318ti.org forum - Can a stock M42 run on M44 DME?

So I have a 318ti with a mostly stock M44 (egr & DASC delete). I bought a 318i vert for a parts car, but mostly for a fully manual convertible top frame about a year ago. I have barely touched that car, and it's started up fine everytime I've asked it to. I drove it about 30 miles in total since I've owned it.

Anyways, I went to pull some M44 parts off the car. The compact and the vert are my first 4 cylinder BMWs, but I've had many straight 6 and V8 bimmers over the years(m20,m30,m50nv,m50,m52,m60,m62, etc). So I didn't know the tell tale signs of the M42 vs an M44. I immediately noticed the metal t-stat housing and then quickly the intake manifold difference and no DISA on manifold. So I take body cowl off, look behind head and sure, it's an M42 head because there isn't a plastic coolant outlet on back. Instead I have M42 outlet on intake side of head. I look at the wiring, pull the ECU out, and just disconnect the whole wiring harness.

I'm fairly confident it's an m44 wiring harness. The ECU (667) is exactly the same as the one in my compact, which is definitely an M44.

So I tried to do some research here. I see a lot of discussion about M44 blocks with M42 heads. I have yet to see anything about an entirely stock m42 running on m44 electronics. Should this be working?

I started pulling the engine today because I'm so curious, wanting to get to the block to make sure it's 1.8l and not 1.9l. So I got the intake manifold off. I found the two knock sensors that bolt onto the block, under intake, were disconnected and just sitting on top of trans inside tunnel. Dropped the exhaust which had only a pre and post cat 02. I'm just going to pull the whole thing out tomorrow, front clip is already off, so I might as well.