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Tech Forum : Not running all cylinders......

- BMW E21 Community
   - Tech Forum
      - Not running all cylinders......
ineedabrew   Posted Friday, Nov 17th 8:49pm [Edit] [Quote] [IMS] [View car]
Member
Post nr. 11
   
Stone Mountain, GA
1979 BMW 323i
I am spent....Pull the head, replaced all oil seals, replaced intake and exhaust valve on #2 cylinder. New valves and seals, not the seat but there was minimal play between it and the valve. Everything back together with new timing belt. Engine doesn't have all the power it had. It seems like it is missing on one cylinder. I readjusted the valves and the same problem. Just to make sure I set the static timing right because it feels out of time:

Crank on mark, cam pulley (tick on pulley & arrow) aligned with groove in head, and rotor dot aligned with groove in body. With vacuum lines clamped off at operating temp, strobe "0" mark on bracket tab. It seems right on and pulls through fine. What could be going on? I am dead out of ideas and aggravated.

Car obviously ran fine when I started but leaked oil just enough to aggravate me. Could I have botched up replacing the valves so bad that it is running like it is. Valves seemed to seat fine when I changed them out and pulled the engine through.

Oh and I tested all the ignition wires (6kohms each). I pulled each wire when running and verified spark.

Help!

bmw_m_320i   Posted Friday, Nov 17th 10:51pm [Edit] [Quote] [IMS] [View car]
Member
Post nr. 727
   
Helena, Montana
none right now :(
all of the injectors spraying? Have you run a compression test on all cylinders? Also when you replaced the valves on one cylinder did you grind the valves so they would seat correctly?

ineedabrew   Posted Friday, Nov 17th 11:55pm [Edit] [Quote] [IMS] [View car]
Member
Post nr. 12
   
Stone Mountain, GA
1979 BMW 323i
Probably as you were typing your reply I did a compression test. #6 cylinder has no compression at all. Ironically this is not the cylinder in which I replaced the valves. Does this mean the head may have cracked in the vicinity of #6 cylinder? There are no oil leaks and the oil itself is clean with no water present.

No, I did not get the head ground for the new valves. Maybe there is some junk caught up under one of the valves.....but I mean zero, zilch, no compression at all.

I don't get it.

bmw_m_320i   Posted Saturday, Nov 18th 4:56am [Edit] [Quote] [IMS] [View car]
Member
Post nr. 728
   
Helena, Montana
none right now :(
did you remove all of the valves when you replaced 2 of the valves? remove the valve cover in and inspect for a broken or bent valve, or if something is obstructing the valve seat, that particular valve wont extend as high when that cylinder is at TDC. Also when the head was off, did you lay it flat facing down? If you did, and that cylinder's valves were open, it could have bent a valve. Thats why its very important to never lay the head flat without at least a piece of cardboard between it and a hard surface, and always lay down very gently. Another thing that can bend a valve is if the engine isnt on TDC when you install the head. If you apply compressed air to that cylinder while that cylinder is on TDC (both cam lobes pointing downwards) you can check for a bent valve by listening for a hiss coming either through the exhaust, or through the intake. More than about 40 PSI will cause the piston to push down, so use a pressure regulator to keep the air pressure low

ineedabrew   Posted Saturday, Nov 18th 3:45pm [Edit] [Quote] [IMS] [View car]
Member
Post nr. 13
   
Stone Mountain, GA
1979 BMW 323i
I always set the head on a piece of carpet on my workbench and even with a couple pieces of wood on either side of the head to keep it raised off the carpet. However, like you said, when I placed the head on the engine I did momentarily forget to time the head with the pistons before placement and it was #6 cylinder. I bet that was it.
It was just the weight of the head though. I didn't try to bolt it down, just momentarily set it on the block. Da#$%^&!!!

I suppose I will need a new head gasket.

I replaced with torque head bolts. From what I gather, I can reuse those 3 times right??

Additionally, I had pumped air through the plug hole when the valves were closed and it did seem like hissing through the exhaust manifold.

Thanks for the help. I will post my results.

Jason

bmw_m_320i   Posted Sunday, Nov 19th 2:44am [Edit] [Quote] [IMS] [View car]
Member
Post nr. 729
   
Helena, Montana
none right now :(
sounds like you bent the exhaust valve, that wont cost too much to fix, just a PIA more than anything, you can reuse those bolt a few times and be ok, definately buy a new head gasket, and of course a new exhaust valve

ineedabrew   Posted Sunday, Nov 19th 4:28am [Edit] [Quote] [IMS] [View car]
Member
Post nr. 15
   
Stone Mountain, GA
1979 BMW 323i
Where can I get just a head gasket...not the whole set? I don't think BMP or Bavarian Asport sell individual gaskets.

Thanks for the advice.
jason

bmw_m_320i   Posted Sunday, Nov 19th 6:01am [Edit] [Quote] [IMS] [View car]
Member
Post nr. 730
   
Helena, Montana
none right now :(
call the dealer, they may be able to get just the gasket, and the price wont be that bad either

ineedabrew   Posted Wednesday, Nov 22nd 12:38am [Edit] [Quote] [IMS] [View car]
Member
Post nr. 17
   
Stone Mountain, GA
1979 BMW 323i
The first time I pulled the head I missed a slightly bent intake valve on the #6 cylinder or I bent it setting it on the head. Either way thanks for the help and I have the parts!!



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