hot spark svda distributor

[f1wanabe]

I should have updated my previous post earlier. As I mentioned, I bought the whole combo pack from Hot spark, my bus died while driving, no response from Hot Spark, etc. They did get back to me after I found that the igniter was rubbing on the magnet sleeve and must have overheated. It came from Hot Spark gapped incorrectly. They sent me a replacement ignitor, I installed and gapped it myself and its been running great for months. As people say, not much increase in performance but runs well, no maintenance and better fuel economy for sure. The advance seems to be pretty good for the 1600 engine as well. I still keep my bosch points distributor under the back seat just in case but so far so good.

[SGKent]

[telford dorr]

It's actually not terribly surprising, seeing as a bus is a big metal box (think: Faraday cage - any charge stays in the outside surface [maybe some leakage through the windows]). If anything, I would think that tire loss, as the bolt arcs from the rims to ground across / through the tires, would be an issue.

Now electronic losses caused by the EMP pulse from the bolt could be an issue. Did the radio still work? It has an external antenna pointing towards the sky...
_________________
'71 panel, now with FI
'Experience' is the ability to recognize a mistake when you're making it again - Franklin P. Jones
In theory, theory works in practice; in practice, it doesn't - William T. Harbaugh
When you're dead, you don't know you're dead. The pain is only felt by others.
Same thing happens when you're stupid. - Philippe Geluck
More VW electrical at http://telforddorr.com/ (available 9am to 9pm PST)

[SGKent]

[timvw7476]

my red flag is at the bottom of the application page,
where they mention a 'Limited Warranty' period of 90 days. : l

[telford dorr]

The 13.7 maximum voltage spec would be a red flag for me, as a VR should regulate between 13.8 and 14.4 volts to fully charge the battery. Any good ignition module should be able to take 18 volts (at least short term), just to avoid 'warranty' returns. The automotive electrical world is harsh, and anything playing there needs to be able to take it.
_________________
'71 panel, now with FI
'Experience' is the ability to recognize a mistake when you're making it again - Franklin P. Jones
In theory, theory works in practice; in practice, it doesn't - William T. Harbaugh
When you're dead, you don't know you're dead. The pain is only felt by others.
Same thing happens when you're stupid. - Philippe Geluck
More VW electrical at http://telforddorr.com/ (available 9am to 9pm PST)

[busdaddy]

Sorry you had to learn that the hard way.

BTW welcome!
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[f1wanabe]

Just had the same thing occur after about a month of driving well. Got the whole kit with SVDA, Coil, plugs and wires. I also ordered the resistor that they recommend if voltage is over 13.7 volts also. Bus died a mile from home Sunday. Got it running enough to get home. Swapped to the original points distributor and its fine. Hot spark emailed the whole "Spiel" about correct coil, using a resistor, etc. They tried to tell me that I must be using a cheap chinese voltage regulator to produce high voltage when I have an expensive new Bosch unit installed in may. I asked for a new ignitor as opposed to the whole SVDA. got no response other than a shipping notification. Poor customer service, questionable product.

[donzi33z]

Bought a hot spark It worked well for a few months It started dying out when the engine got hot. I have emailed the guy for a replacement. He tried to tell me I had too much voltage going to it. Performed the voltage /ohm tests and it was within specs. Wound up buying the EMPI drop in distributor The fit was a little tight but it runs very well with no further issue. I do not recommend this product

Skip
1978 Super

[mikedjames]

Over here in the UK we also get Accuspark brand. Basically a Pertronix clone but with thermal paste under the module . I have run both Petronix (until idiot wire swap) and then Accuspark which is half the price.
Both of these work well with a Bosch stock coil and with no condensor.

The misfire and bucking could be breakdown of the coil due to the higher spark voltage with the electronic module, or a fault in the ignition sensor in the distributor.

The rubber grommet with the ignition module is to protect the wires going through the hole in the side of the distributor. Need to make sure the wires inside the distributor have a big enough loop in them to allow the vacuum advance to operate smoothly without pulling on the wires.

THe great thing with the Accuspark was it has 'adaptive dwell' which means that at low RPM the dwell is less than 45 degrees as it does not need to spend that long loading up the energy in the field on the coil primary (once the current maxes out with the points closed, the remainder of the dwell time is heating the coil) and it then maxes out at 40-50 degrees at higher RPM. And when the engine stops, the current cuts. So no more hot coils, and the module doesnt need to dump as much heat.
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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

[dweller]

[dweller]

[aryue]

That weld sounds like it was the work of the DPO's mechanic trying to flat rate the job.
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[TristanM]

Dweller,

FWIW, I used the Hot-Spark kit with my SVDA in a 1600 and it ran fine for about 50 miles before the symptoms you described started happening. The owner of H.S. suggested using a ballast resistor....I wondered why I would need another ballast resistor if my coil had the correct impedence? Plain and simply put, the problem progressed until I switched back to points and condenser....no more problems. Why doesn't Compu-Fire or Pertronix suggest to use a thermal paste and ballast resistor in their instructions?....Most likely because they are a better product. Just my .02.

[dweller]

falling headfirst into the "what where you fucking thinking?" catagory, my bus's PO or his POS mechanic decided to instead of paying $2.00 for a pin, and .95cents for a c-clip, decided to weld the pin onto the handbrake cable lever. Must have been the last pair of shoes he'd ever needed.

When i first saw it, i couldn't tell what it was holding the pin in, and then when i got the shoe off, prayed it was solder.... nope, welded. 45 minutes of cutting w/ my dremel finally cut off the offending blob to free the lever from the old shoe. Now will have to wait the week for the replacement parts from BD to finish a brake job. I ordered a pair...

any guess what i'll find on the other side's brakes?

on edit: yep, on the other side too... what an idiot...

dp
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77 Westie 2.0L FI ... slowly restoring bit by bit...

[dweller]

[dweller]

quick question as i work on some hoses: you said

"A couple of more things...the distributor vacuum can should be able to hold a vacuum induced on it from a hand vacuum pump as should the EEC valve in the air cleaner that is plugged into the ported vacuum from the thottle body to the distributor. Sometimes the seals go bad and they leak vacuum. "

i have one hose running from dist.vac can to throttle body. the EEC appears to be hoseless on a small nipple . I have a T i can put in line, but are you saying it should also be in the line that goes from dist.vac. can to throttle body?

I have a larger hose running from EEC to charcoal canister, on that same EEC there is a small nipple coming from the face of the EEC, no hose.

looking at this pic: http://www.ratwell.com/technical/VacuumHoses/VacuumHoses1.jpg

directly behind L (the nipple is hidden) line K goes to dist.... line M goes from vac can to throttle body. I can just Tee line K into M?

next will be looking at the hard lines from evaporative system (that run up into the wheel wells, air intakes on sides, and come into the top of the engine compartment. One side (passenger) small hose leads to the charcoal canister, the other is just open w/ no hose. Can i T those together to the charcoal canister?

i've put a new gasket behind the CSV, but haven't cranked yet to test. Will after getting the hoses all connected.

thanks.
dp
_________________
77 Westie 2.0L FI ... slowly restoring bit by bit...

[Randy in Maine]

The "bucking" is most likely coming from a poorly connected temp sensor II or a a scratched/worn spot on the AFM or something else causing it to run lean like that.

After you get this figured out, it would be worth it to have the engine /FI combo dialed in with an exhaust gas analyzer.

[dweller]

okay, i'll go through it again, for what i thought was right before, wasn't.
Took the bus to work tonite, and didn't make it 2 miles before BAM...BAM...BAMBAM..BAM. Like a one armed Thor coming from the engine, same as the night before, but way worse. I was doing about 45mph and the engine was bucking HARD constantly. Pulled to a stop and turnaround and coaxed/coasted back home with it. Coasted literally, b/c it would do the BAM/buck at any speed. I'd get a bit of speed up and coast keeping the engine from cutting off, w/ clutch in, till i needed some juice to move some more, buck along and coasted the few miles home. Parked it.

I'll run through the procedure again, and test drive once more, but after that if no improvements will be sending the Hot Spark set back to see if i can get that magic 'second set' others have found to work. Otherwise will try to get my $$ back and invest in a different brand, or use the conventional point/condenser setup.

The 'bucking' is pretty harsh, and i don't want to put this engine through it much more. If it's another problem (other than the new breakerless) it should occur also w/ conventional points. And it hadn't before the new point setup and my fiddling w/ it. So i'll probably try using the old points again to check it out.

I'll deal w/ this over the next 2 days i have off and see what i can find out.
And follow your instructions above w/ the latest details.

The vacumn leak sounds like it is coming from the CSV. I used a clean piece of tubing i had (about 2+ feet leftover from some i used to hook up the charcoal canister and fan housing). Put one end in my good ear outside the eng. compartment, and the other i searched for the source. It's coming from the CSV w/out a doubt. I can hear it w/out the tinhorn tube, but really well w/ the tube since it blocks out any other sounds. So the gasket will be replaced w/ one i make first, and i'll see if i can find the Buick gasket if need be. From what i can tell, the gasket on it now has a dimple in on one side, i think i can detect a bit of space there too, hard to tell, black on black etc.

thanks again for your help. Will update over the next few days.
dp
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77 Westie 2.0L FI ... slowly restoring bit by bit...

[Randy in Maine]