# 1974 bmw 2002 stopped running. shoots flames out of carburetor



## Blackhippie (Mar 2, 2015)

hello wasnt too sure where to post this.. but as the title says i have a 1974 bmw 2002 that i am too much in love with. running just fine until one day i was at a redlight and it just died. car turns over and every few turns or so the carb will shoot a flame out of the top of it. ( with the cover off) my buddy said it might be timing but im unsure how the timing would just go wacky like that... the carb has a manual choke and usually if the car had troubles starting i would spray a tiny amount of fuel into the top and it would fire up instantly. the spark plug wires havent been changed in quite a while but the dizzy cap and rotor have. i also own a e30 so i am tight with cash and trying to take the cheapest approach first. does anyone have any good ideas to help me keep this beautiful car on the road???  and any good ideas to tune the carb back to a reasonable spot where it wont flood ( if that is the problem )also the 
carb is a 32/36 weber


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## toybreaker (Dec 3, 2011)

has it been converted to electronic ignition?
If not your points could be worn out. If the "dwell" isn't set correctly it will not run.
Look and see in the cap and rotor, If it has a ring and a black "box" it is electronic
if it has a spring looking thing with a cylinder attached by a black wire It is still a points ignition.
Set the points to factory gap, If that makes it start again, buy a new set and look into changing over to an electronic ignition (petronix makes one for this model and I have used them in 3 different types of engines, From VW pancake 4's, 347 SBF, and a 496 CI BBC)

this is a link to the elctronic ignition for reference
http://www.lovingeveryminuteofit.com/bmw2002/images/pertronixinstallsensor.jpg


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## Blackhippie (Mar 2, 2015)

thank you very much for your reply  just looked under the dizzy cap and it looks like it has been. it has the red and black wires running into it and there is a small black box in there. any other ideas would be much appreciated as i am without a car until fixed. im so confused. is there a way i can make sure the distributor is in a good spot because i think it is timing but yeah it wont even start. ran so beautifully before


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## toybreaker (Dec 3, 2011)

There is a gap that you have to maintain between the black box and the trigger. If it is too big or the trigger contacts it, the engine will not run.
Keep it simple silly
K
I
S
S
Principle....
Troubleshoot one thing at a time, that way you can track what you did and what the result is.


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## toybreaker (Dec 3, 2011)

Also if there is a surge the older ignition conversions can get "fried" and no longer work....

I need you to do something to help me out with cyber troubleshooting.

Check for spark.... Get a spark plug (not one out of the head) and hook up a spark plug wire and ground the outside of the plug to the head or block. Have someone else crank the engine over (have gloves or insulated pliers to hold the plug or you could get shocked)its best to do this at night to easily see the spark. You want to see a blue spark, orange will light off your fuel but that is a weak spark....


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## u3b3rg33k (Jan 14, 2015)

I got flames out of a VW rabbit carb when I put the timing belt on 180 deg off...

Never had that happen on my 2002. had a crane cams XR700 on it though. Heck, even our 1950s farm tractor has been converted to hall pickup. points suck. everything I've driven that's had points always had issues, my '78 KZ1000, our tractor, an old buick...


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## toybreaker (Dec 3, 2011)

any luck?


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