bmwe21.net forums

Can all E21's without electronic ignition be converted ?
I just found one, and I would like to know if I can convert my car, as I have been told that the possibility for this conversion depends on the turning direction (of the coil?)

...And, of course, opinions on advantages/disadvantages of such a conversion would me more than welcome!

I'm interested in this too and would like to hear of any experiences.

I'm presuming you mean actual electronic ignition and not injection? i.e. getting rid of the points with something like this;

http://www.hot-spark.com/

Yes, and it seems that an after market one, like the link you posted is the answer.
It seems that taking one out of a BMW that already had it fitted from factory won't work on my car: My distrubutor is right hand and the models with electronic ignition are left hand, so it wouldn't work.(Unless the cam is replaced for a left hand as well, but this makes the whole conversion very expensive, and a matter of whether one wants to invest so much money on this)
But it seems there are a lot of after market products that solve this issue (I just did not know it)

The above applys only for the M10 engine.

For the m20 engine is a swap to the factory electronic ignition of the later models no problem at all.

I have a complete set laying on the shelf (dizzy, coil, wiring and electronic module )

Thats interesting as i thought i had electronic ignition but checked today and its breaker type (320/6)

Do you know why the m20 engine cant have one of these kits posted above fitted...whats the issue?

What model m20 has the factory electronic ignition?

They can, see Bertje's response. As far as I can see the 320/6 had the conventional ignition with breaker until production 08/1978, 323i never had this. For details on your model pls check bmwfans.info

Edit: don't confuse the conventional contact points breaker with the mechanical rev limiter that is incorporated in the rotor arm of every E21 (even though there are many different versions).

The models with M20B20 (320/6) engine produced from/after april 1981 have the electronic ignition.

this is the set i have for sale: http://www.bmwe21.net/forum/viewtopic.p ... 11&start=0

Emailed hot-spark and the guy replied almost immediately!

He told me the model I need to order is this one:

3BOS4U1

I am thinking of taking this step, I am very curious to see how my car goes with an electronic ignition

Honestly?
Never adjusting points is a big +
But it has still a distributor cap, and rough advantage settings.

Real improvement is a distributorless solution with a coilpack or cop's .

Don't think you'll notice difference.

My mechanic also says I won't notice any difference because, according to him, my current ignition is in vg working condition and he says he doesn't have any problems to set it.
I don't know, I was really thinking of ordering it (with new coil I guess)

Ok I might ne getting confused here...i was looking at the pics in haynes and as it didnt match up and also checking the rotor which had the mechanical contact points I assumed it was mechanical breaker type. So can I upgrade that bit to the laser type so I never have to without it again?

What are you on about and what do you want to do without? Your pic is of a rotor and not of contact points, Contact points are underneath the dust cover but not much chance you have those I believe. What are your issues? What are you trying to accomplish?

Jeroen wrote:What are you on about and what do you want to do without? Your pic is of a rotor and not of contact points, Contact points are underneath the dust cover but not much chance you have those I believe. What are your issues? What are you trying to accomplish?

Don't worry, I was getting confused with the contact point in the cap thinking that it must be old breaker type...I understand how it all works now I think lol.

Not really looking to do anything with it but if I can change the rotor to one of those magnetic ones to eliminate the contact with the points I will do that. At the moment I will just be getting it ready for an mot, I had been waiting on the o ring for the bottom of dizzy to be made by BMW for over 6 months there as it has an oil leak, now I have that I can get it swapped and then a little welding and it should be ready for its mot.

Thanks for the advice

Ignore that last one about getting the magnetic bit too as I now understand that bit is inside the dizzy and nothing to do with the rotor arm. For some reason I had it in my head that the rotor arm bit could be replaced with something to eliminate the need to make contact with the metal in the cap but as I understand it now there is no such upgrade.....I'll get the full understanding eventually lol