Another boring Test Stand thread again for the 100th time

[57streetrodbuggy]

[Wayne S. Johnson]

[Max Welton]

Heck, I could use it to heat my barn. It gets cold here in Colorado!

Max
_________________
1967 Type-3 Fastback
Under the Knife https://shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=151582
Home Stretch https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=767836

[Max Welton]

Oh yeah, here is my engine stand.

Max
_________________
1967 Type-3 Fastback
Under the Knife https://shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=151582
Home Stretch https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=767836

[Wayne S. Johnson]

[Max Welton]

You might get a chuckle out of this "first-fire" picture. Dig my high-tech throttle control!

Max
_________________
1967 Type-3 Fastback
Under the Knife https://shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=151582
Home Stretch https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=767836

[runamoc]

[Max Welton]

[runamoc]

[craigman]

009's don't have a #3 retard.

[Glenn]

[Max Welton]

Right. And you can confirm that using a timing light.

Max
_________________
1967 Type-3 Fastback
Under the Knife https://shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=151582
Home Stretch https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=767836

[runamoc]

I'm not sure if I'm surprised or disappointed by the replies.

Aircooled VW Engine Interchange Manual: The User's Guide to Original and ... By Keith Seume

A passage...." with a retarded number 3 spark..pp 119

http://books.google.com/books?id=NPJVPIGRJ0EC&...mp;f=false

GeneBerg...

A passage...."Bosch 009 centrifugal advance distributor. The only Bosch distributor currently made with the correct advance curve and #3 retard for VW engines"

http://www.geneberg.com/cat.php?cPath=10_310_2879

VW Beetle performance handbook

A passage...."spark retard to number 3 cylinder"

http://books.google.com/books?id=rWTbIiTcRk8C&...mp;f=false

I could go on, but I think you get the point. Max, I really don't give a rat's ass how you run the spark plug wires on your engine, just thought I'd try to help by pointing out, in a nice way, they are WRONG! BUT I will say one thing, you have got to have the best timing light ever made if it can detect 3 degress difference on one lobe from the rest on a running 009 dist.

[craigman]

funny, if you look at Gene Bergs link you posted, their "DISCONTINUED",
and i would think it's because THEY DON'T MAKE THEM ANYMORE..

[Max Welton]

Runamoc, I appreciate your attempts to help me straighten out my wiring. But you really can't do that with inaccurate information.

I also applaud your attempts to become knowledgeable by reading books. But it sounds like you have managed to come up with some incorrect information that way.

I read books too. But I know they aren't always right. People (including writers of books) are sometimes mistaken. That is why I try to get the information I rely on directly from my engine. It is a machine. It can be inspected and measured.

I certainly can measure 3º or even 1º with a timing light. And so can you if you are careful in your method and take steps to minimize timing scatter.

Here's what I did.

First, this particular 009 is made up of parts of at least 5 distributors in a box 009s I picked through several years ago. My intent was to come up with the least sloppy combination using parts I already had. Consider it the poor-mans pick-of-the-little approach.

Second, crankshaft end-play contributes to timing scatter. I set mine at roughly .0045". Sloppy engines will have more scatter, independent of what type of distributor is used. Only crank-fire triggering is immune to this.

Third, I found that use of a Compufire ignition trigger substantially reduced the amount of scatter I could detect. I believe this has to do with the absence of that intermittent load as the points are periodically in contact and not in contact with the lobes as they come around.

The Compufire disk holds four magnets, the spacing of which determines the spacing of the trigger events as each magnet passes the sensor.

In fact, that Compufire disk was the reason I checked timing for all four cylinders. Because to me that plastic disk just didn't look like a precisely made part.


But I have the feeling you are saying my wires are wrong because they aren't where the pictures in the various books say they should be. And you may be right in that regard.

I paid no attention whatever to the orientation of the distributor drive when I installed it. I just needed it to fit properly and work well with the crankshaft gear. I use rotor position to determine where each plug wire needs to go, not some notch on the distributor and a picture in a book. Those can all be wrong. The rotor position cannot be wrong.

Now, someone else working on my engine may be confused if they try to locate the #1 plug wire position based on a mark on the distributor. If they are any good at all, they'll figure it out pretty quick.

But the only person that will be working on this engine is me.

Another issue might be distributor shaft oiling. On the side of the distributor body where it fits into the case there is an opening that appears to be there to allow splash oiling of the shaft. I believe that opening needs to face towards the center of the engine. Since I have no vacuum canister, I just pick an orientation of the distributor body that accomplishes that.

As long as I satisfy my engine, I and my engine are happy.

Max
_________________
1967 Type-3 Fastback
Under the Knife https://shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=151582
Home Stretch https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=767836

[runamoc]

[runamoc]

[vaughn bros.]

Welded in the center leg as everyone wanted. Made 5 welds at the top of the support. Made 6 welds to the back of the engine plate. Made 5 more welds at the bottom. The support is a thick piece of "T" section with lots of useful holes.
Made a laser cut bracket to hold my Oberg and fuel pump. Still have lots more to do and also found that my oil pump fittings have to go. Maybe crank the engine in a few days. Will put on youtube if it works out.

[vaughn bros.]

[vaughn bros.]