TheSamba.com :: View topic - Early Bus Distributor Help

Sat Aug 03, 2002 11:28 pm

Alright I have a early 25-36hp bus dizzy...mechanical advance its a VJ4 BR8...found it in my parts books but no info on it.

Is this a bus dizzy for 36hps?? If so what is the advance and what is it all in by...

I know the 019 is bus and basically is same as a oo9 it is in by 3500rpm...heard there is a BR25 on `60 bastard buses that is all in by 2500rpm so what is the BR8 I have specs and what is it for

Thanks

Sun Aug 04, 2002 6:08 am

vj4br8 is correct for the 36hp bus. I don't know what the curve is exactly, but its more advanced to cope with the buses extra weight.

Sun Aug 04, 2002 9:27 pm

Are you sure it is VJ4? Could it be VJR4?
The VJR4 BR8/1shows up fitting a bug 25HP and the bus 36HP:

Beetle 1949-December 1953 * 25HP to Eng 1-695 281

Distributor: VW 211-905-205E, Bosch VJR 4 BR 8/1 (0231 129 019) > 211-905-205F, VJR 4 BR 25/1 (0231 129 010) > 126-905-205 (0231 178 009)
Can Use:
Points: 01 001
Condensor: 02 170
Rotor: 1237 332 072 (NLA) - Can use 04 008
Cap: 03 019
Coil: 00 001 (Blue Coil: 00 016)
Vacuum Can: None
Ignition Wires: 09 001
Spark Plug: W8AC
Timing Set At:: 7.5deg BTDC Static
Advance/Retard Range: Unknown

Bus & Pickup Mar 1955-1959 * 36HP

Distributor: VW 211-905-205E, Bosch VJR 4 BR 8/1 (0231 129 019) > 211-905-205F, VJR 4 BR 25/1 (0231 129 010) > 126-905-205 (0231 178 009)
Can Use:
Points: 01 001
Condensor: 02 170
Rotor: 1237 332 072 (NLA) - Can use 04 008
Cap: 03 019
Coil: 00 001 (Blue Coil: 00 016)
Vacuum Can: None
Ignition Wires: 09 001
Spark Plug: W8AC
Timing Set At:: 7.5deg BTDC Static
Advance/Retard Range: Unknown

Sun Aug 04, 2002 10:48 pm

Hi, double checked! And yup I am correct
VJ4 BR8 and nothing else no R and no /1 after the 8.

It is also an early bosch tag...it is embossed..not the later painted logo badge like a 019 I have that was off a late 36hp bus I had.

Got this one at a swap meet...was curious what the advance-rpm was sO I could use it in an appropriate vehicle.

Badge looks similar in design to the one on my `52 split beetle with the 383 dizzy...but this is defintely not a 383...the shaft is taller so you cannot use the flat top...I also have a bastard engine bus which uses the 025 dizzy...

Maybe this vjr br8 is a very early barndoor 36hp...and later this same dizzy was called the 019???

Anyone>>> Bus experts??? Anybody have the new repop Bentley manual sure it shows it!

Thanks

Mon Aug 05, 2002 9:48 pm

My book says VJ4 BR8 is for Type 2 from chassis 20-69 409 to 368 389, although every Bus I have seen had a VJR 4 R 8 in it.

My '55 shop manual sorta says the curve goes up to 27 degrees at 3400 rpms but they could be talking about VJR 4 BR 8.

The original distributor in my '55 is a VJR 4 BR 8. Same thing in my 77K ex-'58 Standard.

Wed Feb 09, 2011 10:11 am

old post,

is the info above still considered correct?

VJ4 BR8 used 20-69409--->368 389 bus only?

is the advance curve the same as the VJR4 BR8?

i believe i have a VJ4 BR8 and it has a round screen on the bottom instead of the press in plug.

did the VJ4 BR8 get used after the flat cap dizzys and get replaced with the VJR4 BR8 units?

Wed Feb 09, 2011 10:34 am

The VJ4BR8 and VJR4BR8 are identical. The R is for Resistor and it's actually in the rotor and not the distributor.

Wed Feb 09, 2011 10:44 am

thanks glen

any idea on what years the VJ4 BR8 was used?
is the 20-69 409-->368 389 time frame correct for the VJ4 BR8?

Wed Feb 09, 2011 11:26 am

StockNazi wrote: thanks glen

any idea on what years the VJ4 BR8 was used?
is the 20-69 409-->368 389 time frame correct for the VJ4 BR8?
Can't help you there, generally 54-59

Wed Feb 09, 2011 9:45 pm

My Progressive Refinements concurrs with Everett with a start date of 31 August 1954. I have several very early restored examples for sale at the moment.

The round screen is an indicator of an earlier distributor. The plug came later. The VJ and VJR were produced simultaniously.

Fri Feb 11, 2011 8:53 am

interesting they were produced together like that

i think without guess work lists the vjr as from 170 000?

Tue Jan 03, 2012 10:55 am

anyone have an advance curve for the vj4br8/vjr4br8?

bently has a curve for the br25 but not for the br8. i don't think they are the same

Tue Jan 03, 2012 11:43 am

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=881580

Tue Jan 03, 2012 12:14 pm

that curve is for a vju4br8

i am looking for the mechanical advance vj4br8 curve

Tue Jan 03, 2012 8:37 pm

The advance curve is the same as for the 019. There is a date stamp consisting of a number up to 12 and a letter. This is the date stamp of production. Information can be found in the split beetle forum FAQ.,

Tue Jan 03, 2012 8:39 pm

Date Codes: http://www.glenn-ring.com/temp/date%20codes.pdf

The curves are slightly different.

Tue Jan 03, 2012 10:36 pm

StockNazi wrote: that curve is for a vju4br8

i am looking for the mechanical advance vj4br8 curve

It's straight from the 1955 Bus shop manual so I think it's the correct chart but the "u" is a typo. The same chart is in my '59 manual too.

My Beetle shop manual has a dual chart for the centrifugal and vacuum advances and the centrifugal alone is different.

Wed Jan 04, 2012 3:46 am

glenn are the springs the same between a VJ4 BR8 and a VJU4 BR8?

Wed Jan 04, 2012 6:11 am

henry roberts wrote: glenn are the springs the same between a VJ4 BR8 and a VJU4 BR8?
The are, so are the weights.

Mon Jan 09, 2012 9:54 am

hey glen,
when we spoke several months ago, i believe you were saying the springs were unique to the vj4br8, and the vju4br8 springs were different. did i misunderstand?