Please help- Losing my F'ing mind, my patience, and my money.

[The Dough]

Nice work

[DaveSmed]

Nice! glad to hear it's alive!

Diagnosis isn't just an E30 thing, it has to do with everything and it is the hardest part of working on shit. Anybody can throw parts at a problem.

[sticksdaman]

kudos! this is inspiration to me as i am tackling a recent no start myself

[lolcantturn]

IT STARTS!!!
i am single handedly the most happiest person alive right now.
swapped the head out and rewired C191. put the new head back in, checked compression on one cylinder only, 140psi. fucking awesome. I hooked up only the electrical connections needed to start the engine, with the exhaust manifold only mocked on. primed the fuel, all the coolant hoses were not even attached to my engine. turned the key, started IMMEDIATELY, like instantanous. I only let it run for .4 of a second since coolant was probably going to rush out and my exhaust manifold wasn't on properly, but im so fucking happy right now.


this a big lesson that I think every E30 owner goes through. DIAGNOSE, DIAGNOSE, DIAGNOSE, DIAGNOSE. That is IMPERATIVE if you want to come out alive from E30s..

[lolcantturn]

Mystery solved!

and yeah, get that lift point bracket back in there. If you don't like the look, cut it down, but your distributor needs that to maintain proper alignment. You are gonna destroy crap in there quickly.

Yep yep!
I've actually never seen that engine bracket lift point, I wonder why the PO would remove it?? Gotta head to Guten and get a new one.

On the other hand..





My valves look ok right? I'm not sure how obvious a bent valve looks like. (yes im aware my coolant passage is not good)

[StereoInstaller1]

Is that what goes between the distributor? If so, then nope.

In the process of taking the head out, I found this underneath the valve cover...Must be some sort of necklace? :nice:


I didn't get a chance to remove the head however, kinda sucks on this nice day. My 3/8ths ratchet looked like it was about to snap trying to remove the headbolts so I have to go to the hardware store tomorrow and get a 1/2 inch ratchet.

Mystery solved!

and yeah, get that lift point bracket back in there. If you don't like the look, cut it down, but your distributor needs that to maintain proper alignment. You are gonna destroy crap in there quickly.

[98turbo]

I was just gonna suggest that. My car had the same problem it felt like it was running off 4 cylinders

[lolcantturn]

Still have your engine lifting lug?

Is that what goes between the distributor? If so, then nope.

In the process of taking the head out, I found this underneath the valve cover...Must be some sort of necklace? :nice:


I didn't get a chance to remove the head however, kinda sucks on this nice day. My 3/8ths ratchet looked like it was about to snap trying to remove the headbolts so I have to go to the hardware store tomorrow and get a 1/2 inch ratchet.

[DaveSmed]

Still have your engine lifting lug?

[lolcantturn]

Try this before taking the head off, put the same timing belt back correctly then see if you're getiing the same low compression, the low compression might be due to bad timing and valves not closing when they are supose to, if this doesnt change anything then go with head removal
let us know how it goes.
Henry

I'm getting compression in every cylinder except cylinder 3. The timing belt is lined up perfectly and correctly this time. I'll make a final test before taking my engine apart though, thanks!

Nope, back that shit up right there.

Tear that fucker down and fix it. BMW didn't build it like that.

I'm trying to see on realOEM the part that im missing, but It doesn't show up. regardless it's not the distributor :(

[StereoInstaller1]

Yeah nope, not the distributor..
The only thing I can complaint from the distributor is that my rotor is rubbing slightly against the distributor but im still getting good spark so that's ruled out

Nope, back that shit up right there.

Tear that fucker down and fix it. BMW didn't build it like that.

[MTechnikII]

Try this before taking the head off, put the same timing belt back correctly then see if you're getiing the same low compression, the low compression might be due to bad timing and valves not closing when they are supose to, if this doesnt change anything then go with head removal
let us know how it goes.
Henry

[lolcantturn]

Decided to take the head off. The timing belt skipped over 2 teeth and I'm getting hidious compression in cylinder 3. Bent valve is likely.

[LJ851]

Did you fix it, brah?

[MTechnikII]

haven't been on this site often, but if I see something that I have had experience with I'd share it with you guys.
aligning the timing gears is not difficult, there is one marking on the cranckshaft gear and one marking on the cam shaft, both HAVE to line up with their makings,( on my car it was off by one tooth and no damages were caused by that)
one important tip in replacing the timing belt
when placing the new belt , the section of belt that's towards the driver side has to be completly stretched, hold the bottom of the belt with your hand on the cranckshaft gear( somehow make the belt stay on the crankshaftgear teeth and don't let it slip) and pull the belt around the roller till the teeth get engaged onto the cam shaft gear,
the stretch of belt between cam gear and cranckshaft has to be tight with no slack , the tenssioner puts tenssion on one side of the belt ONLY.( if you have slack on the other side as the tensioner puts tenssion on the belt on one side the timing between the camgear and crackshaft gear will change( missalighned)
I actually think the camshaft gets retarded instead of getting advanced if the belt jumps a tooth.
just get a new belt if the waterpump and the tenssioner are new.
again Good luck
Henry