Eta headwork + more

[Firestorm]

I have a seriously busted valve guide, so i'm looking to get my head rebuilt and modified. Basically i just want to know if what i'm thinking, will actually work, and if anyone else can add to it that'd be shweet.

Head

- Fresh rebuild
- Ported/Polished
- Dual valve springs
- 325i Cam
- 325i Valve cover

Intake/Exhaust

- 325i Intake manifold
- 325i Injectors - Or should i go with something else?
- 325i TB
- 325e Standard airbox etc
- 325e Exhaust manifold - So i dont have to modify my exhaust.

Ecu/Ignition

- 325i Ecu - Any particular one? and would anything else have to be changed to use it?
- Retain all the 325e ignition

Depending on what the bottom end looks like, i might do it aswell, but i'll wait and see. So, sound like it'd all work?

[JasonC]

I was wondering about putting the I intake on a Eta head, Would that cause a flow problem since the ports are differnt sizes? "I" intake ports are bigger them the "E" intake ports in the head.

[E30 Wagen]

I think if you're gonna run the 325i ecu (173, motronic 1.3) you need to run M50 injectors. And with all that headwork and intake stuff, I think it would be worth swapping your eta exhaust for full 325i exhaust... Remember, your engine will not idle as smooth with a 325i cam b/c of increased overlap. You also need to have new oil journals machined to account for the three (?) extra bearings of the 325i cam. Next summer I hope to swap to full 325i intake, dual valve springs, and exhaust. I've heard this really frees things up, especially if you have a performance chip ie: JC

[StereoInstaller1]

What exactly are you attempting to do? If you just want some more power and a "funner" driving experience, I would recommend swapping to an "i" motor rather than hot rodding a "e".

Then, you have a ETA block sitting....you could later build a 2.7/2.3 stroker...or just do an M50.

I don't know about Aussietralia, but here "e" motors are not worth much, and "i" motors are only worth a tiny bit more. Finding an "i" harness, ECU (AKA DME) tach, intake, TB, etc. are the tough parts.

There has been more done on the 173 DME, so management will be easier on the "i"

I bet it would be cheaper to swap than to fix/hotrod.

The hot thing is supposed to be a M20B23 head on a M20B27 block with 1mm over valves, using a 268 or bigger cam. I hear reports of 180whp using 19lb injectors and a 173 DME/Mark D' chip...just don't know how real that is.

Whatever you do, good luck!

Luke

[Firestorm]

What exactly are you attempting to do? If you just want some more power and a "funner" driving experience, I would recommend swapping to an "i" motor rather than hot rodding a "e".

Well i'm pretty much trying to do with without spending alot of money. I just need the car running until half way through next year, that's when i'm doing my ls1/6speed swap. Also, once that happens i'll put this motor into my mums e30.

Then, you have a ETA block sitting....you could later build a 2.7/2.3 stroker...or just do an M50.

I'm looking at $850aus to get a rebuilt 731 cast head, and i can get my headwork done on this head for seriously cheap.

I don't know about Aussietralia, but here "e" motors are not worth much, and "i" motors are only worth a tiny bit more. Finding an "i" harness, ECU (AKA DME) tach, intake, TB, etc. are the tough parts.

It's quite the opposite here, an eta bottom end will sell for $1100+. I can obtain 325i parts reasonably easily.

There has been more done on the 173 DME, so management will be easier on the "i"

Yeah, that's why i was hoping it would be easy to just swap the ecu it's self, without having to worry about changing the harness too

The hot thing is supposed to be a M20B23 head on a M20B27 block with 1mm over valves, using a 268 or bigger cam. I hear reports of 180whp using 19lb injectors and a 173 DME/Mark D' chip...just don't know how real that is.

As i was saying before, i can get this head modified to better specs than a 731 for less than i can buy a 731 head for (hopefully >_<) But i just need to know what else i can do with it. I could get the head ported/polished and set up with a hot cam, but it'd be fairly boring if it only revs to ~5k.

Whatever you do, good luck!

Luke

Cheers :>

Hmm, on second thought. I suppose i could keep it as a low reving motor, and build a torque monster. Just with some port work, dual valve springs and a fat cam. Not like there's anywhere to use all of 7k on the street. I also have a toyota supercharger around....that would be fairly sweet on a low reving eta.

[JGood]

How do you plan on working an ETA head to be better then a 325i head? Have you ever looked at the ports? Here's a shot of the shape of the ports (obviously not the head, but the shape is the same).

I'm not sure you'll get any more torque out of an ETA. Just add a chip and call it a day, you'll only be marginally slower then a 325i if you put a 3.25LSD in.

[Firestorm]

How do you plan on working an ETA head to be better then a 325i head? Have you ever looked at the ports? Here's a shot of the shape of the ports (obviously not the head, but the shape is the same).

Even though that's quite a bit of meat to be removed, i'm sure it's not impossible to port a 325e head out to similar specs as a 325i.

I'm not sure you'll get any more torque out of an ETA. Just add a chip and call it a day, you'll only be marginally slower then a 325i if you put a 3.25LSD in.

Already chipped and has a 3.46 lsd in it. The reason i'm looking into this is because the head needs to be rebuilt, as it's busted.

Ok, new plan.

Head

- Ported/polished.
- Bigger valves
- Dual valve springs
- 323i cam - I heard this was a bit more agressive, correct? Will it need the extra journals drilled?

Intake

- 325i Intake Manifold
- 325i TB

Ecu

- Megasquirt for fuel + spark

I think that'd keep me going for a little while. Opinions on that?

[StereoInstaller1]

It's quite the opposite here, an eta bottom end will sell for $1100+.

Is it true that water drains counter-clockwise from the bathtub there too.

Sounds like you have a plan on doing a bit of a workup on your ETA. I don't see why you would have to change any electricals to go to an "i" intake manifold, though. The flow has got to help!

Cheers, mate!
Luke

[JGood]

Megasquirt? Now your talking some money. This built engine will probably be no better then a stock 2.5 engine and with megasquirt will cost way more. And be alot more work. I thought this was only to hold you over for a year? Seems like alot of work for such a short time...

[streetknight]

ms is not really that expensive i got my ms2.2 for 110shipped, and the other sensors for about 50bucks. tuned it myself without much problem. now im going for full set up for another 50-60bucks (gm coils, 3 vb921 for ws). tune it myself for now then when i drop my m50 i will do a few dyno runs. but all in all not going to be more then 200-300 bucks for the whole thing(expect dyno runs). the biggest advantage ms has is that you can always retune it ,if you upgrade not like you have to rechip it. ms with the right software tunes it self.

[Firestorm]

ms is not really that expensive i got my ms2.2 for 110shipped, and the other sensors for about 50bucks. tuned it myself without much problem. now im going for full set up for another 50-60bucks (gm coils, 3 vb921 for ws). tune it myself for now then when i drop my m50 i will do a few dyno runs. but all in all not going to be more then 200-300 bucks for the whole thing(expect dyno runs). the biggest advantage ms has is that you can always retune it ,if you upgrade not like you have to rechip it. ms with the right software tunes it self.

Can you give me a run down of what you've had to do to get it running on the eta? :)

[Firestorm]

Is it true that water drains counter-clockwise from the bathtub there too.

Never really payed attention to water going down a drain tbh! :)

Sounds like you have a plan on doing a bit of a workup on your ETA. I don't see why you would have to change any electricals to go to an "i" intake manifold, though. The flow has got to help!

Cheers, mate!
Luke

With a MS i wont have to worry about the ICV or anything that's on the eta manifold will i? Using a 325i mani it wont have any of that on there so that should make it easier. Should look alot tidier aswell!

[streetknight]

Can you give me a run down of what you've had to do to get it running on the eta? :)

well i took a nissan 240sx tps its a 6 wire has a potentiometer(sp) and has idle,wot on and off. used gm iac,cts,and stock o2. took then tach signal from the coil, you can use the stock cts you would just have to use easytherm. other then that just put in all the stock settings and started it up like normal, took a few cranks but got it to run. then i drove it around the block and ran back to the shop to see if everything was fine. then drove it lightly for the next 3 weeks and then made sure the plugs were not fouled out, and then started to beat on it again. hth