TheSamba.com :: View topic - Electronic Ignition in a Vacuum Advance dist.

Wed Nov 19, 2003 2:26 pm

I'm putting a vacuum advanced dist. back in my bus to match the PICT 34 carb. I was wonder if I can put a Electronic Ignition Module in the Vacuum advance Dist. If so, which one is the best , Petronix, Compufire, ect...

- Lowndowndub

Wed Nov 19, 2003 2:50 pm

Electronic ignition is a worthwhile upgrade. RMMW has the best price on the Pertronix, $60.

I personally think the Pertronix is a better packaged kit but I haven't run the Compufire to prove it's not as effective. Pertronix provides a 30 month warranty.

Wed Nov 19, 2003 2:55 pm

I bought a SVDA and I love it but my compufire didn't fit (shaft to short) so beware. i think the petronix fits nicely though. (I havent tried it but it looks like it would fit)

Wed Nov 19, 2003 3:03 pm

lowdown, I ran the pertonix for a year in my stock bus dist. with no problems until replacing it with a mallory unilite, now I carry thr pertronix as a spare.

Phil

Wed Nov 19, 2003 3:07 pm

Thanks for the info. Looks like I will go with the Petronix.

-LDD

Wed Nov 19, 2003 3:48 pm

I didn't have fitment problems except for the screw they gave me that had no threads. I think it's a rare problem but something to watch out for before you take out your points only to discover the screw won't work (you can't use the points screw either). I've posted this a few times now: I used a die to give it some threads before I replaced it with a better M4 screw. The screw in the kit wasn't made of metal as far as I could tell.

Some folks have some difficulty fitting the magnetic sleeve over the cams on the shaft but mine went on without a hitch: Pics.

Wed Nov 19, 2003 6:17 pm

I ordered my Svda from aircooled.net with a compufire electonic ignition. Aircoolded .net shaved the rotor shaft and it works perfectly I would recommend this setup those guys are great over there. I have had good luck with the pertronix is well just not in a svda. I did have a pertronix go bad though.

Thu Nov 20, 2003 3:31 pm

Just put a pertronix in my vaccuum advance dizzy about a hour ago. It was easy to do. It was my first time to ever do one and I really never had much experience with distributors before until now. If you pull out the distributor, Just mark which direction your rotor is pointing and put it back in that same direction and fine tume it if you have to. The only problem I ran into was I put a new O-ring on my dizzy and man it was a biatch to get back in with thats fresh new O-ring. Took me a while but I got it. I ran it around the hood real quick and it ran great. Waiting till the ole lady gets home to watch the kids so I can get on a road and open her up! 80mph here I come!!!!! People betta get out the way because the TURTLE is about to hit the road.

Laters James

Thu Nov 20, 2003 4:21 pm

About the oring: it's round when you get one in a packet but when you remove the distributor after years of service you'll notice how flat it has become. Did you have to cut the old one off?

Thu Nov 20, 2003 4:24 pm

80 Mph!!! Dawn Wavepimp, what are you running for a motor/tranny setup. If I go 70, it sounds like shes going to blow :lol: Thanks for the info, I'm looking forward to adding the vacuum dizzy and petronix set up. Right now I'm running a PICT 34 with 009 Dist. and it sucks, BIG TIME.

- Lowdowndub

Thu Nov 20, 2003 5:52 pm

80MPH!!!!!! Man, thats nothing! I had mine up to 90MPH the other day. :O
I didn't leave it there very long because I dont have my tach hooked up yet and I started haveing flashes of the rods finding a new home in the brake drums...

Once I get all my guages hooked up ( oil press, oil temp, CHT, tach) I'll feel a little better about winding this engine up a bit. Eventually I'll install the later model tranny and then ... to the moon!!!!

Fri Nov 21, 2003 9:11 am

Friend of mine has a 2 liter with Dual Weber 40's in his bus. We took it from N.Idaho to Eugene, OR (550 Miles) in about 9 hours. Can't remember the last time I passed so many other cars in a Westy. :lol:

- LDD

Fri Nov 21, 2003 7:08 pm

I have a stock 2L with fuel injection. At 80 my tach is about 4400. Thats about as fast as I go. I usually don't stay there to long.

My bus ran good last night. I still need to check the timming out with a timming light and make sure I am sitting good.

Laters James

Tue Dec 02, 2003 10:51 am

A follow-up to the o-ring and fitment issues...I just noticed that the o-ring you get in the gasket sets is not the same as the o-ring the vendors are selling.

The gasket set had a true distributor o-ring: it's flat on the inner circumference. The aftermaket ones are a regular o-ring so no wonder it's a such a tight fit.