E30 Zone

Any Engine swap advise please,

I have an immaculate standard IS, the head gasket looks to have gone for a second time (last time 3 years ago I opted for a full top end rebuild and new cylinder head at cost of over 1500 pounds - now out of warranty!)

I am looking to buy a rear ended manual 325I from the local auto trader for a donor car (f plate 350 pounds) and swap the parts. Then hopefully (& if needed) have my head skimmed and sell my existing engine to re-coup part of the cost. I am thinking that if i stick with the 4 cylinder engine the same will keep happening.

I am told that the brakes and suspension from both cars is the same so would not be worth swaping, but the extra power from the 6 will soon break my rear diff (non LSD) is this the case? (the donor is also without an LSD)

I have a lot of money tied up in the car so am reluctant to break (just sprayed 6 months ago).

Would this conversion be do-able for around 7 hundred pounds?

Are there any other conversions that I should be considering with a very max budget of a grand?

If i carry out the above will my car be un-insurable as it will now be a modded example?

Its A1 and will i be able to hook up things like the ecconometre and guages etc?

All suggestions appreciated.

Thanks Bjornstorey@hotmail.com

First a couple of words of warning.
First, the M20 engines are plagued by cracking cylinder heads, so the new engine might not be quite the fit and forget solution you were hoping for.
Secondly, beware of heavily rear ended BMWs if the impact has moved the diff. The shock travels up the propshaft, and can damage the gearbox internally.
The swap shouldn't present any problems. The engine comes complete with it's own loom and ECU, which should mate up to your body loom at the C101 connector next to the fusebox. You will need to swap the coding plug on the lower right front face of the instrument cluster.
Your existing diff will be fine powerwise, but may not be the optimum ratio.
Doable for Ԛ£700 ? Since you have all the parts, I presume you mean labour. Probably not at a main dealer, but you should be able to get it done for this kind of figure.
Insurance? You'll reduce your options, but shouldn't be a problem if you can confince them that your car is now the same as an unmodified 325i. Look into classic insurance if your car is old enough, they tend to be more tolerant of mods.

The exact same thing happened to Jimbob from this forum. The head cracked on his iS also so we've whipped the whole lot out and he bought a 325i donor car and a 525 eta engine and we're currently in the process of building him a 2.7 engine.

It depends on how long you're willing to wait for the job to be done but I could convert your car to a 325 engine and running gear for you. I need to finish Jim's car first and get my sport back on the road, I'm in Bournemouth if you're local (ish)?

Adam... you'd do another engine transformation from a 318iS to a 325...?

Do you charge for this...?

Giles.

Brianmoooore wrote:First a couple of words of warning.
First, the M20 engines are plagued by cracking cylinder heads, so the new engine might not be quite the fit and forget solution you were hoping for.
Secondly, beware of heavily rear ended BMWs if the impact has moved the diff. The shock travels up the propshaft, and can damage the gearbox internally.
The swap shouldn't present any problems. The engine comes complete with it's own loom and ECU, which should mate up to your body loom at the C101 connector next to the fusebox. You will need to swap the coding plug on the lower right front face of the instrument cluster.
Your existing diff will be fine powerwise, but may not be the optimum ratio.
Doable for Ԛ£700 ? Since you have all the parts, I presume you mean labour. Probably not at a main dealer, but you should be able to get it done for this kind of figure.
Insurance? You'll reduce your options, but shouldn't be a problem if you can confince them that your car is now the same as an unmodified 325i. Look into classic insurance if your car is old enough, they tend to be more tolerant of mods.

Thanks for the advise,

Luckily there are a few possible doner cars fairly locally so if the rear ended one is damaged mechanically there are other possibilities. Also Ill bare in mind the cylinder head.

Off to check out some classic insurance policies.

Cheers

E30Adam wrote:The exact same thing happened to Jimbob from this forum. The head cracked on his iS also so we've whipped the whole lot out and he bought a 325i donor car and a 525 eta engine and we're currently in the process of building him a 2.7 engine.

It depends on how long you're willing to wait for the job to be done but I could convert your car to a 325 engine and running gear for you. I need to finish Jim's car first and get my sport back on the road, I'm in Bournemouth if you're local (ish)?

Thanks for the offer,

Im in Plymouth and presently have to cycle everywhere so getting the car back on the road is a priority. The mechanic undertaking the work is confident about the conversion but the 2.7 sounds interesting. If I could source an eta engine from a breakers is the upgrade something that is strait forward whilst we are converting or would you really need to have done it before to know what your doing?

It would make sense that if I was to go for a 2.7 to do it the way your going about it and do it in one hit.

Cheers.

Geeman wrote:Adam... you'd do another engine transformation from a 318iS to a 325...?

Do you charge for this...?

Giles.

Yeah I would charge mate but it would be done in my spare time so wouldn't be able to get it done in like 2 days.

3 days is fine bud...

Just thinking about my track car and it's 185k 1.8 16valve motor... getting close to popping I would think...

Will wait and have a read through your 2.7 write up when you publish it...