Stumped

[1992 Mexican Beetle]

So......I bought this beetle from a guy that rebuit the engine & I'm wondering if he installed the distributor correctly??
Went to adjust the valves & so

mething don't seem right 🤔 [img][/img]

[Cusser]

Does the engine run "OK" ? Unless you absolutely know, TDC #1 is when the crankshaft pulley notch is pointing straight up at the engine case seam AND both valves for cylinder #1 are closed. THEN you can determine if all else is OK.

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1970 VW (owned since 1972) and 1971 VW Convertible (owned since 1976), second owner of each. The '71 now has the 1835 engine, swapped from the '70. Second owner of each. 1988 Mazda B2200 truck, 1998 Frontier, 2014 Yukon, 2004 Frontier King Cab. All manual transmission except for the Yukon. http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335294 http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335297

[NJ John]

He probably put the distributor drive in 180 out and had to compensate. But the vacuum canister is in the correct place. So maybe something else is up. How does it run?
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1973 standard, yellow, lowered, 3” narrowed front, 1600 blo-thru turbo w/single dell 15.4@86, so far
11.41 et buggy. Long gone
Let’s go O’s! Let’s go O’s!
https://www.youtube.com/@AirSpooledGarage

[1992 Mexican Beetle]

Runs fine

[bsairhead]

The plug wires don't care. As long as TDC compression lines up and the rotor points to the #1 plug and the rest are 4-3-2 CW your good.

[bsairhead]

[NJ John]

I’ve seen the complete distributor turned 180, and the vacuum can ends up awkwardly on the backside. Or some just move all the wires.
_________________
1973 standard, yellow, lowered, 3” narrowed front, 1600 blo-thru turbo w/single dell 15.4@86, so far
11.41 et buggy. Long gone
Let’s go O’s! Let’s go O’s!
https://www.youtube.com/@AirSpooledGarage

[bsairhead]

[NJ John]

It’s all how you comprehend and approach what is going on after you discover that something is wrong after a rebuild.
_________________
1973 standard, yellow, lowered, 3” narrowed front, 1600 blo-thru turbo w/single dell 15.4@86, so far
11.41 et buggy. Long gone
Let’s go O’s! Let’s go O’s!
https://www.youtube.com/@AirSpooledGarage

[ashman40]

My guesses…

1) The PO installed the distributor drive gear (located below the distributor) incorrectly. There is a specific orientation for this 12-tooth gear when installed into the case. Install it off by a few teeth and the rotor will no longer point in the direction the factory designed it to point; resulting in #1 plug wire being in some odd location around the cap.

2) The distributor is not original to a Beetle. VW Type2 and Type3 distributors will drop right into a Type1 engine but the rotor may point to a different spot around the cap.

Key idea to take away… the engine needs the rotor to point to the distributor cap post where the #1 spark plug wire is installed when the #1 cylinder is at TDC at the end of the compression stroke. So it can deliver a spark to the cylinder when needed. The same applies to all 4 cylinders. Where the wires are located around the cap is less critical.
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AshMan40
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'67 Beetle #1 {project car that never made it to the road }
'75 Beetle 1200LS (RHD Japan model) {junked due to frame rot}
'67 Beetle #2 {2019 project car - Wish me luck!}

[bsairhead]