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oil pressure?

Discussion in 'DIY (Do-It-Yourself)' started by mac townsend, Mar 13, 2009.

    mac townsend guest

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    What oil pressure range should be seen on a 2.7 "eta" M20 engine? at idle and at 2-2500 rpm?

    at about what level ought the engine not be operated?
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    CRKrieger

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    You will probably get a faster more authoritative answer over at MyE28.com.

    That said, what is your concern? Getting the low pressure light on the check panel & dash? Change the <$8 sender switch first. It's cheaper than doing diagnostics.
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    mooseheadm5

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    Sorry, I don't have a Bentley manual on me, but it may list the oil pressure, and you should not work on a BMW without one.

    mac townsend guest

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    I have a Bentley, it is several miles away in my shop. Which this winter I have only been to 2-3 times a month, usually to fuss with the rear light housings, but more often now that it is starting to warm a bit.

    I would like to know the condition of the bottom end. If I see 25 psi at 2500 rpm, (when I would expect perhaps 50 minimum or 65 better, it not being a Chrysler--which runs lower pressures than most IIRC) i'll know not to spend much more time on the car (in which i have about a thousand dollars) but to replace it. early e30s are cheap. And most are going to have advantages over my car (a theft recovery with torn up instrument panel and body parts).

    If the engine bottom end is sound, and an oil pressure reading set can show this, then (knowing compression is good and leakdown is good) I''l likely replace the front suspension, the instrument cluster grears, and do the other things that are needed and drive the thing until it dies (or I do, and that's not a far fetched notion, I am near32x the age of the car . But if the bottom end is sour...no. I'll part it out.

    Besuides, what would an E28 site provide? this is an E30, a low number 6 cylinder 3-series (#1989, Feb 84 build)). Did the e28 use a 2.7 eta engine? (I've not consulted my library on this<G>)
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    mooseheadm5

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    The 528e used that motor. Anyhow, I want to say something like 8ish psi at idle. Isn't there some number stamped on the switch, like 0,5 or 0,8 or something? That would be when the warning light goes on in bar. It sounds familar to me, which would make it somewhere from 7-11psi at idle min. Max might be 60psi (or was it 80?)
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    CRKrieger

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    Yeah; as Paul said, an identical engine. Anybody's guess why the 2.7 was a '2.5' in the 325 and a '2.8' in the 528 ('Marketing', with the E28, in keeping the "528" name from the M30 2.8 E12.) The E28 guys are generally not as snarky as the E30 ones ... ;)
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    granthr

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    Come on CR, how on earth could a 327i have LESS horsepower then a 325i. :eek: That would just not be right! :D So to keep the sun coming up in the East they are both a 325 but one with an "e" and one with an "i". :D
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    CRKrieger

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    Some got neither (just plain old '325') - and some of each even got 's's: 325is, 325es.
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    granthr

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    Okay, you got my point :D I know there were no e, e, es, i, is, and ix. Boy BMW likes to keep us on our toes when it comes to names.
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    az3579

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    That's for sure... I mean come on, 335i? What a load of crap. 330i sounds more like it... :rolleyes:

    Marketing is a load of crap and I hate it.
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    granthr

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    +1 My thoughts exactly :D
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    mooseheadm5

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    I'd like to build a 335i. Or a 350i or 354i. I do have a spare M5 drivetrain...
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    az3579

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    M30. :)D x1)

    M73 or N62, take your pick. :)D x2)

    Or, an S38 (x5), S62 :)D x25), or best of all, an S85! :)D x1,000,000,000,000)

    (And yes, that S85 has been done before)
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    mooseheadm5

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    I'd love to have an S85 or S62. I have an S38 already, though, just don't know what to do with it. How about an S70?
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    az3579

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    How much? :)
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    mooseheadm5

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    I got $3500 for my last S38, and this one has already had the timing chain replaced and has a Fahey crank hub. It would fit nicely into a certain 528e, wouldn't it?
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    granthr

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    Check this car out! :D
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    mooseheadm5

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    e30.de much? I love that site. I would have done that installation differently to save some space and complexity. For one, I would have given it a custom intake, maybe with a hood scoop. Well, no hood scoop really- it would kill the sleeper aspect of the car. I definitely would have done away with the EMLs and done megasquirt on the thing. I might have dropped a supercharger in the V. Dry sump the engine to let it sit as low as possible, and maybe go nuts and run a 265 gearbox right in front of the diff for better weight distribution and a smaller driveshaft.
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    granthr

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    I love e30.de. That is where I got those photos. I usually just go to the fotostories section. But man the German really love working the e30 chassis. Seems like you don't see that over here that much. They are really not afraid to take a car down the chassis and work it back up to what ever their dream car is.

    Botond are you listening? Buy a $300 daily driver E30 and then take your other E30 and really build it into the car of your dreams! :D Or if you want something decent to drive as a daily, buy a rust free solid, but not running, e30 for cheap and turn it into the car of your dreams. Go with a small bumper of course! This way you can build it over time and not have worry about being without a car to drive.

    mac townsend guest

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    well, to return to the thread<G>

    there is no oil pressure spec in Bentley.

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