M20 Power Loss...maybe timing?

[BeemaBoy]

Hi All

Got a strange problem with my 87 E30 320I!
Recently, I did a timing belt change on the car aswell as replacing my cone filter with the original air-box (with a performance filter).
Problem I have now is that I do not seem to have any power above 4000RPM .
I can literally spin the wheels off the mark with little effort, but as soon as I get to 4000+-RPM, even with my foot flat on the accelerator, the car really battles to rev. I live in quite a hilly area and I find that I have to keep on changing down gears to get up the smallest inclines...which ultimatally means that I am having to change to first gear, because second cannot pull the car...
I have replaced the AFM aswell as all of the rubber pipes and I still have this problem. Could the car need a timing adjustment because of the timing belt change I did?
Any suggestion would really be a huge help

Thanks
BB

[daimlerman]

Is this a chrome bumper car,please?

[BeemaBoy]

Hi. Yes, an 87 Chrome Bumper with an L-Jetronic system...
BB

[daimlerman]

At a guess the ignition timing was disturbed when the belt was changed.The distributer is driven from the same jackshaft that drives the oil pump,it is easy to misalign when doing a timing belt.According to Haynes(hic)there is a mark on the distributer case which should line up with the end of the rotor arm.Check this first,it should be possible to reset be removing and repositioning the distributer.The later cars do not have this problem,the H/T is dealt with by a simplified distributer on the front of the cam.Incedently,I made this same mistake years ago with a 520i E28!!

[BeemaBoy]

Hi daimlerman

The jackshaft that you are talking about...is that a different one from the camshaft and crankshaft? I did most of the work based on what Haynes says and the rest of it from the Bentley manual and none of them told me to keep the third (intermediate) shaft stationary when changing the belt (I only thought it was there to keep the belt taught)...only to make sure that the cam and crank both line up. Rather than taking the distributor out, is it possible to put the timing back in alignment by simply using the timing gun and adjusting the distributor with a spanner?
In terms or removing the dizzy though and resetting against the line on the housing. I assume you mean that this line lines up with the rotor when the car is at TDC?
Thinking about it now, I do remember that I knocked that shaft while trying to put the new belt on...did not pay much attention to it because the books said nothing about it

Many Thanks
BB

[daimlerman]

You are correct,I failed to make it clear,sorry!The jack shaft is the one you mention.I took my information from Haynes manual 815 which deals with the early engine.Bentley only covers the later one.As the later engines use the ECU to time the spark,the position of the third pulley is not critical.On the ealy ones,as you have discovered,it is!I think that you will have to set cam/crank to the marks and see how far out the distributer is,you may be able to move it enough to get the timing right.I would think that to remove the distributer you will probably have to remove the inlet manifold...may even be easier to take the belt off and start again,unless by taking the tension off the belt you can reposition the pulley?Due to my advancing years I cannot remember how I got out of this mess when I had my E28,I expect that I gave up and took it to the garage!As the engine does run the timing cannot be too far out...

[BeemaBoy]

Can I be a real pain and ask you for the procedure as best you remember it?
I understand that I should get the engine to TDC on piston 1 and then remove the distributor cap. I then assume that the end of the rotor arm should be very close to pointing at this line on the distributor housing...if it is not, I should remove the distributor and turn the shaft the little bit required to get it to point to the line on the distributor housing...
Is that about correct?

Thanks
BB

[daimlerman]

Yup.That should do it.As said,the timing cannot be too far out,so it is possibly only a small movement that you will need.The Haynes book (815)that I am working from is a very old one,I bouht it secondhand when I was running an E21 320,my first BMW,must be 15 years or more ago!!The sketch of the distributer shows a mark to the left of the condenser,very close to the points,looks as if it could be on the front,that is,close to the belt cover.Wish I could scan it for you!!I could post you a photocopy if that would help....

[BeemaBoy]

Hmmm...talking about 'points'. I know my distributor has not got any of those and apparantely has an 'Impulse Sensor' according to a BMW indy I took it to about a year ago. I complained about a missfire and asked him to check the points. He called me later that day to tell me that the AFM was the fault. I asked him about the points and he explained that the car has not got any due to it being some kind of electronic ignition...???
Does this change anything about what you said above?

Number 11 is the wheel that I remember knocking into and turning it a few mm. The dizzy definately runs off it
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do ... g=11&fg=25
I would be VERY grateful if you could post a photocopy of that page...if you have time...I dont want to be a bother

Thanks
BB

[daimlerman]

This is what happens when you take Haynes for granted!!At 3am!!As I dropped off to sleep I was trying to remember if my E28 had points,I do remember that the E21 did,but that had a very complecated carberetter as well...of course your engine will have electronic ignition,have you found a mark on the distributer body that is the referance point?The rotor arm sould be the moving reference.No problem sending you a photocopy,just PM me an address.

[BeemaBoy]

Hi

Had a good look lastnight and I cannot see anything that jumps out as a reference mark
I will have a look again tonight with a stronger light and I will clean away some of the grime...

I have sent you a PM with my email...

Thanks
BB