engine rebiuld - '83 323i coupe (brake too)

[kiwipetrolhead 1]

Hi there,

My very tidy old '83 323i is in need of an engine rebuild. It's been smoking and fouling plugs (cylinders 2 and 5 mainly) for about the last 70,000 Ks, and it's getting worse. It's still driveable, but the plugs foul too often now and I'm getting sick of cleaning/or replacing them all the time. The smoking is mainly on start-up and when you boot it, otherwise at cruising speeds you wouldn't know it's burning oil.

Anyway, I am an ex mechanic (I switched to IT in 1992) with experience in many engine rebuilds on Mercs and Jags in the '80s. But I've never done a Beemer engine up, and it has been quite a while since I rebuilt any engine as well, so any advice would be appreciated. I plan to get it rebored, and NOT just a patch-up re-ring job. And yes, the oil pump will be replaced too.

Also any tips for giving it a bit more grunt? I don't want a lumpy engine, but a just a little bit more power would be nice - I've gotten used to all the power of my 540i now you see!

I'm yet undecided whether to assemble the engine myself or to get the engine machinists to do it for me. Usually I prefer doing this stuff myself so I know it's done properly, but since I'm a bit out of practice perhaps I should let the engine machinists do it for me this time. (The last engine rebuild I did myself was a Falcon 6 in 1993.)

Finally, the brakes are not all that good. I put harder pads in it just after I got it (7 years ago) because the previous new pads wore out in one day's racing around Manfeild. But really, they are bit crap (you gotta push quite hard and not a lot happens - and the callipers are not seized, I have checked). I'm about to buy a new set of pads for it again now, since the current hard compound ones are worn out now after about 70,000 Ks of service. But is there any easy way to make the brakes perform better than the original ones without having to spend bucket loads of dosh?

Thanks for any advice and tips on either the engine or the brakes. :mosh:

Paul

[Gus 5]

as for engine...best bet would be to find an old eta engine....put your existing head on there (possibly get rebuilt) and whammo...you have a 2.7, not the most high HP machine but a decent increase especially in torque..probably around 190hp? thats exactly what i would do...the m20 bottom ends are pretty good in most respects so you might not need a rebuild..the engine came in 325e, 525e(more common in NZ than the 3)

and maybe a mild cam..something round 272/284..the stock isnt that great

as for brakes, try changing to new stock pads/discs with fresh fluid and stainless lines. with the cold air ducting in place...its the worlds best setup but its a nice place to start...is fine for road use, the track will cook them a bit but if anything try racebrakes? for a decent pad..but dont go too soft

comparing to 540...a decent 325 should keep up with an e34 540 up to about 100....it gets owned after though!

[pug'n 0]

You're the guy at intermarques/open day with the orange 3 series with the bbs bodykit?

nice car man.

[bmwsparkle 3]

You're the guy at intermarques/open day with the orange 3 series with the bbs bodykit?

nice car man.

oh i remember, had a race with ya didnt I?

[kiwipetrolhead 1]

You're the guy at intermarques/open day with the orange 3 series with the bbs bodykit?

nice car man.

oh i remember, had a race with ya didnt I?

Nope, not me. I haven't raced it as such, just blatted around Manfield once on an open day ages ago and once when one of my IT suppliers hired the track for a day.

And mine has a standard body (no kit), and it's silver. It's mags wheels are off some newer Beemer though, but still 'old school' style.

BTW, my wife's parents have a white '88 525ee, it looks very similar to your one.

Paul

[kiwipetrolhead 1]

as for engine...best bet would be to find an old eta engine....put your existing head on there (possibly get rebuilt) and whammo...you have a 2.7, not the most high HP machine but a decent increase especially in torque..probably around 190hp? thats exactly what i would do...the m20 bottom ends are pretty good in most respects so you might not need a rebuild..the engine came in 325e, 525e(more common in NZ than the 3)

and maybe a mild cam..something round 272/284..the stock isnt that great

as for brakes, try changing to new stock pads/discs with fresh fluid and stainless lines. with the cold air ducting in place...its the worlds best setup but its a nice place to start...is fine for road use, the track will cook them a bit but if anything try racebrakes? for a decent pad..but dont go too soft

comparing to 540...a decent 325 should keep up with an e34 540 up to about 100....it gets owned after though!

Thanks for that.

My wife's parent's '88 525ee is a 2.7 litre. They are in their '80s (in fact they both turn 86 this year). When her mum crashed it last year (she backed out of a car park into the path of a big truck) I thought about taking their engine for our 323. But in the end they got it fixed - it cost them about $7K worth of repairs for a new rear end. Still, even though that's all the car is probably worth, it's very tidy and has low Ks, and at their age leaning to drive a new car was not their ideal, they decided.

Anyway, thanks for the tips, I'll give it some. I would prefer a brand new engine though, rather than a second-had one.

As for the brakes, yip them discs are getting thin. Apparently new discs are not expensive either - only about $70 each I believe. Cold air ducting probably would make a difference too (and is something I have thought about off and on for a while now) - the brakes were smoking heaps after just 6 laps around Manfeild. It'd make sense to deal to the brakes while the car is off the road for the engine job.

Paul

[bravo 34]

Make sur you inherit the 525 fora future 2.7 rebuild then. a really tidy '88 is worth somewhere around $4k+ depending on options and actual condition and the market it is being sold in - prices don't start to jump till you hit the late '91/'92's with the m50 engines.

That said there is some fool asking $11500 for a really tidy but stock/auto 20 or 525i in a recent Classic Car (Ferrari GTO on the cover).

What about boring out and stroking to make a 2.5L - would cost about the same and you'd get a m20b25 essentially but with a history you know (rather than buying someone elses problems)

[kiwipetrolhead 1]

Make sur you inherit the 525 fora future 2.7 rebuild then.  a really tidy '88 is worth somewhere around $4k+ depending on options and actual condition and the market it is being sold in - prices don't start to jump till you hit the late '91/'92's with the m50 engines.

That said there is some fool asking $11500 for a really tidy but stock/auto 20 or 525i in a recent Classic Car (Ferrari GTO on the cover).

What about boring out and stroking to make a 2.5L - would cost about the same and you'd get a m20b25 essentially but with a history you know (rather than buying someone elses problems)

So are you sure it can be bored out to 2.5L no problem?

If so, it makes me wonder why they didn't make it that big in the first place. But if it can be done then I like the sound of that option.

As for the 525, it's an "ee" with all the options... and it's NZ new. When they bought it about 4 years ago it'd only done 101,000 Ks and they got it for $7K. It's done about 132,000 Ks now I think. My wife likes it so she has her eyes on it when they kick the bucket!

As for the brakes on my 323, it has covers over the pads, I guess to keep stones out, but these covers must mean less heat dissipation too. I guess it's safe to leave them out without risk of the retaining pins working their way lose. Any idea?

[mops 4]

depending on what you want to spend.

If you want to do it reach cheap (and good), i'd do the following:

but an m20b25 or m20m27 engine - whichever you can get cheaper, possible even in a wrecked car... put your head on any bottom... thats it...

if you buy m20b25 engine, then you will be able to either put it whole in there or swap out the heads and sell m20b25 head - these should feth good price....

[Gus 5]

323i head wont work with 325i domed pistons without extensive machining...can (and has) been done though.

if you really want to rebuilt, makes sense to make a decent 2.7 at same time...just need crank, use your rods (i think, or 325 135mm or 320 130mm) and get custom pistons and overbored as much as you can...could even do a 2.8..

its a neverending cycle though..what do you want to do with car and how much spend? main questions in any car related excercise!