Dual valve springs into an eta head? Cam options?

[Jand3rson]

Ireland Engineering this:

M20 - Performance Cam 272 - Performance 272 Cam for M20 (325i) reground

"These are reground on stock cams. Great upgrade for M20 engines. Makes an improvement you can really feel. Design and results are very similar to the Schrick 272. The higher lift helps midrange power. This cam will pull right up to 7000 rpm. Works very well with other upgrades like chips, free flow air filters, headers etc. These cams usually require oversize excentrics. There is a core charge of $130 which is returned if you return a useable cam to us. Allow 5 day production time."

It's $190, but they want a $130 core charge, and I don't have an i cam to send them back, but that's still only $320. The schrick's are $525, I can't afford that. :D Is the one above a good deal?

[rwh11385]

Ireland Engineering this:

M20 - Performance Cam 272 - Performance 272 Cam for M20 (325i) reground

It's $190, but they want a $130 core charge, and I don't have an i cam to send them back, but that's still only $320. The schrick's are $525, I can't afford that. :D Is the one above a good deal?

:down: reground = you lose lift

Jordan kept linking me to RaceTEP when I was looking at cams. $325, but you can have high lift and longer duration.

If you're going to have a project eta, do all you can to build a nice 2.7i. Whatever, find enough i parts to get the most performance out of what you can.

[Jand3rson]

:down: reground = you lose lift

Jordan kept linking me to RaceTEP when I was looking at cams. $325, but you can have high lift and longer duration.

If you're going to have a project eta, do all you can to build a nice 2.7i. Whatever, find enough i parts to get the most performance out of what you can.

Ok, I'll keep that in mind. Their stuff looks pretty good. Anyone have any experience w/ them?

I'm not building a stroker, just a built eta.

[rwh11385]

A built eta with valve springs and cam specs past i would pretty much be cloe to a stroker....(even if you keep eta valves/head, etc) .........

Jordan has experience with them.......

you could just steal his cam :P 274/274 HIGH lift

[Jand3rson]

I thought Jordan bought a Schrick cam. I'll ask him later.

[modifiede30]

I'm trying to find my spec sheet on the cam but I recall numbers of 275/274 with 11.4mm of lift. These may be wrong though. It was a regrind from Top End performance. The cost was so low I figured I'd give it a try before I dump $400 on the real thing. I had the core, and they only charged $145 so it came out okay. Unfortunately, when you factor in oversized eccentrics, it comes to about $245, so the savings aren't really there - lesson learned.

[EtaSport]

Okay, I was really thinking about this idea recently since it will probably be awhile until i get m/s50 power in my car. I want a strong daily driver, thats reliable. Im in the same boat as josh, I'm not going to be racing anyone, ive got another car for that.

Okay, I know the eta concept incorporated long runners and small ports to make torque. Now, if I were to beef up the valvetrain (i have a very decent eta head I can use) which would include dual valve springs, seals, three angle valve job, and possibly some minor porting, as well as a cam with a profile for a 2k-2.5k to 6 grand powerband. If i did this, and kept my ports reasonable not too big and not too small, and run the eta intake, do you think that I would be able to grab some power on top? I would probably be running a 6k maximum engine speed. I really dont know if its possible to keep my low end and expect much more on top since i would almost be starving for air with the smaller ports, but does anyone have any input for me?

[Jand3rson]

I'm just going to probably buy a brand new stock 325i cam, they are only $229 from Bav Auto.

The cool thing about this project, is it's actually going to be done for fairly cheap.

Here's the full plan so far:
- Stock eta bottom end
- Eta head with new dual i valve springs and new i cam ($320 for new parts)
- 325i intake manifold and throttle body (already have from current car)
- Eta head port matched to larger manifold inlets (done by brother in law on brand new mills at his high school)
- Full 325i exhaust from exhaust manifolds back w/ no cat (already have from current car)
- Lightened 325i flywheel (already have from current car, just needs to be lightened)
- 3.25 or 3.75 LSD
- JimC chip ($250, but probably get a used one)

Save a lot of gaskets and probaby a bunch of little stuff, I should be able to get this done for WELL under a grand, with no downtime, since I won't be able to drive until December anyway! :D

[OreoGaborio]

fuckin a, Josh.... you're making me want to mod my engine again..... i dont wanna mod my engine, i want to buy an e3- :shock: ............ er............................ 325iS

[modifiede30]

Eurospeed88 - are you going to have the block checked and machined? Doesn't sound like it. If not, you should at least replace the bearings and bottom end seals. Machine work on the engine will run somewhere between 600-850, but at least you'd know the bottom end is sound.

[RedBaron86325]

I have a brand new set of inner springs (never installed) $40.00 shipped if you are interested.

Don't do the cam, just do the springs. The i cam will completely change the power band in the eta to higher rpms (just about where you start into the limiter). Also, if you do some research, you'll find that the TDC mark on the e cam cog and the i cam cog are different. If you run an i cam, you'll need to change to the i cam gear. The i cam with the eta cam gear will be retarded by a couple of teeth. My eta has been running dual springs and an i cam for about the last two years. If I wasn't switching to an M50, I'd finish rebuilding my new eta head--going back to the e cam. I"ve run, I don't know how many different setups in my eta...the e cam is the best with the e Motronic.

The dual valve springs should be a "must do" for every eta owner (chipped or not). Valve float on etas start at around 4500rpm or less depending on engine mileage. I've pulled oem springs out that I can compress in my hand. The dual spring setup wil completely eliminate any and all valve float and definitely allow for much more power near the limiter.

[Jand3rson]

I've got a brand new set of valve springs ready, thanks for the offer though.

So you think "no" on the i cam? How is the power on your eta with the i springs and eta cam? If I do decide to run an i cam, I was planning to change the cam gear as well.

I do see what you mean about sticking with the eta cam with an eta motronic. However I also plan to chip the ECU, which raises the redline, so I think it will probably be alright.

[modifiede30]

Also, if you do some research, you'll find that the TDC mark on the e cam cog and the i cam cog are different.

Do you know if this is also true on the super eta?

[RedBaron86325]

Do you know if this is also true on the super eta?

I do not know.

How is the power on your eta with the i springs and eta cam?

The i cam virtually eliminates the power below 3000rpm. Above 3000 it starts to come on strong all the way to my limiter of 5400. If you can find an old Veloz chip for the eta (6000rpm limiter) it would probably be worthwhile. Another problem you'll face is the amount of airflow of not only the eta intake manifold, but the eta head also. You won't get the punch of the i at the higher rpm. Out of all of the setups I've tried for more power in my eta, by far, the best have been the differential change, chip, and valve springs. Everything else such as an i TB, big AFM, cold air, remote crankcase ventilator, etc... have either moved the powerband or decreased power.

--edit
Don't forget that the e valves are substantially smaller than the i valves. This will also limit the quantity and efficiency of air entering the combustion chamber. It is concievable that this bottleneck may also affect the atomization of the fuel. By all means, play around with it and have fun; but, financially speaking, it would probably be less expensive and easier to find a good used i engine for a transplant.

[modifiede30]

I just ran a search on cam gears for a 1990 325i, 1988 325e, and 1986 325e and the part numbers are all the same so the cog difference must be on the cam, not the gear.