Flywheel replacement - E30 325i to 325e??

[gearhead.us]

First time poster, not much knowledge of cars, but here's the problem and I'd love some advice from more seasoned enthusiasts:

My dad has given me two cars: A 1986 325i e30 (parts car) and a 1987 325e e30. On the 325e, every time I turn over the engine I hear an unbearably sharp ringing (hehe ring gear). And I have to pop the hood and turn a belt directly behind the radiator by hand (I don't know which one that is...). Then crank again, hear the ringing, pull belt, crank again, hear ringing, pull belt, etc until it finally catches and starts...

My dad said that it is likely the flywheel, and the teeth are just reallyyyyy worn down. I went to the work of pulling out the flywheel from the 87 325i, and am wondering:

Will the 325i flywheel work on 325e assembly?

I love these old E30s and I would hate to part with it, but even if the flywheel works, is it worth replacing it? It was absolute hell just getting the first one out in the first place and I can't even imagine getting it back in...

(buying a new one off ebay or bavauto is basically out of the question)

Thank you for your time, much appreciated!!

[Reichart12]

Yes the 325i flywheel will work but other parts will be needed to make that happen (euro TOB assuming you have the dual mass 325e flywheel). I have no clue how your belt issue could be related to the flywheel but if that's what you've decided...

Pop the starter off and look at the teeth of the flywheel?

[packratbimmer]

325e has to have a flywheel with the capacity to trigger the two reference sensors. you could upgrade to the 325i 1.3 Motronic, but the job/tuning is a detailed job

[TobyB]

Yeah, short answer is that while it will bolt in, there's a lot more to be done.

You're probably better off either getting an e flywheel (yours is probably dual mass)
or replacing just the ring gear.

Have you tried replacing the starter? It's a gamble, but sometimes you get lucky.

t

[varg]

If turning the engine over by hand (which he is doing by grabbing the belt) causes the starter to catch then it's not the starter. Seen this before, a section of broken teeth on the ring gear is the most likely (if not the only) cause. Replacing the flywheel is an easier solution than ring gear replacement since surfacing a used flywheel is most likely cheaper than buying and having a shop install the ring gear. Of course, since it is a transmission-off job it's you may as well replace everything under the bellhousing, so it gets expensive fast.