mbaze

Thanks for the tips, guys. I think I'll pass on the Bosal for now, as they seem to get mixed reviews on the board. Cheers.

Longshot I know, but do any of you SF Bay Area folks know where I might be able to source a new or good condition center resonator tomorrow (Monday)? I have the day off from work, and it'd be nice to wrap up my exhaust project. (Second choice is to order from BavAuto and finish it next weekend. I shoulda planned ahead, I know.)

mbazeley@gmail.com

One that works, I guess. I canibalized one from one 2002 for another just to fill a hole. And now some of the aftermarket gauges on the first 2002 don't work. I never could figure out what the switch did, but it obviously completed a circuit. What do you have? I suppose I could put the switch back and use a dummy in my second 2002, if it's the right size.

Not trying to be flip (or dumb), but what does the center resonator do? I searched the forums, but most of the talk is about noise levels. Does it provide useful backflow to the motor? My car came with headers and a straight pipe. I'm replacing the headers this weekend with a tii exhaust manifold and downpipe (car's way too noisy). I'm wondering if a resonator should be part of the plan too? If so, are all resonators created equal? Is a BavAuto resonator the same as stock, and how does it differ from the (much-pricier) Ansa model? Thanks in advance, per usual (P.S. - Where can I get an transmission-exhaust mounting bracket?)

OK, thanks. I have nice thin combo of rust and dirt I'll be tackling.

What's the difference between setting the timing off the flywheel vs. the pulley?

Yeah, as noted, I think I found the ball, or at least a red dab of paint on the flywheel. Hard to get it centered just right in the hole for better inspection, since even the smallest turn of the crankshaft pulley moves the much larger flywheel quite a bit.

So I spent the better part of the night looking for that timing ball through the hole — climb under the car, turn the crankshaft pulley slightly, go to the top and look through the hole. Rinse. Repeat. Over and over. I finally spied part of a red paint dab on the flywheel, so I think that's it. But in the meantime, I also found this silver tab near the crankshaft pulley. See the picture below, taken from under the car looking up. Is that silver tab jutting out of the timing belt cover, to the lower right of the pulley, a timing mark? And if so, from what angle would I shoot the timing light? This is on my '71 Sahara. I've spied other timing marks elsewhere on the cover on my '74.

Yeah, I would start with the ignition components and work from there to the carb last. New points (or electronic ignition, but if you do that, you're timing may be somewhat off), new cap, rotor, plugs and wires, set the valves and try to get it running long enough to set the timing. That's the general order of tuning that I've learned. Just the other day, I had a car that would turn over but not keep an idle. I cranked up the idle just long enough so that I could keep it running and roughly adjust the timing with the distributor. Then I was able to keep it idling and fine-tune it from there. By the way, there's a longtime BMW mechanic in my area who will go on at length about how much Weber carbs suck because they are so crudely designed and the quality control is so bad. He would much rather take a two-barrel Solex and rebuild and tune it. He says he can do much better fine-grained tuning with an original Solex. Just something to think about if yours is in decent shape. Good luck.

I love how the price of that American Forge jack has doubled in just a year and a half to $307.99. Now that's inflation!

Looking for one of those round, orange or green console switches.

I'm just passing this info along direct from Pertronix. Use it or ignore it as you see fit. Michael

See the update to this post over here: http://www.bmw2002faq.com/component/option,com_forum/Itemid,57/page,viewtopic/p,541811/#541811

I have been going round and round trying to match the correct Pertronix ignition kit with my mechanical advance 0231 188 002 distributor (including the post below), and getting conflicting information. Many people insist the 1847V is the right kit, that's what I have on my Sahara now, and that's what my other 2002 came installed with. Finally I engaged Pertronix in a detailed email exchange, part of which I'll share here for searchability and for others who find themselves in the same situation. The bottom line is that Pertronix says the 2842 is the correct kit for this distributor. I have not yet tried installing the 2842 per Pertronix' instructions. If and when I do, I'll report back. My recent post: http://www.bmw2002faq.com/component/option,com_forum/Itemid,57/page,viewtopic/t,311832/highlight,/ Pertinent excerpts from the email exchange: By the way, someone may want to append this information to the Pertronix FAQ. Cheers, Michael

I gottta say I find it somewhat annoying that Pertronix is telling people to use the wrong Ignitor for this distributor. When I first bought the car, my mechanic took out the Pertronix and switched me back to points because his "Pertronix source'' told him I had the wrong part # in there. In hindsight, I realize that they were probably wrong, and should have left well enough alone. On the plus side, this experience has shown me that the BMW user community often knows more than the manufacturers. I shoulda just listened to the boards and 2002 haus. Cheers. [still wondering what to do about my distributor, though. Back to stock, vacuum advance?]

I think my mechanic just sourced some choke cable stock and brazed it onto the original knob somehow. The way he described it, it sounded like a fair bit of work to get it just right.

Does anyone here have the Bosch 0231 188 002 distributor (JFD4), and have you installed a Pertronix Ignitor in it? When I asked around for the right Pertronix part number, I got conflicting answers. 2002 Haus said I should use a Pertronix 1847V. But I emailed Pertronix directly and they recommended the 2842. I went with the 2842, but the black plastic magnet cylinder does not fit on the shaft, no matter what I do. I've installed a Pertronix before, so I know how to wiggle one of those guys on, but this one just won't go. The 2842 is not listed under the BMW section in the Pertronix catalogue. And the label on the box implies it's for a Volvo and/or marine use. So my questions are: 1. What's the story with my dizzy? It's a tii model, right? I guess it's just a pure mechanical advance since it has no vacuum capsule attached. The consensus on the board seems to be a vacuum advance dizzy is at least marginally better for a relatively stock motor, right? I'm guessing this was installed by a PO to match the relatively radical cam I have. 2. If what I'm assuming is true, should I retrofit a stock dizzy on there? My current set-up is a motor with some type of reground cam, noisy and kinda cheap headers, the above-mentioned distributor and a 32/36 (don't know about the pistons yet). I generally want to move back to something more stock for mileage and general driveability — a less radical cam (a 284?) and a tii exhaust (which i just bought). Should the dizzy go too? Thoughts? BTW, one other person on this board had the same problem with the Pertronix. I tried contacting him, to no avail. http://www.bmw2002faq.com/component/option,com_forum/Itemid,57/page,viewtopic/t,305888/highlight,2842/

The downside is that the knob probably will not look stock and may feel cheaper, if that matters to you. The original choke knob has an icon on it (I believe) and detents that you can feel when you pull it out. When I needed a new cable, I wanted to keep the stock knob. So Bavarian Professionals in Berkeley grafted a new cable onto the original knob.

I have a Toyota Corolla parked in front of my house, probably the most reliable car ever made. It starts right up, it's warm inside in the winter and cool in the summer, and wonderfully quiet and smooth on the road. Power everything. Common sense tells me to drive the Corolla every day. But it sits most days because when I'm driving my '71 2002, I feel like I'm actually DRIVING. It's zippy, it handles well, it's the perfect size for city driving, and yes, people comment on it all the time. In a world where all cars seem to look the same, the 2002 stands out with its classic styling. Is it reliable? I've spent the last month trying to knock down a bad idle problem. But I haven't been stranded yet. And despite all its quirks (and rust spots), I go for the 2002 every day.

For those who find themselves in the same predicament, it was possible to pop off the plate with a little prying. Getting it back in with the holes exactly lined up so that the screws would go in...that was a bit of a chore. Thanks, guys, for the replies. Michael

I usually cover the holes on the breaker plates of distributors when working on points, etc. so that screws don't fall down there. But I didn't today, so of course my Pertronix mounting screw cleverly angled itself down a hole and into the distributor. I thought I would just unscrew the breaker plate, pull that off and fish it out. But the plate doesn't want to move, even though I've removed the four side mounting screws. So...is there harm in leaving the screw in there? Seems to me there are springs and stuff swirling around just under that plate, no? Should I just be more forceful in getting the plate off?

As a recent new owner of two 2002s, I agree with most everything here. In hindsight, I wish I'd held out for a tii. But that's not hugely important. My piece of advice would be to not be hasty. Be patient and find the one that works for you. There are plenty out there. I counted four or five today in my cruise through the Bay Area craigslist. Also, get it checked out by a good BMW mechanic or expert before you buy. These cars are pushing 40 years old, and many of them have had several owners over the years. It's always good to know what modifications have been made over the years and what the potential costly trouble areas are. You're not buying a tinker-free Toyota Corolla.

Yeah, I just figured that out by, believe it or not, looking at the wiring diagram in that thin little Haynes Manual. Had to look at the tii diagram for some reason. All the others have clocks on the dash where tachs should be. Anyway, I'm good to go. Thanks.

Installed the Pertronix this morning on my '71 Sahara and what a difference. I expected a slight improvement with the starting. It starts way easier and the motor is more responsive, at least in the initial test drive. I can't believe one of the BMW shops I went to said they prefer points. Anyway... Alas, the tach is now gone. My hunch tells me that disconnecting the double black wire that went to the dizzy has something to do with it. Anyone?