325e engine

[Bradlini]

I have a 85 325e and want a bit more performance from the engine. Is there anything that i can do that will give me a noticeable diffrence. Engine swap has crossed my mind but the cash isnt there for that right now. How fast can you get the E engines. Obvious things are chip, intake, exhaust but would this engine really be worth it.

Thanks

 

[Ryan Stewart]

Turnermotorsports.com. Jim C chip. $199 chip. First mod and only chip for Eta engines.

 

[OreoGaborio]

the step after that would be to get an m20b25 (the same m20 you have, but out of an 'i', so it's a 2.5L and more breathable) and make a hybrid engine...

basically it's taking the 325i engine & turning it into a 2.7 like yours by using your botom end (crank & block) with different pistons (super eta pistons (the '88 325e), shaved 325i pistons, or custom pistons) and the rest of the the 325i intake, head, exhaust, and final drive (differential)

here's a good link to go by... but ignore the 1mm overbore & custom pistons... fred kim went for the 2.8i, not the 2.7i like i just described (then again, u may have the extra money to go 2.8 or even bigger) http://www.geocities.com/empower99/328i_1.html

it's a good way to get a decent amount of power (expect anywhere between 180-210hp and 190-230ftlbs depending on how far you take it) out of the eta engine w/o spending more than a couple grand

 

[pogiboy9]

HElp me out ?

i Also have an E...but if your going to drop the 325i Engine and then convert it to the 2.7L anyway ..why not just do the chip for the E Engine...then replace the pistons ...? or someone give me more explanation

 

[OreoGaborio]

Re: HElp me out ?

i Also have an E...but if your going to drop the 325i Engine and then convert it to the 2.7L anyway ..why not just do the chip for the E Engine...then replace the pistons ...? or someone give me more explanation

there's ALOT of differences between the m20b25 (325i engiene) and the m20b27 ("eta" or 325/325e engine)... the intake manifold is different, the entire head is different (camshaft, valve springs, ports etc), the pistons are different, and the entire exhaust from the headers back is different, the ecu is different, even the final drive (differential) is different... they also rev differently. the eta has a stock rev limiter of only 5000, where the b25 revs to about 7000.

in order to make a true 2.7i hybrid, you have to take the m20b25 with all of it's breathable parts (head, intake, exhaust), throw the longer crank of the eta into it & get a little funky w/ the pistons, since the eta pistons will kill your compression... it'd be super low

here's a really good source for making a 2.8i out of an eta... the only difference between this 2.8i write-up and the 2.7i is the 2.8i (or bigger) involves boring the cylinders & aquiring custom pistons ($$$)

 

[Ben]

whats up with the plain ol' 325? is it more like the 325i or the 325e?
ben

 

[Custom 3]

the "325" is an eta engine, 121hp up to 1987. In 1988 the 325 "SuperEta" was created...with a whopping 127-128hp. Not a great deal of difference, but there were some modifications to the head to gain a bit more power.

 

[OreoGaborio]

a 325 is exactly the same as a 325e, but w/o the options... no leather, no power sunroof, no premium stereo, 6 button clock instead of the OBC... i'm sure there's a couple more

you could still get some options w/ the 325 sucha s limited slip differential (i konw because my car has one from the factory) and whatever else u want, but it just wasn't the whole package

 

[Ben]

wait a sec..... why do i have a black leather interior?
ben

 

[OreoGaborio]

it could very well be, but are u sure it's leather & not leatherette (fancy name for vinyl)? u could still get some of the dealer options at the time of purchase.... for example, i have a limited slip diff

 

[Inline_6]

Leather

Actually there are a few differences between these cars and not just the seats. What month they were built has a lot to do with it also. My car is a odd-ball. A local dealer bought this car for his son. He didn't want the leather seats but wanted all the options the leather interior car had. So he had to special order the car with all the options excluding leather seats. This is a late year 1985 325e. It has posi-track, power sun roof, power windows, central locking system, 5-speed, 2-door, on-board computer, sport seats. Basically everything the leather interior cars had standard.

I have a spare '87 engine. I'm told it's not the same stroke as this '85.

 

[Ryan Stewart]

Re: Leather

I have a spare '87 engine. I'm told it's not the same stroke as this '85.

Same guts anyway, they did make some improvements to how the collant hoses are mounted and I thin kthey did something to keep the engine from hitting the radiator in a front end impact in hwo it mounts.

My car was a 325e, leather was an option. It is listed on the dealer invoice as an option while the sport seats came standard.

 

[Bradlini]

Im thinking strongly about doing the hybrid engine so i am wondering what i should do about the chip. I dont want to buy a chip then do the conversion and have to buy another one. So if i bought the chip that Ryan Stewart was talking about and i did the conversion could i still use it afterwards?

 

[rjp325i]

According to the spec sheet a 1984-1987 "e" engine with a Conforti/Turner Motorsport chip will gain 26 hp @ 4700 rpm and a gain in torque of 28 ft lbs @ 4500 with a new rev limit of 5300. The price of the chip is $199. Hope this helps.

 

[Bradlini]

It helps a question i was going to ask anyway but not the one i was wondering about. Im more wondering if i can use the upgraded chip for the "e" engine on a e/i hybrid engine or if i would have to buy something else? If so what would i need to buy? Thanks

 

[rjp325i]

I would think you would have to use a custom chip. This is because the hybrid engine will have different hp and torque curves than either of the engines the parts came from. Neither chip would optimize your engine especially if you modify it further such as exhaust and intake changes. The chip suppliers will make a custom chip based on your mods and they will upgrade the chip as often as you like as you modify further at no cost (BAS anyway) to you. The custom upgradeable chip from Bavarian Autosport is priced at $349 which is $100 dollars more than a non sale priced "normal" chip. I do not know if others offer this service, some might but it gives you an idea of the cost anyway. Does this give you a better answer?

 

[Bradlini]

Yeah that clears everything up for me. Thanks.

 

[pogiboy9]

Your Welcome Just stopping by i'm bored @ school

 

[OreoGaborio]

the eta chip will not work w/ the hybrid engine, because the hybrid ("2.7i" or "eti" or "ita" as some people call them) requires the use of a 325i ecu... which probably doesn't match up w/ the eta chip. and even if it does, the eta chip has a rev limit of 5300 rpms... which you do'nt want w/ a 2.7i