just what you want, another HEY GUYS thread....
 

just wanted to say hello guys! I am a civic guy myself that frequents honda-tech. However, I've been bit with the bug and i'm contemplating a 318ti or a e30 coupe. I'll be browsing these boards and asking questions to help me decide which I want to go with. Anyone know where i can find specs on the stock motor + transmission?

such as: compression ratio, redline, cylinder sleeve construction, bore, stroke, rod length. gear ratios, etc.

i'm used to dealing with front wheel drive nonsense, and used to have a 300hp turbo civic, it's time for me to move on and i want something else. MAN THESE 318ti's are NEAT!

Ahh, dang. I just had my owners manual out earlier today, so I could have given you the engine spec stuff. (exact redline, bore and stroke) I believe the M42 (1995 only) is 84mm x 81mm, and the M44 (1996+) is 85mm x 83.5mm

Both M42 and M44 are 10:1 compression ratios.

5-Speed gear ratios are: 4.23, 2.52, 1.66, 1.22, 1.00. Reverse is 4.04. The 5-Speed differential has 3.45 gears. LSD was an option on some, so they're out there to be found.

so that i can do my gear calculations, do you know the factory tire size?

another thing, due that the larger pistons and smaller stroke, I would think that this motor would easily see high RPMs. Honda's b18c is 81x87.2 and it can easilly see 8000 all day long..

due to the m42/m44's high compression, and short stroke, i would think that many people build up the drive trains on these things so that they can rev higher, would i be correct to assume this?

The factory wheel and tire size on the Sport models was 16x7" with a 225/50-16" tire.

Don't know much about modding the drivetrain, although from what I've heard, the M42 has a forged crank whereas the M44 has a cast crank.

there's an old issue of roundel that compares the two motors almost side-by-side. it was a few months ago, i think with the new 3 on the cover.

i have a copy, but not anywhere convenient.

rofl!! welcome and i have nothing to contribute to this thread!

go to edmunds.com and research for yourself. Lots of info at that site

not cylinder sleeve construction, bore, stroke, gear ratios, compression ratio........

i know the stock rev limit is 6500, these engine are built to rev so i guess after a chip or somethin u can rev up to 7000, i heard that some chips even reaise it to 7200 wiht no damage to the engine, u know i know a guy that hits the rev limit at every gear all day long he is like 17 years old drives a 318is same engine as ours, and his engine runs as strong as mine, so the thing is these engines are built to hit the rev limit alot. if im wrong plz correct me, hope i helped out.

It's not that hitting the rev limiter that is the dangerous part. it is running at a the rev limiter that is no good.

i saw this on the 318ti yahoo mailing list awhile ago and this is the perfect opportunity to share it:

When we picked up one of our cars at the factory on European delivery,
I asked the guy who was explaining the car to us those same questions.

Me: So how fast should I drive this new car on the autobahn?
Him: How fast do you want to go?
Me: Well, what would top speed be on this new car? I don't want to over rev it.
Him: Over rev it? Before this car left the factory building, it was revved up to the red line on a dyno to make sure it's a good engine. (At the factory tour later, I saw that, he was right.)
Me: Well, so how fast can I go?
Him: Well, it is very important for a BMW not to be passed by a Mercedes or an Audi. So gauge yourself to that. Should that mean 180 or even 200 kilometers per hour - so be it, or as fast as it will go.
Me: Shouldn't that car be broken in?
Him: For all practical purposes - it already is.
Me: OK, so what is the shift point?
Him: If you mean when you should shift gears when accelerating to get on to the autobahn, then the car will tell you. It is equipped with a rev limiter.
Me: Won't that abuse the engine?
Him: If we thought that would abuse the engine, we would have put the rev limiter at a lower rpm.
Me: So in essence there is nothing wrong with hitting the rev limiter every now and then. That will not damage the engine or wear it out prematurely?
Him: You would be doing more damage to the engine if you let it lug at lower rpms all the time, or if you shifted gears at anything lower than 5000 rpm. After all this is a BMW not some other make.

Enough said.

Leif

you know what.......... That is all so damn true that thi is all that I am going to add.



Dammn that was deep!

Youll almost never zing the motor under acceleration.

Its the transition from accell to deaccel that breaks things.

I've run several engines way over 10K rpms on a dyno but I
ease them off power very slowly. VERY VERY slowly.

At the track 95% of blown engines are missed gears....
IE shifting from 4 to 1 is bad..... ;)

Dave

That's so funny (and so German). Should have asked him where to put your Double Whopper w/cheese while your talking on your cellie and seen Mr. Driving Experience have a heart attack.