Maytag's M20B27 'e2i' Engine Build Thread (87 528e)

[tig]

[tig]

I'm not sure I mentioned this above, but I changed plans on this motor. I'm no longer going to blow it (pun intended). Instead it's now 40-over and 9.5:1 compression.

Assembly has begun.











Big parts order due this week, including yet-another-expensive-MLS-head-gasket.

[tig]

Moar assembly. Plus some test fitting to see what parts I'm missing or forgot about. Discovered I'm missing the dowel pin for the camshaft timing belt sprocket and a locator dowel for the timing belt cover to head.

[Karl Grau]

It looked like in an earlier post you had the pot metal metal oil pump drive pulley. I can't tell in these pics but I assume you upgraded?

[tig]

It looked like in an earlier post you had the pot metal metal oil pump drive pulley. I can't tell in these pics but I assume you upgraded?

When I did the timing belt on Maytag I ignored you on this. Luckily the donor motor in this case already has the newfangled sprocket. And so far my roll of the dice on the current engine has been ok ....

[Mike W.]

Moar assembly. Plus some test fitting to see what parts I'm missing or forgot about. Discovered I'm missing the dowel pin for the camshaft timing belt sprocket and a locator dowel for the timing belt cover to head.

Lookin' good! Done many engines before? There's nothing like the sound and smell of a new engine you just put together firing up for the first time.

[ElGuappo]

An in-process motor assembly pic is almost pornography...
Keep em coming...

[tig]

Lookin' good! Done many engines before? There's nothing like the sound and smell of a new engine you just put together firing up for the first time.

This is #2.

#1 was an M30B35 which started on first try to now has ~20k on it and is strong/smooth/happy.

See this thread: http://www.mye28.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=116484

(Esp the video of 1st start. Man was I happy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oImgDeopk78 ).

[Karl Grau]

When I did the timing belt on Maytag I ignored you on this.

What?!!

[tig]

When I did the timing belt on Maytag I ignored you on this.

What?!!

You heard me right Go back to that thread and you'll see you posted the same pic, saying the same thing. I ignored you and installed the original sprocket. I love living dangerously.

[Karl Grau]

When I did the timing belt on Maytag I ignored you on this.

I ignored you and installed the original sprocket. I love living dangerously.

Stand as close to the edge as you can without going over. Out on the edge you see all the kinds of things you can't see from the center.

[tig]

Yesterday I was going to spend most of the day working on the engine. Then I got distracted doing stuff to the Tacoma and even more distracted with the prospect of buying an aluminum car trailer. I ended up driving all the way to a place that sells them (why are places like that always so far away?) only to pussy out once I saw how big it was in person.

Anyway, I got a big gift box from Blunt:



And a shipment from Cometic with an MLS head gasket that was specified by the machinist. With this, do believe I have all the parts required to finish assembly (and more).

The machinist apparently didn't chase the threads for the head studs, so I took care of that. Given what I paid him, i'm a little disappointed he didn't do it.


.86" thick, with .86mm bore. Easy to remember.




Today I am going to get the oil pump in (I was missing the two plastic washers that go on the shaft that drives the pump; they had broken) and put the front-of-engine-stuff on and get to the point where I can do the initial tightening of the head studs. That's my goal anyway...

[tig]

Some progress today. Got the oil pump in and pan on.



Stated putting the timing components on then realized that I didn't really know what I was doing. Then I ran out of time.



I gotta mount the timing belt sprocket to the head (I was missing the locating dowel; it came from Blunt) and turn the camshaft to get the head aligned for TDC. Right now I have it just sitting there in an orientation where all the pistons are out of the way.

But it's looking more and more like an engine.

[tig]

To most of you this must feel like you're watching paint dry. But trust me, I'm making progress. I'm trying to be super careful and meticulous.





Head is on. Studs torqued. Valves adjusted.

I spent a lot of time test fitting vacuum, fuel, etc... hoses and wires. Found more parts I'm missing. Not sure how that could be because I kept everything from 2+ motors. But alas...

[tn535i]

Is the oil pump drive gear the new sintered style like the cam gear. A little hard to tell.

Where did you get a blue timing belt ? Never seen one. Trusted source ?

AND I can't believe I see tools on the floor. A socket and extension maybe. Come on man how could you be so careless

I really enjoy following a project as I wish I were doing some of my own

[tig]

Is the oil pump drive gear the new sintered style like the cam gear. A little hard to tell.

Yes.

Where did you get a blue timing belt ? Never seen one. Trusted source ?

Gates. http://www.iemotorsport.com/bmw/item/M20gatesbelt.html

I didn't buy it from them... it came with a partial engine I bought as part of this whole adventure.

AND I can't believe I see tools on the floor. A socket and extension maybe. Come on man how could you be so careless

I really enjoy following a project as I wish I were doing some of my own

Are you referring to the lug wrench seen peeking out under the counter? Looks like this:


Doesn't fit anywhere else and I will never actually use it. I should probably just give it away.

Glad you are enjoying this. Part of me is enjoying this. The other part is annoyed at my stupidity and another part is full of angst that there's no way this motor is going to ever run.

[Tiit]

Extremely interesting topic. I've been wanting to rebuild an engine since forever. One day I will.
So what exactly have you done there. Things have changed so many times I'm a bit confused.
*b25 block over bore
*b25 head with stock cam
*b27 crank
*custom pistons
Am I right?
Is the head ported at all?

[athayer187]

Glad you are enjoying this. Part of me is enjoying this. The other part is annoyed at my stupidity and another part is full of angst that there's no way this motor is going to ever run.

Remember, it's about the journey.

[davintosh]

Glad you are enjoying this. Part of me is enjoying this. The other part is annoyed at my stupidity and another part is full of angst that there's no way this motor is going to ever run.

Remember, it's about the journey.

Also about the other OCD sufferers living vicariously through Charlie.

[athayer187]

Glad you are enjoying this. Part of me is enjoying this. The other part is annoyed at my stupidity and another part is full of angst that there's no way this motor is going to ever run.

Remember, it's about the journey.

Also about the other OCD sufferers living vicariously through Charlie.

I notice who else has been on the site for a really long time and only post in his threads...

[tig]

This is frustrating.

In starting this project I acquired the following:

- An 88 528e that I parted out.
- An engine from an E30 325e
- An engine from an E30 325i

In all this, I failed to notice that none of these engines came with a 325i intake boot and associated hoses. Both of the intake boots (including the one I dutifully cleaned) I have are from Seta motors (the 528e and 325e) and as a result only fit the SMALLER Seta throttle body, not the larger 325i body.

The weird thing is I have THREE larger throttle bodies and only one smaller one. I simply don't remember how all this happened.

The upshot is I'm missing a bunch of parts.

For reference I took a picture of my buddy's 325ix engine bay. I'm missing everything circled.



I think older 325i had a simpler setup without the dual check valve for the brake booster, but I've been unable to verify this. Most online diagrams are ambiguous. Does anyone know if the older setup is actually simpler and will work?

[Kyle in NO]

You don't need any of that bullshit. I plugged the extra hole in the 325i intake boot and reused the eta vacuum supply hose to the booster.

[tig]

You don't need any of that bullshit. I plugged the extra hole in the 325i intake boot and reused the eta vacuum supply hose to the booster.

I had a feeling. Whenever this (bullshit) happens, I have an incredible desire to understand WHY. WHY will it work fine without it? WHY did BMW do all this complexity? If this was emissions related, I could maybe intuitively get it. But this is vacuum for the freaking brake booster.

[tn535i]

To the best of my knowledge it is there in case you need brake boost whilst applying full throttle. Me thinks it generates vacuum when there is flow through the T/B if the manifold vacuum has gone low. I think the valves let either the vacuum generator (on top) work or straight manifold vacuum whichever is greater. A guess is that it went in as a result of the "Unintended Acceleration Phenomenon" aka as crap on the floor that jambs the throttle or in severe cases putting your foot on the wrong or both pedals. While it might help build vacuum to the booster while trying to accelerate it's not going to help slow you down if your foot is on the wrong pedal.

Ask yourself how likely are you to need full throttle and maximum braking at the same time and then you decide if you need it. Our 91 had all that and the brake booster seemed to work better without it. Maybe one or the other of the valves were bad but IDK. I think it might work slightly better (and be less unsightly) if you moved the vacuum line down the intake to a port closer to the valves like an old eta.

[tig]

To the best of my knowledge it is there in case you need brake boost whilst applying full throttle. Me thinks it generates vacuum when there is flow through the T/B if the manifold vacuum has gone low. I think the valves let either the vacuum generator (on top) work or straight manifold vacuum whichever is greater. A guess is that it went in as a result of the "Unintended Acceleration Phenomenon" aka as crap on the floor that jambs the throttle or in severe cases putting your foot on the wrong or both pedals. While it might help build vacuum to the booster while trying to accelerate it's not going to help slow you down if your foot is on the wrong pedal.

Ask yourself how likely are you to need full throttle and maximum braking at the same time and then you decide if you need it. Our 91 had all that and the brake booster seemed to work better without it. Maybe one or the other of the valves were bad but IDK. I think it might work slightly better (and be less unsightly) if you moved the vacuum line down the intake to a port closer to the valves like an old eta.

That actually makes a lot of sense. I wonder if you're right.

For now, I'm going to assume you are right and head down the path of simpler. I'll continue to try to learn more (I have a buddy who might actually know) and keep everyone posted. I can tell you ALL care as much as I do.

[Kyle in NO]

They are a series of one way valves, that's the obvious part. Why they are there is the strange part, as even the basic Eta booster plumbing has a one way valve to ensure that you don't lose brake assist under low vacuum conditions like full throttle.

[tig]

Help.

I am at a loss as to what one of the two of these connectors is for. One is for the reference sensor. They both have the same plug. They both go into the harness. They both are supposed to be connected to somethings under the diagnostic cap.



In other news, I found a whole bunch of parts that were missing. They were in boxes I thought were of Minerva parts. I now have the right intake boot and that harness bracket.

Lots of progress today...But still going sooo slow... All the intake stuff is just on to test fit.

[Kyle in NO]

The other plug you pictured goes to the pickup coil mounted to the #1 spark plug wire on SETA and 325i plug wires.

[tig]

The other plug you pictured goes to the pickup coil mounted to the #1 spark plug wire on SETA and 325i plug wires.

Thanks.

Another topic: Exhaust manifolds.

Note this from RealOEM for an 87 528e:



Maytag came with two of the 11621711711 (up to 3/87; Maytag was built 7/86).

It appears that a Super Eta (88 528e) and E30 325is had asymetric manifolds. In my engine collections I have one set with embossed part numbers that don't show up in search! (1710824 and 1710836).

I assume the existing manifolds I have (711) will work fine with the e2i engine?

[Kyle in NO]

Sure, if you don't care about having the Super Eta dual exhaust, which would be a foolish move.