Introducing my 1985 325i...

[MR 325]

Did a complete M20B25 motor swap in to my 1985 325e. The motor came out of my 1989 325i [which is getting an S50 swap] and spent its life mated to an automatic transmission and unmolested. I still have some cleanup left to do like buttoning up some wiring and mounting the coolant tank properly but I have been driving it for 2 weeks now and it's great!

Some of the parts I replaced during the swap:
-Timing belt and tensioner
-Water pump
-Oil pan gasket
-Valve cover gasket
-Sachs clutch kit
-Resurfaced flywheel
-Thermostat
-Fuel lines and filter
-Bosch Super plugs
-Throwout bearing
-Pilot bearing
-Motor mounts
-Guibo
-Center support bearing
-Exhaust manifold gaskets
-Downpipe gaskets
-Bosch cap and rotor
-And more stuff I can't remember

I also removed the air conditioning, washer fluid tank, and cruise control from the car. I have plans for a chip, injectors, and M30 AFM. Planning to do a cool intake setup once I get that stuff. Oh, I also installed the M20B25 oil cooler of course, but I have it mounted up high behind the grilles. Another much needed upgrade is a 4.10 LSD. This 3.25 LSD was awesome with the Eta motor but it's not so great with the i motor.

Anyway, that's it. :)

[MR 325]

PS: Ignore the strut bearing caps, I set them there [they don't fit] and forgot to remove them before the pics, lol.

[MikeE30325i]

awesome job dude. that swap is fun.

[Kruzen]

I love you and all you do matt <3 kruzey

[James Crivellone]

Wiring looks awful
Coolant tank is pathetic, can't use factory parts can you?
red vacuum line for FPR = rice
No rubber boot over coil
Clearly ignored the use factory parts sticker
O2 Sensor harness clipped into wrong location
Oil cooler looks shoved randomly into an empty void
ECU harness gasket not secured to firewall.


FAIL

[MR 325]

Wiring looks awful
Coolant tank is pathetic, can't use factory parts can you?
red vacuum line for FPR = rice
No rubber boot over coil
Clearly ignored the use factory parts sticker
O2 Sensor harness clipped into wrong location
Oil cooler looks shoved randomly into an empty void
ECU harness gasket not secured to firewall.


FAIL

Thanks Jordan. :p

[Il Duce]

Thanks Jordan. :p

haha i was thinkin the same thing. nice 85i matt!

[backtrail69]

ETA Hater. :P I still love mine.... Couldn't you have used all the early model hoses, rad, coolant tank and water pump?

[Dave]

Wiring looks awful
Coolant tank is pathetic, can't use factory parts can you?
red vacuum line for FPR = rice
No rubber boot over coil
Clearly ignored the use factory parts sticker
O2 Sensor harness clipped into wrong location
Oil cooler looks shoved randomly into an empty void
ECU harness gasket not secured to firewall.


FAIL

Ditto.

And man, I am amazed at how dirty it is! Your turbo always looked so clean under the hood!

The strut bar needs to be painted and the valve cover needs love.

Coolant level sender is just hanging out there.

And what is with the upper radiator hose? - something looks amiss there.

A for effort, C+ for style points.

:p

EDIT: and man that windshield lock strip is UUUUUGGGGGLLLYYYY!!!!!!

[MR 325]

Ditto.

And man, I am amazed at how dirty it is! Your turbo always looked so clean under the hood!

The strut bar needs to be painted and the valve cover needs love.

Coolant level sender is just hanging out there.

And what is with the upper radiator hose? - something looks amiss there.

A for effort, C+ for style points.

:p

EDIT: and man that windshield lock strip is UUUUUGGGGGLLLYYYY!!!!!!

I'm planning on cleaning everything once more [plus cleanig up wiring as mentioned].

The strut bar and valve cover will get the paint treatment very soon.

Lock strip needs to be replaced too, or at least SEM'd.

[MR 325]

ETA Hater. :P I still love mine.... Couldn't you have used all the early model hoses, rad, coolant tank and water pump?

Could have, yes. I prefer the late model cooling system though. [James will disagree]

[Dave]

You ought to swap on an early model coolant tank or fab a bracket to hold that one in place.

That seriously is the main thing that distracted me.

[MikeE30325i]

You ought to swap on an early model coolant tank or fab a bracket to hold that one in place.

That seriously is the main thing that distracted me.

you can use the little black clip from the car you got the enging from and screw it into the appropriate place on the fenderwell and insert the two little stubouts from the coolant tank into the clip, and BAM it is in the right place and is secure.

thats what i did with my buddy when we turned his 85 e into an 85 is.

[MR 325]

I'm planning on adding the correct brackets for the late model coolant tank. It uses the plastic one up top and a metal one similar to the washer fluid tank lower one that I need to cut out of a junkyard car and weld in to mine.

Also going to remove the early model tank bracket completely.

[Dave]

I'm planning on adding the correct brackets for the late model coolant tank. It uses the plastic one up top and a metal one similar to the washer fluid tank lower one that I need to cut out of a junkyard car and weld in to mine.

Also going to remove the early model tank bracket completely.

Now thats what I expected. :up: