b27 with i cam and chip? Flame away.....

[lateracer]

I've got a b27 that's in good condition but could use a little freshening up.

I'm debating whether or not to pull the head and bring it to the shop for some head work (valve seals, decking, etc.) and install an i cam while I replace rings, bearings and seals or to just dump the whole motor and swap in an entire i motor/harness/injectors/etc.

Pulling the existing head and putting in the i cam is easier than an entire motor swap. I've got enough budget to have the head work done, or do the i motor, but not both.

My thoughts are that a reliable 2.7 with the i cam and a good chip is almost as strong - but way more reliable - than a junk yard u-pull.

Is this completely stupid or is pulling the i motor worth the extra hassle of sourcing the harness and dme?

[RainierHooker]

The problem I could see with this is the fact that 3 of your 7 cam journals would not be oiled. You would have to drill oilers in the proper locations to use the i cam. It has been done before, or you could just find a different head...

[jlevie]

The other problem with this is that the B27 head doesn't flow well enough to take advantage of the B25 cam. nor will you have the intake and DME that the B25 cam needs.

I'd say your choices are to refresh the B27 head (valve grind, seals, guides), do a budget stroker, or do a B25 swap. A lower mileage B25 swap would be the ticket, though you might not find that at a pick-n-pull.

[2.5-12]

i swap, be done.

[lateracer]

I didn't know there was a flow difference between the 25 and 27 heads (thought the power difference was only from the different valves, cams, tb and engine management system). Good to know.

Sounds like doing the i cam on the e head isn't worth the cost/effort. Rather than spending the money on getting the oil passages drilled and replacing bearings, I may just pull an i motor from the pick n pull and take my time on a total rebuild while I run my 2.7 into the ground at track days.

From what I've seen, a low mileage b25 pretty much doesn't exist in SoCal junk yards (would love to be wrong on this one). With some patience on my end I can get the machine work a tired motor will need if I save up for a bit.

Before I start piecing together everything for the i conversion, I have a question about Mega Squirt systems. Since I'm pretty much doing a total wiring job for the motor, I'm open to going a little farther if it's worth the effort. How much more expensive and/or difficult is it to switch over to a MS system instead of a 173 harness and dme?

[RainierHooker]

The eta head is the same casting as the early m20b23 and m20b20 head but the #2, 4, and 6 journals don't have the oil port drilled since the eta cam doesn't use them. Also the all of the above heads use 40mm intake and 34mm exhaust valves while the m20b25 uses 42 and 36mm valves respectively. Furthermore the intake ports on the head and the intake manifold are smaller on the m20b20/23/27 than on the b25, thus you can't mix and match the intakes and heads without modification.

If you want to still use your eta bottom end and intake you can find a euro-spec b23 or b20 head (I'm using an m20b23 head for my franken-stroker) and then assemble the head with double valve-springs. Or you can find a later -731 m20b23 head and drop it right on. The euro heads aren't very common in this part of the world though. Then comes the problem of the ECU/DME. To my knowledge no one makes a drop-in chip for this kind of build, a problem that I am running around in circles over.

For the purposes of simplicity and strait-forwardness a complete i swap would probably be quicker and easier than sourcing and assembling all the parts for the above swaps.

[JTapper]

I have a complete i head I will sell you, $150 shipped.

[RainierHooker]

Another option would be to swap on all of the top end (intake, head, and complete harness) from the b25 onto the b27 block. This is pretty popular, and it would be pretty strait forward provided you could get all the bits to do it.

[lateracer]

I've thought about the 2.7i build, but unless I can find a set of 88 SETA pistons - about as easy to find as a unicorn with two dicks - I'll have a low compression issue, right?

From what I've read here and e30tech, with an i head on a stock e bottom end, I'd be left with something that's pretty much barely stronger than the current configuration. Sound right? If it's worthwhile, I might consider the head swap.

I know I'll need to switch over to the 1.3 management system along with the injectors, intake, etc. Since I need to eventually do that anyway for a b25 swap, that makes the 2.7i a little more appealing.

So, I guess my question is now:
Will an 885 head bolt on, have enough piston clearance with the stock 86e bottom end and produce worthwhile positive gains?

Opinions or experiences from anyone that has completed this specific swap would be appreciated. I've seen a lot of people who put an i head on an eta block, but nothing from anyone on an early e motor.

[kenika65]

Check out the 2.7i how to link in my sig