euro 323i transmission with 1986 325e engine?

[2002jm]

Can I put the 325e engine and all it's wiring with the 323i transmission/ or do I need to use the 325e transmission also? If I get the 325e engine and transmission will the driveshaft fit, or do I need the 325e driveshaft? thanks, jm

[82eye]

Can I put the 325e engine and all it's wiring with the 323i transmission/ or do I need to use the 325e transmission also? If I get the 325e engine and transmission will the driveshaft fit, or do I need the 325e driveshaft? thanks, jm

what's wrong with the current engine ?

piles depends on the years the components were built and whether the e trans is the dual mass flywheel version or not. any e30 m20 trans will bolt up, but you'll need to juggle different flywheel, clutch, starter, and tob combos to get it to mate up proper. you might have to change the trans flange to bolt to the driveshaft as well.

[2002jm]

HI: The car starts on the first crank; timing is good. But then in about 30 secs it starts smoking blue/black smoke. Sounds like a deisel truck and then it just keeps smoking.
Acts like it is not running on all the cylinders. I may have washed down the cylinder walls with all the fuel that has gone down the system. I do want to check each plug wire to be sure it has spark, but I have changed everything else out even another ecu. The tech guy that came to look at it said the ecu was bad. But it is still running too rich.
Could be the fpr, but that is new, temp sensor, new.
So my options are going down to rings are leaking....will do a compression test before I pull the engine...that is so much work.
thanks for the reply,
jm

[82eye]

HI: The car starts on the first crank; timing is good. But then in about 30 secs it starts smoking blue/black smoke. Sounds like a deisel truck and then it just keeps smoking.
Acts like it is not running on all the cylinders. I may have washed down the cylinder walls with all the fuel that has gone down the system. I do want to check each plug wire to be sure it has spark, but I have changed everything else out even another ecu. The tech guy that came to look at it said the ecu was bad. But it is still running too rich.
Could be the fpr, but that is new, temp sensor, new.
So my options are going down to rings are leaking....will do a compression test before I pull the engine...that is so much work.
thanks for the reply,
jm

yeah, check the health of the engine first. that's an awful amount of work to fix an engine management issue only if it is not mechanical.

you can run tests to determine the failure point and to check the dme. if the dme is in failure you can probably still source them, though it will likely have to be through a euro based supplier like wolloth and nesch or schmiedmann. if the worse comes to pass on the dme and you can't source it, there are aftermarket solutions available.

at this point in time i'm sort of assuming a well kept 323i with original engine and running gear is worth more than swapping engines etc. i'm pretty sure it would be in your interest to keep it that way, if possible, up to and including rebuilding the engine if need be.
unless you have power goals or something else you want to achieve, at which point i'd plan for a build.


edit : are you on L-jet still? i went searching to find out more about the engine management. the 323i straddled the development between L-jet and the first motronic. i had completely forgot that.

[packratbimmer]

During your project be aware of two items: 1) 325e cars had two different output flanges on the Getrag 260 (and the driveshaft was matched to it) - I would not know if this was the case with any 323i cars. 2) Some 325e cars had a slightly longer bell housing due to the huge flywheel on the eta car. It is possible to put a 325e transmission on a late model E30 325i if one uses the euro 323i throwout bearing.

[82eye]

does your car still have the extra 7th injector on the manifold? and have you checked the thermo-time switch? i'm wondering if that switch is in fail and your car is simply flooding out.

[2002jm]

Thanks for the information on the transmission, sounds like a possiblity, but most likely I will have to just rebuild my 323i.
There is no 7th injector, just 6 and the blue and brown sensors. Not sure where the thermo-time switch is; but I only see a switch under the throttle body.
thanks again for the input.

[2002jm]

I am pretty sure this car is the early L-jet. There is only the afm and the blue temp sensor that run the controls for the ecu; it does have an icv on the intake on the passenger side; will try to get some pictures of the set up. I think the wiring harness has about 11 inputs on the computer plug. You would think it would be easy to figure this out:)

[2002jm]

wondering if this problem could be the coil? Maybe it is not firing all 6 plugs?

[82eye]

I am pretty sure this car is the early L-jet. There is only the afm and the blue temp sensor that run the controls for the ecu; it does have an icv on the intake on the passenger side; will try to get some pictures of the set up. I think the wiring harness has about 11 inputs on the computer plug. You would think it would be easy to figure this out:)

if you have a distributor to the side not driven off the cam it will be L-jet.. pretty sure the dist timing is separate and the ecu controls the fuel.
if it's over fueling a common effect is a white smoke and you'll smell the fuel. what you describe in the running issue could be timing related.

this might be useful for some understanding of motronic Motronic - E30 Zone Wiki
and you may find this useful on L-jet Jetronic - E30 Zone Wiki

[TobyB]

Not mentioned (unless I missed it) would be to make sure you don't need bell housing sensors...

t

[2002jm]

Yes, distributor is down on the driverside right next to the alt. Getting white and black smoke and some blue. Sounds like not all of the plugs are firing. We did check timing and the engine fires on the first crank oh TobyB the car does not have bell housing sensors, but they could cause problems if it did. I am going to check the coil this week.
thanks for all the replies,

[82eye]

Yes, distributor is down on the driverside right next to the alt. Getting white and black smoke and some blue. Sounds like not all of the plugs are firing. We did check timing and the engine fires on the first crank oh TobyB the car does not have bell housing sensors, but they could cause problems if it did. I am going to check the coil this week.
thanks for all the replies,

distributors are a known issue on L-jet.

[2002jm]

So if the coil or the distributor is not working, I would get this over fueling problem???

[82eye]

So if the coil or the distributor is not working, I would get this over fueling problem???

it's likely a running problem. the cylinders will be over supplied as it won't fire in correct order. good chance fueling is not the issue. dieseling on a gas engine is misfire.

edit : have you pulled the plugs to check? see if any are wet. dist advance / retard is vacuum controlled on L-jet. make sure that part is good. there is an ignition control module somewhere between the coil and dist, it controls the timing. either of those being out will cause poor running. there is a reluctor wheel and hall sensor in the dist that replaces the cps for crank timing.

i'd read everything you can get your hands on about L-jet.