SiC wrote: ↑Thu Mar 04, 2021 8:49 amchange out a 128 tooth cambelt to a 127 providing you use the 127 tensioner. Older engines may have a stamped metal sprocket when they had a 128 tooth belt (presumably square toothed) and if it has, then it's strongly advised to change to the newer style tensioner. The stamp metal sprocket is prone to chewing the belt up.
Just 'change' is fine. No need for the 'out'.
The pressed steel sprocket is perfectly OK and never gave a moments trouble. BMW changed from square tooth to round tooth in late 1981 to reduce belt whine. Pressed cam pulleys were fitted to non Motronic engines. Motronic engines such as the 525e, 325i and catalysed 520i's (not UK) had a cast cam pulley that the rotor arm was screwed to.
Try Ebay or Amazon for a belt kit. Anything Dayco or Gates is fine. Obviously once the belt is fitted and the timing checked, spin it over on the starter and recheck.
paulplom wrote: ↑Thu Mar 04, 2021 9:40 am
I thought the number of teeth on the belt would be vital regardless of the type of tensioner.
It's the pulleys that matter as the ratio between them is what gets the speed of the cam correct to the crank. The number of teeth just changes the length of the belt to allow it to take a slightly different route to account for the different tensioner.
Correct. When the E28 was new, there was one M20 belt, period. Since then they've made the diameter of the tensioner slightly smaller, most likely a supplier change since the engine ceased production in 1993.
That’s lovely I really like that shape, my only attempt to buy one was a 528 auto that was black, black leather and had a box that wouldn’t work properly. Long story short it was a wire from a lockout solenoid that my pal sorted in the car park 10 minutes after buying it for scrap and drove away into the sunset.
The guy was gutted holding his fist full of fivers.
Less annoying tag line.
Just when I thought I was out they dragged me back in.
Back on reality street, a scabby E28 is worth what you paid for yours. This 525e - a vastly superior model - is priced about right and the Lux is a nice spec. Good colour as well.
My brain fails to compute that a OHC fuel injected engine takes the same 20w-50 that I put in my leaky, smokey British Leyland OHV engines with their awful tolerances. Is it really that the grade these engines like the most?
Or are they better off with something like a semi synth 15w-40?
Back on reality street, a scabby E28 is worth what you paid for yours. This 525e - a vastly superior model - is priced about right and the Lux is a nice spec. Good colour as well.
If I like this one, then there is a possibility of selling it and getting a really nice one. Or going mad and selling all/most of my toy cars to get a 635csi.
