NOR-CAL General Chat.

[decay]

i have a 200 head i dont need for whoever wants it.

but ultimately you want the 885 head or the 731.

the 200 head has a much more constricted air flow.

it does, but GL finding a 731 and you need custom pistons for the 885. the eta's already got a good CR- it just makes good sense to utilize that.

on a budget, 200 with a b25 cam works- used to be done quite a lot, but the forums seem to have forgotten it's a good combo.

[rob&e30]

how much? Where? lol

[Wh33lhop]

it does, but GL finding a 731 and you need custom pistons for the 885. the eta's already got a good CR- it just makes good sense to utilize that.

on a budget, 200 with a b25 cam works- used to be done quite a lot, but the forums seem to have forgotten it's a good combo.

So you take the 200 head to get oil journals drilled, source a b25 cam and valve springs, get a new head gasket and bolts, and assemble everything for overall less power than if you just slapped a b25 in? Even if the extra displacement would help, iirc etas have a lower CR and the head clearly flows like crap. How much is a b25 these days?

[decay]

So you take the 200 head to get oil journals drilled, source a b25 cam and valve springs, get a new head gasket and bolts, and assemble everything for overall less power than if you just slapped a b25 in? Even if the extra displacement would help, iirc etas have a lower CR and the head clearly flows like crap. How much is a b25 these days?

etas have a higher CR- 9.0:1. combine that and the displacement bump, with a b25 cam, i don't see how you'd end up with anything other than a bunch more area under the curve with very likely the same peak power as a b25 (which doesn't exactly have the be-all/end-all of performance heads either).

again- not presenting this as an "optimal" build, it's a budget stroker scenario- but i've been in a car built this way and it was pretty fun.

[Wh33lhop]

Ok. Etas are 9:1, b25 is 8.8. Negligible.

What's the stock cam max lift, 10mmish? The 885 flows 35% more up there. Seems dumb to go through all that engine work when your head sucks. If I tear open a motor i'm going to want it to be worth it, not something that is at best equivalent to a $300 b25.

[decay]

well to each his own- was just trying to point out to rob where the bottleneck is on a stock eta. intake = waste of time. cam swap has some potential, without pulling the entire engine or tearing down the block. JM$.02

[Cabriolet]

rob, i like my eta over my s14.
and i prefer a 2.9L m20 rebuilt over both of those.
the 885 head on an eta block gives you a 8.5:1 CR and is a meh way to go.
m30's sound the best
s52s are best power per $
do what you want, it's your car

[Wh33lhop]

Fair enough. It just sounds like you are not speaking from experience. Pulling head, removing valve springs and pulling cam, sending off to machine shop, then reinstalling everything and retiming motor plus cost of hg, head bolts, t-belt and risk of screwing something up, etc etc just seems like it is not at all worth it unless you are in it for the experience or really don't want to swap the motor for some reason.

[Wh33lhop]

the only answer

[decay]

Fair enough. It just sounds like you are not speaking from experience. Pulling head, removing valve springs and pulling cam, sending off to machine shop, then reinstalling everything and retiming motor plus cost of hg, head bolts, t-belt and risk of screwing something up, etc etc just seems like it is not at all worth it unless you are in it for the experience or really don't want to swap the motor for some reason.

not trying to continue the argument, but i have done a head swap on an m20. it's not that hard, just follow the bentley... *shrug* & some of the reasons you mention are why i was suggesting he pick up Spency's 200 head. get the machine work done in advance and the head reassembled, then just remove/replace.

(wasn't trying to turn this into a "thing")

[Pantless Spency]

Rob take my head baby

[robgoesvroom]

hey guys i'm looking for an E32 brake booster with spacer, PM me!

[decay]

Rob take my head baby

quoted for posterity

[kronus]

Hello from thunderhill. 323i's overheating a bit :(

[MR 325]

theres got to be something w at least more sucking noises! lol

Just drill a bunch of holes in the left side of the airbox below the air filter. No joke, it sounds good!

it does, but GL finding a 731 and you need custom pistons for the 885. the eta's already got a good CR- it just makes good sense to utilize that.

on a budget, 200 with a b25 cam works- used to be done quite a lot, but the forums seem to have forgotten it's a good combo.

You definitely don't need custom pistons to run the 885 head on the Eta block.

The 200 head itself is far too restrictive to bother swapping the cam and springs without extensive port work. installing a B25 cam and springs in to an Eta engine still won't get you to stock 2.5L power.