Firstfives.org

Well, you've got to look at things. A not terribly uncommon problem is the little tiny ground strap coming off the base plate. You might have to rotate the engine a little bit, but you can rotate the rotor by hand and open and close the points. You should be able to see or hear a little tiny spark u...

That too is what I recall. I'm fond of plastic putty knifes and bondo spreaders, sometimes with a real putty knife inbetween once it gets started. Plastic is good for stuff like that in general, but bondo spreaders are a little softer and less likely to damage things. Due to a carpentry faux pas one...

I don't see a spec in the big blue book. Lateral play would affect point gap, but at worst it should be consistent on all 6. You've got more than one, compare it to the others, that should give you an idea. At worst, you should still be able to get a spark.

First thing is I would check for spark. It's independent of the combo relay and you should have spark. The FI system does get an input from the ignition system to trigger the injectors, so you would not have fuel if there is a dist problem. Are you still running a points and condenser ignition? I'd ...

Karl, why exactly do you think the combo relay has failed? What is it doing or not doing? Lets start from the beginning and not midway.

Flywheels 101. Up to E32/E34, all M30 flywheels are single mass, 240MM clutch size. I don't care what realoem says. Motronic requires that little tab on it to generate an electrical pulse when it goes by the crank sensor, but that is the only functional difference. Weights are a big deal however. 5/...

Using an intank main pump is very popular in the E28 world, which uses the same tank as 528i E12s. Having used JB weld on gas tanks before that were leaking, it seems like it should hold up, but it would make me a little nervous. I'm pretty good with a torch and thin metals, but this is the perfect ...

Yes, it emphatically does not interact with the ignition. I was having problems at one time with a bad FPR flooding the engine when cold. I mean flooding as in no start. I was able to unplug the ECU in the glove box, then hit the starter and it would start and run briefly as it burned off the excess...

The TTS allows the cold start valve to turn on a maximum of 8 seconds I believe it is, while cranking, and only while cranking. It's supposed to make starting in cold weather easier. I've experimented and found no difference I could tell down into the 30's, F, but in very cold temps it might make a ...

I've been dealing with a combo relay issue that was just recently resolved. I ended up separating the case on mine and tried to start the car while looking at the internals to verify they were working. Not very scientific, but it's an option. The problem with that is if it's a bad contact, as appar...

I'm sure there's a way to make 2 or more separate relays do the job, but I think they do interact with each other. It's hard to say for sure as most diagrams just show them as a box with leads, and one, very fuzzy one I've got on the computer that does show what's inside is hard to read and missing ...

Testing would be difficult as I've heard they often fail intermittently. So it might test good today, but not tomorrow.

Availability? Dunno, query Realoem for a P/N and search for it. At worst I would think they would pop up on ebay every so often.

To clear a flooded L jet engine, unplug the ECU. As long as the ignition still works, it'll fire up, burn off the fuel present and in the process warm up the plugs and engine just a little bit making starting easier.

Oh, the plastic fuses are absolute junk, especially in 16 and 25A applications. Last I knew ceramic were still available, you just had to look for them. The glass fuses aren't really much better, they don't blow, but the solder in them that holds the fuse link to the end melts with heat. Again, in h...

Nice work, looks good! A FWIW, on Mye28.com there's a lengthy thread about the conversion and some of the fallout. One of the upshots is that the new ATO blade fuses are much more accurate, precise and less forgiving of an overload. Seems the old GMB "bullet" fuses will blow sometime, even...