E21 help!!!! wont start!

c900t16 · 01-25-2007, 07:51 PM

ok well,

for some reason, the car wont start now and there is no spark at the coil and we changed it still nothing. The guys at the shop think it may be the alarm preventing it form starting. DId these come with factory alarms?

it was working yesterday but then we pulled the battery to cahnge the gas tank and get the one half fixed and we put eveything back together today and now it wont start.

Any ideaS? like i said, im new to BMW and especially someting this old !

ps.
car is a 1982 320i

E36is · 01-26-2007, 05:30 AM

^^ first thing i would do is check the ground strapping from the negative terminal to the car body (firewall).. could be broken or completely off. (usually a copper braided connection).

c900t16 · 01-26-2007, 11:12 AM

I pulled on that cable your are talking about, it didnt have any play and was well planted!! Except on mine, it doesnt go to the firewall, its right on the frame/body of the car along with a bunch of other grounds. Looked solid with no green cancer.

Im thinking im going to re do all the ground cables with a heavier gauge wire, since all the wires on this car as super thin, and if i decided to use an MSD coil or any other higher gauge plug wires, id be affraid of melting them for one thing and secondly it would be a pointless mod in the end...ill replace the postive batt. lead too.

D.. · 01-26-2007, 02:34 PM

welcome to the E21 club... they never start man.

oldskool3 · 01-27-2007, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by D..

welcome to the E21 club... they never start man.

Like he said man. Thats why i got rid of mine. check out this forum you will get way more help there. Good luck

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...play.php?f=143

c900t16 · 01-27-2007, 03:25 PM

i joined that one too the other day but i havent posted on it yet!

c900t16 · 01-27-2007, 04:21 PM

dam,,,,turns out one tooth on the disstributor gear is missing...shit.

So i have 3 options charlie said:

Do an e30 swap,
Find an m10 engine and swap it
Find the gear, pul the head and swap it in.

Now i dont have much cash cause im not working, so i think im going to pull the head myself and do it, but I need to find out where i can get this gear.

Anyone know of anyone with an m10 engine or this gear thing i need??
Anyone have instructions on how to remove the head ? im sure its like any other head job...line up to TDC and watch the gearing, and is there is no mark, make one! Liek is said, im new to these cars and something this old bu tim not affriad to do the work...jsut gona be a bitch now its freezing and i have no garage. I doubt cahrlie will let me use his shop and i dont think i have enough money to pay him to do it.

I really need help on instructions for this car and where to get the part.

jm1602 · 01-29-2007, 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by c900t16

dam,,,,turns out one tooth on the disstributor gear is missing...shit.

So i have 3 options charlie said:

Do an e30 swap,
Find an m10 engine and swap it
Find the gear, pul the head and swap it in.

Now i dont have much cash cause im not working, so i think im going to pull the head myself and do it, but I need to find out where i can get this gear.

Anyone know of anyone with an m10 engine or this gear thing i need??
Anyone have instructions on how to remove the head ? im sure its like any other head job...line up to TDC and watch the gearing, and is there is no mark, make one! Liek is said, im new to these cars and something this old bu tim not affriad to do the work...jsut gona be a bitch now its freezing and i have no garage. I doubt cahrlie will let me use his shop and i dont think i have enough money to pay him to do it.

I really need help on instructions for this car and where to get the part.

Tooth is missing on the dizzy gear?? Where the hell did it go? Is it still in the dizzy housing? You shouldn't need to pull the head, need to take the dizzy housing off, find the missing tooth parts and buy a new distributor. Unless the cam gear is damaged you shouldn't have any trouble.

Worst case changing the head is not a big deal. Put motor to TDC, both lobes on number one pointing straight down. Put finger in #1 spark plug hole and make sure you're on compression stroke. Remove upper timing chain cover, remove cam gear and tie off so you don't loose a tooth on the crank gear. Remove head bolts and yer done.

c900t16 · 01-30-2007, 08:08 AM

OK well, it is the cam gear for sure...im not going to do a head job, coost too much right now.

So my next option is sell the car (check car for sale), or find a new complete haed and just do a swap for now.

Will a head off an '85 E30 320 with the m10 engine fit?? reason i ask, the fuses and a couple other things look different from mine...i found 2 possible m10's from both '85's E30's....