Gauging Interest: Cheap New Bolt-on Crank Trigger kit

[allamaabroad]

Gauging interest:

I’m developing a crank trigger wheel and sensor for my own project, I’ll be getting the parts made soon here and I’m wondering if anyone may be interested in it.

Kit will include a trigger wheel that mounts to the front of the pulley, VR sensor, sensor bracket, and longer crank bolt for roughly $110. Price could come down to roughly $90 with enough quantity

This will require no machining, direct bolt on and go for half the price of other systems.

All parts will be CAD plated or otherwise finished.

The sensor being used is very common and can be found at almost any local auto parts store, so no getting stranded if the sensor goes bad.

I’ll post up the drawings later for those that may be interested.
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Dennis - 1973 Super Beetle ('16-'21)
Debbie- 1970 Baywindow Bus ('21 - Present)
Tin top camper/adventure bus

2180 TW: CNC Panchitos, Beehives Done Right, Web 163, Ultralight Lifters, 1.3 Rockers, CSP Python, Custom Speeduino EFI Conversion with 40mm Throttle Bodies

Distributors are lame

I have a really hard time leaving things alone...

Innovative and affordable engine management systems and EFI conversions for your Vintage VW
Visit https://debbiesaircooled.com/

[mikedjames]

I have been working slowly along similar lines - buying a more generic trigger wheel, cutting a larger hole 1 7/8" diameter in the centre and welding it to a 2 1/2" disc of 1/16" sheet steel to keep using a standard length pulley bolt..

One concern I have which I currently am still considering is how to lock the trigger wheel to the pulley. (I am currently thinking of drilling and tapping two holes in the trigger wheel 180 degrees apart that go into holes in the pulley, not fixing holes but alignment. Or using grub screws into dimples in the pulley hub)

I dont know what you have considered, I am just describing my thoughts.

I sit there with a spare pulley and the timing wheel and a digital caliper thinking where to drill ..

There are two reasons - one being that as you tighten the pulley bolt, keeping accurate timing will be difficult, especially if you ever have to remove the crank pulley.

The second, less likely I can imagine is something like the belt jumping off, grabbing the trigger wheel and pulling it out of timing on the way off the pulley. This is in my mind because of a recent nightmare with a toothed belt that wore out in about 300 miles, then started jumping off, leaving me with another new spare toothed belt and a journey of 250 miles. (eventually I woke up at 4am in a hotel room, realised I had trapped a solid V belt when I did some wiring for a refrigerator, recovered that belt at sunrise in the hotel car park, and drove home no problem)

My target is an EDIS-4 wasted spark based system (limp mode is attractive ) with a custom microcontroller for centrifugal and vacuum advance.
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Ancient vehicles and vessels

1974 VW T2 : Devon Eurovette camper with 1641 DP T1 engine, Progressive carb, full flow oil cooler, EDIS crank timed ignition.
Engine 1: 40k miles (rocker shaft clip fell off), Engine 2: 30k miles (rebuild, dropped valve). Engine 3: a JK Preservation Parts "new" engine, aluminium case: 26k miles: new top end.
Gearbox rebuild 2021 by Bears.

1979 Westerly GK24 24 foot racer/cruiser yacht Forethought of Gosport.
1973 wooden Pacer sailing dinghy

[allamaabroad]

[esde]

Will it still fit inside a stock pulley tin?
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modok wrote:
Bent cranks are silent but gather no moss. I mean, ah, something like that.

[allamaabroad]

[EVfun]

This would be more interesting if it was a complete kit, a bolt on and plug in system to eliminate the distributor. We are seeing some programmable distributor options, if crank fire was a price step above that it would look attractive. (Especially for the person who accidentally chews up the distributor crank gear.)
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[allamaabroad]

[modok]

Nicely PLATED trigger wheel is a very good idea to keep it from rusting.

Not a big deal but a FINE detail.
powdercoating CAN BE too thick, I learned that.

[allamaabroad]

[mikedjames]

That looks really nice, thanks for sharing.
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Ancient vehicles and vessels

1974 VW T2 : Devon Eurovette camper with 1641 DP T1 engine, Progressive carb, full flow oil cooler, EDIS crank timed ignition.
Engine 1: 40k miles (rocker shaft clip fell off), Engine 2: 30k miles (rebuild, dropped valve). Engine 3: a JK Preservation Parts "new" engine, aluminium case: 26k miles: new top end.
Gearbox rebuild 2021 by Bears.

1979 Westerly GK24 24 foot racer/cruiser yacht Forethought of Gosport.
1973 wooden Pacer sailing dinghy

[allamaabroad]

Some updates:
Design has been refined, trigger wheel is much smaller.

Working on 3d printing everything now to check the design on a real engine.
Crank sensor bracket is still a WIP and the sensor may end up being moved over to the right and tilted 10 degrees or so to allow for better belt clearance with different size pulleys.

I'll be taking orders hopefully by the end of next week, if you're interested feel free to send me a PM.
_________________
Dennis - 1973 Super Beetle ('16-'21)
Debbie- 1970 Baywindow Bus ('21 - Present)
Tin top camper/adventure bus

2180 TW: CNC Panchitos, Beehives Done Right, Web 163, Ultralight Lifters, 1.3 Rockers, CSP Python, Custom Speeduino EFI Conversion with 40mm Throttle Bodies

Distributors are lame

I have a really hard time leaving things alone...

Innovative and affordable engine management systems and EFI conversions for your Vintage VW
Visit https://debbiesaircooled.com/

[allamaabroad]

Finally back with an update, and it's a big one:

I got my bus up and running on full EFI about 5 weeks ago and have put about 1000 miles on it without any major hiccups. I feel totally confident about this crank trigger setup I've created, so now I want to offer up what I've made to those who are interested.

Here it is setup on my personal engine. My setup provides a clean look while still showing off that the engine is running crank trigger.

The trigger wheel is a 36-1 toothed wheel made from 3/16" black zinc plated steel. The wheel is attached to a 6061 aluminum hub that keys to the front of the crank pulley. This allows for repeatable alignment and near perfect concentricity of the wheel.

Crank sensor bracket is made from 3/16" stainless steel and CNC bent. It bolts to the top two 8mm case half studs and features a jacking screw for vibration reduction and fine tuning of the sensor gap. The sensor itself is a VR sensor from a Chevy Aveo and can be found at most local parts stores. The bracket fits all pulley sizes from power pulley to 7" without interference.

Finally we have the distributor plug. I wanted something that was super functional and low profile and would blend in with the curves of the case. This cap is held in place using the original stud and is made from 6061 aluminum to blend in with the engine case. Unlike other distributor plugs, this is low profile and positively attached to the block, so it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb and there is no possibility of it popping out. The plug accepts stock VW distributor seals.

This kit is available for sale now.
Compatible with T1 engines with all common crank pulley sizes.
Compatible with all aftermarket ECU's (Megasquirt, Microsquirt, Megajolt, Haltech, Speeduino, etc.)
100% bolt on, no machining, no special pulleys, and no modifications required
Kit includes:
- Trigger Wheel
- Extended Crank Pulley Bolt & Washer
- Crank Sensor Bracket
- Crank Sensor
- Crank Sensor Plug (3 pin EV1)
- Distributor Plug
- Installation Hardware

$115 for the kit with shipping anywhere in the US included.
For more info or to order a kit, feel free to PM me or see the classified ad below.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=2610814

I'm super excited to offer a more affordable way to bring the goodness of EFI to our VWs. Countless hours have gone into developing a quality product with low cost manufacturing to produce a high quality setup with simple DIY installation and pricing nearly half that of comparable setups.

I look forward to hearing from all those that are interested

- Adam
_________________
Dennis - 1973 Super Beetle ('16-'21)
Debbie- 1970 Baywindow Bus ('21 - Present)
Tin top camper/adventure bus

2180 TW: CNC Panchitos, Beehives Done Right, Web 163, Ultralight Lifters, 1.3 Rockers, CSP Python, Custom Speeduino EFI Conversion with 40mm Throttle Bodies

Distributors are lame

I have a really hard time leaving things alone...

Innovative and affordable engine management systems and EFI conversions for your Vintage VW
Visit https://debbiesaircooled.com/

[19-VW-74]

I think this is pretty sweet. I’ve been thinking of going with crank trigger ignition when I switch to dual idfs because they don’t produce enough vacuum for an SVDA.

Now that the CB Black Box is up to $250, crank trigger is looking even better. With this kit, a Speeduino, and a “New Beetle” 4 post coil, you could have crank trigger for under $350, with the ability to go to EFI later. About the same as the Black Box and a locked cheapo 009.

Couple questions:

Is the trigger wheel press fit on that aluminum hub, or just clamped over the pins with the crank bolt? Are the pins an interference fit? How precise is the fit with the keyway? Within a degree of rotation?

Is there any adjustment for the VR sensor to dial in TDC? Shim it with washers? Or is that all done in the software anyways?

Does this kit work with a stock stamped steel pulley?

Is the distributor plug several piece bolted together? Or pressed together? Is it steel or aluminum?

Is there any concern about the distributor drive gear rubbing against the distributor plug?

Somewhat unrelated question: what are you using for throttle bodies on your setup? Curious how you are doing idle control?
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-Austin
My 1974 Standard Beetle Build:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=492617

[allamaabroad]

[chrisflstf]

Minor detail, but most cases will need longer studs to mount the sensor bracket.

And I see them in the kit now

[Buggeee]

The barrier to entering this game just got lowered. Thank you.
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1966 Sportsmobile Camper https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0
72 Super Duper http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=672387
(adopted out) 61 Turkis Pile https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=728764

[DerrickfromNC1]

OK School me! I’m 64yrs old and all my VWs over the last 40 yrs have basically run with dual Webers or Dells, 009s & Bosch blue coils. As I near completion of my 2332 which initially will be carbed with a set of NOS 48 Dells, Mallory dizzy & Bosch coil I find myself wanting more in terms of ignition especially since I plan to convert to turbo once broken in. I currently have a new in the box MSD dizzy that I was planning to lockout, combine with the Blackbox and perhaps the new Miller ignition CD that I’m patiently waiting on test results from JPaull as my turbo ignition.
However this crankfire opens up new options. I’m someone who doesn’t want to go thru the learning curve or have to purchase a labtop to create custom ignition maps and I’m sure I’m not the only one. So my question is can I combine this crankfire setup, with the backbox and use one of the maps within and the Miller Ignition if it gets the thumbs up and keep on trucking(dubbing)?

Thanks