Date:         Sun, 15 Sep 2002 01:01:39 -0400
Reply-To:     Ben huot <huotx@VIDEOTRON.CA>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Ben huot <huotx@VIDEOTRON.CA>
Subject:      I need help from my air-cool budy's, timing questions!!!

I guys, well I know, it's a Vanagon mailing list but I know that many of
you folks have older Bus, so if a few of you could help me clarified my
strange timing problem I would appreciate a lot.

I have a strange timing problem!!! I need suggestions!!!!!!
The bus is a 73, engine is a 1700 (or 1800, not sure yet) with original
Solex 32-34

Here it goes (this is technical):

DWELL is 34deg at the most(It should be 44deg to 50deg!!!!!)
Gap of breaker point is .40mm  (It should be between .40mm/.50mm by
Bentley, mine's OK)
To have a DWELL reading of 44deg I would have to gap the point at about
.20mm (not tested yet, what do you think)

RPM is 900, well I try to have a stable 900/1000.

Timing with strobe light (new style that clip on the wire of #1 cylinder)
Reading so the van run's well: -24 (yes, minus) far from the + 10 I should
read/have, the engine won't run at all a even 5, I can maintain 0 but It
doesn't like that at all (no power and bucking). When I try to turn the
distributor clockwise to go close to +10 (or I should say 0, the engine
feel offset and stall right away) I was running the van at -10 and the
engine wasn't running right, so I said to myself; of course!!! I am at -10,
I need to go to 10, well not!!!!!! I need to go the other direction (-25)
so the engine run's nice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Strange stuff: The vacuum on the distributor can mushroom
(advance/tardiness) (the one on the left/flat side) is open (nothing on it)
without any vacuum line attach to this one, the Bentley doesn't show much!
The upper vacuum on the right side (round side of the mushroom) goes to the
left side of the left carburetor near the butterfly, just over this one.
I have 2 exact distributor but with different part #, the original one(if
original) was remove this morning to put the other one with new point.
Could the distributor be the problem, is the strobe gun the problem, is the
white reading arc misplace, is the pulley offset (I don't think so), is the
vacuum the problem.

Why am y so offset to the left (-24), this is a lot, something is wrong, do
you have any suggestions, I would appreciate a lot gentlemen's.

The bus run's nice now but I don't like my reading, I adjusted the
distributor by "Feel" and sound until the engine run's smooth, I would like
to ajust this one by "spec", not by "Feeling"

Best regards, Ben
huotx@videotron.ca
http://www3.sympatico.ca/huotx/engine1.htm