Can someone tell me what I just bought?

[benjamin]

I recently bought my second e30, and I'm a little confused as to what I have. It's badged as a 325e, but all the stuff I'm reading on stricklyeta says the 2.7's have a redline of 4,800. Mine looks like it redlines at 6,250? A thin red line starts at 6,250 and then becomes thicker at 6,500. Is there something I'm missing? Production date is 03/85.

Thanks for the help!

Ben

[kronus]

You probably have a replacement tach from an i.

It's less possible, but you might have a whole i engine. Does the valve cover have a roundel or "BMW" in big letters?

[mr.vang]

Bet your cluster have been replaced. If the icv is mounted over the valve cover it's an eta.

[benjamin]

It has a roundel on the valve cover. So it looks like somebody swapped out the cluster then? It pulls up to the 6,000 rpm no problem. Am I about to blow it up? Haha

[mr.vang]

Is there an icv mounted on top of the valve cover?

[benjamin]

If I remember right, there is a bracket with holes through that crosses above the valve cover at an angle, and then the idle control valve is up above that bracket.

[mr.vang]

That's an eta alright. You might have a chip installed since it is not bouncing off the rev limiter.

[kronus]

it's also possible that your cluster coding plug wasn't changed to the eta one, so it looks like it's reading 6k when it's actually less.

[benjamin]

Dang, I thought this thing was all original. How can I tell if my cluster plug coding wasn't changed? I guess having an i tach already is one more reason to do an 885 swap.

[Vincer325ei]

Need pictures

[benjamin]

I think Kronus might have nailed it. Yesterday after work my boss and I hooked up an old tachacometer of his that connects to the coil. When the tach on my dash read 4,000 RPM, the engine bay tach was reading 3,000. RPM.