Time to bump this thread!
I have an '88 SETA E28 and am considering a few options to get more power. The original idea was to just do the 885 head swap, but a new opportunity has arisen and I'm trying to figure out if I can use my SETA clutch and flywheel on a 2.5 motor. Does anyone have an idea on that? From what Patrick told me, regular ETA motors have the dual mass flywheel, while the 2.5 cars have single mass. I would assume the SETA motors still come with the dual mass, but I just wanted to check.
More to the point, what would I need to do to drop in a complete 2.5 WITH trans still attached? Does anyone know about any differences between 2.5 and 2.7 ETA/SETA transmissions/drive shafts that I would need to worry about?
Thank you!
Trying to summarize Super eta (S-eta) stroker build info.
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I am hoping to get it sorted soon. My daughter has been sick, and I let the yardwork fall behind while I was in the assembly stage, so I have not had a chance to turn any wrenches lately.Leave a comment:
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i installed a diff once that had sat in an e24 parts car for years. it didn't sound so great for the first few drives, but it's been quiet ever since. definitely check things though...Leave a comment:
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Not to get too far off-topic, but the noise was not apparent before I disassembled the car for the motor build and diff replacement, so it could be that I did a lousy job connecting the diff to the DS, or it could be internal to the diff.
I know that the halfshafts are properly connected to the diff, but I don't recall if I ever double-checked the rear DS connection.Leave a comment:
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Your "thunk" on & off throttle sounds just like my noise. Got under the rear and had the wife start it up and engage/disengage the clutch. Turns out it's the rear u-joint.Leave a comment:
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06.05.10
As promised, here are the pics from the final assembly of my 327i motor.
I used Borg Warner Injector rebuild kit (P/N 274081) to rebuild my 19# injectors. Here is a shot of them, installed:

Exhaust manifold (painted flat black) installed:

Intake manifold (also flat black) installed:


A couple of pictures of it back on the block:



The motor fired up on the first shot and after a few minutes of idling, it really settled down to run pretty well. I need to adjust the valves and to install the fan (my technical advisor forgot to bring his slim 32mm wrench to re-install the fan). I might look into an electric fan instead.
While I had the car in the garage, I went ahead and installed the rear section of the exhaust and then took it for a quick drive in my development. I need to work out an odd “thunk” that is coming from the rear end as I get on and off of the throttle. I have replaced the guibo and CSB, so my fear is that it is the 3.73S that I installed. I had never driven on it, and I am hoping that there is not something amiss inside. I am running Mobil1 for the LSD differentials.
First impression is that it pulls like crazy, even on a stock 380 DME. I have a MarkD chip for a 173 that I plan to put in some time soon, but I am trying to work a swap of my MarkD for a 2.5 for one that was supposedly written for a 2.7i/327i motor. All other specs are the same between the two chips (AFM, injectors, octane, etc.).
I also installed white mirrors and took a few shots of it now that it is on all 4 wheels and with the weight of the head in the front end. The nose still looks a bit high on the H&R Sports, but it may settle with a little driving. I guess we’ll see.

I still need to fix the clunk, adjust the valves, fix my shifter slop, swap on my plastic bumpers, and start treating some minor rust spots. Also, my passenger window does not work and the mirror control seems to have a mind of its own.Leave a comment:
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IT IS ALIVE! The 327i fired up on the first shot, and I finally drove it with the motor assembled. Posting from my phone, but pics and more details to come.
A few managable issues, but a HUGE forward step today!Leave a comment:
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Awesome to hear!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.Leave a comment:
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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.Leave a comment:
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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!Leave a comment:
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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!Leave a comment:
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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:

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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!Leave a comment:
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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!Leave a comment:

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