RE: BMW cambelt change

[Nick Brearley <nick@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>Date: Wed, 8 Dec 1999 12:21:25 -0600 
>From: "Fadeev, Alex" <Alex.Fadeev@domain.elided>

>	E30's came with many different engines. 
>	In the US 325i/e/is models came with M20 engines. Early 318's had
>the (E21 carry-over) M10 engine. AFAIK, it also had a chain. Somewhere
>around '87, M10 engine was replaced by an M40 engine. The US market never
>got the M40 316/318 cars. In '91 4-cylinder engines made a come back in the
>US in the M42 incarnation. M42 engines used a chain (same goes for E30 M3's
>S14 engines), so M10/M42/S14 engines can be safely excluded from this
>discussion.
>	Thus we are back to the M20 engines. BMW recommends replacing the
>timing belt in M20 engines (M20B25 for 325i, M20B27 for 325e, B23/B20 for
>323i/320i, etc) every 60K miles or 4 years, whichever comes first (just like
>Nick Brearley recommended in an earlier post). The timing belt change
>procedure is the only item on the 60k miles interval 'to-do' list. Some
>people recommend shortening the mileage interval to 50K miles.
>	Outside of the US market, E30's came with M40B18 engines in
>316/316i/318i models. M40 engine does have a timing belt. AFAIK, M40 timing
>belt should also be replaced every 60K (50K?) miles. If anyone knows
>otherwise, please let the list know!
>
Hello Alex,

If I remember correctly the M40B18 engine, as fitted in the 318i over here
(UK), has a lighter cambelt than the M20B25 (and B20). Speaking to a BMW
Tech a while back he mentioned that the B18 belts could do with changing
around 40k, based on experience rather than BMW instruction. I've no direct
experience of the B18 engine, just passing on information from somebody who
"appeared to know what he was talking about".

Incidentally the engine fitted in the E30 316 was a 1766cc carburetted
engine with a chain driven OHC. Bore and stroke were identical to the 318i
so I imagine it was a previous version before f.i. and the belt driven
camshaft (M10?). 90bhp as opposed to 105.

Nick Brearley

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