Please check my math

[Mafiaracers]

I've got a 1985 323is euro car, it has an m20b23 motor. dropped a valve and blew a hole in a piston at the track last weekend.

I've found a guy with a m20b23 motor out of an e21. He sent me pictures, see attached below.

Far as I can tell, the intake manifold and fuel injection system are the key differences.

Question:

Can I strip his motor down to just a core and re-assemble with the intake and fuel bits from my engine?

[Turf1600]

Does yours have a distributor?

[Mafiaracers]

Yep, looks exactly like his.

[Turf1600]

Then it seems like you could just swap longblocks.

[Bimmerman325i]

Came here for math, left disappointed.

[mikeedler]

just use a B25 (325i motor) M20- you can pull out the plug for the distributor. and everything else is doable (need to change the cam gear too I believe). more hp/displacement and looks the same.

yes, the e21 block will work too.

[325ix]

Came here for math, left disappointed.

I came here expecting math, I left much happier than I expected.

[Mafiaracers]

just use a B25 (325i motor) M20- you can pull out the plug for the distributor. and everything else is doable (need to change the cam gear too I believe). more hp/displacement and looks the same.

yes, the e21 block will work too.

I agree, but if i was going to go through that much work, i'd just go all the way and twin-cam the car. But in this particular situation, just looking for a drop-in replacement.

forgive me for not following through with the title.

My intake manifold
+
Dude's long block
=
all good in the hood?

[agile30]

Dude's long block

Just doesn't sound right.

[Mafiaracers]

yikes, stepped right into that one...i lol'd.