325e head swap

[Varinn]

You should read this until you completely understand the swap before starting

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=100939&highlight=eta+89+head

[masterman56]

That is a good point, i already swapped out my cluster with an "i" cluster.

My only concern is the ECU harness, do i have to get the whole wiring harness? or is the ECU harness separate?

[masterman56]

You should read this until you completely understand the swap before starting

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/show...ht=eta+89+head

Alright i will! Thank you!

[MR 325]

You need the i engine wiring harness.

I am not sure how to make this easier to understand.

[The Humjet]

OP the harness isn't hard to swap. It's like wiring for dummies. Every plug has its certain shape connector which is hard to mix up. Maybe with the exception of a couple plugs which could fit into the wrong connector but other than that its pretty straight forward. No splicing or soldering needed.
Your best find a complete i motor with ecu and wiring harness and slap on the block you have. Bang bang all done.

[TurboDirty]

My brother just completed this swap. You will need the head, intake, engine harness, harmonic balancer (for timing) as well as a DME and injectors. it will run fine on the swap, but there are also chips available for this modification. My brother went with the chip for his e/I conversion, along with some 19lb injectors (which the chip was programmed for) It is definitely faster then the eta, and may be faster then the I. He plans to supercharge it this summer. (perfect candidate due to the lower compression) very easy mod to do I would highly recommend it!!

[Cabriolet]

necro bump.

same as back then i don't approve of this swap without seta or custom pistons. they just aren't any better than just dropping in a full b25 engine. and before people derp i've driven both a well done eta+I and eta+I+custom pistons and they are a 100% night and day difference.

[Mr. Tasty]

necro bump.

same as back then i don't approve of this swap without seta or custom pistons. they just aren't any better than just dropping in a full b25 engine. and before people derp i've driven both a well done eta+I and eta+I+custom pistons and they are a 100% night and day difference.

weird, I have heard ton's of people say the opposite

[Cabriolet]

weird, I have heard ton's of people say the opposite

standards. some people's idea of a clean car is a beat piece of shit with a volvo lip. others a 10k car isnt clean enough.
drag both these engines/cars side by side and when the stock b25 pwns the b27i you'll see what i mean.

[cabin]

they just aren't any better than just dropping in a full b25 engine.

I don't think you can expect this head swap to be BETTER than a b25 engine. It gets you close without having to swap the entire package. Thinking you can blow the doors off of a b25 with a 2.7i is just dreaming.

If I have a well maintained b27, why wouldn't I swap to the 885 + supporting parts rather that swap the whole engine?

[Regnar75]

i can agree that a seta build would be very awesome, but the fact is that there are alot of people looking for a build to bring the ETA up to par with the I, and sure if your comparing a 2.7i and b25 they would have to be compared in same condition of wear. but saying that, my worn 2.7i (eta pistons) pulls harder than a worn b25 until the upper rpm range. saying that i think the important thing when comparing which engine is better is completely relative to your goals from the engine, without trying to sound too repetitive and regurgitate similar things that have been said about this swap, making the 2.7i (even with eta pistons) is a huge improvement over the Eta and is a great alternative for those who are looking for the power to be in the lower rpm range and still be able to make power up to 6250ish. while the I which is superior in the upper range lacks the initial torque down low (not that it doesnt have it but ETA guys can tell you that at least the eta has that going for it) so i think for a hundred dollars in junkyard parts plus some refresh parts you should do anyway the 2.7i is totally worth the gains in upper rpm range over the eta. but if you can afford it (or find the seta) why not use custom or I pistons.

[Mr. Tasty]

standards. some people's idea of a clean car is a beat piece of shit with a volvo lip. others a 10k car isnt clean enough.
drag both these engines/cars side by side and when the stock b25 pwns the b27i you'll see what i mean.

same final drives?

[Gary Horneck]

The wiring harness change took me all of 30 minutes. The easy part of the job. Although I did not use the 885 head (I used the head off a 84 323i EU to retain compression), but the results are so similar. The motor is a torque monster, capable of running with C5's on an open autoX course.

[digger]

the proper comparison is 2.7i vs eta as that is usually what the start point is and so that is the point of reference.

its easier to swap the 885 head, harness etc than an entire engine so if it makes people happy so be it