How to make a 318 into a 327i

[James Crivellone]

Meh, I enjoyed my 318 > 327iS swap alot more... way more ghetto.

Yeah it was thrilling! :drink:

[The Fast One!]

meh, I helped with this little shindig thingy.

[M42Technik]

meh, I helped with this little shindig thingy.

Haha what did you do Mikey? Pickup tools with the magnet?

Kidding, kidding...

You guys want to help me fix my damn car? It sucks.

[equate975]

2 days? Snap... I think I still win the longest engine swap ever, Easily pushed a year and a half... lol

[The Fast One!]

Haha what did you do Mikey? Pickup tools with the magnet?

Kidding, kidding...

You guys want to help me fix my damn car? It sucks.

you know it! ;)

we had this one little tool that would have been lost if it wasn't for me, lol.

[porsche gt1]

Are you sure that engine is an M20B27 as it sure looks like a m20B25 325i engine?

I can verify it is a M20B27 it is from a 88e. That my friends is a super Eta Engine. Good job nice swap. All you need now is a turbo on that suca.

[adept]

Why would you swap in an ETA motor?

[Bimmerfanatik]

Why would you swap in an ETA motor?

If it's a super eta motor, as the gentleman above indicated, then I can explain why.

The SETA bottom end is a perfect base for a cheap but effective stroker motor built using factory M20 parts. By using this 2.7 bottom end, you get a longer stroke, but keep the compression at a reasonable ratio of 8.5:1 with the '88 MY specific pistons. The '88 SETA came with an 885 casting head (same casting as the 325i) but with single valve springs and the less aggressive ETA cam. By swapping the head for the stock i head (or swapping dual springs and the more aggressive cam) and intake mani, wiring harness, ECU, etc, you increase the rev limit of the engine, therefore substantially increasing the horsepower found in the stock SETA engine. What results is a gain in horsepower over both the stock i engines and the low HP eta engines, but also an increase in torque over the already torquey ETA engine. Lots of low end grunt, while still having lots of top end too. Increase the compression for a real fun NA stroker, or strap on some forced induction with moderate boost and go nuts.

Oh, and I've got one under my hood :)

[EtaSport]

Well, your all wrong. Its an m20b27 from an 325e automatic 9.0:1 compression. Ive already answered to why we swapped an eta. It was less expensive than an I motor, and with the motronic swap, worked eta head from my current set-up it will be faster than m20b25s. Its my same set-up that I daily, and its super reliable, torquey, and fuel efficient. I can pull on 325i's and ive got stock gearing.

[nkell09]

Etasport has let me drive his car on different occasions (before & after). Yep he's crazy.... The seat of my pants gives it a big thumbs up!

[EtaSport]

Yea, we've got an eta thread over on e30techer... I just posted that I'll have my "stage 2" head ready to go on this weekend. "stage 1" (my current set-up, and the one that will go on cowden's car) was a port increase, about an inch down, dual i valve springs and a standard 325i cam.

The new head will be increased further plus have the valves unshrouded and ported within 1/2 inch from the seat (not to exceed 80 percent of valve size). I have read this makes more gains than simply increasing the port size. Also have dual springs, and a catcams 283 degree 11.9mm lift cam.

[Jhonno]

Good work all round

[Bimmerfanatik]

Well, your all wrong. Its an m20b27 from an 325e automatic 9.0:1 compression. Ive already answered to why we swapped an eta. It was less expensive than an I motor, and with the motronic swap, worked eta head from my current set-up it will be faster than m20b25s. Its my same set-up that I daily, and its super reliable, torquey, and fuel efficient. I can pull on 325i's and ive got stock gearing.

Maybe I'm missing something - how did you get a 9.0:1 compression by putting an i head on an eta bottom end? I thought that gave a much lower compression rate and the flat pistons of the ETA and the domed combustion chamber in the 325i head don't make the most efficient pair. If you did something different, let me know - it's late and I may have misread :)

[Jean]

Man, I want that front end! It's an 84 with plastic bumper or is it a tucked and painted stock bumper with valance?

[EtaSport]

Its an eta. Its got an eta head, 9.0:1 compression, and an eta bottom end. Its got motronic 1.1 from a 325i, and it will be getting an modified eta head and I cam to truely make it a 327i.