how differant are e30 325i and e36 325i heads?

Fri Jun 30, 2006 9:12 pm

yes i know the e36 has more valves, but im interested in exhaust post shape/spacing

reason i ask is iv found a few cheap tubular manifolds for the e36 and wonder how much trouble itd be getting them on an e30 325i. they wouldnt have to meet up to an e30 system as im goin custom anyway and the flanges i could swap at work easy

anyone?

suppose i could get the relevant exhaust gaskets and compare?

are there templates for these anywhere online? i wish - i hate leaving my seat lol

Fri Jun 30, 2006 9:17 pm

The E30 exhaust ports are round and I think the E36 ports are oval shape.

The real problem you will have is that the E36 manifold will be the wrong shape to fit in the E30 chassis. Would be a lot of hassle modding it to fit.

Fri Jun 30, 2006 9:20 pm

jmc330i wrote:The E30 exhaust ports are round and I think the E36 ports are oval shape.

The real problem you will have is that the E36 manifold will be the wrong shape to fit in the E30 chassis. Would be a lot of hassle modding it to fit.

port shape isnt a biggy, could change flanges.

u reckon itd hit chassis leg / steering column?

Fri Jun 30, 2006 9:24 pm

E36 tubular manifolds are highly saleable to us M5x converters!

Fri Jun 30, 2006 9:31 pm

Got any pics of the design?

The E36 manifold moves out a lot wider than the E30, so the end of the downpipes will want to go through the firewall in front of the pedals. The steering joint would also be a problem, but you could be lucky with the design of the primary pipes and they could miss it, although thats doubtful.

I will be picking up my new set of E36 M3 manifolds sometime this weekend, so I could probably do some sort of photo comparison.