| Author |
Message |
THINGONER
Samba Member
Joined: April 13, 2008
Posts: 674
Location: riverside ca
|
 Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2012 1:24 pm Post subject: Distributor getting hot |
 |
|
| I have a 034 Bosch (mexican) distributor in my 73 Thing it gets really hot. Cannot keep my hand on it after running motor-anything I should look for or is this normal? Thanks. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Glenn 
Mr. 010
Joined: December 25, 2001
Posts: 76940
Location: Sneaking up behind you
|
| Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2012 2:01 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Is the engine case that hot?
_________________
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
#BlueSquare |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
tattooed_pariah
Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2006
Posts: 2047
Location: El Cajon, CA
|
| Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2012 2:05 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I'm guessing it's shorting out somewhere.. is the engine running fine? no misses or anything?
_________________
-pariah (just a novice from "that other VW site")
'72 Volksrod "Effigy"
"Never worry about stepping on people's toes. People who get their toes stepped on are either sitting down, or standing still on the job."
-Admiral Arleigh Burke, USN(ret.) |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
THINGONER
Samba Member
Joined: April 13, 2008
Posts: 674
Location: riverside ca
|
| Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2012 2:57 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| I checked earlier today and the distributor seemed hotter than case. It seems to lose power as the motor heats up. But it runs good when cooler-no misses. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Dale M.
Samba Member
Joined: April 12, 2006
Posts: 20380
Location: Just a tiny bit west of Yosemite Valley
|
| Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2012 4:27 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Is distributor shaft getting an lubrication....
Dale
_________________
“Fear The Government That Wants To Take Your Guns" - Thomas Jefferson.
"Kellison Sand Piper Roadster" For Street & Show.
"Joe Pody Sandrover" Buggy with 2180 for Autocross (Sold)
============================================================
All suggestions and advice are purely my own opinion. You are free to ignore them if you wish ... |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
bugguy1967
Samba Member
Joined: January 16, 2008
Posts: 4343
Location: Los Angeles, CA 90016
|
| Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2012 5:10 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Check that the cam that activates the points are lubed, and drop a few drops into the opening at the top of the shaft. Make sure you have the correct points gap.
_________________
"A petrol engine can start readily, run smoothly and give every appearance of being in good order, without necessarily being in good tune." - Colin Campbell, "The Sportscar Engine" |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
THINGONER
Samba Member
Joined: April 13, 2008
Posts: 674
Location: riverside ca
|
| Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2012 11:22 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| How would I check to see if dist. shaft is getting proper lubrication? The cam that activates points was greased-(dab)-thank you for the replies. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
esde
Samba Member
Joined: October 20, 2007
Posts: 5969
Location: central rust belt
|
| Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2012 7:07 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Borrow or rent an IR thermometer. Check the distributor temp against the rest of the engine to see if and how much hotter it's running. If it's running hot, I can't see it being anything but a friction issue, so either something is rubbing that shouldn't be, or oil isn't getting to where it should. Glenn probably has distributor porn that shows the oil passages.. maybe that's clogged |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
THINGONER
Samba Member
Joined: April 13, 2008
Posts: 674
Location: riverside ca
|
| Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2012 4:33 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| ok thank you-so there are passages in the dist shaft that is supposed to receive oil from the case-I will see if they are clogged |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
D/A/N
Samba Member
Joined: August 13, 2010
Posts: 2227
Location: 11222
|
| Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2012 6:02 am Post subject: |
|
|
| THINGONER wrote: |
| ok thank you-so there are passages in the dist shaft that is supposed to receive oil from the case-I will see if they are clogged |
I'm having a similar issue so I sympathize with you.
First, an 019 that was getting really hot and now an 034 and the same thing is happening.
I've tried 3 different coils, a thermostat adjustment just in case the flaps weren't opening properly, have oiled the centers of both distributors, timed it properly and have good dwell but still the heat.
Question:
On mine, the distributor will get so hot I can't touch it for more than a second but the dipstick won't be nearly as hot. Is that the same for your issue? In other words, are you hotter on one side than the other?
If you have a chance, you might want to see if the same happens with another distributor. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
THINGONER
Samba Member
Joined: April 13, 2008
Posts: 674
Location: riverside ca
|
| Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2012 8:27 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Yes My distributor seems to be hotter than the dipstick. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
THINGONER
Samba Member
Joined: April 13, 2008
Posts: 674
Location: riverside ca
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
THINGONER
Samba Member
Joined: April 13, 2008
Posts: 674
Location: riverside ca
|
| Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2012 4:56 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Ok so I just pulled my distributor and discovered that the oil hole (in the dist.) is not lined up with the one in the case. So it appears when my motor was built that the dist. drive was not installed properly?-not sure- Anyway, rather than pulling the drive it looks like I can re-orient the dist-change the plug wires so there will be a different #1,2,3,4-does this sound reasonable or should I pull the drive? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Glenn
Mr. 010
Joined: December 25, 2001
Posts: 76940
Location: Sneaking up behind you
|
| Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2012 6:13 pm Post subject: |
|
|
You know, the older cast iron distributors don't have a oil hole. And they generally don't have a problem with running hot or lubrication.
_________________
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
#BlueSquare |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
tasb
The Distributor Distributor
Joined: April 27, 2002
Posts: 6371
Location: Pentwater, Michigan
|
| Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2012 6:22 pm Post subject: |
|
|
The cast body of a distributor is a much larger heat sink than the loop of a dip stick= not a fair comnparison-apples vs oranges.
_________________
Roads Scholar &
1957 Kombi low mileage 36 hp governor equipped M 178 Slow Drag Winner 2014, 2015, 2018
1965 hardtop Deluxe Microbus owned since 1990 M 620 factory 12 v 1500cc
1961 (October)Single Cab- Road Trip Workhorse |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Glenn
Mr. 010
Joined: December 25, 2001
Posts: 76940
Location: Sneaking up behind you
|
| Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2012 6:38 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| tasb wrote: |
| The cast body of a distributor is a much larger heat sink than the loop of a dip stick= not a fair comnparison-apples vs oranges. |
I was comparing it to a aluminum distributor.
But in Dan's engine he has a problem with the engine since it happens to a cast iron 019 and a aluminum distributor.
And a heat sink is like a deep sump. it just takes longer to get hot and longer to cool down.
_________________
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
#BlueSquare |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
D/A/N
Samba Member
Joined: August 13, 2010
Posts: 2227
Location: 11222
|
| Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2012 6:40 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| tasb wrote: |
| The cast body of a distributor is a much larger heat sink than the loop of a dip stick= not a fair comnparison-apples vs oranges. |
Fair enough, but one of the classic (even if not very scientific) ways of checking if your engine is overheating is whether or not the dipstick is "too hot" to handle. Never heard of a "touch your distributor" test even if the heat sink quality of the distributor would mean a distributor touch test would be more accurate.
I mentioned it b/c to the touch, one side of my engine bay is clearly hotter than the other: one side of the breast plate tin is hotter, one carb is hotter, one side of the fan shroud, etc and that was the case with an 019 and an SVDA.
So if one side of an engine is hotter than another, couldn't the heat of the distributor potentially be useful to determine that a problem (of thermostat linkage obstruction, blocked air passages, etc.) exists on one side of the engine? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
chrisflstf
Samba Member
Joined: February 10, 2004
Posts: 3446
Location: San Diego
|
| Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2012 7:19 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Get an infrared gun and take some readings, other wise its all speculation |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Glenn
Mr. 010
Joined: December 25, 2001
Posts: 76940
Location: Sneaking up behind you
|
| Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2012 7:30 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| D/A/N wrote: |
| So if one side of an engine is hotter than another, |
It could be one of the cars is too lean.
_________________
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
#BlueSquare |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
mark tucker
Samba Member
Joined: April 08, 2009
Posts: 23937
Location: SHALIMAR ,FLORIDA
|
| Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2012 7:38 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| so the 010 dont have an oily hole?thats good to know.hmm I probably knew it but dont remember it. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
