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f1wanabe
Samba Member
Joined: September 24, 2016
Posts: 4
Location: Pennsylvania
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 Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2017 5:28 pm Post subject: Re: hot spark svda distributor |
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| Just had the same thing occur after about a month of driving well. Got the whole kit with SVDA, Coil, plugs and wires. I also ordered the resistor that they recommend if voltage is over 13.7 volts also. Bus died a mile from home Sunday. Got it running enough to get home. Swapped to the original points distributor and its fine. Hot spark emailed the whole "Spiel" about correct coil, using a resistor, etc. They tried to tell me that I must be using a cheap chinese voltage regulator to produce high voltage when I have an expensive new Bosch unit installed in may. I asked for a new ignitor as opposed to the whole SVDA. got no response other than a shipping notification. Poor customer service, questionable product. |
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busdaddy
Samba Member
Joined: February 12, 2004
Posts: 51155
Location: Surrey B.C. Canada, but thinking of Ukraine
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| Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2017 5:34 pm Post subject: Re: hot spark svda distributor |
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Sorry you had to learn that the hard way.
BTW welcome! 
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Слава Україні! |
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telford dorr
Samba Member
Joined: March 11, 2009
Posts: 3555
Location: San Diego (Encinitas)
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| Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2017 6:35 pm Post subject: Re: hot spark svda distributor |
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The 13.7 maximum voltage spec would be a red flag for me, as a VR should regulate between 13.8 and 14.4 volts to fully charge the battery. Any good ignition module should be able to take 18 volts (at least short term), just to avoid 'warranty' returns. The automotive electrical world is harsh, and anything playing there needs to be able to take it.
_________________
'71 panel, now with FI
'Experience' is the ability to recognize a mistake when you're making it again - Franklin P. Jones
In theory, theory works in practice; in practice, it doesn't - William T. Harbaugh
When you're dead, you don't know you're dead. The pain is only felt by others.
Same thing happens when you're stupid. - Philippe Geluck
More VW electrical at http://telforddorr.com/ (available 9am to 9pm PST) |
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timvw7476
Samba Member
Joined: June 03, 2013
Posts: 2206
Location: seattle
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| Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2017 7:14 pm Post subject: Re: hot spark svda distributor |
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my red flag is at the bottom of the application page,
where they mention a 'Limited Warranty' period of 90 days. : l |
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SGKent 
Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2007
Posts: 41031
Location: Citrus Heights CA (Near Sacramento)
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| Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2017 7:27 pm Post subject: Re: hot spark svda distributor |
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| telford dorr wrote: |
| The 13.7 maximum voltage spec would be a red flag for me, as a VR should regulate between 13.8 and 14.4 volts to fully charge the battery. Any good ignition module should be able to take 18 volts (at least short term), just to avoid 'warranty' returns. The automotive electrical world is harsh, and anything playing there needs to be able to take it. |
FWIW my stock 1971 bay suffered a lightning strike in Oklahoma - It looked like being inside the sun, the bus swerved violently as the potential in the car, and as part of the strike went thru my left side caused me to twitch - all I could see was the inside of the sun for about 5 or 6 seconds. We were in a heavy storm out in the middle of nowhere on the Will Rogers turnpike, with a tornado popping power lines and removing houses less than a half mile from us 2am in the morning and no place to hide. But - those old faithful points and the 38 amp generator just kept chugging. How is that for surviving over voltage...
Really
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telford dorr
Samba Member
Joined: March 11, 2009
Posts: 3555
Location: San Diego (Encinitas)
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| Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2017 8:06 pm Post subject: Re: hot spark svda distributor |
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It's actually not terribly surprising, seeing as a bus is a big metal box (think: Faraday cage - any charge stays in the outside surface [maybe some leakage through the windows]). If anything, I would think that tire loss, as the bolt arcs from the rims to ground across / through the tires, would be an issue.
Now electronic losses caused by the EMP pulse from the bolt could be an issue. Did the radio still work? It has an external antenna pointing towards the sky...
_________________
'71 panel, now with FI
'Experience' is the ability to recognize a mistake when you're making it again - Franklin P. Jones
In theory, theory works in practice; in practice, it doesn't - William T. Harbaugh
When you're dead, you don't know you're dead. The pain is only felt by others.
Same thing happens when you're stupid. - Philippe Geluck
More VW electrical at http://telforddorr.com/ (available 9am to 9pm PST) |
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SGKent
Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2007
Posts: 41031
Location: Citrus Heights CA (Near Sacramento)
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| Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2017 8:40 pm Post subject: Re: hot spark svda distributor |
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| telford dorr wrote: |
It's actually not terribly surprising, seeing as a bus is a big metal box (think: Faraday cage - any charge stays in the outside surface [maybe some leakage through the windows]). If anything, I would think that tire loss, as the bolt arcs from the rims to ground across / through the tires, would be an issue.
Now electronic losses caused by the EMP pulse from the bolt could be an issue. Did the radio still work? It has an external antenna pointing towards the sky... |
actually it did work. All I remember was that the lightning was all around us for about an hour. We had numerous hits near us so that I pulled the old trick of turning all the interior lights on including fluorescents so I would not be blinded by near strikes. One turned the bus into the inside of the sun and while I was blinded the bus swerved. I thought initially it might be wind but I had some neurological issues with my left arm later which was on the window sill at the time it happened. The next time I went to wash the bus the area around the left rear top was all discolored and had tracks. I probably got just a tiny bit on the arm and that was what I thought was a big wind gust. There was not a lot of gusts that night, just pouring rain and tornados after leaving Oklahoma City going north east. The radio was on AM at the time and it was totally full of static while trying to listen to weather - however the fact it hit the left rear and not the right front is probably why it survived. I keep my antennas at 30" which doesn't stick up above the bus. Other than the tornados that night I felt pretty safe from the lightning because I understood it was essentially a Faraday cage. Funny thing about that too. I knew a DJ who was an all night guy at a station out in the desert - did DJ and managed the transmitter at night. One night the area got hit hard by lightning. He had about a half dozen bolts that zinged thru the inside of the station so he went and hid in the big Faraday cages the transmitting equipment was housed in and watched about a dozen more zingers in the room. Not something to play with - probably lucky I am here - as a four year old lightning split a Cherry tree about 3 or 4 feet from my bed. I was inside and it was outside with brick in between.
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f1wanabe
Samba Member
Joined: September 24, 2016
Posts: 4
Location: Pennsylvania
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| Posted: Sun May 20, 2018 6:21 pm Post subject: Re: hot spark svda distributor |
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| I should have updated my previous post earlier. As I mentioned, I bought the whole combo pack from Hot spark, my bus died while driving, no response from Hot Spark, etc. They did get back to me after I found that the igniter was rubbing on the magnet sleeve and must have overheated. It came from Hot Spark gapped incorrectly. They sent me a replacement ignitor, I installed and gapped it myself and its been running great for months. As people say, not much increase in performance but runs well, no maintenance and better fuel economy for sure. The advance seems to be pretty good for the 1600 engine as well. I still keep my bosch points distributor under the back seat just in case but so far so good. |
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