83 Air Cooled Hall Sender Replacement & Distributor Removal

[openroad65]

Hi Everyone,

Searched for this but can’t find a simple enough answer.

My hall sender seems to be dead. I have no spark from the distributor. But I do have a spark from the coil. I can’t start the engine. Power to the hall sender plug is good. I’ve ordered a hall sender with the oval clip and should have it thisweek sometime.

I’m thinking it’s easier for me to remove the distributor when replacing the sender. When I’ve watched some videos of people taking their distributor out, they talk about marking it for timing. Can someone explain that?

I think the way it works is that there’s a little screw on the side of it that determines how you place the distributor over the rod below which turns. And you simply want to pull it out and drop it in the exact same spot so they mark up with a marker where it’s sitting. Is that right?

Also, is there a dumbed down explanation somewhere of how to set/check timing when I put this thing back in? I have not taken it out yet.

Please explain this like u would to a 12 year old. Thanks in advance. I appreciate the help.

[MarkWard]

Spark from the coil indicates the hall is working. I’d suspect the distributor rotor or cap. If you have an ohm meter you can check the rotor, the cap and the spark plug wires. I don’t think your problem is the Hall effect.

[openroad65]

Thx. Have a spark from the coil. Not from the distributor. And as the hall plug has power the likely problem is the hall sender I think.

[Nitramrebrab72]

[openroad65]

Am manually triggering the spark. I unplugging the distributor wire (at the cap) that goes from the coil to the distributor and placing it 1/2 inch from the engine block. Then with ignition on ai am running a wire from the middle hall sender harness side plug to a ground. As soon as it touches it creates a spark and I hear the fuel injectors click.

So let’s assume I am right on the sender given this. Can you let me know about my original questions? Thx!!

[MarkWard]

That detail was important. It’s likely easier to work on it in a vice on the bench. The shutter wheel can put up a fight coming off. There was a factory puller. It’s easy to bend. I recall a tiny pin that acts as a key to keep the shaft in alignment.

Probably worth searching you tube and then decide for yourself.

[DanHoug]

since you've verified spark from grounding the center conductor of the Hall plug on the distributor, you can verify operation of the Hall itself by loosening the hold down clamp for the distributor, the nut on the stud on the engine block NOT the timing clamp around the distributor, raise the distributor out of the drive tang slot, and rotate the rotor by hand. it should send 4 sparks out of the coil wire per revolution. this will not change your timing BUT do note the direction the rotor is pointing before lifting the distributor up..
_________________
-dan
60% of what you find on the internet is wrong, including this post.

'87 Westy & '89 Westy both 2.1 4spd

Past projects can be found at--
www.thefixitworkshop.com

[heimlich]

[Wildthings]

To remove the distributor, remove the wires for the Hall and remove the cap with the wires still attached excepting maybe the coil wire (and maybe one of the plug wires if need be. Now remove the 13mm nut that holds the distributor clamp to the block, but DO NOT LOOSEN the 10mm nut that holds the clamp to the distributor body. The distributor should now pull up, but may offer a lot of resistance. Installation is the opposite, just push the distributor into place and once its down, turn the rotor until the shaft locks into place and will not turn any more, this distributor should drop another 1/8" or so as you do this.