Picked Up a Spare M20. Help Me Identify It!

[ClayW]

I picked up a spare, supposed 50K mile M20. Amazingly, a friend and I were able to unload it sans engine crane.





Can anyone tell from these pictures what the details on this motor are? ETA, non-ETA, etc?









My goal is to replace the gaskets (other than the head gasket), timing belt, water pump and a few other things, then swap this into my 91 sedan, that has over 200K on it. I want to make sure that I can swap it in as a stock replacement. I can take more pictures of different parts of the head and block if needed.

Thanks in advance.

[Varinn]

The 2.5/2.7 on the head makes me think superETA, the intake manifold is not an eta manifold but I don't know the superETA by looks. It could be a 325i intake, but I don't recognize the head casting specs so I'm voting super. Somebody more knowledgeable then I will chime in however, you may have scored the starting of a budget stroker!

[Cronopoulos]

M20 motor for sure, good find.

[reelizmpro]

Hard to tell these days without looking at injectors/fpr/camshaft/valvesprings. It appears to be an I engine but where is the oil filter housing? It has the early style L idle valve and late style water pump it looks like. Hard to be sure these days without looking inside.

[whodwho]

Also has a a plastic one piece injector wiring harness and an impulse sensor on the ignition wires so I would say a later b25i so should work well in your 91

[SpecM]

Also has a a plastic one piece injector wiring harness and an impulse sensor on the ignition wires so I would say a later b25i so should work well in your 91

Yes this. Its an '89+ b25 motor

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[ClayW]

Hard to tell these days without looking at injectors/fpr/camshaft/valvesprings. It appears to be an I engine but where is the oil filter housing? It has the early style L idle valve and late style water pump it looks like. Hard to be sure these days without looking inside.

I'll pull the valve cover off and snap a picture soon.

[reelizmpro]

Look for dual valve springs, k on cam in between lobes on front of engine. Definitely an I intake and not super eta.

[ClayW]

Took the Valve Cover Off

I took the valve cover off and snapped a few quick pictures before work. This thing is dirty!

[whodwho]

"supposed 50K mile M20"

Looks like there is a missing 2 or 3 digit from the front of the 50k :)

[dnguyen1963]

Hard-driven 50K and improper maintenance can give all that deposit.

[travish325]

The 2.5/2.7 on the head makes me think superETA, the intake manifold is not an eta manifold but I don't know the superETA by looks. It could be a 325i intake, but I don't recognize the head casting specs so I'm voting super. Somebody more knowledgeable then I will chime in however, you may have scored the starting of a budget stroker!

they all say 2.5/2.7

Nice find, Just picked one up the other day. Me and my friend pulled it out of the truck without a stand either. Just stacked 4 tires up and slid it off on them. I never relized how much a fully dressed m20 wieghs

[ClayW]

Hard-driven 50K and improper maintenance can give all that deposit.

Yeah, I have seen cheap oil build up that kind of crap.

Anyway, the price was right for the motor, so I'm going to clean it up, do a little maintenance, and swap it into the sedan before my 200K+ mile M20 bites the dust.

[jeffnhiscars]

Its had the head bolts replaced which is a plus and that looks like an "I" intake. Since it also has the late series metal water pipe in front (which I believe is '89 on) Id say its an "I" for sure.

[Earendil]

Yeah, I have seen cheap oil build up that kind of crap.

Anyway, the price was right for the motor, so I'm going to clean it up, do a little maintenance, and swap it into the sedan before my 200K+ mile M20 bites the dust.

200K bite the dust? I'm way over that and still track my car :-)

My Dad's ix which shows 220 or something on the odo, he found out through a carfax (after purchasing) that it had logged 310K in 2004 with the state of washington. It has to be approaching 400K by now, and he DDs it 35 miles. Near perfect compression too.

But, a 50K engine should last you longer, especially if taken care of :-)