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Thread: engine idle screw

  1. #1
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    engine idle screw

    Hey guys,
    I recently started daily driving my '77 jade green again. Some of you know that I have had it for about 6 years, and I haven't needed to do much to it except a caliper and a clutch slave.

    Now, my idle screw keeps jumping up on me, way up. Mostly after getting on the interstate; going faster, over 60 mph or so. Did I lose a spring? It doesn't seem looser when I'm turning it back down. I've never taken it all the way out.

    Good to be back. I haven't had much time lately because I'm knee-deep into the Master's program and doing an internship at the local community mental health facility; substance use disorder counseling specifically, with displaced persons. It's a great area to work since people are homeless for every reason that Social Work exists.

    -Bill


  2. #2
    Join Date
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    1980 BMW 320i E21 M10B18

    Cool

    It has a o-ring on it and a metal wire, maybe your o-ring is broken.
    I bought one from a german vendor when these were NLA, dont see them listed anymore.
    $_57.JPG

    Randy

  3. #3
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    You will have job security for the rest of your life.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by okieflats View Post
    You will have job security for the rest of your life.
    Too true, my friend, too true.

    So, now my alt/fan belt snapped and I overheated a little. I didn't have much time, so I cut the AC belt to replace the alt/fan belt quicker (I had one in storage). Now, it sounds like the starter is just spinning. The engine seems to be turning over: on ignition, the fan turns, the crank pulley is turning. Heck, I even tried turning it over in 2nd with the clutch out; it rolled forward.

    Did I seize the engine? I can even see that the cam is turning through the valve cover.

    Oh, could the timing chains have snapped? What else? This doesn't seem like a blown head gasket.

    I should've knocked on wood.
    Last edited by dups; 03-24-2019 at 03:16 PM.


  5. #5
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    sold 78 BMW 320i
    Oh crap. Does the coolant smell burnt?

    Hi Dups! Been awhile.
    Tbd

  6. #6
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    If both are spinning the chain should be fine. Does it spin easily? Maybe you’re just not getting spark at all?
    -John

  7. #7
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    I'm not sure how to explain it. It doesn't have the chugga chugga that a car turning over has. Or resistance? I am going to have to push it home, I guess. I'll check for compression; forgot about that.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by epmedia View Post
    Oh crap. Does the coolant smell burnt?

    Hi Dups! Been awhile.
    Hey buddy. The coolant doesn't, but the rest does. It's not good dude.


  8. #8
    Join Date
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    Cool

    How long has it been since a tune up ? New points,plugs,condenser and so forth.


    Randy

  9. #9
    Join Date
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    I would tend to agree with John that it sounds like you may not be getting any spark, and that is an easy thing to check.

    The electrical connectors in our cars don't tend to age well, it is too easy to knock something loose when you are working under the hood. And even stuff that appears connected visually might not have actual contact. If you are indeed not getting spark, you might start with checking both the LT and HT connections at the coil and distributor.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by 320iAman View Post
    How long has it been since a tune up ? New points,plugs,condenser and so forth.


    Randy

    dreiermann
    Member


    Join DateMay 2015LocationChicago, IL,United StatesPosts169My Cars1977 BMW 320iFeedback Score


    I would tend to agree with John that it sounds like you may not be getting any spark, and that is an easy thing to check.

    The electrical connectors in our cars don't tend to age well, it is too easy to knock something loose when you are working under the hood. And even stuff that appears connected visually might not have actual contact. If you are indeed not getting spark, you might start with checking both the LT and HT connections at the coil and distributor.



    You guys did see the part where I overheated, right? Check all this stuff off the list. I haven't tuned it for a while, but it was running like a champ. I do have electronic conversion distributor. I am going to do compression check/ spark in the dark.


    • It sounds like as if the starter is spinning, but not engaging; however, the fan, crankshaft, cam shaft, and other stuff ARE spinning.
      I cut my AC belt to make the alt/fan belt easier (it was getting dark). No chance that's the culprit?



    · It sounds like as if the starter is spinning, but not engaging; however, the fan, crankshaft, cam shaft, and other stuff ARE spinning.

    · I cut my AC belt to make the alt/fan belt easier (it was getting dark). No chance that's the culprit?

    · I will definitely check for spark. Stupid question: Is it compression that gives the car some chugga chugga while attempting to start it? Basically, it sounds like I am trying to start an electric motor, not a combustion engine.



    • Oh, please let it be something stupid. It’s not I killed it. Damn! Maybe? I hope not!


  11. #11
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    I just think it’d be super unlikely and you’d be seeing other things going wrong if you blew compression on all four cylinders to that point. The only way I can think of is if the head gasket between the walls of every single cylinder ruptured and the gasses are just escaping through whatever valve is open at the time. Not impossible though
    -John

  12. #12
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    Maybe some carbon burned out from the valve seats and the valve rocker clearances are now too tight, causing low compression?

    Is there any 'visible' overheat damage? :eek
    Tbd

  13. #13
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    Even overheating, I can't imagine a scenario that would allow free airflow to all the cylinders. The lack of chugging is probably just lack of combustion. Tonight I will pull the wire off my coil and listen to what it sounds like when I crank it. If you are concerned that it is a valvetrain issue, you could remove the valve cover and watch the rockers so that you can cross the timing chain off of the list.

    Like I was saying, the old wiring in these cars can become disconnected at the slightest touch or jiggle, and when you were working in the engine bay something might have come loose. Or the steam from the overheating could have caused some issue. Or maybe you cracked the distributor cap (which might not be apparent until you take off the cap).

    For all the cars I have overheated, I have never had any other issues beyond whatever caused the overheating. The people I know who have had issues (my dad and my son, who coincidentally share the same name) kept driving while the car overheated (cracked block for my dad's Monte Carlo, head bolt/head gasket for my son's E34).

    I sure hope that I am correct in thinking that whatever is causing the no-start is not a major issue.

  14. #14
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    So I pulled the HT off the coil to make sure that I had no spark, and the starting-sound was V-V-V-V-V-V-V.

    And I had another thought about the possibility of losing compression - if a spark plug thread had been partially stripped, the overheating engine could have caused the holes to open enough so that one (or more) plug came out completely, which would kill both compression and spark simultaneously. And that would be easy to see! Although the possibility is admittedly remote.

  15. #15
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    Cool

    What kind of electronic distributor conversion ? Pertronix ? Check your voltage to the ignition coil and check ignition coil resistance to remove these as being the problem.

    2 person test or use a remote starter---Pull a spark plug, attach the spark plug wire,remove fuse for fuel pump, then crank the motor over while the spark plug is touching the exhaust or other engine ground point-hold the spark plug on the rubber boot while touching the plug end to the motor, if your getting spark you'll see a flash of light and hear a tick-click noise, can use any spark plug, yet test more than one--if no spark its most likely the electronic distributor conversion has a fault and then test it .

    Randy
    Last edited by 320iAman; 03-27-2019 at 06:34 PM.

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