Super Eta question

[bimmer630]

Any info I find on the super Eta motors is kinda confusing.
The Super ETA was bigger in displacement than the 2.5i motor.. I know that. And it was making less Revs and less power but MORE torque?

- Are the intakes restrictive?
- Could one swap in a 2.7 block into an "I" engine bay and keep the "i" intake and engine management with larger injectors and have a quick easy power gain?
-I have been told that the Super eta uses special pistons because it has a cylinder head more like the "i" head than the normal Eta head is.. so people build stroker motors by using the 2.7eta bottom end with an I head?

like i said all sources of info seem to kinda lead me in different directions.
I have an 89 325i, and I saw a super eta motor for sale.. im just wondering what i can do with that engine in my car with my motronic unit etc

[SmokeE30]

the intakes are more restrictive then the i intakes because of their smaller diameter but they have longer runners making them produce better torque then the i's short runners.

yes you could put a 2.7l short block under your current i head and intake, wont make much more hp but you will notice the increased torque and midrange power.

yes seta pistons are one year only specific, the reason they are desireable for stroker builds is when used with the 2.7 crank they wont drop your compression ratio like normal eta pistons and bottom end would.

[e30trooper]

2.7i is very common. I myself will be doing mine in the next two weeks or so. I have eta (non seta) And i am looking forword to dropping compression for boosties .

[artoo93]

Can I use an "I" intake on a "e" head? Will this help with anything or would it be better to swap in a 885 head with my "e" lower end? I'm in the middle of my rebuild now and all help will be great. Anyone know the difference between an "e" & "i" thermostat housing? The only thing I noticed was there are 2 more sensor connectors on the e housing. Will using the "i" housing make any difference?

[SmokeE30]

u will want to use the i head and thermostat housing. the I intake will bolt on to the e head, but the ports wont match up right and it will still be restricted by the lesser flowing e head as well as still having an e cam and valve-train limiting rpm as well.

[bimmer630]

yes you could put a 2.7l short block under your current i head and intake, wont make much more hp but you will notice the increased torque and midrange power.

yes seta pistons are one year only specific, the reason they are desireable for stroker builds is when used with the 2.7 crank they wont drop your compression ratio like normal eta pistons and bottom end would.

SO the 2.7 short block I could put inder my I head HAS to be the one year specific supereta or can i use any 2.7 block without piston to valve interference?

[SmokeE30]

no it can be any year 2.7 motor. but if you use any eta motor besides the 88 seta motor it will drop the compression ratio to 8.3:1 because of the pistons, lots of people do this for lower compression for going forced induction.

if you do use the 88 seta motor however you will end up with i believe* 8.5:1 (sombody correct me if im wrong its early) compression, like that of a stock I motor but still with the increased stroke.

[E30_fiend]

Ok Im going to be the dick r3v member that tells you to search. This EXACT topic has been covered hundreds of times. Starting a new thread about it is just lazy. SEARCH your ass off before you start a new thread.

to make it simple:

885 head on an ETA bottom end will result in a 2.7l motor with higher revs. To do so you need to swap the i intake, thermostat housing, radiator sensors, ecu and gauge cluster. You will have what is regarded as the 2.7i motor. It also lowers the compression because the ETA pistons are flat topped instead of being concaved like the i pistons.

honestly, that covers most everything with the swap. If you decide to, you can also run i exhaust but you dont have to.





Taylor

[hotballs]

- Could one swap in a 2.7 block into an "I" engine bay and keep the "i" intake and engine management with larger injectors and have a quick easy power gain?

Sure, but this is not quick or easy. You would have slightly less compression. A bit more torque and maybe the same or a few more HP. All in all it would not be the best thing to do to you're already sufficient m20b25.

If you wanted to build up an m20 separately then sure you can use a SETA bottom end and an 885 i head. There is just no reason to go and ruin your perfectly fine motor and think you should swap in a different block.

[bimmer630]

thanks for the extra info

about the search thing... I have been on this site for a long time and know how annoyed some people get when a question pops up on here that was already covered, but i DO search things like this and with this particluar subject, i couldnt find my exact answer

[hotballs]

thanks for the extra info

about the search thing... I have been on this site for a long time and know how annoyed some people get when a question pops up on here that was already covered, but i DO search things like this and with this particluar subject, i couldnt find my exact answer

WHAT? Come on man search harder. Don't come back until you've read the whole thing. Everything you're wondering about is covered in here.

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=100939&highlight=1.3+motronic

[2.5-12]

seriously, every 6 threads started is about the 885 head 2.7 block 2.7i swap.

the others are all idle issues and starting issues, lol.

[Stoner Sam23]

Dont dog him too much guys. I am brand new to the forum thing and I think its very important to have a ongoing conversation about this topic. no one thred can answer everyones questions.

[2.5-12]

Dont dog him too much guys. I am brand new to the forum thing and I think its very important to have a ongoing conversation about this topic. no one thred can answer everyones questions.

while that is true, I think, and I may be wrong here, that the combination of threads that have been started over the years and several hours of reading, anyone can become an expert on the swap before asking 1 question. When the question comes, it will be well informed and will gladly be answered by the forum community.

[2.5-12]

oh, and welcome to the r3v!! :)