead for the protruding K&N air filter.  The
stock AF was not going to fit...  not anywhere near that intake...

and probably some stuff I have (mercifully) forgotten....

We also upgraded the brakes, put some Bilsteins and springs in it, and a
bunch of normal service stuff like the heater fan motor.

I took a long time, cost a fair amount of money, and was more difficult
than I could have imagined, but it came out really nice overall.

The 138 HP feels like a good tii only smoother, more of a turbine sound,
and has a broader power band.   It's kind of weird sounding/feeling having
such an old car with such a modern motor in it, but it is something that
one adjusts to quickly :-]   It's a lot of fun to drive.     Trying to get
some time with Landshark to get a chip for this setup with the custom
exhaust and a K&N on the front.

Of course, now the 71 is smog exempt, and I could even install the dreaded
"devices of satan" otherwise known as dual side-drafts, w/o trouble from
the smog folks.

When a project takes almost 2 years from conception to driving, even *laws*
can change!

My highest complements to Carl Nelson and Jeff Tighe at La Jolla
Independant for their top-drawer work, intelligence, and dedication on this
car, and for making it happen at all.

Thanks guys, that was a real commitment.

Puuhleeeze don't try this at home, unless you are Boyd Coddington, and if
someone tries to sell you a "kit" to do this swap...

(excuse me for a moment...  HA HA HA HOOOO   HEE HEE HEEE   ARRRGGHHH!!
HA HA HA....)

aaahhhh... sorry..   Ummmm, if someone tries to sell you a "kit" to do this
swap, punch them in the nose, and save yourself a lot of grief, since
getting a lawyer and going to court over assault is LOTS easier than this
engine swap!

regards

Don

ps.  still no tach.  The motor will -not- talk to the 02 tach, so we Carl
will probably fab up something using a 318 tach in the 02 dash.   yipes
what a project...

two more factoids

- -my 7 year old daughter loves the car, and Carl may even do another one now
that he has worked the many details out, but you should be patient of
temperment and have some money saved up.



Don Cicchetti - BMW CCA member 122043
dcicchet@domain.elided
'71 2002/318ti (waddya mean that motor don't go in there?)

- -Beatnik Motor Werke-

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