Installing a 2 liter M-10 in a 1.8 liter car

For all your questions, problems and DIY stories
Post Reply
dos tres
Newbee
Posts: 7
Joined: Sun Aug 31, 2014 8:23 am
My E21(s): 83 320i manual

Installing a 2 liter M-10 in a 1.8 liter car

Post by dos tres »

I have a line on a rebuilt 2 liter at a good price. I would like to drop it in my 83 320i (North America) that came with a 1.8.

I understand the heads are not really interchangeable, and the 1.8 and 2.0 intakes are different. What is required to drop a 2 liter in a car that came with a 1.8 and maintain the stock injection. It looks like the throttle bodies are in slightly different locations. Do I just need an intake boot from a 2 liter car to connect to the original airbox? Does the exhaust manifold interchange?

I'd like a car with some pep so does it make sense to start with a 2 liter over a 1.8? I'd eventually like to up the compression and put in a sport cam. I guess the only way to get a high compression ratio with the 2.0 (stock 8.1:1) is to get some different pistons, will milling the head to gain compression throw the timing chain geometry off?


Post Reply