Need help: 91i starts, backfires then shuts off

[kwill22]

Car is a '91 318i.

Having more problems with this car. After doing head gasket, when I crank her she starts, and then dies and the backfire is either when it shuts off or maybe right after. Too close to tell. And when I say it starts it doesn't stay on long enough to idle. It's while the engine is pretty much getting ready to run.

Timing is also good I've checked, rechecked and checked it again. Right now I have the head off inspecting everything. (timing was checked before removing head of course)

Any help appreciated. This car has been a headache for me lately.

[kwill22]

No ideas?

[bwawuz02]

If it ran before you changed the head gasket and now it won't even start; guess what, the timing is off. Either the cam timing or the spark timing, i.e. you set the cams wrong or you put the spark plug wires back in the wrong holes. The coils are labeled with their corresponding cylinder. The lobes of cylinder 1 should look like this // \\ pointing towards each other and up at about the same angle. Oh yeah, and make sure that cyl-1 is at TDC, lining up the marks on the trigger wheel and oil filter housing.

If you've checked it multiple times, then you might be checking it wrong.

[kwill22]

I'm sure I got the cams right. Got the arrows right, lobes right, 2 dots on the rear side of cams up and at the right angles. IE got the straight edge and got them lined up together.

I'll check it at the crank when I get back in there which could be possible cuz I may have overlooked it seeing as I was so focused on the head timing.. And I know I got the plugs in the right places so i guess the cranks next.