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Hi shifty I've got 2 eta short blocks in the garage, if you want one for $50 when you pick up the head. Block, crank, rods, pistons both had around 150k.

I am really late chiming in, but what I have learned about eta blocks recently is that the oiler ring, that is the one closest to the bottom tends to seize due to clogging.

Anytime you open the motor and let it dry out, it will be a problem! At a minimum I would re-ring the bottom end

Darin,

The Super Eta bottom end will work with a 325i head but not a 323i head. The eta bottom end will work with a 323i head but not a 325i head. I could look for an eta bottom end to re-ring, but that's really not something I was wanting to do for a while. That would end up extending my installation to nearly a year, I'm sure, and I may be leaving Missouri in a year.

Eli, I would take you up on the offer, but I don't want to lug a short block all the way from TN! I may take you up on the offer if you still have one sitting around in a year, though.

at this rate I'm sure I will, the one block has been in the garge for a year and a half,the other from this summer,and now there is my 325i block in the corner.

Shifty,

Yes you are quite correct, all this info floating around the gray matter at times I too get things confused. I would say that if you take your time, it would be a better job all around. I notice that a rushed job tend to have corners cut, and care not given.

Darin,

The problem is that I value the project much more than I value the final outcome. If I wanted the final outcome, I would skip all of my interim steps straight to a full rebuild.

However, since I haven't been able to find any dyno sheets comparing an eta head to a 325i or 323i head, adding on very few additional modifications to the new head, I decided I want to do before and after dyno runs comparing my 200,000-mile eta engine to a 200,000-mile eta engine with a 323i head. If the seals don't look horrible on the 323i head, I may end up just leaving it the way it is for now and not re-sealing it.

Or, I may end up re-sealing the head, doing the after dyno run, and then putting my eta head back on. But, that is an extreme waste of time, effort, and money, so that's probably not going to happen.

I think the biggest determining factor in what I'm going to do is going to be the condition of the 323i head. We'll see.

Well I did get the engine retested and the numbers went up to 150-155 in all cylinders. We then did a wet test in each cylinder and the numbers only went up 5psi. Now from what I've read is that a wet-test in a worn-ring cylinder will put your numbers up significantly, so perhaps it's only the head that needs rebuilding. Either way, I'll get a leak-down done sometime later and find out for sure.

Since this car is my daily driver, what I may end up doing is buying a used engine, ripping it apart and rebuilding it when I have time during this summer. That way I can take my time and make sure things are done right.

I've seen this used a lot but I can't seem to make it out...what does ETA stand for? lol

[QUOTE="jonathan"]I've seen this used a lot but I can't seem to make it out...what does ETA stand for? lol[/QUOTE]

Look here: http://www.mye28.com/cgi-bin/forum/foru ... hread=1618

I'd be happy with those #s. I wouldnt worry about the engine for another 100k . RE sticky rings. I would use a cleaner in the oil, or a process using a solvent that would soak the pistons for a while to de- sludge the rings. Some engines are very prone to sludge. various compounds and procedures have been developed to cure this w/o taking the engine apart. Rexmo, turned me on to BITOG, a web site full of good oil info. I used the info to get a 60% reduction in NOX for a smog re-test. The combustion chamber hot soak I did resulted in a noticable gain in engine performance. A 6$ can of Seafoam is a lot easier than a ring / valve job.