swapping my eta for an m20-i

[FireFight]

My plans is to swap an m20i motor in my 325e, I'm done with the eta and I don't have the cash flow for a m30/50 swap. I'm getting a low miles motor, I just need to know what else to pull so I'm not scrabble around at the last min. For random parts.

I know I clearly need the motor, ecu, and insturment cluster, what else?

[AT-JeffT]

engine harness

[ApexMotorsports]

intake, airflow meter...

[BavBeater85]

also when you get the harness make sure that you get the round pigtail at the body side...I did this same swap into an 85 not realizing that not only is the engine harness different but the body clip is square...even with the pigtail I still had to splice I believe 11 wires

[BavBeater85]

also exhaust is different, you can run the e exhaust but would have to extend the o2 sensor, which i wouldnt recommend. and the 3.73 lsd rear end would be great too, i ran mine for a while with the old 2.79 lsd and the accelaration dif is pretty big...I may think of other things but if you have questions just shoot me a message

[e30trooper]

or you can just do a full i head swap.... My car pulls even with the 2.93 and full e exhaust. Just as fast as a stock 325i. Wait till i drop in a 3.73 and install a nice exhaust system. i start hitting powerband at 3500rpms :D

However my block is bad. If i could do it over i would swap in a fresh b25 w/ a cam and more goodies.

[FireFight]

I checked I have a round plug next to the fire wall, so I should be good(?).
Anybody know where i can find a write up? I tried Google but all i can find is m30/50 swaps

[BavBeater85]

not much to it, motor bolts right in and right up to the tranny....if you buy the right motor, the wiring harness will be already attached to the motor and all you will have to do it is plug into battery junction, dme, and round plug..also all the vac lines should be already hooked up...just be careful what year you get, because I bought an 89 engine and the radiator and cooling system are completely diff...reservoir is on the drivers side and the waterpump is opposite, so youll have to make sure you have all the right hoses...Its easiest to just get an 87 engine

[FireFight]

Shit, the motor I'm getting is out of a 91

[e30trooper]

Shit, the motor I'm getting is out of a 91

then you need a late model radiator set up. _fixed

[BavBeater85]

yeah, not a big deal if you do use the 91 engine...just search around, people are bound to have the radiator and surge tank layin around....or just make sure dude send it all with the motor

[FireFight]

right on, i guess im just being a waffleswaffleswaffleswaffleswaffles haha, taking a perfectly running car a ripping the motor out, and i will be car-less until i put her back together.

[BavBeater85]

its all good...took me about three weeks to do mine, but I didnt work on it everyday and only for a couple hours a day....just be patient and do a lot of reading...some of the stuff can be confusing but once youll realize that its just better engineered...but realistically you should be able to have the majority if not all done over a weekend

[durtyE30]

don't need a different radiator, you just need a the late model expansion tank and hose if you're going to run a late-model motor. as well, make sure you get the intake, the AFM, the exhaust, the rear-end would be nice but not necessary, engine harness, ECU (DUH), and so forth....

I'd personally, just drop the i-motor's head onto your car, leave the engine-bay as-is except for swapping the engine harness, and the ECU for the i-motor's ecu and harness, as well as tuning the ECU to make up for the gained displacement!

If you can swap a motor, you can do a budget stroker too. Use the late-model motor's short-skirt I pistons for higher compression ratio, with the ETA crank and rods...higher compression + .2L = more fun than you'll have with an i-motor, and then the 2.93LSD won't seem so slow either ;D

A properly built and tuned 2.7 stroker is a fun toy, rode in one with a 2.93LSD the other week, and with the revlimiter set at 7300rpm, it will take 1st gear to 45mph, and then chirp and slide a little dropping it into 2nd! It's a blast!

[FireFight]

Ok so when I get the motor I should get
-the motor
- intake mani
-exhaust mani
-air flow meter
-wiring harness
-ecu
-I cluster
-exspantion tank and hose
Anything else for sure?

A stoker be fun but I want the swap finished by a week.
And with a chip and a turbo down the road I should have just enough HP and tourqe to have fun ha