84 318i performance

[Holland]

Mines running 81k

[brettholomew21]

My engine runs solid at 130k+, with 210k+ on the rest of the car.
This was a really helpful thread, I have the same car, same engine and it's good to get some inspiration like this.

I figure some new shocks and a f/r sway bar to get mine like I want it, then a good tune.

Suggestions for shocks? I don't wanna lower it much, if at all.

[CorvallisBMW]

My engine runs solid at 130k+, with 210k+ on the rest of the car.
This was a really helpful thread, I have the same car, same engine and it's good to get some inspiration like this.

I figure some new shocks and a f/r sway bar to get mine like I want it, then a good tune.

Suggestions for shocks? I don't wanna lower it much, if at all.

Shocks don't lower, springs do. Also, bigger sway bars without stiffer springs really makes no sense, you'd be wasting money. Boge and KYB make stock shocks, Bilstein makes the best but they are firmer and sportier.

[e30trooper]

i got a 84 318i and im allso looking to lower it and stiffing up the shocks, i was thinking koni and eiboc ? good set up , thats whats i had on my old 240sx and felt nice. But then im not such of a baller so dont have 100's to blow

[Spinning Tires]

I advanced the shit out of my timing. It made a big difference
and make sure your getting full throttle, I think my cable was stretched so it would fall on its face at high RPMS

[ruppcam]

what exactly, are you doing when you advance the timing? what effect does it have?

[Spinning Tires]

I turn the distributor in the direction which makes the rpms go up. More power

[e30trooper]

higher? i lowered mine that way, you think i lost power now?, because b4 i was idle at 1800 so i turnd to teh left and droped it 1000. felt like i gaind low end power but the top rpms suck

[Spinning Tires]

Yup thats exactly what happens if you advance it you get top end. The idle control motor should bring the idle back down after you advance it you might have a problem with it. You can also adjust the screw on the throttle body to close the throttle more

[e30trooper]

hmm so thats y my top end sucks ass, i turnd mine down , my low end is great to about 4k then is shit, ill try to clean my icv and replace hose an smog then advance that shit lol

[alor]

Have you tried setting your timing using a timing light? Do you think your distributor is advancing properly? The mark should move smoothly as the rpms are advanced. Maybe your dizzy isn't advancing properly and you have to set the advance higher than it should be at idle because it doesn't advance enough at a higher rpm to make the car have some power. I think that this is a problem that my car has. Do you put a few drops of oil on the felt under the rotor from time to time?

[e30trooper]

Have you tried setting your timing using a timing light? Do you think your distributor is advancing properly? The mark should move smoothly as the rpms are advanced. Maybe your dizzy isn't advancing properly and you have to set the advance higher than it should be at idle because it doesn't advance enough at a higher rpm to make the car have some power. I think that this is a problem that my car has. Do you put a few drops of oil on the felt under the rotor from time to time?

never tried any of that, my 1st time messin with the dist for idle i noticed my alt belt is loose so that could be it to, but my top end sucks even freeway, 5th pulls harder than 4th gear wtf? lol

[alor]

Check your distributor by pulling up and down on the rotor or the shaft that the rotor attaches to. If there is noticeable up and down movement, your distributor is showing signs of wear and your advance mechanism will not be working properly. You will essentially have a distributor which doesn't advance the spark with rpm and you will be missing power. Eventually, you will also have missing problems.

[mafoose]

Also, setting timing by ear is a recipe for disaster unless you are very keen on listening to knock/ping.

Especially if you fully advance it, you are probably ending up with a slower car because of ping, and moving the torque peak that much higher in the RPM makes for less area under the torque curve and therefore makes for a slower car.

[Farbin Kaiber]

wow @ where this thread has gone. When one of you guys do something stupid and need another m10, let me know. I have one in the garage.