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BMW 2002 E10
Power hp
Torque Nm
Displacement L
Layout
Swap overview with verified parts, part numbers and sources.
M42B18 in BMW 2002.
Documented from 33 recorded sources: 3 of the ten mandatory blocks are carried by two independent publishers, 1 does not apply. Internal confidence 56%.
1,796 cc, bore 84 mm, stroke 81 mm, DOHC 16 valves, Bosch Motronic M1.7. E30 318is 1989-1991: 100 kW (136 PS) at 6,000 rpm, 172 Nm at 4,600 rpm. E36 1992-1996: 103 kW (140 PS) at 6,000 rpm, 175 Nm at 4,500 rpm. E30 Zone quotes the 318iS independently at 136 bhp at 6,000 rpm and 127 lb-ft at 4,600 rpm. Reference point for the recipient car: a carburettor 2002 has 100 PS, the tii 130 PS, at 940-1,080 kg — so the M42 is a moderate, revvier power increase rather than a large one, and its appeal is fuel injection, a 5-speed and modern driveability.
Status: VERIFIED · Confidence 85%
Naturally aspirated. The M42 was never offered with forced induction from the factory, and no documented 2002 conversion found in this run runs a pressure charger.
E30 318is (1989-1991). Classic Daily states the conversion 'is based around an e30 engine, trans, and wiring'. An E36 block, head and harness can be used instead, but then 'You MUST use the e30 oil pan and intake manifold' — the E36 sump and manifold do not work in the E10 engine bay. Practical consequence: buy a complete E30 318is donor rather than a bare engine, because gearbox, harness, DME, fuel pump and radiator all come from the same car.
Buy a complete E30 318is and strip it: engine, Getrag 240/5 gearbox, complete engine and DME harness with the C101 round connector, in-tank fuel pump with return, radiator (usable directly in an early car), driveshaft, and the rubber engine and gearbox mounts, which are reused rather than replaced. If an E36 M42 is used instead, the E30 oil pan and E30 intake manifold are still mandatory. Parts that must be bought new on top of the donor: Classic Daily mount kit, a 4-1 header, a Lokar 36-inch throttle cable with the two BMW clip/bar parts, a speedometer conversion, and the alternator-circuit diode. Check the donor's build date against September 1993 for the timing chain guide change. (1Q)
Status: SINGLE_SOURCE · Confidence 55%
Classic Daily sells purpose-made M42-into-2002 mounts, USD 300.00 (price retrieved 24.07.2026). They are designed to reuse the stock 2002 rubber engine mounts; polyurethane mounts are an option. Beyond this one product no published mount solution for M42 in E10 was found — Ireland Engineering, the other established 2002 supplier, catalogues M20 swap mounts for the car but no M42 mounts. The only documented alternative is fabricating your own. (1Q)
The engine is not installed upright but rotated so that, in Classic Daily's words, 'the oil pan is towards the drivers side'. That twist is what creates the clearance around the 2002 steering box and track rod. When an E36 M42 is used, the E30 oil pan is mandatory. The M42's two-piece sump is a weak point in its own right: the internal bolts joining the halves can work loose and cause oil starvation, so a donor engine should have the sump opened and the bolts checked before it goes in. (1Q)
Getrag 240/5 out of the E30 318is. E30 Zone confirms independently that the 318iS was fitted with the Getrag 240/5 and that no automatic was ever offered in that car. On the recipient side 2002parts sells a complete Getrag 240 five-speed conversion kit for the 2002 at USD 1,495.00 (price retrieved 24.07.2026), transmission not included; it contains a shortened driveshaft (exchange, USD 500 core charge), centre support bearing, guibo, refurbished crossmember, heavy-duty gearbox mount, shift platform mounts, a short-shift lever and linkage, a long speedometer cable, a clutch slave cylinder and a throw-out bearing for 215 or 228 mm clutches. Important caveat: that kit is built for a Getrag 240 behind the original M10, not behind an M42 — with the M42 the engine sits further forward and Classic Daily uses the unmodified E30 driveshaft instead. Buy the kit for the individual pieces, not as a complete answer to this combination.
Classic Daily bolts E30 rubber gearbox mounts straight through the 2002 floor using large fender washers to spread the load. Two pieces of cutting are needed on the gearbox itself: the E30 shifter linkage ears have to come off for tunnel clearance, and the bottom rib is shaved for track rod clearance. The 2002parts kit takes a different route with a refurbished crossmember and a heavy-duty gearbox mount, but again for the M10-based conversion. (1Q)
Status: SINGLE_SOURCE · Confidence 50%
Two documented options: keep the original 2002 shifter carrier and bolt it to the shell, or use an early E30 sheet-metal carrier with M10x1.5 tapped holes. Either way the shifter linkage ears on the E30 gearbox are cut off first. The 2002parts kit supplies a short-shift lever with linkage and shift platform mounts if a ready-made solution is preferred. (1Q)
Status: SINGLE_SOURCE · Confidence 50%
Thin evidence. The documented approach is simply to keep the E30 318is clutch, flywheel and hydraulics together as a set. From the 2002parts kit it is known that a clutch slave cylinder is part of a Getrag 240 conversion and that throw-out bearings exist for 215 mm and 228 mm clutch diameters, but that kit is for the M10 engine, so the bearing choice cannot be carried over without checking. No source in this run states a specific clutch, flywheel or master/slave combination for an M42 in an E10. (1Q)
Status: SINGLE_SOURCE · Confidence 40%
No combination-specific automatic transmission solution documented. No established automatic route for the M42 in the E10 can be substantiated - no reliable source on gearbox choice, adapter, gearbox mount, driveshaft or control. Classic Daily only mentions in passing that an E36 automatic gearbox is compatible, without any information on mounting, driveshaft, cooling or control; that is too thin to derive a conversion route from, and it is not carried here as a solution.
Status: NOT_APPLICABLE
Not researched — no established automatic route found.
Status: NOT_APPLICABLE
Not researched — no established automatic route found.
Status: NOT_APPLICABLE
Not researched — no established automatic route found.
Status: NOT_APPLICABLE
Not researched — no established automatic route found.
Status: NOT_APPLICABLE
Classic Daily states that the 'stock BMW E30 M42 Driveshaft will fit perfectly in a 2002' — no shortening — but that the 'Center support bearing mount needs to be relocated' in the tunnel. That is the one piece of fabrication in the driveline. It is not in conflict with 2002parts supplying a shortened shaft in their kit: their kit pairs a Getrag 240 with the shorter M10, this pairing uses the longer M42, and the two lengths cancel out differently. Measure before cutting anything. (1Q)
The 2002 uses a small-case differential with a 168 mm ring gear. Stock ratios: 3.64 with the 4-speed, 3.91 on 1976 non-California cars, 3.36 on the Turbo. 2002parts recommends 'a 3.91 LSD if the 2002 has a 5-speed overdrive transmission', which is exactly the situation after this swap, and notes that ring and pinion sets 'can be exchanged freely' across E10, E21, E30 and E36 four-cylinder small-case units (the M3 excepted). That is the practical route to a limited-slip rear end: E30 small-case housing parts and gearsets are compatible. Worth knowing on the donor side: the E30 318iS came with a 4.10 small case and no limited slip as standard, so the LSD has to be sourced separately.
Status: SUPPORTED · Confidence 75%
The Motronic M1.7 needs a high-pressure supply with a return line, which the carburettor 2002 does not have. Classic Daily solves it with the 'E30 intank pump with return', i.e. the donor car's in-tank pump and return plumbing. Throttle actuation is a separate job: a Lokar 36-inch universal cable, part LOK-TC1000U36, together with BMW 13 54 1 288 013 (plastic throttle clip) and BMW 35 41 1 152 372 (metal bar). (1Q)
Status: SINGLE_SOURCE · Confidence 50%
On an early, small-bumper 02 the 'M42 E30 radiator will fit without any issue'. Big-bumper cars do not have the space; Classic Daily's documented answer there is a Volvo 240 radiator with an external coolant expansion tank. Hose references given for the conversion: D86063, C71663, E71994, D71314. (1Q)
A 4-into-1 header is required. Classic Daily is explicit that the 'stock M42 header does not clear the steering linkage' in a 2002, so the factory manifold cannot be carried over. This is a hard requirement, not a performance option, and it should be sourced before the engine goes in. (1Q)
Bosch Motronic M1.7. The documented method is to carry the complete E30 engine harness and DME across and pass it into the cabin through the round C101 connector, leaving 6-10 inches of wire past the connector. C101 pin assignments: 1 alternator D+, 4 coolant temperature, 5 oil pressure, 6 and 7 switched 12 V, 9 tachometer (via adapter; alternatively C103 pin 1), 12 check-engine lamp, 13 fuel pump, 18 starter solenoid. If an E36 M42 and its harness are used instead, the equivalents at connector X20 are: pin 20 tachometer, pin 13 fuel pump, pin 25 alternator D+, pin 18 starter, coolant temperature at OBD1 pin 12 or direct at the sensor on OBD2, check-engine lamp at OBD1 pin 8 or x6031-1 on OBD2. One item catches people out: if the engine will not shut off with the ignition key, a diode has to be fitted into the alternator charge wire. The battery is moved to the boot, the original tray removed and roughly a 2-inch pass-through cut. (1Q)
Immobiliser: unresolved. No source found in this run states positively whether the E30 M42 DME (Motronic 1.7, 1989-1991) carries an EWS immobiliser. What is documented is only general context: RPM Motorsport describes DME/EWS handling for BMWs from model year 1995 onward, and DudMD lists EWS-equipped M44/M5.2 units as candidates for an EWS delete when 'swapping the engine of a BMW with one from another BMW'. Neither statement covers the 1989-1991 M42 directly, and neither of the two Classic Daily wiring documents mentions EWS at all. Treat this as an open item to verify on the actual donor DME before buying it — an E36 late-production donor is the higher-risk choice. Instruments: the Getrag 240 has no mechanical speedometer drive, so the 2002 speedometer has to be converted — an electronic VDO unit with a driveshaft sensor, a speedo drive/pulse box, or a Speedhut instrument. The tachometer signal is taken from C101 pin 9 through an adapter. (1Q)
Status: SINGLE_SOURCE · Confidence 45%
The 2002 keeps front discs and rear drums as standard. With the M42 the power increase over a 100 PS 2002 is moderate, so no combination-specific front brake upgrade is documented anywhere in this run. The rear is where the established upgrade sits: Ireland Engineering sells a 230 mm to 250 mm rear drum upgrade kit for the 2002 built from all-new OE BMW parts and described as 'a simple bolt-on upgrade', USD 775.00 (price retrieved 24.07.2026). For reference the donor car is better braked than the recipient: the E30 318iS runs 10.24-inch vented front and 10.16-inch solid rear discs at 1,125 kg. From the German scene comes the practical point that the brakes have to be brought to an inspection-ready state before an engine conversion is presented for approval.
Status: SUPPORTED · Confidence 65%
Engine-side, well documented and confirmed by two publishers. The profile gasket between timing case and head fails on essentially every 1989-1996 318iS: E30 Zone attributes it to 'chemicals in the coolant would deteriorate the gasket until it failed', typically around 50,000 miles; the part is BMW 11141247849, USD 6.99 (price retrieved 24.07.2026), covering M42 and M44 in E30 318i/318is 1989-1991, E36 1992-1999 and 318ti 1995-1999. Head gaskets crack between the exhaust valves and the water jackets, usually on cylinders 2 and 3. The timing drive is the other weak point: 'the weakest is the steel chain guide, which can fracture and break', announcing itself as a rattle between 2,000 and 3,500 rpm, with tensioner work quoted at roughly GBP 550; BMW changed the chain idler gear to a curved plastic guide in September 1993, so a later donor is preferable. The two-piece sump's internal bolts can work loose and cause oil starvation. Practical conclusion: do the profile gasket, head gasket and full timing kit while the engine is out — it is far cheaper than doing it once the car is finished.
Swap-side, single-source (1Q) and each one a documented time-waster: the engine will not shut off with the key unless a diode is fitted in the alternator charge wire; the stock M42 exhaust manifold fouls the steering linkage, so a 4-1 header is not optional; the E30 gearbox's shifter linkage ears foul the 2002 tunnel and have to be cut off; the driveshaft centre support bearing mount has to be relocated; the battery has to move to the boot with the tray removed and a pass-through cut.
What could not be checked: the two bmw2002faq threads that document swap troubleshooting in this exact combination both returned HTTP 402, and the theguestroom swap-notes PDF exceeded the 20 MB fetch limit. The failed-attempt picture is therefore incomplete on the swap side.
Status: SUPPORTED · Confidence 75%
Mechanically this is a trodden path: a commercial mount kit and a written installation guide exist, the vendor has built the car himself, and at least one independent conversion is documented outside that circle. The engineering risk is low and mostly concentrated in fabrication work on the gearbox tunnel and driveshaft centre bearing. German road approval is the real hurdle. Because the M42 is neither the original engine for the E10 nor an engine from the same model range, and because it could not have been fitted within ten years of the car's first registration, the historic-vehicle route under section 23 StVZO is closed. What remains is an individual approval under section 21 StVZO with a full engineering report covering emissions, noise, brakes, lighting, EMC, power, top speed, dimensions and weights. That is achievable but front-loaded: the inspecting body should be consulted and the required evidence agreed before the car is dismantled, and the brakes should be brought to an inspection-ready standard as part of the build rather than afterwards. See the German-language field for the exact wording and sources.
Status: SUPPORTED · Confidence 70%
Historic-vehicle registration (H-Kennzeichen) under § 23 StVZO: the TUV SUD classic-vehicle requirements catalogue expressly permits only "the original version or an engine from the vehicle model range" for the engine. Beyond that, only "modifications that demonstrably were carried out, or could have been carried out, within the first 10 years after first registration" are permitted. For engine ancillaries the equivalent rule is "only original assemblies ... or a period modification with factory release and/or test certificate". The M42 was built from 1989 onwards, the E10 from 1966 to 1977. The engine therefore comes neither from the vehicle model range nor was it available within the ten-year window after first registration. Result: an H-Kennzeichen cannot be achieved with this conversion under the rules retrievable in Germany on 24.07.2026. Auto Zeitung describes the same standard - under § 23 StVZO "originality must be present in all main assemblies" - and notes that the wording was tightened in 2011.
That leaves individual approval (Einzelabnahme) under § 21 StVZO. Kfz Dietrich names as the trigger that "the combination of several modifications is not covered by existing expert reports", requires "complete documentation" and advises: "Before the conversion we clarify with the inspection organisation which evidence is required." The scope of examination is listed by Abgasdatenbank: "emissions report, lighting report, electromagnetic compatibility, brake report, noise report, power output, top speed, dimensions, weights, tyres and towing capacities". From German practice (motor-talk) comes the advice to bring the brake system up to "TUV-capable condition" beforehand and to find "an inspector who confirms in advance that he will sign off the modifications after the conversion".
Honest limitation: this run found no source documenting an already granted German Einzelabnahme for an M42 in an E10. The assessment is derived from the general rules; it is not a documented precedent. All statements refer to Germany, as of 24.07.2026.
Status: SUPPORTED · Confidence 80%
Engine mounts M42 in 2002 (USD 300.00, 24.07.2026): https://www.classicdaily.net/products/bmw-2002-m42-swap-mounts | Getrag 240 conversion kit (USD 1,495.00, 24.07.2026): https://www.2002parts.com/5speedconversion/2002-5-speed-transmission-conversion-kits | Profile gasket 11141247849 (USD 6.99, 24.07.2026): https://www.bimmerworld.com/Engine/Gaskets/BMW-Profile-gasket-11141247849.html | Rear drum brake 250 mm (USD 775.00, 24.07.2026): https://www.iemotorsport.com/product/rear-brake-drum-upgrade-kit-250mm-2002/ | EWS delete (context only, applies to the M44): https://www.dudmd.com/products/e36-318i-318ti-ews-delete-m44b19-m5-2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SY5aSHsYzB8 (1976 BMW 2002 M42 swap) | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrBnGeFC248 (M42 Swaped 2002 with custom Exhaust rev BMW) | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffIPboj137E (BMW 2002 Project Episode 4 THE SWAP) | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_7L_RTKv1Y (1975 BMW 2002 Turbo M42 Air Ride Restomod)
No usable finding. This run surfaced no relevant Instagram profiles for M42 in the E10.
https://www.classicdaily.net/pages/how-tos (guide index) | https://www.classicdaily.net/blogs/projects/1972-bmw-2002-m42 (build) | https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/forum/general-forums/members-rides/the-project-forum/350385-classic-daily-1975-bmw-2002-turbo-m42-swap (NOTE: same builder as Classic Daily) | https://e9coupe.com/forum/threads/1971-bmw-2002-m42-conversion.18934/ (independent build) | https://www.bmw-syndikat.de/bmwsyndikatforum/topic88940_BMW_02_Motorumbau_auf_318is_Motoren__Umbau___Tuning.html (de, technically unproductive) | https://www.motor-talk.de/forum/staerkeren-motor-in-bmw-2002-einbauen-t5794387.html (de) | UNREACHABLE (HTTP 402): https://www.bmw2002faq.com/forums/topic/160226-m42-swap-done/ and https://www.bmw2002faq.com/forums/topic/338829-solved-m42-swap-pain-troubleshooting/
33 sources recorded, of which 25 reachable and 8 unreachable; 22 different publishers; 6 German-language sources (tuvsud.com, autozeitung.de, abgasdatenbank.com, kfz-dietrich.com, motor-talk.de, bmw-syndikat.de - the last reachable but without usable content, so 5 usable in substance). Strongest evidence: the TUV SUD requirements catalogue (techdoc, de), the three Classic Daily guides (techdoc, en), the E30 Zone wiki and Wikipedia for the engine data. Unreachable and therefore not used in substance: bmw2002faq.com (3 threads, HTTP 402), bimmerfest.com (HTTP 402), theguestroom.net (PDF over 20 MB), blog.bavauto.com (robots), zeebuck.com and customers.hbci.com (redirect loop). Independence accounting: all six Classic Daily documents = 1 publisher; three E30 Zone pages = 1; two 2002parts pages = 1; two Wikipedia pages = 1; r3vlimited is the same builder as Classic Daily and is therefore not carried as a second source in any field.
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