engine and drivetrain New Gal in a 2002

[andrey]

This isn't going to sound nice but... due to the year and location, sell the car ASAP, while it has a good smog certificate (if it does) and find yourself any other year (1975, 74, 73, whatever), just not '76. Never register a 1976 in CA.

[FunElan]

Welcome to the forum. This stuff should help with the smoke if you don't want to pull the head off immediately. Helps me when I smoke on deceleration (valve guide seals)- http://www.amazon.com/LubroMoly-MoS2-Anti-Friction-Engine-Treatment/dp/B003U4O414

[fuzzynormal]

Never register a 1976 in CA.

Gotcha. Luckily, after I rechecked the current registration I noticed, happily, that it says it's a 1975 model sold in 1976. So, I'm good, yeah?

Also, here's some more reference for y'all so you can see what I got and what I'm dealing with. Does it look familiar or is it worse than normal for this sort of car?

http://www.path88files.com/TEMP/smokin.MP4

and:

[fuzzynormal]

This stuff should help with the smoke

Thanks, I'm going to give it a try! Why not?

[esty]

valve guides are worn...when you turn the car off and the oil's warm and thinner, it runs past the guides into the cylinders causing the smoke on start up...same with deceleration, the oil gets suck'd past the guides and burns in the cylinders

you might try 50 weight oil it may help with the smoke

[andrey]

Never register a 1976 in CA.

Gotcha. Luckily, after I rechecked the current registration I noticed, happily, that it says it's a 1975 model sold in 1976. So, I'm good, yeah?

Sorry, that won't help you. The car has to be a model "sold" year 1975 or earlier, nearly all 1976 cars were built in '75 but the government only cares about the model year (sold). When you shop for your next 2002, make sure it's definitely a model year 1975 or earlier and therefore exempt from emissions testing. CA stopped rolling exemptions at '76, which is why you don't want a '76 car (and they will never change it). Every two years you'll endure absolute torture, significant costs, and/or bribes to get it to pass smog but they rarely can. The '76 model has something called a thermal reactor in the exhaust and an air pump which was intended to get it to meet emissions but has the downside of destroying the cylinder head after a while. If you remove that junk, the car will fail visual inspection (and likely the actual test), but if you keep it on the engine will basically destroy itself in a few years by cooking the exhaust valves. It's a no-win situation.

I still remember fighting the smog tests with my '74 3.0CS the last time before it became exempt and swore never to buy a car that needed emissions testing (I've since then never owned anything later than '73 but also moved out of CA so it's no longer an issue anyway). And that was before the tests got a lot more strict in CA...

Also, here's some more reference for y'all so you can see what I got and what I'm dealing with. Does it look familiar or is it worse than normal for this sort of car?

Looks great, definitely nicer than most big-bumper 02s I see these days

[ray_]

Post the VIN. It should be above the steering wheel and on the RF inner fender (raise the hood).

Have a look here for the year:

http://www.bmw2002faq.com/content/view/13/32/

GL,

Ray

[andrey]

This is a bit more "out there" but I thought I'd offer it up: if you really like this particular car (and it sure does look nice), CA does have a loophole type thing where you can retrofit a newer-year motor (and it has to be the whole thing: motor, fuel system, emissions system, etc) into your car and go to a referee to have them certify it as that year. You can then carefully choose something with a catalyctic converter and fuel injection (like an E30 3-series) and swap the engine, emissions equipment and all, and then have your car emissions tested as that year and model. That's of course a ton of work and quite expensive if a shop does the swap for you, but I know some folks who did this in their E12 5-series to keep them going in CA without the thermal reactors and other hassles.

[OriginalOwner]

I think that as long as the "pink slip" says 1975 for model year, you will be OK. The pink slip is the "official document" as far as the DMV is concerned .... if it says your car is a 1975, then you have a 1975.

OH, can you contact the previous owner ?? Ask if he/she had to smog the car. That will tell you.

(naturally I'm guessing at this info ..... my '74 went "golden" quite a few years back).

Cheers,

Carl

[andrey]

I think that as long as the "pink slip" says 1975 for model year, you will be OK. The pink slip is the "official document" as far as the DMV is concerned .... if it says your car is a 1975, then you have a 1975.

Cheers,

Carl

Indeed! Please check your VIN and, most importantly as Carl says, the title. I hope it says 1975 regardless of the VIN! : )

[Chamonix72]

This is a bit more "out there" but I thought I'd offer it up: if you really like this particular car (and it sure does look nice), CA does have a loophole type thing where you can retrofit a newer-year motor (and it has to be the whole thing: motor, fuel system, emissions system, etc) into your car and go to a referee to have them certify it as that year. You can then carefully choose something with a catalyctic converter and fuel injection (like an E30 3-series) and swap the engine, emissions equipment and all, and then have your car emissions tested as that year and model. That's of course a ton of work and quite expensive if a shop does the swap for you, but I know some folks who did this in their E12 5-series to keep them going in CA without the thermal reactors and other hassles.

My "new to me" E12 has an E28 motor with catalytic converter for just such a purpose, I think. Of course, I no longer need to worry about such things.

[FunElan]

Oh yea, if you already haven't, change to Castrol GTX 20-50 high mileage oil!

[02again]

That car looooooks so nice, worst case, just park it in a garage and LOOK at it every day.

[fuzzynormal]

worst case, just park it in a garage and LOOK at it every day.

Well, I've done that.

I also checked out this on the VIN table:

VIN Table -- U.S. Cars

Mod 76 1975 Sep-75 Dec-75 2-370-001, 2-377-688

My VIN: 2-370-976

Now what?

[andrey]

Check your title (pink slip) and see if it somehow got legally titled as a 1975 anyway. If it says 1976 (which it probably does), my personal advice is to see if your smog certificate is current and then sell the car (out of state if you have to) and shop for a similar one from any other year (1976 is the last 2002 year and the only one to avoid in CA, so any other US 2002 will work for you). Sorry : (