'73 Super Salvage Project

[heimlich]

When you turn the rotor while holding the gear at the bottom it should return back to its original position.
_________________
www.vwnos.com [email protected]
Classic Brands. Classic Quality.
Not all parts are made the same. NOS OE/OEM parts made mainly in West Germany, Early Germany, and Early Brazil are where VW produced the best quality parts and best fitting products.
5% Off your order with coupon code: 5%OFF
Restored Distributors Available (<--Click here)

[vamram]

[Buggeee]

[vamram]

[vamram]

I ordered a pack of distributor gear shims (and a few other items) from CIP1, should have them in a few days. My question is - if the brass gear is fine, which it appears to be based on my oil change of a week ago and looking at the gear w/the distributor and fuel pump out, what would cause magnesium shavings at the base of the gear? Two shims are in place.

Not to start an oil discussion, but I use QS Full Synthetic 5w/30 on this car, year around, keeping to the 3k oil change interval (mostly). Oil temps on this care will go over 180* only on the hottest days of the year on a long highway run. I mention this just wondering if the oil choice could contribute to the appearance of shavings on the gear...
_________________
"Men are qualified for civil liberty in exact proportion to their disposition
to put moral chains upon their own appetites. -Edmund Burke
“If something cannot go on forever, it will stop.”
Stop Russian-Soviet Aggression!!

'74 Super 9/16 - present, in refurb process.
'73 Super - 6/18 - Present - Daily Driver!
'75 Super Le Grande...languishing since 2022.
Click to view image
Save the Supers!!

[vamram]

I got the shims from CIP1 yesterday and installed 2-3 (don't remember now) additional shims and the problem is resolved. The distributor sits snuggly in the gear, no slack at all, and has the normal expected spring back when I twist and let go of the rotor. I was able to time it and I can tell that the motor likes the snug set. And I oriented the gear correctly so that the vac can faces back when properly timed rather than at the v-belt.

The 1000-dollar question not resolved is - how did this come to pass? What's the *real* problem that would result in the gear slowly "sinking" into the case. We may never know...I have no intention of opening the case until I have no choice. I'll drive it until it stops.
_________________
"Men are qualified for civil liberty in exact proportion to their disposition
to put moral chains upon their own appetites. -Edmund Burke
“If something cannot go on forever, it will stop.”
Stop Russian-Soviet Aggression!!

'74 Super 9/16 - present, in refurb process.
'73 Super - 6/18 - Present - Daily Driver!
'75 Super Le Grande...languishing since 2022.
Click to view image
Save the Supers!!

[Buggeee]

My guess at this point is that the drive gear shaved it's way down into the case, and that the extra shims now compensate for the lost magnesium. Can't imagine why. Drive it like you stole it!
_________________
Big Time 1988 Vanagon Westy
Release the Krankenwagen! 1966 Sportsmobile Camper
Dr. Kompressor 72 Super Duper
61 Turkis Pile (adopted out)

[vamram]

Not quite like I stole it, but it was a nice day for a late afternoon cruise on the GW Parkway. Took Spout Run to the GW, to the Memorial Bridge. I didn't cross over just because the traffic in DC during rush hour would've had me stuck trying to get back into VA. A little long at 4 minutes, but car feels great now that the distributor issue is "resolved."


Link

_________________
"Men are qualified for civil liberty in exact proportion to their disposition
to put moral chains upon their own appetites. -Edmund Burke
“If something cannot go on forever, it will stop.”
Stop Russian-Soviet Aggression!!

'74 Super 9/16 - present, in refurb process.
'73 Super - 6/18 - Present - Daily Driver!
'75 Super Le Grande...languishing since 2022.
Click to view image
Save the Supers!!

[vamram]

Re-installed the Compu-Fire DIS ignition system today because, well, why not? I paid for the damn thing, might as well put it thru its paces. Spark plugs gapped at .050. Or is it .50? I had tried this a year+ ago, but coincided w/a coil having gone bad previously and I'd misinterpreted dirty carb issues as another coil problem and removed it. Turned out the carb was dirty. Anyway, it ran great on 30-mile highway run. We'll see how it does during June's driving.

One thing about this car is that oil temps never reach 200* on a mild day like today (73* & partly cloudy), even on a 30-mile highway run at 70 mph.

And....the problem w/the right turn signal/flashers came back again during today's 30-mile highway run. Sucks. Not sure what other grounds I can clean on this thing.
_________________
"Men are qualified for civil liberty in exact proportion to their disposition
to put moral chains upon their own appetites. -Edmund Burke
“If something cannot go on forever, it will stop.”
Stop Russian-Soviet Aggression!!

'74 Super 9/16 - present, in refurb process.
'73 Super - 6/18 - Present - Daily Driver!
'75 Super Le Grande...languishing since 2022.
Click to view image
Save the Supers!!

[Rome]

[heimlich]

For grounds for lighting what you can do is take a small wire and use it as a ground wire. You will hold it to a ground on the car such as the bumper and then the ground on the light assembly. If attaching this ground wire makes the lights work you know it is a ground issue. You can then either trace the ground or just run a new one to the fender.
_________________
www.vwnos.com [email protected]
Classic Brands. Classic Quality.
Not all parts are made the same. NOS OE/OEM parts made mainly in West Germany, Early Germany, and Early Brazil are where VW produced the best quality parts and best fitting products.
5% Off your order with coupon code: 5%OFF
Restored Distributors Available (<--Click here)

[vamram]

Rome, I didn't make it to June Bug. I went last weekend to Summerduck here in VA and found some of the parts I was looking for...so instead stayed to install the DIS ignition and try and ID WTF keeps causing my blinkers to go on the fritz. Hope to take the various recommendations for alternate grounds this afternoon to see if I can ID a definitive cause/solution.

It's frustrating because it's intermittent at times. They'll work normally then in the middle of a drive they go bad.
_________________
"Men are qualified for civil liberty in exact proportion to their disposition
to put moral chains upon their own appetites. -Edmund Burke
“If something cannot go on forever, it will stop.”
Stop Russian-Soviet Aggression!!

'74 Super 9/16 - present, in refurb process.
'73 Super - 6/18 - Present - Daily Driver!
'75 Super Le Grande...languishing since 2022.
Click to view image
Save the Supers!!

[vamram]

Started troubleshooting with the rear tailights. First 25 seconds of the video or so show the taillights and flashers blinking with the flasher switch. I also show a test ground wire between the two assemblies to the decklid latch. Then, they started working normally as I move the left assembly. And you can see that moving the left assembly away from its mount causes a failure of the lights, even with the ground wire in place. Pressing it back against the body alternately caused it to work or fail.


Link


I ended up running a separate ground wire from the assembly's top left bolt to one of the bumper bracket bolts. I tested as I installed and tightened the 8 assembly mount bolts of both assemblies and everything worked. Next will be a live drive to test, since it would work intermittently yesterday.
_________________
"Men are qualified for civil liberty in exact proportion to their disposition
to put moral chains upon their own appetites. -Edmund Burke
“If something cannot go on forever, it will stop.”
Stop Russian-Soviet Aggression!!

'74 Super 9/16 - present, in refurb process.
'73 Super - 6/18 - Present - Daily Driver!
'75 Super Le Grande...languishing since 2022.
Click to view image
Save the Supers!!

[vamram]

FAIL. Went on a highway run, signals were great for about 5 minutes, then stopped working. I "got" them to work again intermittently during the drive, I *think* by jerking the steering wheel up and down (not in and out), but then they'd stop working after the blinker canceled following a right turn. I checked and the extra ground wire is in place.

What next? More ground wires per corner? Or perhaps the turn signal switch in the steering column....?
_________________
"Men are qualified for civil liberty in exact proportion to their disposition
to put moral chains upon their own appetites. -Edmund Burke
“If something cannot go on forever, it will stop.”
Stop Russian-Soviet Aggression!!

'74 Super 9/16 - present, in refurb process.
'73 Super - 6/18 - Present - Daily Driver!
'75 Super Le Grande...languishing since 2022.
Click to view image
Save the Supers!!

[vamram]

Latest update on the turn signals is here.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?si...6#10391026
_________________
"Men are qualified for civil liberty in exact proportion to their disposition
to put moral chains upon their own appetites. -Edmund Burke
“If something cannot go on forever, it will stop.”
Stop Russian-Soviet Aggression!!

'74 Super 9/16 - present, in refurb process.
'73 Super - 6/18 - Present - Daily Driver!
'75 Super Le Grande...languishing since 2022.
Click to view image
Save the Supers!!

[heimlich]

If you need a ground for the rear lights I believe there's a bolt on the backside of the fender for the assembly. I think that's what I did to mine.

I had an odd turn signal issue a little while back. It was the front left one. It would only happen at night. The turn signal wouldn't work. In order to fix it I would grab the light and push/pull it. Eventually that stopped working so I pull the fixture and moved some things around. I think it was a ground or two wires touching. It's been working ever since.

If you are able to fix everything and then it goes out while you are driving it may be a ground that is moving around.

Another issue I had was a cheap turn signal switch. I tried using a Meyle one made in PR China. That lasted for a few thousand miles. I put a NOS SWF bus switch in and haven't had any issues. There is a wiring diagram somewhere on here. It tells you all the colors of the wires for the switch inside the dash. You can put your multimeter on the wires and flip the switch to see if you are getting continuity.

Can you hear your flasher going off when you are driving? Are both lights out on the whole side or just one? If its one the switch is working.

I have a 73 standard and if I can help in some way let me know.
_________________
www.vwnos.com [email protected]
Classic Brands. Classic Quality.
Not all parts are made the same. NOS OE/OEM parts made mainly in West Germany, Early Germany, and Early Brazil are where VW produced the best quality parts and best fitting products.
5% Off your order with coupon code: 5%OFF
Restored Distributors Available (<--Click here)