TheSamba.com :: View topic - Rare Unique and Oddball stock ignition distributors

Wed Apr 16, 2025 6:41 pm

tasb wrote:

Turns out it’s a little hard to illustrate. Basically you line up the drive dog so that narrow end of the offset is in the same 180 degree sphere as the rotor notch on the other end of the shaft. I assembled this without the distributor body so that you can sorta see the alignment. The rotor notch is at about five o’clock when the distributor is ready to fire on #1 cylinder. This alignment applies to all Types 1 & 2. There is a group of Type III where this is 180 degrees opposite since the vacuum canister would interfere with other engine parts.

Now I see. Rotor notch lying in same side 180 degree sphere as smaller (narrower) offset.

Mon Apr 21, 2025 2:27 am

EverettB wrote: The 1960 Bus Bastard Engines use a 28 PCI with a push-on fuel line.

As you know, those engines don't have a vacuum-advance so they have a block off screw in the advance port on the carburetor.
Example:

hi
Where is the block off scew in the advance on that carburetor?
Thanks

Mon Apr 21, 2025 7:56 am

It's on the other side (lower right). Original screws are REALLY hard to find in my experience. The block-off screws were only used with mechanical advance distributors.

Most bubba vacuum to mechanical conversions look like this:

Mon Apr 21, 2025 8:51 am

thank you!
I want to use a SVA distributor with a Solex 32PCI carburator, any idea of a distributor?
In this post https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=755019&highlight=32+pci there is a picture of a 32PCI, I could bore at the same spot. 8)

Mon Apr 21, 2025 12:00 pm

I found the correct metric screw/plug at my local hardware store it was even brass like the original with the dished slotted head.

Mon Apr 21, 2025 1:53 pm

In the link that you provided there was a reference to a 0 231 137 020. That crosses to VW# 111 905 205 T. That distributor was not installed on USA bound engines so information and actual samples of this distributor are scarce. That distributor may have used the vacuum canister 210 which delivered a maximum of 25 degrees as found on distributor 113 905 205 K (delivering a maximum of 25 degrees). It could also have had vacuum canister #279 as used on the 0 231 137 035 VW# 113 905 205 T. That distributor had a vacuum canister that delivered 32 degrees of advance maximum. Best approach would be to find one and test its vacuum canister.

Mon Apr 21, 2025 5:16 pm

0 231 137 020 crosses to 111 905 205 Q
0 231 137 029 crosses to 111 905 205 T

Here, since I already have the 11/1973 VW/Bosch crossover charts scanned, I just went and extracted every XXX 905 205 X cross reference number I could find into one image. (I'll repeat what I said about that several of the distributors on this list are not found anywhere else in this particular book)

Tue Apr 22, 2025 8:59 am

tasb wrote: In the link that you provided there was a reference to a 0 231 137 020.
In the link the 0 231 137 020 was used with an 30/31 carb...
What was the SVA
distributor with a 30 PCI?
Thanks to all! 8)

Tue Apr 22, 2025 11:11 am

I know you’ve asked several times and haven’t gotten a concise answer. Since that carburetor was not delivered on vehicles bound for the USA we don’t have the answer. The carburetor and SVA distributor were engineered to be paired together. The link you provided suggests a distributor but then misidentifies it so the suggestion is suspect. There are several people who may be able to answer your question with data, but not likely to come up with an actual distributor in the aluminum flesh.

The 0 231 137 020 was/is an SVA distributor. I’ve never seen one or a 111 905 205 Q. I have seen a 0 231 137 029/ 111 905 205 T, I probably have one or two examples.

Fri May 02, 2025 6:04 pm

How bad an idea is it to use old NOS condensers?

I know that in electronics the metal between the wax layers touches and shorts out the capacitor from old age.

Fri May 02, 2025 6:09 pm

If it works... use it.

Mine is 50 years old.

Fri May 02, 2025 6:13 pm

In some instances, perhaps. I have experienced no issues even after rebuilding hundreds of distributors and installing NOS condensers. I greatly prefer them over brand new. The 1955 Garbe Lahmeyer distributor I’m running in my 1957 Kombi is still running a 1957 date stamped condenser for more than ten years now.

Visit a parts store and ask a younger clerk for a set of points and condenser and you will receive a puzzled look in return. Manufacturing quality works in a similar manner. These parts are anachranistic.

Perhaps it’s the number of heat cycles the part has been subjected too.

Wed May 07, 2025 6:33 pm

What distributor does this bracket go to? I figure the condenser could be any.

Wed May 07, 2025 7:41 pm

Reverse the condenser in the bracket. You have it installed backwards. It's for the VJ 4 BR 25 and 010 and pre BRS 383 distributors.

Thu May 08, 2025 6:10 pm

Thanks for that. What engines would it have been found on originally?

Thu May 08, 2025 6:50 pm

The bracket? 1960 Bus VJ 4 BR 25. The 010 and 019 were not original equipment. It was also necessary on very early 25hp engines.

Sat May 10, 2025 6:39 pm

BarryL wrote: Cleaned everything for reassembly.

How many shims go on top and on bottom? I matched them by wear marks and it looks like 3 on top and 3 on bottom.

The bottom shim on the top stack showed a little wear.

How ‘bout this wear on the cam? It is smooth and I haven’t had unusual times when the points got closer.

When reassembling the driving dog if I align the securing slot for the rotor aiming at the number 1 cylinder mark which way are the driving dog lugs offset?

Glenn wrote: That's cam is done. Those shims are done. The ground wire is broken.

That distributor belongs in the trash.

I strongly suggest buying a 205M and rebuilding it.

BarryL wrote: I put the distributor back together and am using it for now. It works perfect. It has zero radial play and the points plate bushings are like new.

I put the three fattest shims on the bottom and the other two on top. I checked with a depth gauge into the driving gear and measured against the driving dog and all is good.

All was good with the action of the distributor but something else was wrong as it still doesn't work.

I bought a rebuilt with NOS parts 205M from tasb from is personal collection as it fixed my bus. But now I’m baffled by what is wrong with my distributor that was causing the bump-cachah-bump. There is only one thing that it could be and that is that somewhere the circuit that grounds the coil is faulty. Points NOS .016” gap, condenser NOS, rotor NOS, cap NOS.

Sat May 10, 2025 10:28 pm

This issue is for a distributor that you are working on, correct ? Not the one you purchased from me? Have you looked at the ground cable inside your distributor? I see that the strap is separated from the points plate in the photo above.

Sun May 11, 2025 11:49 am

tasb wrote: This issue is for a distributor that you are working on, correct ? Not the one you purchased from me? Have you looked at the ground cable inside your distributor? I see that the strap is separated from the points plate in the photo above.

The one I purchased from you is perfect and fixed all my problem. This is the one I worked on and reinstalled that didn't work right so I put yours in.

I'll go back to the beginning: the bus started to act like a wet cap. I never could fix what it was but I restored everything ancillary.

Fuel Pump
Carburetor
Distributor points rotor cap condenser all NOS
Hoses
Checked all wires

Here it is after I first pulled it out to start restoring.

Sun May 11, 2025 7:39 pm

I would suspect your ground strap. Disassemble the distributor and take the points plate and a shorter ground strap to a radiator repair shop and have them braze the strap to the bottom of the points plate as original.

If you need six shims in order to get a good fit for little vertical shaft play then either the distributor shaft is worn, which has been pointed out previously or your shims are worn out.

That distributor is an oddball. I featured another one somewhere in these 25 pages. It was manufactured in August 1973, long after SVA distributors had been superseded to SVDA and DVDA distributors at the factories.