E46 318ci

[zero 1162]

On 1/23/2018 at 6:18 PM, JamesDeezy said:

That’s cool, my dads an auto electrician of 43 years and he said if there are issues, we can repair them... there are known issues, we have the list and pricing. My positive spin, I love bmw and repair and maintenance is part of it. 

Have the valve stem seals been done?

That is one of the more expensive jobs on these engines, and will need to be done as all the valve stem seals fail as the material bmw used was faulty.

[JamesDeezy 13]

No idea @zero but I am going to get it checked over as soon as it arrives

[zero 1162]

ow many km's as the car done - that will give an indication.

Here is more info on tuning the n42 and n46;

http://mywikimotors.com/n46b20/

http://mywikimotors.com/n42b20/

There is a supercharger kit available for this motor but its VERY expensive. Its cheaper to swap in a m54b30 than buy the supercharger kit.

[JamesDeezy 13]

@zero it’s done high 80s I believe. How much would an m54 with similar ks set me back?

[zero 1162]

The odd bargain comes up now and then. You might get lucky at zebra or pick a part and get one for $300. They usually seem to go for around the $800 mark, which is ALOT cheaper than the supercharger kit and gives you more power, more torque, more driveability, and WAY more reliability. It also leaves you room to upgrade the m54b30 if you want, as it is much more responsive to tuning than the n46;

http://mywikimotors.com/m54b30/

Just doing the valve stem seals on the n46 (which will need to be done) costs more than buying a m54b30.

 

[JamesDeezy 13]

Might look into it.. plus that big a engine in a small(er) car will give far better performance than a supercharger 

[Michael. 2313]

Sounds like an ideal candidate for a 3UZ swap and M3 diff, then you're away laughing with reliability and performance to match. Those that know me here is what Id do  

If you're after HP you bought the wrong car, a 325i is the min spec for a 'sporty' model, preferably you would want a 328i or 330i, even those could do with a supercharger to get moving at a more exciting pace.

Don't forget an E46 M3 is 330hp or so, and many people find them 'slow' so do things to get more out of them oddly enough, the 330is have around 240hp which is reasonable but still a decent gap from that of it's M3 big brother. 

For the cost and complexity of the supercharger on the notoriously unreliable 318i engine you're better to sell the car and get one of the nicer 6 cylinder variations, a manual would make it more desirable and reliable too. 

Edited January 25, 2018 by Michael.

[JamesDeezy 13]

@Michael. all good in theory, but have you got the additional $4-5k I’d need to jump up to the 330 with under 80,000km?

[JamesDeezy 13]

Funnily enough, I haven’t read anywhere, other than in here, about these engines being dramatically unreliable. Dads 04 e46 went issue free for 4 years and it was driven over 20,000km/year over that time.. 

[Michael. 2313]

Well then it sounds to me like you need to just enjoy the 318ci for what it is and save up for the higher powered models. 

A path of progression I suppose  

[JamesDeezy 13]

It won’t be my last bmw.. the E46 M3 is the goal..

[JamesDeezy 13]

Love it or hate it, I think it looks great in the driveway

[E30kid 19]

Car actually looks mint!

Just would look better knowing there's an M54B30 with a 6 speed in it ?

[B.M.W Ltd 950]

Make sure the aftermarket LED tail lights are not leaking into the boot and wiring loom  if you are keeping it outside in Palmy

[JamesDeezy 13]

Thanks @E30kid full leather interior which looks and feels brand new.. only negative (aside from the 2L vs the 3L) - after market head unit

[E30kid 19]

Yeah that would be nice. My mate just bought 2000 318i full M-sport but it's m43 powered. Lovely car and makes my e30 look a wee bit retro now. Also if you can get a factory radio in it you can buy Bluetooth kits outta the US that replace the CD changer. 

[JamesDeezy 13]

I won’t bother with the head unit, I definitely want wheels though!

[E30kid 19]

I can think of worse factory rims to be stuck with.

[B.M.W Ltd 950]

2 minutes ago, E30kid said:

Yeah that would be nice. My mate just bought 2000 318i full M-sport but it's m43 powered. Lovely car and makes my e30 look a wee bit retro now. Also if you can get a factory radio in it you can buy Bluetooth kits outta the US that replace the CD changer. 

The M43 engine is the better option in the 4 cylinder versions- much more reliable and less problematic

[JamesDeezy 13]

I know, I know @B.M.W Ltd - as it is guys have kinda depressed me on a day I’ve been looking forward to for a week with the constant barrage of negative comments about the N42.. I get it ?

[E30kid 19]

Just now, B.M.W Ltd said:

The M43 engine is the better option in the 4 cylinder versions- much more reliable and less problematic

Yup this car is a big learning curve for him so made sure he was going M43/44 powered. Cars a minter probably bought off someone from here

[JamesDeezy 13]

@E30kid I can too.. my old E46 I had 6-7 years ago had shockers, replaced them within a week

[Matich 6]

Does anyone know if it's possible to swap a m40b18 into an e46 shell? I know they had m43's which are similar but the m40's lower compression can be better for forced induction. 

[zero 1162]

23 minutes ago, Matich said:

Does anyone know if it's possible to swap a m40b18 into an e46 shell? I know they had m43's which are similar but the m40's lower compression can be better for forced induction. 

I'm sure its possible, but is it worth it?

If you are going through the hassle of a swap, you would be better to use a m54b30.

The m40b18 tuned is still going to give less power than the m54b30 stock, and will be way more expensive to do.

http://mywikimotors.com/m40b18/

There is no weight advantage either, as the m40b18 is slightly heavier.

[Matich 6]

I was thinking of it being light and zippy for more of an autocross car, something about squeezing power out of small engines is fun