New Distributor

[legotech7]

Needed to replace my dizzy. Got a new one, but am having difficulty trying to insert it in to the distributor drive. The old one came out fairly easy but this new is tight as hell to insert. I have to jiggle it with both hands and it will go down some but gets stuck almost half way through. Like the diameter of the shaft if you will is over sized slightly. Has anyone ever experienced this , and how did you remedy it. .PITA........ Any help would be greatly appreciated.. Thanks.. Here's a pic of where its hung up. Tried to resize it but it wouldn't go through. Thanks again....

[Pruneman99]

Looks like you bought a cheap-o Chinese 009.

Measure the shaft. Measure your old one.

Rotate the rotor until it actually lines up with the distributor drive pinion. It will only line up one way. Oil the o-ring so it can slide down easier.

What distributor did you take out?

[Cusser]

[ashman40]

Take the distributor out.

Is the clamp the reason the distributor is not going all the way down into the case opening? Does the clamp slide all the way up on the shaft of the distributor so it will rest flush under the lip as shown here.

If the clamp cannot slide all the way up, check why this is. The clamp can be lightly bent to flatten it and open it up. As long as when you tighten the horizontal nut the clamp will firmly hold the distributor from rotating by accident you are fine. Don't over tighten the nut and bend the clamp.

Next check the o-ring on the shaft. New o-rings can be too large that they make inserting the distributor difficult. Liberally lube the o-ring with oil or grease. Using a plastic spudger, compress the o-ring as it passes into the case opening. Once the o-ring is below the surface you may need to twist the body back and forth to get the entire distributor to fully seat.

Before you install the distributor, look down into the opening and note the orientation of the drive gear slot down in the case. Look at the bottom of the distributor. The cog at the bottom of the distributor will only fit into the top of the drive gear one way. Orient the cog & rotor until the two are lined up so they will mate. When you fully seat the distributor the rotor will be pointed in this direction. If the rotor is pointing somewhere else the distributor will never fully seat.

Once you fully seat the distributor try to rotate the rotor. It will either not rotate (SVA distributor) or will rotate a little in one direction (CW) and then spring back when released (SVDA/DVDA/mechnical-only). If you can rotate the rotor and it stays where you rotate it... it is not properly seated into the drive gear.
_________________
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!}

[Glenn]

I've seen too short, but too long is possible.

_________________
Glenn
74 Beetle Specs | 74 Beetle Restoration | 2180cc Engine
"You may not get what you pay for, but you always pay for what you get"

Member #1009

#BlueSquare

[tasb]

Try test fitting after removing the clamp and O ring.
_________________
Roads Scholar &
1957 Kombi low mileage 36 hp governor equipped M 178 Slow Drag Winner 2014, 2015, 2018

1965 hardtop Deluxe Microbus owned since 1990 M 620 factory 12 v 1500cc

1961 (October)Single Cab- Road Trip Workhorse

[Cusser]

[Glenn]

_________________
Glenn
74 Beetle Specs | 74 Beetle Restoration | 2180cc Engine
"You may not get what you pay for, but you always pay for what you get"

Member #1009

#BlueSquare

[legotech7]

Looks like I I managed to sit it in right ... I think its in all the way as I mentioned before, the rotor does turn when I rotate the engine. At the moment it sits at number one at TDC. I tried to do a static timing, but the light would not go on no matter how I turned the distributor right or left. With the ignition on, I checked to see if I had voltage to the coil using the voltage test, ( light )... It would not go on. Again no voltage at the coil with the key on. Could it be some thing in the ignition at the key?... Everything else seems to be working ok. But it will not fire up. What else can I check? What am I'm missing?.. This is where it sits now.... It has a brand new boch coil, tested so I know it works.. Thanks for your help and patients on this....

[bomberbob]

Points adjusted correctly? Defective points? When the points are closed, the current goes to ground. Current flows through the coil, building up a magnetic field. you will get no test light to light when points are grounded. When the points open, the magnetic field collapses, pouring all that stored energy into a nice spark. The timing of that collapse is what you are seeking, the moment when the points open, and your test light comes on. With the green wire from the dizzy hooked to your coil, if no light at any time, your points are closed all the time, or something in your dizzy is shorted to ground.
_________________
1968 Beetle (storage)
1990 Jetta GLI megasquirted, burning E85 (currently in heavy maintenance)
2004 Jetta turbo GLI
Marion, Iowa

[legotech7]

It seems that I have no power to the coil when I turn the key. Points are adjusted as they should. But no power to the coil. There is power to the ignition at the key though. Could it be a wire disconnected some where. This all started when I replaced my progressive carburetor to a new one.

[legotech7]

Well I think I solved my no power to the coil dilemma. I recalled I took a ton of pictures and video before I took the engine out. I found a wire that was connected the the rest of the harness. It was connected to an oil sender then from there to the positive side of the coil. So that gave life to the coil and hopefully power the dizzy then the plugs. I will post with results, but for today I'm done. Next will be is to do the static timing, and hope it fires up... Thanks all for you help. If there is anything else I might have missed, please let me know.. To be continued.....

[ashman40]

[legotech7]

Thank ashman40 Duly noted. I guess I should have mentioned, that I am working on a 68 dune buggy, to witch the PO used a mustang wiring harness to hook it all up. So the colors you mentioned for the wires are of no consequence. I had to do a lot of fishing to figure what went were. I only hope I didn't cross anything. Do you think then, I should add a fuse in line to that black power wire going to the coil, just to be safe? I haven't fired it up it , I still have to do the static timing on it. But all the lights work, and the gages as well. This is what I'm working currently.......Its a pic with the old engine...

[legotech7]

Just an update. I finally got running, although she is running rough with the new weber. I'm guessing I have to adjust it. Running rich as it smells through the exhaust. Also at the initial start up, the engine started slowly with two or three revolutions, then she cranked right over. Could the timing still be off? I understand that these carburetors are finicky in trying to adjust them. I'm no expert, so I'll have to play with it.


Thanks folks for all your help..

[ashman40]

[legotech7]

The pic above is with the old weber, I've changed it since. And they now have the heat riser tubes attached and a new SVDA distributor. I got the timing corrected, and she runs better now. I still don't like the weber carb for its difficulty in tuning. They need to relocate the screws from the rear, to the front or to the sides. I appreciate all the help here. I love this site...

[ashman40]

[legotech7]

ashman40, great information. The carb I have is the 32/36 DFEV type. You'd think the manufactures would have figured this out by now....

Thanks man...