Trying to summarize Super eta (S-eta) stroker build info.

[884door]

So the car will run and drive with the seta parts but performance will not be at 100% at the top end of the rev range due to the restriction posed by the seta parts, right?

Putting the cam in is pointless without the intake and throttle body. The car might actually be slower because the cam shifts the powerband up the RPM range then you're not flowing enough air to make the power up there.

PM Me if you need the TB and manifold for cheap.

[Stoner Sam23]

Wow this is a very informative thread! is there a difference between the I and seta head? not talking springs,cam,rockers. is the core, porting, and valve sizes all the same?

[884door]

Wow this is a very informative thread! is there a difference between the I and seta head? not talking springs,cam,rockers. is the core, porting, and valve sizes all the same?

Other than some of the SETA heads not having all the cam bearing oil holes drilled they are the exact same casting.

[Stoner Sam23]

only some or all? can that be easily modified. does it have to be?

[884door]

only some or all? can that be easily modified. does it have to be?

Some. Rumor is the early SETAs have all 7 and later ones don't but my old one was built 9/87 and it had them.

Any machine shop can add the extra oil holes in, and yes you have to have them to run an I cam. I'll dig up a pic in a while here.

[Stoner Sam23]

Ok thanks pics would deffinately help. my seta might be in the clear. it was built 3/87. I will look out for that durring the build. now i dont have to rebuild my existing I head with 250k on it i'll just sell that whole motor minus the mani's.

[supra89t]

Putting the cam in is pointless without the intake and throttle body. The car might actually be slower because the cam shifts the powerband up the RPM range then you're not flowing enough air to make the power up there.

PM Me if you need the TB and manifold for cheap.

So, what if you just change the ECU and valve-springs to the i parts? Do you know of anyone who has done that and what the result was? I am sure it would peter out pretty quickly, but maybe daz germans designed some top-end flow into that cam...

[phenryiv1]

So, what if you just change the ECU and valve-springs to the i parts? Do you know of anyone who has done that and what the result was? I am sure it would peter out pretty quickly, but maybe daz germans designed some top-end flow into that cam...

You won't get enough air and combustion will suffer.

[hpbcrillo]

Hello, newbie here, I have a 88 seta and am considering this swap. This thread has great info for seta's only, the others were confusing me. My question...since I don't need a new wiring harness, only the new ECU, will my harness have the proper connection plug for the 325i afm? I saw somewhere that this swap uses a MAF sensor from the 325i instead of AFM???? Will I have the proper wiring and connector for the 325i throttle position sensor? Also, what will be the best model year 325i to get my swap parts from? (I'm assuming I will also need a new tach from 325i for higher rev's) I'm sorry if these have been answered elsewhere, and thanks in advance for all your help! Great Forum!

[hpbcrillo]

I'm back already...

I forgot to ask about the head. If I'm going get the cam and valve springs out of a used head, isn't it easier to just bolt on the whole 325i head instead of disassembling and reassembling both heads? Thanks for the help!

[hotballs]

I forgot to ask about the head. If I'm going get the cam and valve springs out of a used head, isn't it easier to just bolt on the whole 325i head instead of disassembling and reassembling both heads? Thanks for the help!

YES

OP did you finish everything?

[phenryiv1]

OP did you finish everything?

Not yet.

The head that I bought needed machine work and I was in a hurry to get the car back together, so I sold it and bought another head...which ALSO ended up needing work.

I had to buy new valve seals and exhaust-side guides, and it took longer than expected.

The top end is off of the car and the head is ready for re-assembly. After that, I hope to get it back together in relatively short order.

Current state:

[hotballs]

Yeah if you take any used e30 head to a machine shop the guides are going to be out of spec, but that doesn't stop people from running them. :mrgreen:

My engine sat like that for a couple months until I had the head back and all the parts. Went together in short order after that, good luck!

[phenryiv1]

Just got a call from the machinist...head is FINISHED! New valve guides and seals, valves re-ground, all hot tanked, magnafluxed, checked for true, re-assembled...

Sweet!

[hpbcrillo]

Well, I finished my conversion yesterday. I got all the parts from a 1988 325is at the junkyard. It took me about 3 hours to get my engine stripped down, and about 6 hours to carefully reassemble the new parts to my engine. I took extra time to decarbon the valves and pistons, and to clean the injectors. after all parts installed, turned the key and it fired right up. I left the stock ecu in to start it, and after it warmed up I put in the 173 dme. WOW! the revs from 5000 to 7000 are awesome. I added an ebay performance chip but can't tell any difference yet. When I get the 3.46ls rear diff it will be all I want. This was a really easy swap and it really changes the engine at higher rpms. Thanks for all the info on this forum and thread. If I could do it, anyone can. ps...I just swapped the entire i head instead of rebuilding my seta head and it works great.