BMW NOS points note.

[Airbear]

Great stuff - thanks Jean. I especially like the use of a beer carton as an interference measure. And I'll add a fictitious BMW special tool part number - I'm getting quite a collection of interesting BMW special tools now.

[dwire]

Yeah, all good stuff Jean. I did not have any issues with my blue coils and the tank; just the diameter/hardware and all I feared that would truly interfere with the tank the way it fitted up was the extra spade connections for which I just bent over and cut off with side cuts. I'd surely take Jean's advice on the matter and just be certain. Nice use of improvisation with the beer tote cardboard too I might add...

I can recall looking at it and thinking it was tight, but as mentioned prior, my only major issue was the hardware to accommodate the larger coils. I suspect it is possible my need to over-tighten the coils and ram-rod them in there may be why they did not interfere! NOT AT ALL RECOMMENDED THOUGH. Likely brute-force and awkwardness was my savior and is never what I would suggest; I must have been having a bad day, but in the end it all seemed to work out. The flip side they may melt or break down prematurely due to said ham-fisted action(s).

What Jean mentions about taking your points into the old auto store and trying to match them up echoes what I was getting at about looking through the old paper catalogs for a match-up. You might be surprised and find something that uses the exact same arrangement and its application affixed to our 40 year old bikes has simply been dropped from the list in favor of the more modern applications.

Good stuff everyone.

[Jean]

I figured a beer-tote cardboard was about the most universal thickness of cardboard in the world. It seems to be the same comparing the US item to what I found in the UK and on the continent...U-know, the "Old-World".
It's interesting what sort of SAME things you run into around the world.
The Bosch 6v coils are for VW's up to 1966. Check sites that specialize in real Beetle parts...I wonder if the points might work? I don't have any to check but will try to find some. The old Bugs had a mighty small distributor and the capacitor was externally mounted...
REAL Beetles are the ones they used to make...I bet there are some parts suppliers down under that have stuff for them.

[Airbear]

I've ordered a pair of 'blue' coils from the BusDepot, using Tim's link: http://www.busdepot.com/ignition-system/111905105h Thanks Tim.

With shipping by USPS Priority Mail (the cheapest option they offer) total is $114, so cheaper than buying one coil here in Oz. Australian retailers have been robbing us forever. Now with a competitive global market they are shouting "unfair" and seem to be putting up their prices even more.

I still have my 4 sets of OEM points, and I can make them last a long time. When I get the Omega back up and running (I'm relocating it to where the under-tank master cylinder used to be so it doesn't overheat) those points should last forever as a backup, provided I keep the friction block greased.

Thanks all.

[Deleted User 62]

Glad it worked out for you. When I found my coils rubbing the tank, I used a ball peen hammer to gently "clearance" the tank a bit (I know, I'm a bad person...) Regards finding a VW point set to fit the BMW, BMW apparently used Noris brand and the aftermarket are Bremi, so finding a Bosch equivalent may be a bit of a stretch. Note: I sell aircooled VW parts as a sideline, and none of what I have are even close. The Bosch points a 1/3 again larger. Think about it, our points ride on the lobes of the relatively small diameter advance unit, while The VW points are riding on the much larger diameter 4 lobe distributor shaft... just a thought.

[ME 109]

I used a ball peen hammer

[Deleted User 62]

I used a ball peen hammer

I thought you might like that!

[dwire]

I used a ball peen hammer

I thought you might like that!

lol - Me too; maybe mine came pre-peened?

[Jean]

On the tank or on the coils???
OK, if Beetle points don't work, I'll dig about in my MB junk...
OR some OTHER motorcycle points might work, maybe a Zundapp?

[Deleted User 62]

On the tank or on the coils???
OK, if Beetle points don't work, I'll dig about in my MB junk...
OR some OTHER motorcycle points might work, maybe a Zundapp?

On the tank, only needed about 1/16" dent to clear. I think the best bet on finding the points would be to find the Noris part number, as using the BMW part number only yields BMW prices.