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Norma
Samba Member
Joined: September 26, 2020
Posts: 152
Location: Nor Cal
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 Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2021 6:33 pm Post subject: Odd very odd. |
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I was cranking the engine bolt to gap my points.
When I turned it my bumper would push out.
Not my imagination.
When it was running it didn’t move.
What the heck?
_________________
1976
Injected 2.0 Bay Window
3rd owner of 12 years now! |
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TrollFromDownBelow
Samba Member
Joined: January 04, 2005
Posts: 414
Location: Metro Detroit
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| Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2021 6:46 pm Post subject: Re: Odd very odd. |
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I'm thinking your bus was in gear. Make sure it is neutral.
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1976 Westy (aka Tripod)
2.0 liter FI solid lifters
212k miles |
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Norma
Samba Member
Joined: September 26, 2020
Posts: 152
Location: Nor Cal
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| Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2021 10:12 pm Post subject: Re: Odd very odd. |
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Oh dear.
Yes it was.
Why would it move my bumper?
Do I need to redo the gap?
_________________
1976
Injected 2.0 Bay Window
3rd owner of 12 years now! |
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Wildthings
Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005
Posts: 50352
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| Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2021 10:50 pm Post subject: Re: Odd very odd. |
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| Norma wrote: |
Oh dear.
Yes it was.
Why would it move my bumper?
Do I need to redo the gap? |
It is easier to set the gap if you remove the distributor from the engine and do the work on the bench. Just remove the 13mm nut and washer that hold the clamp to the engine and DO NOT loosen the 10mm nut that holds the clamp tight to the distributor so that the distributor will remain in time. |
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Abscate
Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014
Posts: 22670
Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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| Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2021 11:38 pm Post subject: Re: Odd very odd. |
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| Norma wrote: |
Oh dear.
Yes it was.
Why would it move my bumper?
Do I need to redo the gap? |
Because it was moving the whole car
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.ssS! |
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Wildthings
Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005
Posts: 50352
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| Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2021 12:36 am Post subject: Re: Odd very odd. |
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| Norma wrote: |
I was cranking the engine bolt to gap my points.
When I turned it my bumper would push out. |
You should turn the nut on the alternator instead, the bolt on the crank is undersized and if it breaks or comes loose disaster awaits. With the belt tight and a wrench on the alternator nut, you can apply pressure on the slack side of the belt with your fingers to prevent slippage. |
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consvws
Samba Member
Joined: April 07, 2009
Posts: 950
Location: Roseburg, OR
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| Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2021 6:39 am Post subject: Re: Odd very odd. |
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| Abscate wrote: |
| Norma wrote: |
Oh dear.
Yes it was.
Why would it move my bumper?
Do I need to redo the gap? |
Because it was moving the whole car
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Ahhh yes, the simple wonders of life. |
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notchboy
Samba Member
Joined: April 27, 2002
Posts: 22463
Location: Escondido CA
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| Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2021 10:22 am Post subject: Re: Odd very odd. |
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| consvws wrote: |
| Abscate wrote: |
| Norma wrote: |
Oh dear.
Yes it was.
Why would it move my bumper?
Do I need to redo the gap? |
Because it was moving the whole car
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Ahhh yes, the simple wonders of life. |
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| t3kg wrote: |
OK, this thread is over. You win. |
Jason "notchboy" Weigel
1964 1500 S
1964 T34 S Convertible
1977 Westfalia Camper pop-top |
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Anchovy
Samba Member
Joined: August 05, 2000
Posts: 2922
Location: San Diego, CA
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| Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2021 12:58 pm Post subject: Re: Odd very odd. |
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| Wildthings wrote: |
| Norma wrote: |
Oh dear.
Yes it was.
Why would it move my bumper?
Do I need to redo the gap? |
It is easier to set the gap if you remove the distributor from the engine and do the work on the bench. Just remove the 13mm nut and washer that hold the clamp to the engine and DO NOT loosen the 10mm nut that holds the clamp tight to the distributor so that the distributor will remain in time. |
This ^^^^^
Also, I like to keep a backup distributor in the bus as a spare. I set the gap and timing, leave the clamp on as Wildthings suggests, and then pull it as the spare. This way I can plug and play the spare distributor and only need a 13mm wrench to make the change. No tweaking and adjusting on the side of the road since the points gap / dwell & timing are already set. |
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SGKent 
Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2007
Posts: 41031
Location: Citrus Heights CA (Near Sacramento)
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| Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2021 1:19 pm Post subject: Re: Odd very odd. |
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use a dwell meter and you can do that job a lot easier than with a feeler gauge.
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“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin |
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bsairhead
Samba Member
Joined: October 08, 2008
Posts: 3580
Location: viroqua wi.
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| Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2021 2:27 pm Post subject: Re: Odd very odd. |
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| SGKent wrote: |
| use a dwell meter and you can do that job a lot easier than with a feeler gauge. |
With a dwell meter you can do the job correctly. |
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Norma
Samba Member
Joined: September 26, 2020
Posts: 152
Location: Nor Cal
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| Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2021 4:46 pm Post subject: Re: Odd very odd. |
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Moving the whole bus!!
THANK YOU!!!
I knew it was an impossible to move the bumper. Duh
_________________
1976
Injected 2.0 Bay Window
3rd owner of 12 years now! |
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SGKent
Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2007
Posts: 41031
Location: Citrus Heights CA (Near Sacramento)
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| Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2021 5:31 pm Post subject: Re: Odd very odd. |
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hang in there Norma. You get an A+ for effort and another for transparency.
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“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin |
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Wildthings
Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005
Posts: 50352
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| Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2021 6:43 pm Post subject: Re: Odd very odd. |
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| bsairhead wrote: |
| SGKent wrote: |
| use a dwell meter and you can do that job a lot easier than with a feeler gauge. |
With a dwell meter you can do the job correctly. |
Except that all point systems I have dealt with use a point gap of 0.016-0.020" while the dwell varies all over. If you go for dwell and the point gap isn't enough the points will arc excessively, will not last long, and give you a week spark. |
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SGKent
Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2007
Posts: 41031
Location: Citrus Heights CA (Near Sacramento)
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| Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2021 9:45 pm Post subject: Re: Odd very odd. |
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| Quote: |
| while the dwell varies all over. |
wandering dwell usually means that the distributor is worn out and the shaft is wobbling. Dwell should be rock steady. Send it to Bill to be rebuilt.
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“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin |
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Wildthings
Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005
Posts: 50352
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| Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2021 11:25 pm Post subject: Re: Odd very odd. |
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| SGKent wrote: |
| Quote: |
| while the dwell varies all over. |
wandering dwell usually means that the distributor is worn out and the shaft is wobbling. Dwell should be rock steady. Send it to Bill to be rebuilt. |
The specified dwell varies from engine to engine, with V8s having about half the dwell of a four cylinder engine, yet they both have 0.016-0.020" of gap, same gap as for an old single cylinder law mower. |
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bigbore
Samba Member
Joined: December 19, 2003
Posts: 3297
Location: Wasilla Alaska
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| Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2021 12:06 am Post subject: Re: Odd very odd. |
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after all that I need a drink. 
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where its cold and snowy |
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Abscate
Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014
Posts: 22670
Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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| Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2021 1:45 am Post subject: Re: Odd very odd. |
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Once you hit 70 Norma, you become completely immune to embarrassment of oops and screwups because you forget them in the race to the bathroom.
“Moving the bumper” was 100% correct, of course.
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.ssS!
Last edited by Abscate on Fri Oct 29, 2021 3:12 am; edited 1 time in total |
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bigbore
Samba Member
Joined: December 19, 2003
Posts: 3297
Location: Wasilla Alaska
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| Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2021 3:06 am Post subject: Re: Odd very odd. |
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I must be better then most Iam 60 and doing that now. 
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where its cold and snowy |
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SGKent
Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2007
Posts: 41031
Location: Citrus Heights CA (Near Sacramento)
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| Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2021 7:52 am Post subject: Re: Odd very odd. |
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| Wildthings wrote: |
| SGKent wrote: |
| Quote: |
| while the dwell varies all over. |
wandering dwell usually means that the distributor is worn out and the shaft is wobbling. Dwell should be rock steady. Send it to Bill to be rebuilt. |
The specified dwell varies from engine to engine, with V8s having about half the dwell of a four cylinder engine, yet they both have 0.016-0.020" of gap, same gap as for an old single cylinder law mower. |
Mike - the dwell is determined by the number of lobes and profile. It should be rock solid when measured. It is the relationship between the time points are open and closed. If that is varying at idle or medium RPM then it usually means that the distributor shaft is wobbling, and that wobble is changing the relationship between open and closed. If it is changing at high RPM then the points may be floating or bouncing due to a weak spring or sticky mechanism. Technically, dwell angle is defined as the amount of time the contact breaker points are closed (current flowing through the primary ignition circuit) and it is measured in degrees of distributor shaft rotation. Change the number of cylinders and the number of lobes are changed too. That is why the dwell setting is different on 4, 6 and 8 cylinder engines. But it is the optimal way to set the point gap.
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