help!- decided on 2.7 project - am i leaving anything out?

[liam012]

i have at last decided to defo go the cheap 2.7 route - i'll be basically swapping out the minimum - bottom end - clutch - diff. my current car is a 320i with a btb manifold and mongoose exhaust which as i am keeping amy polished 320i head should all be fine - my purchasing list so far is -

325i sports gearbox (in process of purchasing)
525e bottom end and crank pistons etc
320i polished head (already have)
rubber spigot bearing to make manual gearbox work with 525e bottom end
525e head gasket set


what i am wondering is can you think of other stuff i may need in the putting together of it things that i just woudn't think of like, as these are all main components we have talked about so far but i am sure there are tother things like the spiggot bearing i may need?

maybe a different sump?

also i cant decide on a diff - i know i'll need large case to handle torque but what ratio dont thnk i can afford lsd this year and i have to admit i'll lean towards economy?

which propshaft should i use? 325i should do?

i hope to be doing all this work over the christmas holidays with my friend who is a mechanic and will give me all the help i need - but it is down to me to get all and the correct parts!!

all and any help is very much appreciated and i'll keep posted of how my shopping goes and a full run down of the full install hopefuly i time for santa.

[Jhonno]

325i prop

3.64 diff would work nicely - doesnt have to be an LSD one if you cant afford one atm

polished head will make little difference - porting yes, the finish on the ports shouldnt be polished as it needs a slightly 'rough' finish to help air/fuel mixing

does sound like you have the right plans tho

eta bottom end

320i head

bbtb

you have the exhaust and manifold sorted already

2.7 chip from the Zone shop

performance cam would work nicely

[liam012]

cheers - i was wondering about the prop and diff thanks -
however i am gonna run 320i inlet with 325i throttlebody and 320i fuel rail and injectors - one reason is that i have all the 320i parts already 2nd is that i reckon with the 325i throttlebody i should still get nice air in and also i need to somehow preserve if not improve the mpg from my current 29mpg avg...
log live the family car......
reagrds
liam

[Andy_magic]

The sump and oil pump from the 320i will swap straight over.

The spigot bearing is a metal bearing, genuine Ԛ£8 pattern Ԛ£4.

I would allow a few quid for 325i AFM, injectors and fuel pressure regulator and new rubber boot.

The end result is a very torquey motor that will pull quite a tall diff ratio.

[Jhonno]

i think you would be better off with 325i inlet/tb and injectors

mpg wont be affect but power will for the better

[Andy_magic]

i think hes already got a bbtb,, so it should be just the afm, injectors, fpr and zone chip.

[liam012]

you really think the 325i fueling wont shoot me mpg? - i suppose if a standard 325i beets a 320i for mg then you are robably right now that i think of it -


on another note i can pretty much just use the 525e block no ancilliaries yeah? (i can use all the ones from my 320i?)


(i somewhat stalked your progress andy! thanks for all your tips - its looking like i have the 525e block sourced at last so thats why the project has the green light.)

[Jhonno]

i think hes already got a bbtb,, so it should be just the afm, injectors, fpr and zone chip.

he says btb manifold in his spec.. i saw no mention of a bbtb

325i fueling wont shoot your mpg no

[liam012]

cheers
down the line a bbtb yes but for now a 325i tb as i have it!
money is definately not in large supply so things like bbtb/cam/ and maybe even 325i injectors and fuel rail may have to wait as i would be going over the budget
which is already over budget
you know how it is!!

[Andy_magic]

I thought that was a typo, whats a btb manifold then?

Assuming your car is a later type with crankshaft position sensor on the front you have to use all the 320 bits, all I used from the ETA block was the crank, rods, pistons and block, everything else was off the 320i.

I think that you'll find the MPG will improve over time, nothing to do with the actual MPG of the 2.7 but more to do with having to adapt your driving style.

Whereas on a 320i you'd probably use full throttle for pulling out of junctions etc and revving the engine hard to make good progress, coupled with lots of gearchanges to keep the 2 litre 'on the boil' you will find that the massive hike in torque will allow smaller throttle openings in a higher gear. Mine pulls very cleanly from 20mph in 4th.

Plus you'll spend a good or so booting it for no reason just to induce a massive grin.

I hope my numerous postings about my conversion have helped, feel free to pm with q's if you like.

As with any project, good planning is the key, make sure you have the gaskets you need etc for things like the water pump etc.

Even running the 320i stuff the cars performance is transformed.

[Jhonno]

btb manifold - Exhaust manifolds Sal was selling i think

[Andy_magic]

Cheers mate, you learn something new everyday!

[m-dtech]

im keeping mine auto so i swapped the sump.

2.79 diff is handy if you do motorway miles

[powerfuleta]

Im torn on my new discovery. I bought a 1989 BMW 325i from a friend and test drove it and everything seemed fine, maybe a bit fast for an automatic (4.10 diff). Looked at the valve cover and the bolt holes were consistant with the 325e(s), disregarded that as a past owner who replaced it with a different cover. Yesterday I went to the salvage yard and went looking for a i head for some modifications. I didn't see anything but e and es heads so I left, I started thinking about some
tell-tell signs on my car, after some investigation I concluded that the original engine in my car was replaced with an e motor. Now this car has kept up with the VW Jetta VR6 beat a mercedes C320 beat an 1995 Infiniti Q45 and beat a 1995 Honda prelude equaled a 2001 Acura 3.2 and about as fast as a E46 325 at 80- 100mph but my top end of each gear falls off at around 5000 rpm. its really freakish fast. The head says 2.7eta and the block has an 86 mark under the intake side of the head. It can get to 130 easily but not much faster, I assume because of the 4.10 gearing and the high rpm power drop off. I went and bought a E head ported it out I have to find a I cam, all the restictions in the exhaust are all removed (squashed pipes that pass under the diff carrier, the cross over have considerable pipe over hang inside and the exhaust manifold have been completely cleared on obstructions and smoothed, the area you lay your ratchet tool has a recess that extendes into the exhaust flow port) and port matche the intake manifold to the ported head, a stainless steel mesh cone filter, and the M30 afm swap. All that was the plan to help out the top end breathing. Next week I paln to get it dyno'd. Is this possible with a eta head and bottom but all other induction, electronic (ecu), fuel injection, exhaust components for a 325i?

[liam012]

maybe you should post your q as a new thread you might have more luck as this ones been around a while and i reckon people should be getting sick of my 2.7 questions by now!!