EMPI SVDA keeps dying

[Danny604]

Looking for assistance with my 59 beetle, with 1500sp.

Installed a SVDA EMPI Distributor about 3000 miles ago, it has been working fine until recently.

About 2 weeks ago it died on me. I pulled it home. It would not start for a couple days, then fired up when I tried it again (tried it each day in between, everything else fine).

Car was now running and I was able to drive it about 20 miles and it dies again. Usual checks, no spark again. Tried it for a couple more days and still wouldn’t start. I changed the amplifier unit on the side of the distributor, and it fired right up. I drove it another 30 miles or so and it died again.

One thing of note is when I did the engine bay wiring (in a bit of a rush) I accidentally put a permanent ground off the negative side of the coil and also connnected the wire from the distributor to it, I know that wire is supposed to be an intermittent ground off the points (in this case electronic portion) to charge the coil.

Could my miswiring have damaged more than the electronic portion? Or is there some kind of underlying issue I should be looking for?

Any help greatly appreciated

[heimlich]

I'd suggest looking at the electrical system. Maybe a ground wire is loose, etc.

What kind of electrical diagnostics have you done?
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[wcfvw69]

Your big issue is the Chinese distributor and their poor quality. EMPI is known to have terrible quality in most of the things they sell.

Tell us about your engine. You say it's a 1500 single port? What carb are you running? SVDA's are not usually mounted on single port engines as the 30 series carbs don't produce enough vacuum to work the vacuum canisters.

Can you post and engine photo?
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[heimlich]

I wouldn't jump to the conclusion there is something wrong with your distributor. If it's a grounding issue changing the distributor will do nothing to fix the problem. As you said yourself, it work sometimes.
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[Glenn]

I agree... sounds like an intermittent ground issue.

Check the ground wire inside the distributor.

It's at 12:00 in this picture.

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[Danny604]

I had checked ground continuity from distributor to engine, engine to body, body to battery. And even changed the two ground straps. Still nothing. I had power on the positive of the coil (using the distributor as ground for the test light).

The engine is a 1500 single port with a 34 pict on a modified intake manifold. I changed it to a 34 from the 30 due to the lack of vacuum. I could see that causing an advance issue, but it should at least start.

The distributor had the electronic unit factory installed. And the ground location was on the outside of the distributor under the amplifier. All those ground checks were fine.

After all that I ended up buying a Petronix mechanical advance distributor, I am planning dual carbs in the near future so that distributor will work later on. Once I installed it and the new coil it fired right up.

Thanks for the feedback guys