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40DCOEs Engine Questions (archive)
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Posted by Frank on April 09, 2000 at 00:35:20:


Have a chance to buy a wrecked '72 with 5-speed, new 320i rear-end - and a hopped up engine with dual Weber 40DCOEs. Has ported and polished head with something other than stock cam and evidently was quite a fast car (like 0-60 in 7 seconds or something.)

I'm going to at least put the tranny, drive shaft and rear end in my '71 (pinion bearing has been noisy for years, can see a couple of needle bearings in the U-joints.) Probably will use the seats and hang onto the taillights and other minor hardware. Wondering about the hot engine - whether to install it also. My stock engine with Weber 32/36 works fine and I'm not a hot-rodder.

Q - Wonder what kind of gas mileage one gets with a hot engine such as that if I decided to keep it? As far as I'm concerned, the stock engine has enough performance for casual driving like we do. No need for more horsepower as far as I'm concerned. I've thought about putting the hot engine into my car to 1) see what's it like! and 2) make sure it runs well if I want to sell it. Of course, then I have the time/cost of pulling the engine twice.

So far, all I know about the engine is that it was an everyday driver of a guy who new what he was doing with BMWs. It has a distributor with a BMW ignition module on the fender, headers, hot cam of some kind, and a head that was JUST overhauled before the accident. Car is owned by someone who bought it wrecked, was going to fix it up, but has been sitting on it for about six months now and knows they can't find the time.

Body is tweaked a little in the front - distributor cap touched the firewall, looks like engine front has moved just a tad to the right. All sheet metal forward of the firewall has been removed. Very slight crease in the front of the pan where it looks like the sway bar touched it. Engine is perfectly free and can be turned over by hand. Rest of the engine looks dusty but fine. View through the oil fill cap is immaculate. Car has been covered but is rather dirty.

Q- Any idea what an engine like that is worth 1) as is, or 2) after being installed into a car and proven that it runs fine?

By the way, the rest of the body is in fine shape - no rust (California car), if someone needs a back half.

Thanks for any comments.
Frank ('71 CA)


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