M10 knowledge.

[jeffnhiscars]

I had a similar problem. may not be the battery hitting the cap -- it was a bit of a stretch for me. come to find out that it was a worn dizzy that had about 3-5mm of play in it. I imagine the runout was bad and caused the rotor to smash into the cap with hard launches. First time it happened was at the drag strip with a very hard launch.


the result on the first rotor.

I posed that possibility in my 1st post on this point so def could be the shaft as well, but with the battery having caused the 1st smash, Im not ruling that out as the cause just yet. The last event I was revved, going around a curve and hit the RR tracks so that seems more like eng mount and\or battery movement than shaft wobble to my mind.

Obviously easier to move the battery & cross my fingers than to rebuild the dist.

Did you get a rebuild, used or rebush it ?

[jeffnhiscars]

When we were getting the car fired up, the main coil wire had a break, and it was arcing to the fender wall. we moved it away and up into the air. however we cranked so much that the batt discharged some and with the charger on it, had a buildup of highly flamable gas, when the key was hit again, KABOOM, the arc ignited the gas, blowing the top of the battery clean off. quick 15 min eyeflush then a trip to the hospital. acid is gone but now the battery has been relocated to where it should be, In the trunk in a marine container. next to the fuel cell.

Wow !! I always considered battery gassing to be a wives tale. Point noted & glad you are ok...

so next to the fuel cell where the whole car will go up ?

[Jaxx_]

I posed that possibility in my 1st post on this point so def could be the shaft as well, but with the battery having caused the 1st smash, Im not ruling that out as the cause just yet. The last event I was revved, going around a curve and hit the RR tracks so that seems more like eng mount and\or battery movement than shaft wobble to my mind.

Obviously easier to move the battery & cross my fingers than to rebuild the dist.

Did you get a rebuild, used or rebush it ?

My first thought was the battery too, since that is the only way the rotor could smash against the cap(until I saw the messed up dizzy).

I pulled a head off an 85 and it had the distributor without play, but with my current setup I don't have it at all. ;)

[E30_Pare]

I had a similar problem. may not be the battery hitting the cap -- it was a bit of a stretch for me. come to find out that it was a worn dizzy that had about 3-5mm of play in it. I imagine the runout was bad and caused the rotor to smash into the cap with hard launches. First time it happened was at the drag strip with a very hard launch.


the result on the first rotor.

This has happened to me twice already. I always wonder how to heck did that happen. So my assumption was correct that my dizzy is busted. Time to hunt for another one. How did u check for play? Just wiggle it around & see if it moves?

[jeffnhiscars]

This has happened to me twice already. I always wonder how to heck did that happen. So my assumption was correct that my dizzy is busted. Time to hunt for another one. How did u check for play? Just wiggle it around & see if it moves?

I'm still doubtful. I never had this problem til I got t-boned and the battery caved in the cap, but if you look at the diagram, its hard to see how that could have bent anything is such a stocky part without the housing giving way or some other conspicuous damage. Not saying it can't happen, just not seeing it given that the cap caught the spinning rotor and bent the contact on it & sheared the lock pin underneath. How is that going to bend a shaft ?

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=1084&mospid=47302&btnr=12_0113&hg=12&fg=05

If you do swap it out remember theres an early and a late dist.

[TobyB]

My vote's for a broken engine mount.

The 2002 is notorious for breaking the driver's mount, then bashing the
brains out of the cap on the inside fenderwell... the cap dislodges, takes out the
rotor, then reseats itself like nothing really happened. Sometimes it even chuckles...

heh

t

oh, yeah, my dad blew the top off a battery- same thing, crank crank crank, then he shorted it by hitting it with something metal.

There wasn't much left of the top after that...

[E30_Pare]

That's interesting. So is there a better way to secure the cap? I feel like the two little tabs are a little insufficient.

[Hey_You]

I lost one of my tabs, so my cap is secured with safety wire :) Aint goin nowhere

[E30_Pare]

I need new mounts too. Mine collapsed. Think im just gunna get new ones & fill them with urethane. The same stuff they used to glue windshields to cars

[jeffnhiscars]

I dont think the cap is designed to withstand the impact of a battery so how its held in place is somewhat academic...and yes, now that I think of it I did see a smirk on it ;)

Motor mounts are a great point which crossed my mind when I hit the rr tracks & lost the 2nd rotor. I replaced it at some point & did a quick check when I changed the passenger side CA since I had the heat shield off, but of course its the drivers side mount that will allow the engine to lean that far, so I'll try to eliminate that as a source next chance I get.

I still think its the oversized battery. I have the 700CCA rather than the 495 which is a good couple inches shorter. Looking forward to the various solutions we find.

[jeffnhiscars]

I need new mounts too. Mine collapsed. Think im just gunna get new ones & fill them with urethane. The same stuff they used to glue windshields to cars

Arent e30 M10 mounts solid rubber ?

[Hey_You]

Mostly solid rubber

[jeffnhiscars]

Mostly solid rubber

Gotcha...thanks.

Not sure about the science of filling those voids w urethane. I think mayonnaise or peanut butter would work better.

[SA E30]

I'll try get some pictures of my solid Ally engine mounts. Just need to take them out the lathe.

Also running solid Nylon through bolt gearbox mounts. Those are the same dimensions as m20 powered cars.

[E30_Pare]

Gotcha...thanks.

Not sure about the science of filling those voids w urethane. I think mayonnaise or peanut butter would work better.

No science involved. Lol just assuming filling it/ making it somewhat solid may make it somewhat stronger