Electronic Points Conversion

[Jimbug57]

Follow up:
The Compu-Fire # 21101 doesn't fit my 205 M, as in, no way no how. It went back together nicely though. I had to re-use the shim under the breaker plate because I forgot to order one. Re-used a couple other shims too because they were fine. I still need to get points and condenser from VWNOS though. The Compu-Fire is being returned. I'll just stick with points. It's what I know anyway.

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Repeat after me "I am smarter than metal!"

[Frank Bassman]

Funny thread.

If your mechanical ability allows, use points to trigger a TFI module. Use a real coil (e core) from an 80's ford/chevy if you find the canister coils don't last. (But can use stock.)

Does away with the condensor and if you so choose, you can run better plug wires and open up the spark plug gap up to 40 thou.

But again, can stick to stock coils plugs and wires with TFI. That's what Modok did and he turned me onto it. Never going back to just points and condensors, and never back to canister coils either.

-Frank

[Glenn]

The MG and Triumlh forums have a number of issues including the Bluetooth versions.

Btw, I've never had a problem with points, but others have.
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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

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עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל חַי

[maggiolo72]

Really ? I have a 1302, a 1302 both with them, a friend on my club have it in a 6 cylinder 1924 Wolseley and in another 1952 Wolseley all are running without any problem....

[Glenn]

[maggiolo72]

Buy a 123 distributor and forget it....

[doug bugg]

I'll weigh in on this. I'm for the old point and condenser set-up, here's why. Twenty years ago I had a '69 with the old points and aside from the usual maintenance and occasional replacement I never had any issues. Then...

... fast forward to September of this year when a buddy gave me his '68 bug. He couldn't get it going after sitting a couple years and swore it wasn't the electrical system because his big buck Pertronix only had a few hundred miles on it. Turns out there wasn't anything else keeping it from starting other than a fuel leak: The electronic ignition was bad.

I threw a new set of plugs, wires and the old 009 distributor on it and it fired right up. Did the Pertronix go bad from sitting? I don't know, maybe. But to me that was enough to kill any previous attraction I had for electronic ignition. No issues since and, yes, I do carry a set of new quality points in the glovebox.

Just sharing my experience.

[Max Welton]

Here's a little story about carrying spare stuff.

In four Berg Cruises and countless other cross-country trips, I've been shouldered only once. I was running a Compufire at the time but the 40-year-old Bosch coil is what died in Indio, CA. Not a spare coil among our 3-car group. It was in the middle of the night so we all just got a motel room till morning and borrowed a coil which I returned when we passed through Denver and got a new one at Painters Grinding.

Some time later, I was asked if I had started carrying a spare coil. Well ... no. I now had a nice new coil. The trick is to carry what you're going to need next, not what you needed last time.

For me, the 2006 Berg Cruise was 7110 miles start to finish over three weeks.

And I haven't been through Indio since then.


Here's another one involving a partial failure mode. It's long so I'll just link to it.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=5983918&highlight=coil#5983918

Max
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[ashman40]

[modok]

[mukluk]

[KTPhil]

Maybe this is off-topic, but I remember reading that to install some pointless systems, some "file to fit" and "goops and glues" steps were needed. Play or interference fits, rotor alignment, and maybe other issues meant it's a one-way-street to convert to pointless. Changing back to points on the road may be impossible, hence the advice to have a complete distributor (ideally with clamp, already timed) is a good backup on long trips.

[heimlich]

Pertronix used to have a drop down on their website where you could pick your distributor and it would tell you which kit to get. Call the number on their website and provide them with your distributor number. There are two numbers on your distributor: a Bosch one and a VW one. Ask them which one they need. They should then be able to tell you the kit to order.
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[gt1953]

Go ahead and convert to a pointless system. I am from the last century so I am stucj with points. When travelig is involved I carry a fuel pump, coil, and oh wait a German 009 distributor complete with clamp. That way if it is a distributor related problem I swap it out. The swapped distributor is already set and timed. That is why the clamp is on it.
What ever works and you are comfortable with.
_________________
Volkswagen: We tune what we drive.
Numbers Matching VW's are getting harder to find. Source out the most Stock vehicle and keep that way. You will be glad you did.

72 type 1
72 Squareback
({59 Euro bug, 62, 63, 67, 68, 69, 73 type ones 68 & 69 type two, 68 Ghia all sold})

[MuzzcoVW]

[Glenn]

[MuzzcoVW]

Just my opinion, with the quality of points.. well specifically condensers I have been able to get lately I decided to switch to pertronix on my '75 and am very glad I did. New proper coil to go with it and it idles smoother than ever. If your worried about a failure screw the points...carry an extra module. They aren't that expensive in the grand scheme of owning an old car

[Glenn]

[sb001]

[OTTO 1303]