Worlds longest Resto, my C2 2.7 19/3/18 Vent guage action

Doing a minor build / restoration or an epic one, post it here

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Speedtouch
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Mon Jan 09, 2012 10:44 pm

As e30topless said, there are two dowels in the stick.

So, 180 degrees out is a distinct possibility...
Last edited by Speedtouch on Mon Jan 09, 2012 10:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Mon Jan 09, 2012 10:47 pm

Speedtouch wrote:

As e30topless said, there are two dowels in the stick.

So, 180 degrees out is a distinct possibility...
Thats a scary fooking prospect! 8O
Simon13
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Mon Jan 09, 2012 11:02 pm

the sprocket for the cam only fitted in 1 of the holes the other was/is smaller or something. I remember looking at it and thinking the same thing as said. I'm sure of it. Easy way to check that is with the cam cover off and look at the cam lobes with it at TDC. Mind you if it was 180 out as such it could make sense as the crank spins at twice as quick at the cam. So the valves will never hit and the compression is spot on........................ :?

I know the crank sensor is right because if its plugged in to the other socket you don't get any spark. Makes sense. Barry and me tested this by earthing a plug on the cam cover!

I shall get the spanners back out when i get in from work again. Plenty to crack on with, can't throw the towel in yet

But the vibration damper thing could be it also?! I just grabbed the cleanest must unrusty one for balancing when i had the bottom end done. F**k that could of been a waste of money. I'll whip it off and compare it to the bronzits 2.5 engine see if it looks different.
e30topless
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Mon Jan 09, 2012 11:24 pm

cam is deffo out ..

No1 valves are slightly open, the cam lobes which should be sitting on the bottom of the cam here aren't ... they are up top :eek:

Valves on No2 are closed more than No1 so it must be....

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Demlotcrew
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Tue Jan 10, 2012 8:45 am

In that photos, cyl 1 valves look closed to me. :?

Si where were you when i came round?

PS can i have the pile of cables next to the garage? winkeye
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Tue Jan 10, 2012 8:53 am

Demlotcrew wrote:
PS can i have the pile of cables next to the garage? winkeye
Doing a bit o' tarmac are ye? :D
Andyboy
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Tue Jan 10, 2012 9:01 am

Simon13 wrote:So today today has been a big day!

Image


This is correct. Both No1 lobes pointing up?




Errr, or pointing down even. :roll:

I was thinking about M40's with finger rockers!

As regards to the cylinder identification sensor - on a Mates V12, one bank was dead because this wasn't working. Mind you. that's DME 1.7 and not 1.3.
Swapped it with one from an M20 and it worked. On the M20, it gives a signal to the ECU terminals 8 and 31.
Last edited by Andyboy on Tue Jan 10, 2012 6:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
e30topless
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Tue Jan 10, 2012 9:06 am

Demlotcrew wrote:In that photos, cyl 1 valves look closed to me. :?
Just noticed Si has a socket on the crank here so the timing may not have been lined up at this point :o:

my theory could be completely wrong here, but worth checking ?
Demlotcrew
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Tue Jan 10, 2012 9:09 am

Andyboy wrote:
Demlotcrew wrote:
PS can i have the pile of cables next to the garage? winkeye
Doing a bit o' tarmac are ye? :D
I'm fitting a brise axg starter and I need to do something with the unloader relays ;)
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Tue Jan 10, 2012 10:25 am

e30topless wrote:
Demlotcrew wrote:In that photos, cyl 1 valves look closed to me. :?
Just noticed Si has a socket on the crank here so the timing may not have been lined up at this point :o:

my theory could be completely wrong here, but worth checking ?
More than 3 teeth out and valves are bent = no compression. I'd be rechecking that the cam timing isn't 180 degrees out, but my money would be on a faulty pulse sensor - the one that goes around the plug lead, plug leads on wrong on the cap or a coil that isn't knocking the right number of KV's out.
Demlotcrew
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Tue Jan 10, 2012 10:28 am

Andy the ignition lead pulse sensor does nothing, you dont even need to have it connected.

Andrew
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Tue Jan 10, 2012 3:09 pm

Bearing in mind that this is a new engine,with nice new bearings,it will be a bit tight and perhaps the battery is struggling to swing it over and provide a decent spark?

Bet you have already tried a second,running car alongside with big,heavy jump leads?
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Tue Jan 10, 2012 4:29 pm

daimlerman wrote:Bearing in mind that this is a new engine,with nice new bearings,it will be a bit tight and perhaps the battery is struggling to swing it over and provide a decent spark?

Bet you have already tried a second,running car alongside with big,heavy jump leads?
Nice thought but :
Simon13 wrote:Won't go, tried some easy start earlier nothing. Just towed it to a hill near by, tried bumping it. Won't have it, even towed the c8nt up the road at 10mph with the B3 and all that managed was a massive backfire out the exhaust once with all the fuel in there.
Surely with Ignition on, a healthy battery and no load on the starter if it was going to start it would have done with this.

:(
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e30topless said : Proper BMW's have 4 headlights, last of the run was the E30 and E34/E32 anything after that is just complete shite
Demlotcrew
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Tue Jan 10, 2012 4:43 pm

Ouch! Sounds like a timing problem to me! If it backfired then its got to be trying.
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Tue Jan 10, 2012 5:51 pm

So have you removed then rocker cover and had a look at the cam then Si?
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Andyboy
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Tue Jan 10, 2012 6:18 pm

Demlotcrew wrote:Andy the ignition lead pulse sensor does nothing, you dont even need to have it connected.

Andrew
Not sure about Motronic 1.3, but on 1.7 you certainly do.
e30topless
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Tue Jan 10, 2012 6:21 pm

1.3 will run ok without the pulse sensor, but i'm sure it's there for a reason ? :?
Demlotcrew
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Tue Jan 10, 2012 6:23 pm

Its diagnostics only.
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Tue Jan 10, 2012 8:56 pm

e30topless wrote:1.3 will run ok without the pulse sensor, but i'm sure it's there for a reason ? :?
I read this a while ago while i was converting to 1.3:

The pulse generator triggers the batch fire sequence for the fuel injectors.

The Motronic 1.3 on the BMW is setup to fire the injectors in two timed batches of three each. This is to more closely align the injector pulses with the valve track. The pulse generator is the trigger for timing the sequence.

If the pulse generator is disconnected the injectors fire in a single batch.

By most reports the difference is pretty minor.
Simon13
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Thu Jan 12, 2012 6:29 pm

So you'll be pleased to hear i got this sack of sh!t running on wednesday night. And the answer? goes to topless i owe you a beer. The cam timing was 180 degrees out. More on that later.

So after sorting that it started straight up! BUT sounded like a machine gun though, so i switched it off. Checked the valve clearances and they had all bar 2 really loosend off! New rockers and me not doing the 10mm nuts tight enough i guess. So i re did them and thought that might quieten it down. Which it did a bit. But still this noise sounded really cammy but fairly horrid metallically. Imagine an M20 with the cam hanging out of it and no oil in it. So i thought petrol thinned the oil down from all the previous starting efforts.

Thursday came, queing in traffic on way home and really itchy to get back on it, and some arse bumps me up the chuff in the C2 touring (only car working as always!) Being fairly stressed i dropped a few f bombs! there was a tiny dent in the plastic trim in the bumper so i called him a dopey c*nt and went on my way. Didn't want the extra aggro of all that. Got the oil and did a change and prayed......................nothing.

So heres another mistake i made. After the new oil in it i started it again. Sounded just the same, carried on knowing it didn't sound right and ran it on fast idle for 20mins to bed the cam in. Which it did fine and the cooling system bled up perfect heater went hot off the bat really and no drama there. Just this noise.

Another mistake taking it for a drive! i put about 3 miles on it and it felt good, exhaust note was nice and it felt really grunty and very smooth. Then i had to go out. So i thought i'll do the other miles needed for the rings later that evening, so i went out about 10:30 roads nice and quiet, still that noise but its got a bit quieter but still too noisey and drove it another 2 miles, was doing about 60 and i heard a bang and the power went! kicked the clutch in revs dropped, so i gave it a little blip it didn't want to know so when i let off the gas it died and i basically free wheeled it to the in-laws house as i was right by there.

The woman came out and got me and was fairly p!ssed at me! so when i got back i jumped in the C2 wagon grabbed a few tools and went back! I couldn't go to sleep wondering what the F just happened. I thought i'd maybe snapped a rocker or something, it would keep up all night and it would be another day at work torturing myself about it all! Got there took the rocker cover off and nothing, looked perfect. My intial thoughts now are i've done something wrong on the bottom end. Fairly serious and thats where all the money went on this build but in reality i don't really know. And i can't be arsed to start stripping it down to check timing head off and all that crap.

We're now rock bottom on this project i think. Bar hitting a tree in it when its finished! The plans have gone to sh!t. So really its how we move on from this. I strangly feel more relieved now than i did since it wouldn't start 10 days ago, if you can catch my drift! A little break from it might be a good idea, my wife said its supposed to be fun all this. And you what? its not been, its been a ball ache tbh and i'd forgotton that. Thats about the only time i've worked on this project like this and its not got me far now has it. I can tell you the rest of it hasn't been like this and i've enjoyed all of that and can still see the red seats and vent guage and shiney paint and an MOT. Just won't be as quickly as i thought. Maybe f**k Gaydon this year carry on as its been and it will all work out in the end.

I thought i'd be mad/crying but i'm not. Do we bin off the bronzit a bit early or keep it for longer? theres long MOT on it and rent in the window until April. But the mighty B3 touring comes on the road in 2 weeks when i insure that instead of the bronzit. Too many choices!

So we want pictures of all before?! i need to upload them if so. About my longest post ever!
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Thu Jan 12, 2012 6:43 pm

As per our phone call, take a break for a couple of weeks and then come back to it.

Onwards and upwards and all that mate.
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Thu Jan 12, 2012 7:16 pm

for fkcu's sake :cry:

I agree with Baz.. onwards and upwards Si stick it in a corner until your inspiration grows a little, these turds can really test us at times :(
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Thu Jan 12, 2012 7:31 pm

I had a strange occurance many years ago just after buying my Touring. Had just done a run down to your manor Si,and upon leaving the in laws,the Touring suddenly lost all power,occumpanied by the engine sounding like it was just about to shit the bottom end out.
It wouldn't do more than about 20mph either. Parked it back up at the inlaws and had a fiddle ( it was late at night) and couldn't find anything out of place,yet it just wouldn't run. Went to bed feeling pissed off and having replacemnet engine thoughts. Not good.
Next morning,went out to have a fresh look,turned the key,fired up like nothing was ever wrong :?:
Took it for a drive and all was normal too,power,acceleration etc.

It never did this again,annoyingly,I also didn't have an answer.
Someone told me some years later it could have been a blocked vacumn pipe on the fuel tank,and as it sat over night the vacumn slowly unblocked itself,a common occurance on old Skip lorries!

Probably not much help Si,but,I have my fingers crossed for you it's just something simple astray.
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Thu Jan 12, 2012 7:40 pm

Phew, this is turning into the worst nightmare! I know how Si feels. when my turd wouldn't start I seriously thought of an insurance claim on the f*cker!

Si. As above. Park it up, leave it. F*ck Gaydon. Full of ponces of late anyway :D Have some fun with the B3. It's taken how many years so far? Another one won't hurt.

Did it lose oil pressure before it went tits up and if you turn it over now does the oil light go out?
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Thu Jan 12, 2012 7:45 pm

after my last tinkering with the cam timing being out the oil light isn't working when back together. Which means i've got a break in the wiring. its only 1 wire going to the switch. So in short i don't know, i'd highly doubt it but, i've f**ked aload of other bits up so far! Anyhow the pressure light was going out after about 1-2 secs of cranking

it wasn't so much taking it to gaydon but more of going to ilse of mann in it this year, old man won't race there forever! B3 would be a good tool over there though.........
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Thu Jan 12, 2012 8:01 pm

As my pm mate,

Its almost exactly what i went through. You will be on your arse right now. You've gone way too far to give up now!

Honestly once its running it WILL be worth it!

Chin up bud 8)
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Thu Jan 12, 2012 8:15 pm

Interesting read Si, stick with it. Just try not to throw the tools around and end up doing some real damage.
As Jesus said its the mystery backfire (hopefully), i've had it a few times when i had a leaky injector. while starting it it would backfire and then just refuse to start, you had to walk away and come back in half an hour. It would then start and run fine.
I never did figure out why it did it, all i could think of was it was slamming the AFM door shut and screwing up the ECU :mad:

Stick with it ,its all a learning curve.
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Thu Jan 12, 2012 8:15 pm

This is a real low Si, I wish you all the best with it.
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Thu Jan 12, 2012 8:54 pm

Stiff upper lip Si, you'll soon have this sorted.
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Thu Jan 12, 2012 9:00 pm

A few of us have been there mate, it sucks ass when it happens and you do just want to knock it about with a large lump of metal.

A bit of distance for a while and go back to it with a clear & methodical head. Strangely it then becomes enjoyable as you get into the final stretch again and you find renewed motivation.
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Thu Jan 12, 2012 9:34 pm

E30BeemerLad wrote:A few of us have been there mate, it sucks ass when it happens and you do just want to knock it about with a large lump of metal.

A bit of distance for a while and go back to it with a clear & methodical head. Strangely it then becomes enjoyable as you get into the final stretch again and you find renewed motivation.
Plus its a very weird feeling when your long term project is completed.

What will you do with all that free time!

Sundays shopping with the other half soon get old Si
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Thu Jan 12, 2012 9:44 pm

Get yourself a proper Hoddie, off topic :D

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Thu Jan 12, 2012 9:50 pm

Bad times!!

As everyone has said, just take a step back from it for a bit. Though I'm not going to the lengths as you are I've had no ends of breaks from my chromie and it certainly helps going back with a fresh approach.

No point rushing :cool:
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Speedtouch
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Thu Jan 12, 2012 10:30 pm

Well, at least you got a lot of bang for your buck! :wink:

And it must have felt good to have got some decent miles out it, so it's shown potential. With a little more fettling, it will no doubt be well worth the hassle...
///M aurice
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Demlotcrew
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Thu Jan 12, 2012 10:46 pm

Si, did you carry out a compression test after putting the timing back 180deg?
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