Justlikemusic

The 327i turbo conversion has been the best dollar value conversion I think. There is little messing around if I do get defected, compared to dropping a 1jz or RB25/30 or something into it... and since I got my first bimmer, it's bimmer fever, engines and all. Even with 300hp~ with the vehicle stripped down, it should be knocking on the 1000kg weight. Now power to weight that is alot of fun.

I think I'm addicted. The E39 750iL is going to be my next car. At the end of the year I would have done this car up cash, and credit comes for my 7 series V12.. can get them for like $25/30k in Australia everywhere.

I gotta clean up my dads place a bit first before I get another car in there... so the project may go a little slow over the next couple weeks, but I might see what bank finances I can pull together. Im not in a rush.

From changing the head I mean... putting the B25 head on gives you around 8.8:1 or less compression, I forgot exactly what it was. Cam will give more lift, so will make more power... however low compression will be a prick.

I can get a M50B25 engine for about $1000 all up second hand, but a manual gearbox is going to cost me that also... then there is fabrication of exhaust manifolds etc etc... all for about 190hp stock.

Now when it comes to making More power than that... the M50 will probably take over and make another 15/20% on what the M20 could produce in total at higher revs due to the twin cam. However a 327i engine makes around 180hp that I've seen, and it's nearly already in my car.

Definately turbo the M20. Parts are everywhere and cheap. In three months I got a $6000 budget I worked it out to be, so the engine should be done in three months or more... and the home stretch I will spend on other things like LSD, Triple plate clutch, new nolathane bushes all around, 16" rims, suspension, paint and interior.

I am starting to lean towards making this a track car until I get my licence back. That way it won't be sitting in my driveway with plates ready to drive with a turbo and me with no licence.

I still got another month of car repayments left... so the cheaper, more labour intensive stuff will happen straight away, like installation of the megasquirt, then I can get down to the good stuff like the head swap... then turbo.

I have come across a good deal for a supersprint muffler for the E30... $200 for a retail $800 muffler.

Are these good as gold or what? I have limited info available on a google search about them, other than everyone trying to flog them off for 400+$

Stage 1 -> http://www.alpinaaustralia.com.au/dyno/dyno_E30_M20_325e.htm

Stage 2 -> http://www.alpinaaustralia.com.au/dyno/dyn...325e_stage2.htm

I don't understand how a performance cam, 325i Head and diff upgrade can give only 10rwkw improvement...

Is it due to the loss in compression? Because that would be understandable. I thought the 327i turbo would be the best value for money car I could buy in all truth. R31 Skyline was a close contender, but I like the beema's size, and everyone has a skyline. I love Euro cars.

Gutted on losing your lisence haha,

But sounds like its gonna be a nice car.

I'm 25... I had to re-sit my exam because they cancelled my licence for 0.08

I got my licence back and four days later I get pulled over for DD. That is really crap. I spaced my drinks, it was 3am, I had heaps of food, I knew I was driving. It's not like I was intentionally drunk driving. I feel I learnt my lesson the first time. Now I will never drink and drive again. Ill turbo the Beema when I get it back and smoke and fly =)

Anyway, me not having a licence is stopping me from driving around a crappy stocker beema... when I get it back I woulda lost some weight riding my bike, be fit and ready for summer with a pimpin 327i turbo leather clad, sittin on rims...

Then a few drift sessions later... and burnouts, and eating everything that crappy and naturally aspirated on the street...

Da boost starts my friends...

Hi, after quickly adapting E30 turbo fever from watching youtube movies, and having to purchase a car to get me around... I ended up losing my licence for 0.059% BAC. The limit here is 0.05% so I guess I was unfortunate. However now I am finding myself approaching winter time, and dedication towards my job is being shown. I meet more girls on the bus anyway, and traction in winter time wet is crap anyway.

So it's turbo time.

I have just under $500pw to spend on this project... so in six months it's going to be really looking sweet. I have another three weeks until I go to court, and the exhaust leaks air, the gearbox needs a new thrust bearing, car will need a new clutch when the turbo goes in. The engine runs awesome, car has 283,000km's on it so it's getting a bit old. However, the bottom end is strong as, running semi-synthetic oil.

Previous owner was a golfing pro chic who had it for six years and babied it.

So far in the past couple days since I decided to start to turbo it...

Mounted the FMIC 600x300x75mm 3" In/Outlets

Sourced RB30 T/B and will probably fit that this week and drive around with it N/A'd for the next three.

I'll order the exhaust manifold from the states. I can get the cheap ones there somewhere for $250 or so.... I sourced someone in Australia selling the same ones for the M3's 3.0/3.2L E36 for $250 so he should be able to get me some for the M20. If not I'll make it myself!

Not sure on the turbo... probably a T3.

Will order a Megasquirt and finish the FMIC piping next week. Interior will come out in another three weeks and that will start to take shape.

I'll have to get injectors and everything else... but it's coming together!!!

Sideskirts and the kit can come later... once this is done in about 2-3 months, It's going to be a track car until I get my licence. I'll have to find a nice LSD for it. Once I edit my number plates out, I'll post up the ETA LSD spinning like the thing is on ice. I got a wicked crabwalking video of her.

Here are some pics from when I first bought it. First day and I replaced the rocker cover gasket already!

I'll be boosting the M20 shortly... and my mate has a RB30 Throttle body sitting there at his place which I'm gonna ring him in a sec to get from him. I'll be able to fit this up tomorrow hopefully if I get the time. Probably wont make much difference right now, but once the boost goes in with the 325i manifold I think things might change a little.

Understood. I might try the RB30 TB though because that will increase breathing a fair bit. Is it true though that the eta TB is REALLY tiny for the engine, and the manifold for that matter too? I am just trying to reluctantly give it a bit more power without doing anything major. I got about two months before the $2000 that I paid for the car is paid off, then I can start focusing more funds into it. Engine mods will start adding up, and I want the car paid off before they do... and at the same time, 325i head with rebuilt ETA bottom end and boost will probably get it to boogy as much as I want.

http://www.clockwisemotion.co.uk/images/ho...ttle-bodies.jpg

Another thing with customer throttle body install with megasquirt is the custom injector rail you can use, basic lack of intake manifold so you are just getting max rpm power, and larger injectors from any car you wish custom fitted into it.

http://www.mez.co.uk/dcam/DSC00232.jpg

This is making me lose sleep.

http://holdenpaedia.oldholden.com/images/c/c9/Carby_0.jpeg

I have two of these bases, and can buy another four for really cheap... weld on bellmouths for the front. use an intake manifold gasket and make a plate up, then weld these carb bases to them, hook up the linkage... M POWER Style. -.-

TB will not affect torque unless to have some other fundamental problems that were being masked.

Exactly what I thought. If I hog out the intake manifold around the TB connecting area, in theory that should open things up a bit. I mean six cylinders can take in more than what that pissy TB is allowing. It has no TPS on it from what I can remember, and just was a butterfly. This makes it really easy to upgrade. Another thing I was thinking of is linking six individual TB's on it with a megasquirt ecu. I can do that and tinker with the car, thrash the crap out of it and then when a motor rebuild is due, do it.

Wouldn't the intake manifold have more to do with the torque etc... like the long runners for torque. The 'carby'/butterfly etc is just going to let more air flow through and with the manifold inlet ported out where the TB joins to it, and the actual TB larger, and the pipe from the TB to the AFM would obviously be upgraded to something thats the same size of the AFM. Im trying to work giving internet tech support to ppl and view forums at the same time, this is becoming an art. Getting paid for bimmer education. zzzz

Basically to expand on that a little bit... Im sure the six intake ports have a larger area than the TB area. I understand if the tb was the same size as the intake ports your engine would probably drown. But I look at the 350cfm Holley carbies that I have put on 3.3L 202's in the past and the triple webers on 2.8L nissan engines etc and start to think there could be some definate potential with increasing the size of that intake. But then I'd probably have to get the ecu to relearn (if it does that in the beemas? should do i think)

Well it measures up to the AFM sorta. I have taken them off the car and measured them side by side with a ruler. Ill go buy one next week and try fit it up next weekend. Maybe if I can get some funds this week Ill do it on the weekend. Ill see what happens.

*Edit: Found searching "...e36 M motors had their throttle body opening at 63.5 mm" Some specs on 325e and 325i TB sizes would be good.

RB30E breathes through a 55mm throttle bore

EA Falcon 3.9L 64mm throttle bore

Both of these I can get for like $20. Apparently the problem is in the intake manifold, and head... but im sure a larger TB will do some good.

I measured up an RB30 Nissan throttle body today and it seems like its a pretty decent fit if there is a bit of mucking around. I can see that the AFM is pretty decent size, compared to the 325eta throttle body. I can plough out the intake manifold a bit. I'm sure a bigger TB on the eta will make a massive difference. The redline isnt much of a problem I feel after 4200rpm or so it just loses any power so redline isnt making much difference at this stage I think. There is massive amounts of torque compared to the general range of power at about 2600rpm.. and this drops off near 4. Im sure its the cam/head etc, but larger TB should make more power higher in the rpm.

Thoughts?

redbook.com.au?

Damn that is a sleeper...

Welcome Nathan, enjoy your stay.

Nice e30, I look forward to seeing what you decide.

Ok Will, Ill make a note of that. For that info as far as head swaps go I can search. I got an 86 325e so I think thats the 'earlier' e30 eta engine. I dont feel confident in doing a head swap with a OHC engine... as I mostly have worked on V8's, and gotten the bottom end done by shops. What I might do though is fix a cold air intake into the car, and source another diff.

Im currently trying to cruise in 60km/h zones and have to keep it in fourth. If I drastically up the ratio, then I should be able to cruise in fifth, and I dont care about economy so much, engine longevity is probably higher on the list. Doing 2200rpm or so (i forgot, i just bought the car) at 100km/h is ok, and Id tolerate 2800rpm at 100km/h if need be. I normally just do 70m/h driving max.

The thing with the eta though, is that I can drastically feel that it wants to breathe. The exhaust system looks pretty good for a stock vehicle. Twin pipes to cat then relatively decent out from there. Could I just swap the TB to a larger unit and port the stock intake manifold out if need be? Also, I wouldn't mind knowing what is needed to be done to the factory ecu if anything to accomodate the different TB.

Cheers... the 750 is inevitable. Whether I get it right now or in another years time is up to whether I want to have a fully sick e30. If I'm gonna do up the e30 though I want it to definately be a sleeper. I dont need police attention right now. Thats why Im thinking a 750 is just gonna make me look like a drug dealer. Other option is a 5 series E34 or something. But I like the E30. Has respect within the crowd, and they boogie. I can have fun thrashing a 325e manual. With it turbo'd and megasquirted I can see how much fun it would be.

Ahhh... so really I need the full 323i top end if I want to do anything. Or the 325i top end if I want turbo and cheap way of lowering the compression without touching the bottom end. The car has nearly 300,000km's on it, but it has been well looked after by the female owner I bought it from.

The problem with the beema engines is that most of the stuff is really expensive. I can get a "1988 BMW E34 M5 ENGINE (S38B36)" with bent valves for $3000. That has been the best thing I've seen so far. Its like 220kw or something like that, stock. But to rebuild the thing... then it will probably need new pistons and all sorts, I dunno, havent seen it. Otherwise, the S14 motor and other options are really expensive, but I guess thats what you get when owning a prestige vehicle lol.

Ow, "The head is off motor as it has bent valves"

Sweet, I never been to NZ... never left the country. Im 24 and will start travelling sometime. For now I gotta buy me nice beema's and get my house on the hill, then an X5. I got some movies of me caining an X5 on my mobile so I'll try upload those later also. It was the 3L T/D one, so nothing too special.

I am wondering whether to go crazy with the E30, or keep it as a thrash car and get a 2000+ model 750iL. 240kW from factory really seems appealing. However I can pick up the 730's for real cheap, 20k. However for $5k will get me away with a 327i engine, turbocharged and megasquirted if I DIY the whole thing. Hmmm decisions decisions. I got one more repayment left on my loan for my old skyline, so after next week i'll have free credit, and a $2k debt to family for the e30... no interest with family loans, zzz

Hey Simon,

Perth, WA.

G'day Nathan and welcome

I'm sure you'll get all the advice you need on your E30 here, there's plenty of experience kicking around.

Perth or where in WA?

Cheers

Simon

Ok some pics of the 325eta for you guys.

I already got the paint tin out on the rocker cover. It had a small leak, nothing major, and I just replaced the rocker cover gasket. The injectors tick a little bit, but I've run injector cleaner since then and they are starting to sound better. I changed the oil and put some semi-synthetic 10w-40 in there, and now I gotta find spark plugs to put in there. Im trying to keep costs down on this because I definately want to change the intake to something larger. I feel that this is the single most thing that is letting this car down. Also ECU also.

Im thinking ECU/TB/Intake manifold/Injectors will be enough to keep me happy with a 3.73:1 diff. For now.

Hello my name is Nathan and I live in Western Australia. This will be the second bmw forums that I have registered with in the past couple days. e30tech has been a wealth of information, but nobody replied to the question I asked. It's good to see a strong community so close to home, so hopefully I can log and keep track of my build here. I work as a tech support consultant for a large internet company and enjoy motorsport in my time away from work.

I have a question that I dont know where to ask or who to answer it. Hopefully some geniuses here can shed light onto the topic for me.

A link to the thread: http://www.bimmersport.co.nz/forums/index....showtopic=14659

Regards,

Nathan

I have bought an '86 325e four door, 5 speed, and have access to a 320i motor and gearbox for like $350, or another person selling a 323i engine for $500 (Australian dollars)

I have read everywhere about the 325i heads and that the manifolds and TB are good to put on the 325e's.

I can't really purchase a motor since I have nowhere to sit it for now.

So far I have cleaned it up a bit. I have some 205/65/15" tyres that will go on some rims too.

Then differential gears changed would be good also. 3.73:1 will really improve the cars driving. I only do 60km/h to work, and when I'm doing 100km/h or so its not for very long... either dragging in the 60 zones, or 10 minutes max to mate's places.

However here is my main question. I would like to initially do the following mod:

* Larger intake manifold and TB...

Need info on 320i and 323i differences. It's hard to find the 325i stuff around West Australia, and I'll be happy to get a larger MFD/TB even if its slightly smaller for cheap. Plus my injectors are noisy and rubbish, and I want to paint the intake manifold to make it look a little nicer.