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cantdrv55
Samba Member
Joined: December 05, 2003
Posts: 141
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 Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2022 3:56 pm Post subject: Important to disconnect the battery when replacing carb? |
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| Key out of the ignition and removing the distributor cap. Is it important to disconnect the battery too? |
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busdaddy
Samba Member
Joined: February 12, 2004
Posts: 51153
Location: Surrey B.C. Canada, but thinking of Ukraine
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| Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2022 4:07 pm Post subject: Re: Important to disconnect the battery when replacing carb? |
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Generator or alternator?, not much danger with a gen, but an alt has a live wire within reach of a wrench or something.
When in doubt disconnect it, at the very least it's a last reminder to look over the work area and make sure everything is cleaned up and secure before turning the key.
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Rust NEVER sleeps and stock never goes out of style.
Please don't PM technical questions, ask your problem in public so everyone can play along. If you think it's too stupid post it here
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cantdrv55
Samba Member
Joined: December 05, 2003
Posts: 141
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| Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2022 4:15 pm Post subject: Re: Important to disconnect the battery when replacing carb? |
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| It’s a generator. Thanks for the quick response! |
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KTPhil 
Samba Member
Joined: April 06, 2006
Posts: 34021
Location: Conejo Valley, CA
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| Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2022 4:43 pm Post subject: Re: Important to disconnect the battery when replacing carb? |
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By '69 the regulator (which has live wires) was under the seat, so you should be good without disconnecting the battery.
Just be sure any wires you connect to the carb are held tightly. Those are NOT fused, and will melt if shorted, taking the rest of your harness with it. I would add heat shrink tubing to any exposed connector metal on the female sides, and make sure they are a tight metal-to-metal fit on the male tabs.
Check your coil connectors and take the same steps. |
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Cusser
Samba Member
Joined: October 02, 2006
Posts: 31379
Location: Hot Arizona
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| Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2022 5:20 pm Post subject: Re: Important to disconnect the battery when replacing carb? |
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S- or C-shaped 13mm box wrench is great for accessing the nut by the fan shroud when replacing the carb.
_________________
1970 VW (owned since 1972) and 1971 VW Convertible (owned since 1976), second owner of each. The '71 now has the 1835 engine, swapped from the '70. Second owner of each. 1988 Mazda B2200 truck, 1998 Frontier, 2014 Yukon, 2004 Frontier King Cab. All manual transmission except for the Yukon. http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335294 http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335297 |
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Tim Donahoe
Samba Member
Joined: December 08, 2012
Posts: 11740
Location: Redding, CA
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| Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2022 5:40 pm Post subject: Re: Important to disconnect the battery when replacing carb? |
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There is a live post on top of an alternator, and if, say using a screwdriver and you ground this post, you'll see sparks fly.
However, knowing this can happen, I removed my carburetor many times without unhooking the ground strap on the battery--even though I had a nice battery cut-off switch at the kick panel.
Tim
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Let's do the Time Warp again!
Richard O'Brien |
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KTPhil
Samba Member
Joined: April 06, 2006
Posts: 34021
Location: Conejo Valley, CA
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| Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2022 9:16 pm Post subject: Re: Important to disconnect the battery when replacing carb? |
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| Tim Donahoe wrote: |
| There is a live post on top of an alternator, and if, say using a screwdriver and you ground this post, you'll see sparks fly.Tim |
| cantdrv55 wrote: |
| It’s a generator. Thanks for the quick response! |
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Q-Dog
Samba Member
Joined: April 05, 2010
Posts: 8700
Location: Sunset, Louisiana
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| Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2022 8:34 am Post subject: Re: Important to disconnect the battery when replacing carb? |
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Why would you not want to disconnect the battery when working on anything that involves touching any of the wiring?
_________________
Brian
'69 Dune Buggy
'69 Beetle Convertible
'70 Beetle |
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KTPhil
Samba Member
Joined: April 06, 2006
Posts: 34021
Location: Conejo Valley, CA
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| Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2022 8:49 am Post subject: Re: Important to disconnect the battery when replacing carb? |
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| Q-Dog wrote: |
| Why would you not want to disconnect the battery when working on anything that involves touching any of the wiring? |
Better drain and flush the fuel tank, too, might be risky there. |
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Q-Dog
Samba Member
Joined: April 05, 2010
Posts: 8700
Location: Sunset, Louisiana
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| Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2022 8:53 am Post subject: Re: Important to disconnect the battery when replacing carb? |
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| KTPhil wrote: |
| Q-Dog wrote: |
| Why would you not want to disconnect the battery when working on anything that involves touching any of the wiring? |
Better drain and flush the fuel tank, too, might be risky there. |
I've seen a lot of stupid things on the Samba ... and this is one of them.
_________________
Brian
'69 Dune Buggy
'69 Beetle Convertible
'70 Beetle |
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KTPhil
Samba Member
Joined: April 06, 2006
Posts: 34021
Location: Conejo Valley, CA
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| Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2022 9:15 am Post subject: Re: Important to disconnect the battery when replacing carb? |
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Cusser
Samba Member
Joined: October 02, 2006
Posts: 31379
Location: Hot Arizona
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| Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2022 10:54 am Post subject: Re: Important to disconnect the battery when replacing carb? |
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| cantdrv55 wrote: |
| Key out of the ignition and removing the distributor cap. Is it important to disconnect the battery too? |
I would disconnect at the coil positive terminal the wire that leads to the choke heater and electrojet solenoid, as one will need to disconnect this anyway !!!
_________________
1970 VW (owned since 1972) and 1971 VW Convertible (owned since 1976), second owner of each. The '71 now has the 1835 engine, swapped from the '70. Second owner of each. 1988 Mazda B2200 truck, 1998 Frontier, 2014 Yukon, 2004 Frontier King Cab. All manual transmission except for the Yukon. http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335294 http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335297 |
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cantdrv55
Samba Member
Joined: December 05, 2003
Posts: 141
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| Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2022 11:57 am Post subject: Re: Important to disconnect the battery when replacing carb? |
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| Yes those I had to disconnect for sure |
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KTPhil
Samba Member
Joined: April 06, 2006
Posts: 34021
Location: Conejo Valley, CA
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| Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2022 12:34 pm Post subject: Re: Important to disconnect the battery when replacing carb? |
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| To the original question, why remove the distributor cap? |
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cantdrv55
Samba Member
Joined: December 05, 2003
Posts: 141
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| Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2022 1:08 pm Post subject: Re: Important to disconnect the battery when replacing carb? |
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| I was replacing the carb |
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KTPhil
Samba Member
Joined: April 06, 2006
Posts: 34021
Location: Conejo Valley, CA
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| Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2022 1:52 pm Post subject: Re: Important to disconnect the battery when replacing carb? |
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| cantdrv55 wrote: |
| I was replacing the carb |
Still not seeing it...
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Cusser
Samba Member
Joined: October 02, 2006
Posts: 31379
Location: Hot Arizona
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| Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2022 3:29 pm Post subject: Re: Important to disconnect the battery when replacing carb? |
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| KTPhil wrote: |
| To the original question, why remove the distributor cap? |
Sometimes access to the carb retaining nuts and the accelerator cable is easier with the distributor cap removed. I've done that too.
_________________
1970 VW (owned since 1972) and 1971 VW Convertible (owned since 1976), second owner of each. The '71 now has the 1835 engine, swapped from the '70. Second owner of each. 1988 Mazda B2200 truck, 1998 Frontier, 2014 Yukon, 2004 Frontier King Cab. All manual transmission except for the Yukon. http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335294 http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335297 |
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cantdrv55
Samba Member
Joined: December 05, 2003
Posts: 141
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| Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2022 3:43 pm Post subject: Re: Important to disconnect the battery when replacing carb? |
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| Yes, I couldn’t get my wrench and my hand to move the wrench with the distributor in the way. I guess my hand dexterity needs work. |
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busdaddy
Samba Member
Joined: February 12, 2004
Posts: 51153
Location: Surrey B.C. Canada, but thinking of Ukraine
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| Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2022 5:26 pm Post subject: Re: Important to disconnect the battery when replacing carb? |
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| Cusser wrote: |
| KTPhil wrote: |
| To the original question, why remove the distributor cap? |
Sometimes access to the carb retaining nuts and the accelerator cable is easier with the distributor cap removed. I've done that too. |
Me three, I usually pull the cap for access to that area just because...., especially the front nut.
_________________
Rust NEVER sleeps and stock never goes out of style.
Please don't PM technical questions, ask your problem in public so everyone can play along. If you think it's too stupid post it here
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!
Слава Україні! |
|
| Back to top |
|
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KTPhil
Samba Member
Joined: April 06, 2006
Posts: 34021
Location: Conejo Valley, CA
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| Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2022 9:52 pm Post subject: Re: Important to disconnect the battery when replacing carb? |
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| Makes sense... I don't remember having trouble, but I had some odd wrenches.. or small hands, LOL! |
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