downsides and questions about the 123 distibutor

[Dudeland]

23 minutes ago, '76mintgrün'02 said:

 

... now we're talking.

 

 

Does it make me old because I recognize the brand of the tube?? 

[ray_]

1 hour ago, '76mintgrün'02 said:

 

... now we're talking.

 

 

 

[Stevenola]

I love my 123 distributor, it's especially useful for running more advance at idle for better pickup and lower idle temps.  Then you just recurve to prevent too much all in advance which you can only do on a regular one by sending off to be recurved.  One day I'll use it to tune on a dyno.  Also very helpful for setting throttle plate position on side draft carbs.  I have 20k on mine with no issues.  I thought mine kicked the bucket but it was a dying battery giving me fits.  Have the BT version now and keep the USB as a backup.  The o-ring it comes with sucks so you need to put a real BMW one on it, then slide the crappy one up to the higher notch on the shaft for double sealing.  Oh and you need to bend the 2 disributor cap clasps so they hold tight.

['76mintgrün'02]

15 minutes ago, Stevenola said:

The o-ring it comes with sucks so you need to put a real BMW one on it, then slide the crappy one up to the higher notch on the shaft for double sealing.

 

Precious info right there.  Do you have a BMW part number to share?  Or, simply the O-ring dimensions?

[Stevenola]

8 minutes ago, '76mintgrün'02 said:

 

Precious info right there.  Do you have a BMW part number to share?  Or, simply the O-ring dimensions?

 

Standard across all models, 12118530508, better quality and tighter fit than the 123 one.

[halboyles]

8 minutes ago, '76mintgrün'02 said:

Precious info right there.  Do you have a BMW part number to share? 

 

My precious!  Yes very good info to have for anyone with a distributor.  Luckily that o-ring was used by many European makers at the time.

Here is one sampling:

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Distributor-O-Ring-Elring-GERMAN-MADE-VW-PORSCHE-AUDI-BMW-SAAB-VOLVO-111905261/264526557635?fits=Model%3A2002tii|Make%3ABMW&epid=210403580&hash=item3d9702f1c3:g:0-MAAOSwwhxcBaHd

['76mintgrün'02]

Oh!  Not that one.  I thought you meant the one they put on the shaft INSIDE the housing. 

 

I think we need to find a replacement for the one that allows the oil intrusion.

Sorry for the confusion.

 

Tom

[Stevenola]

1 minute ago, '76mintgrün'02 said:

Oh!  Not that one.  I thought you meant the one they put on the shaft INSIDE the housing. 

 

I think we need to find a replacement for the one that allows the oil intrusion.

Sorry for the confusion.

 

Tom

 

Yes, that would be precious!

[halboyles]

2 minutes ago, '76mintgrün'02 said:

 

I think we need to find a replacement for the one that allows the oil intrusion.

 

Picky! Picky!

Well in that case, you are on your own!

[Golfcar]

I'm new to this forum but not new to BMW's or the 123. 

I own an E9 like stevehose that has responded on here. 

Mine tunable unit on my M30 motor has failed twice. 

Last time in less than a year and less than a 1000 miles. 

My M30 is much modded with high compression, cam and much more. 

I even rebuilt the oil pump when I built the engine and have excellent oil pressure. May be that is a clue. 

I reinstalled my Bosch stock dist a few weeks ago after the 123 was acting up with missing and sputtering especially around 2-3000 RPM. 

123 is going to send me a new circuit board. 

In the mean time I took it apart and found oil in the housing and on the circuit board. Boards can be cleaned by putting in a ultra-sonic cleaner in alcohol for a few minutes. 

I was NOT able to get the brass bushing out of the 123 to examine the oil seal they are using. I have my doubts about it's composition and quality?  

I also took apart the Bosch dist. 

Found the helicoil groove in the shaft that Bosch put there to stop oil from climbing up the dist drive shaft. Not the outside of the housing. That's not where the oil gets in. 

My brother is a machinist and we are currently coming up with a plan to ad that groove to the 123 shaft. 

there is room for it below the shaft seal in the 123. 

Haven't completed yet but will soon and then test. 

I will update when I have some more to report.  

 

 

['76mintgrün'02]

16 minutes ago, m5bb said:

In the mean time I took it apart and found oil in the housing and on the circuit board.

 

Unfortunately, that seems to be a common problem with them.  You also have to be careful with the clips that hold the cap on, because the metal is soft and they can lose their grip.  Just make sure to keep the proper bend in them.

 

I am eager to see the grooved shaft and hear how it works.

 

Here is a lengthy thread on the oil intrusion topic.

 

 

Tom

[Golfcar]

Can I move this over there somehow? Or just duplicate it? 

I searched for that thread but there were so many I thought I had the correct one. 

Gary 

 

[7502]

I think there is more going on than just oil on the PCB board. Oil is not that conductive. Mine gets a tiny bit of oil worked up over time and it's been fine for a number of years. Perhaps the oil is breaking down the board leading to cracks but that seems unlikely.  I do plan on pulling mine and washing it down w/ rubbing alcohol - if I could only find some. 

 

I always suspect the connectors, also wonder if the people w/ the suspect oil problems are using the Blue Tooth version or in my case just the manual switch version. 

Thanks for the nice pictures @m5bb

Edited September 25, 2020 by 7502
1 more thought

['76mintgrün'02]

56 minutes ago, m5bb said:

Can I move this over there somehow? Or just duplicate it? 

I searched for that thread but there were so many I thought I had the correct one. 

Gary 

 

You can post in that thread too.  It might help future searchers.  Your information fits nicely in both threads.  Thank you for sharing.

Tom

[TobyB]

Once again, I feel compelled to note that the M10 vibrates a LOT at

certain revs, and ... ... ...  oh, whaddevah.

 

t