Distributor Cap what's the difference

[binger59]

I'm running a distributor cap with the pins in it in my 84'. Does it matter wether I use the posts or not as long as I have the right wires for the cap? I ran the same thing with my old 84' van and never seemed to have a problem. I just wondered if anyone else was doing the same thing.


Bing

[glutamodo]

As long as your wires match the cap you should be OK.

[tencentlife]

Right, the wire connector type should match. The wbx also used a shielded cap to reduce RF noise in the engine compartment. This was for the obvious benefit to radio reception, but I believe it was also to reduce interference with the low voltage signals produced by both the o2 sensor and the Hall generator in the diz.
_________________
Shop for unique Vanagon accessories at the Vanistan shop:
https://intrepidoverland.com/vanistan/

Please don't PM here, I will not reply.

Experience is kryptonite to doctrine.

[msinabottle]

Would anyone like to recommend OEM or an aftermarket brand for the cap?

I'm still trying to wrap my mind around how the WBX Vanagon's ignition works, but I'm fairly sure that Winston will never need points, which rejoices me. I put a Pertronix in the '70 Dart and there was much rejoicing. I guess the cap fails sooner or later, and may as well have an idea of what's the best replacement.

Best!
_________________
'Winston,' '84 1.9 WBX Westy
Vanagon Poet Laureate: "I have suffered in
many ways, but never, never, never in silence."

[tencentlife]

Sooner or later? Sooner is more like it. It won't necessarily "fail", just slowly degrade and cost you spark energy. Caps, rotors, and wires wear out at a steady rate, along with the spark plugs. That is all what's called the high-tension side of the ignition system (the coil secondary windings included), the parts that handle high voltage (from like 12 to 40 kV). The wires themselves don't actually "wear", but their insulation does steadily, tired from holding back the high energy that wants to leak out to ground anywhere it can. The cap and rotor wear much much faster, because a high-voltage spark jumps from the rotor tip to a cap pole with every spark, carrying a few atoms of metal and carbon with it. Think of the low voltage process that pitted the points over time, but on massive doses of steroids.

I'm not an OEM parts snob, there's places it matters and places it doesn't, and many places where aftermarket is clearly superior, but experience has shown that with Bosch electric systems, there is only one replacement parts brand, and you should accept no other: Bosch.

You should use cap and rotor generally not longer than 30k miles of service. Same with plugs, although the rare metal-electrode types do deliver much longer service than plain copper cores (whether they actually work well with a particular ignition system is another matter). Good quality wires tend to last awhile longer, but I wouldn't go to 60k on them. As Dog has said, there is a huge difference between Bosch Premium and Super Premium wiresets. It's Super all the way for these motors, as their OEM ignitions are actually very high-energy and quite excellent as it turns out.
_________________
Shop for unique Vanagon accessories at the Vanistan shop:
https://intrepidoverland.com/vanistan/

Please don't PM here, I will not reply.

Experience is kryptonite to doctrine.

[Tully Mars]

So, I am about to replace mine. 84 1.9 Wasserboxer.

How do I tell whether it is the 83/Early 84 type or the Late 84/85 type.

Can you tell from the VIN number when they made the switch?

And I don't understand "the distributor cap with the pins". What does that mean?

Thanks Folks!

Mars
_________________
I'm a man. But I can change.
If I have to.
I guess.
_______
84 Wolfsburg Westfalia
Hobie Cow