PLEASE HELP. im on the verge of tears!

[tommype30cab]

ok i have a 325i cab on a D plate (86 i think). it was an automatic but ive just done a manual conversion but now i cant get it to run! ive done the inhibitor switch and the car turns over on the starter but there is no spark.
On the old gearbox (switchable sport auto) there were 2 sensors with 3 wires on each of them, they read off the old auto flywheel and a tab welded too it which mustve triggered once every turn of the flywheel. The manual box does not have these sensors but i questioned it with the bmw breaker i got the bits from and he said they were for electronic kickdown (witch the car DOES have). HOWEVER on the front of most 325is there is a toothed wheel that runs the crank sensor and tells the car when to spark etc etc, mine just has a solid wheel (looks like a brake disc) on it. there is a sensor on the wheel but haynes manual says its just for bmw diagnostic which makes sense cos it wires in th the diag socket near the thermostat. I have since fitted the toothed wheel and sensor to my car, i also took the complete front loom and ecu plug (all from a later car- i think it was an f plate 320 touring auto). very little of the loom plugs up to my car and the ECU plug wont even go through the hole in my bulkhead!!!! My car has 6 individual injector plugs and this one is on a rail etc etc. basically i have to do a complete bodge (no thanks) or wire my old loom and the crank sensor together. I should also point out that my cab didnt have the cable that runs off no.6 plug lead to a 3pin plug near the diag socket. the 2 plugs that are near the diagnostic socket on most cars are bolted on the side of my engine block and BOTH went to the auto gearbox sensors. i have also installed the plug lead cable in to my car now.

Can anyone tell me if there are 2 types of loom and ive got the uncommon one as i suspect?

And do i stand a snowball in hells chance of wiring the crank sensor from a later car in to mine, with the plug lead wire. i know it should work in theory but i believe there are a different amount of teeth on the auto flywheel to the toothed cranksensor wheel. If this isnt possible can someone PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE give me a clue or sell me the bits i need. im pulling my hairout and i have to stop typing now because there is hair on the keyboard

Oh and by the way: just to make things work ive just taken delivery of a brand new set if BK171 alpinas ive been after buying since i got the car 6 months ago and i cant fit them till the car runs again

thanks in advance for any light you can shead on this. Tom

[Ant]

your car must have the twin pulse sensors @ the gearbox in order to run dude

the 1st is the rpm, the second is the TDC marker, without these you're going no-where I'm afraid

options:

1,get the correct gearbox and flywheel.

2,swop in the later engine management using the single sensor and trigger wheel @ the front pulley.

3, swop in the later trigger setup and fit an MS ECU , then throw the motronic ECU and AFM in the bin and enjoy the induction noise

OK, neither option is great news but unless you want a large static e30 display on your drive, there's no other way forward

your car has the 073 ECU and loom, you need a 173 ECU and loom, plus the afore mentioned trigger assy to retrofit, then swop the looms over, refit the new ECU assy in place of the old and then try again.

you'll need to swop a couple of wires on the C101 connector, but its not a complete nightmare

HTH

[tommype30cab]

Bugger thats gonna cost me! ok ill post a thread in wanted section but if anybody has the bits they want to sell me (like a manual 325 or 320cos ive got the prop gearbox from an early e30 with the crank sensor in the bell housing i would be very gratetful. Thanks all.

[dazleeds]

i have a manual 325 box if its any good to ya

nice and cheap

pm me if interested

Daz

[Brianmoooore]

Can't see any reason to swap the gearbox again. The sensors can stay where they are on the bell housing but just won't be used.
Get the toothed crank pulley, crank position sensor and engine loom from a later 320 or 325 from a scrapyard and swap it in. 325 ECU can be used unmodified, but the 320 can be used if you fit a zone 325 chip.

[tommype30cab]

thought of that brian, and got all the bits but soooooo many plugs are different that it would be a total mess under there. besides im a bit demoralised at the moment so i want to do it properly and use the correct bits that plug up cos if it isnt rite, even if it looks it, i will know and itll ruin it for me and ill end up selling the car so its gettin done rite while its off the road. Do you know anyone with the early type 325 box to fit an m20 engine. MUST have 2 sensors on the bell housing though (and a flywheel plz). Thanks to every1 on here, thank god i discovered this site cos id be stuck without ya.

[Brianmoooore]

I'd still go with the later set up. Get the fuel rail and all the sensors you need. Go to the sort of scrapyard that's more interested in the weight of stuff you take rather than its real value. Would only be about Ԛ£30's worth at the right scrapyard.

[tommype30cab]

Thanks again brian. Ive just collected the correct gearbox form the bmw garage in finedon near northampton. got all the bits at a good price so im gonna go get my hands dirty now. Thanks for all your help and when im done im going to make a complete step by step guide on how to do this conversion and all the things to look out for. Should take a while me thinks!