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Date:         Tue, 4 Mar 2003 00:53:32 -0800
Reply-To:     Robert Keezer <warmerwagen@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Robert Keezer <warmerwagen@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Mark vs. the Distributor - Chapter 1(was "Driving dog" pin
              removal)
Comments: To: belanger@FLUID.COM
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed

Giant Light bulb FLASH!!

You don't need to remove the pin to remove the Hall sender.

You remove the trigger wheel instead,, carefully(first mark it to replace in original position), put the dist in a vice, pry carefully with two flat blade screwdrivers all the way under the trigger wheel to the shaft, and pry upwards. Use some penetrating oil if it needs it.

Removing the trigger wheel is easy , and it can be done if you are careful while in the engine. Make sure you put the trigger whjeel back on in the exact same position it was before you removed it.

Robert

1982 Westfalia

>From: Mark Belanger <belanger@FLUID.COM> >Reply-To: Mark Belanger <belanger@FLUID.COM> >To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM >Subject: Mark vs. the Distributor - Chapter 1(was "Driving dog" pin > removal) >Date: Tue, 4 Mar 2003 00:02:57 -0800 > >[Before you read another word, if you're first answer to a problem is >"just *buy* a damn replacement," you shouldn't continue reading. You >have been warned... ] > >After tons of scouring Google and Gerry and my local bible and trying to >learn the goddamn German language I'm still no closer to an answer of >how to get that damn distributor pin out. So, in typical American >fashion, I decided to resort to violence. Since I don't own a gun(I >live in San Francisco), I had to opt for less exciting technique of a >drill press and a Dremel. > >Before I continue, perhaps a little background: It all started with me >trying to figure out why my '91 would crank, but not start. Thanks to >the likes of Ward Smith and Devon Campbell(you know, he's the guy who >wanted to rebuild his first engine, whom a number of you heartless vets >crushed without blinking), I was able to track the problem down to a bad >Hall Sender. For those of you who have no idea what what one looks >like, check out the following blurry photo. Pay close attention to the >lovely straight pin in the photo on the right. It'll be making a >sinister return later in the story. > > Two Hall Senders: I wonder which one is new... > http://www.geocities.com/mbelanger/dist/dist0.JPG > >Haynes manual has a fairly simple description of how one takes apart a >distributor. My favorite line from 5b4 20.a, "The shaft is removed from >the distributor body after extracting the pin which secures the driving >dog to the base of the shaft" implying that one can do this with a pair >of eye tweezers. As you can tell from the first photo, I used a bit >more than tweezers to get that goddamn "driving dog" off. I figured I >had license to destroy since the replacement Hall Sender came with a >replacement dog, pin and spring. > >(For those obsessive among you, here's a closeup of my freshly clean >distributor head with the various proper model numbers displayed >[http://www.geocities.com/mbelanger/dist/dist0a.JPG]. Not that I'm >obsessive for actually cleaning the damn thing and taking a picture of it). > >So I have my freshly cleaned distributor and replacement parts ready to >go, as you can see here. If you have a microscope, you can see that I >used about 10 gallons of WD40 to make the parts so clean I could eat off >of them(I had macaroni and cheese). > > Mmm, shiny old parts... > http://www.geocities.com/mbelanger/dist/dist1.JPG > >So for those of you who haven't figured it out, that split open "driving >dog," is supposed to fit on the end of the distributor shaft, with the >pin and large spring to hold it in place. I assume it all works, *IF* >you can get the old bastard out, which seems to have been cold welded in >place by nihilistic sprocket-dancing VW engineers. It doesn't budge. I >tried pliers, clamps, vises, drill bits and even a "persuader" with zero >luck. The thing won't move. Following is a nice detailed picture of >the havoc that I hath wrought upon my distributor: > > Old and new. A tired spring and a new pin. > http://www.geocities.com/mbelanger/dist/dist3.JPG > >(Slight digression on dialect: Our Vanagons seem to be quite popular >over in Europe for some reason and the Haynes manual was written by some >blokes out of Somerset, England. They use strange terms like "driving >dog," which seems to have no earthly translation and according to Google >is only used by people referring to canines. They also use terms like >"tyres," which I can only assume refers to some sadistic satanic ritual. > I hope I don't get burned in one of them... Lastly, they explain in >detail how to pass MOT tests. I've been studying for my test for >months. Hopefully I'll pass... Don't be scared. It's the same >language, just written by people who actually understand what the word >"affectation" means. If you're still confused, I recommend studying as >many episodes of "Benny Hill" as you can get your hands on.) > >Where were we... Oh, yeah. My troubles. So I'm still trying to get >that damn pin out. At this point, I've written to a number of the >illiterati(should that be illiteratati?) from the Vanagon list with no >result. A couple of people told me to give up the ghost and buy a >replcament, whatever that means... Peter from Volkscafe, who sold me >the replacement Hall Sender and warned me "not to break" my distributor, >hasn't replied telling me his secret technique yet. I plan on stalking >him very soon... Stan Wilder did his best to understand my problem >claiming that I found the first thing on a Vanagon he hadn't worked on. > He did his best to wrap his head around the problems of us waterworld >people before he suggested I throw my distributor in the freezer. "Oh, >yeah. That'll get the pin out," he said. He also told me to stick a >firecracker up my ass. Stan, the firecracker didn't seem to work, but >the distributor is still in the freezer. I'll tell you how that goes >after I can sit down again. > >Thus far flumoxed, I again resorted to violence and broke out the Dremel >with a vicious grinder attachment, which at least got me to the point >where I could take the damn thing apart. You can see my damage here: > > Please ignore the gouges. They're casualties of war. > http://www.geocities.com/mbelanger/dist/dist2.JPG > >So here I am. I have an immaculate set of Distributor components with >no clue to get that pin out and attach the new dog and pin. For those >of you who disregarded my earlier warning and read on, I *will* get this >distributor working again if I have to take out of all of Western >civilization to do it. > >Now before I commit such a heinous crime, any advice? > > >Thanks, >-MB > >Mark Belanger wrote: >>Greetings all, >> >>Is it possible to remove the pin from what Haynes refers to as the pin >>for the bottom of the "driving dog" without use of a small tactical >>nuke? This is the pin that holds the off-center key at the bottom of >>the distributor which connects to the shaft below. >> >>If so, I'd love to hear before I heat up the flame thrower. >> >> >>Thanks, >>MB

Robert 1982 Westfalia 1987 Wolfsburg

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