Early E30 cam belt change

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xavier
E30 Zone Regular
E30 Zone Regular
Posts: 743
Joined: Thu May 29, 2008 11:00 pm
Location: Western Australia

Post Mon Sep 14, 2020 12:03 pm

I have a 323i that does NOT have the dizzy pointing out of the front of the engine. It sits “above”. I have changed the timing belt twice in the past. Each time I had everything set at TDC, but when it was all bolted back together the timing was way out. It was easy to reset with the timing light, but should this way out timing happen?
I think the cam seal at the front is leaking so as I’ll need to pull the front off, I may as well do the belt and pump.
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flybynite
E30 Zone Squatter
E30 Zone Squatter
Posts: 1696
Joined: Sat Dec 02, 2017 11:00 pm

Post Mon Sep 14, 2020 3:57 pm

xavier wrote:
Mon Sep 14, 2020 12:03 pm
I have a 323i that does NOT have the dizzy pointing out of the front of the engine. It sits “above”. I have changed the timing belt twice in the past. Each time I had everything set at TDC, but when it was all bolted back together the timing was way out. It was easy to reset with the timing light, but should this way out timing happen?
I think the cam seal at the front is leaking so as I’ll need to pull the front off, I may as well do the belt and pump.
My 323i has the distributor plugged in to the base of the block on the left hand side poking out forward of the inlet manifold. AFAIK all the early jetronic M20 had them there. Never seen one anywhere else.

Photo of it?

Timed mine up a couple of times and never did any thing special. Only minor minor adjustment with the light ever needed afterwards