1979 CA edition distributor swap.

[LarLar]

Okay heres the deal. I have a 1979 T2 with California engine. Which you should know has the hall effect dizzy and a matching coil for that diz. Since that distributor is almost immpossible to find parts for or a replacement I've purchased this distributor along with the matching blue coil 12v.

http://vwparts.aircooled.net/Pertronix-Brand-SVDA-Distributor-12-Volt-Version-p/d186504.htm

Now you would assume someone has done this before and gotten it to work. Someone has had to do it, but no one has chronicled it here or on any other site to my knowledge.

Does anyone know how i can correctly and safely do this dizzy swap. Like step by step if possible cause I'm simple and I like simple instructions. Like what wire goes where from my new distributor? What wires from the old ICM get used or can i cut them and pretend they were never there.

As the bus sits now all the wires are still there in their orignal places and lenghts. The bus does not run with the current stock setup.

Any help or knowledge on this would be very much appreciated. And for future reference if I get this to work I will photograph everything and hopefully make a DYI for other people to use so they don't end up like me, lost and confused.

Thank you
Sampson

[SGKent]

Talk with AirCooledChris.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=38055
_________________
“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin

[LarLar]

[Wildthings]

[rockerarm]

First WELCOME.
Basically, I believe you may have some options, especially if you aren't req'd to pass emissions testing. A distributor for a 2liter bus engine, such as 76 and later, plus a matching coil should suffice. This would be a traditional points/condenser ignition system. This system could be upgraded to aftermarket stuff with the points replacement module and coil. I have always wondered if any of the water-cooled distrib internals with the coil would be transferable to your application.
Bill.

[Ian]

[LarLar]

[Wasted youth]

^^Yes, I also read that read. He did not include a photographic step by step guide to his minor wiring change, but a good wiring diagram was included. Anyway, he corrected his problem with a different AFM and filling up the gas tank.

Anytime you modify a wiring harness you are asking for trouble unless you have a very clear understanding of the wiring beforehand. That is only arrived at by your personal investment of time. Not trying to sound like a condescending asshole, but I would really encourage you to not do anything but put a stock replacement distributor back in there.

RockAuto has three separate entries for this distributor, and I did not look at any other vendor. I have found RockAuto to be fair enough to deal with. Wildthings brings up an excellent point in that the early air cooled Vanagons would likely have the same dizzy, or something very close. Unsure why you feel these are impossible to find, but please note that I simply checked by model year, not by distributor P/N, so maybe you are searching a different way than I did.

[airkooledchris]

There's nothing to it. With your federal distributor out and on the bench, replace the points and gap them correctly.

Then swap your coil in the bus, Wire the same way you would if it were a Federal bus then with the condenser going to the coil. The harness going from the firewall over to the CA distributor can be disconnected and set aside.

I don't think anyone has documented anything for it because once you swap the coil, then you put in the distributor and connect it like every other bus out on the road. There are no special considerations once the CA coil and Dist are taken out.

Oh - except you need to cap one of the two vacuum lines now though. There's one on each side of the throttle body and you'll only be using one for your Federal distributor.

[LarLar]

[Wasted youth]

This was the third line of the RockAuto:

A-1 CARDONE Part # 31920 with California Emissions {#0237022009, 0237022025, 0237022045} Reman. Distributor (Electronic) - Return and Rebuild Service Only - You send your part to be rebuilt and returned to you. We'll email shipping instructions after you submit your order. $143.79


Not saying they actually rebuild it correctly, that it will work, or whatever. And yeah, you have to send them yours, which is not the same as just buying one outright. Anyway, I hope you are able to get your bus running right!

[LarLar]

Still Can't get it to start. Installed new dizzy and coil, wired it up the best I could from the information I've recieved and still no spark. I'm stumped.

[Wildthings]

Maybe a picture of your setup would be a good idea.

[LarLar]

okay so here are some pictures that may help.
this first one is 5 of 6 wires that come from the ICM.
1 green (to coil i think) 1 brown (ground) and the other three, brown/white, red and green/white go the distributor.

this black wire is the 6th and goes from here, the ICM harness we'll call it, to...

This is where the black wire ends up.

And last the green wire is connected to this white wire on a double connecter plug that plugs into the distributor. The white wire comes from the main harness off of the ECU

All of this wiring has not been tampered by me. As far as I know it is all stock for the CA edition.

So which of these wires do I use? Which can I not use and once its running discard?

[Wildthings]

There should be another black wire somewhere that feeds power to the coil, it is the same circuit as the one that goes to the double relay.

[LarLar]

[Wildthings]

You need to black wire to the #15 (+) terminal and then on the #1 (-) terminal the green wire for the points and the white wire for the FI.

Edit:

Sorry, I was thinking you had a points distributor here. Busdaddy's description is correct for the Pertronix.

[Mark70baja]

I just went through this with Pertronix. Don't know if you have fuel injection or not, but I'm assuming you do. Please call them and speak with them about your situation. They are very helpful.

I was trying to go the Pertronix route. They informed me that the claims that the distributors that are being sold as "working for the type-4 fuel injected engines" are incorrect. They do not manufacture a distributor for this motor. The distributors being made are only for type-1 engines, even though they slide right in place in the type-4.

Problem is that the internal workings are all geared for the type-1. "ALL" of the timing settings, springs, etc... are incorrect. One may be able to get it to work, but it will not work as it's supposed to for the type-4, unless one dumps the Fuel Injection for Carb(s). They, the manufacture advise that their own Pertronix module will not interface with the fuel injection/computer system. These words came from the manufacture of the product, so I kind of want to believe them.

Please give them a call first.
_________________
Try talking yours ideas up, without talking other peoples ideas down. Everyone stays much happier that way.

82 Vanagon with ASI Full Camper Conversion, 2010 Jeep Rubicon

[Wildthings]

[busdaddy]