Vanagon EuroVan
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Date:         Tue, 30 Oct 2007 21:26:40 -0400
Reply-To:     Karin Baker & Raymond Paquette <raymondpaquette@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Karin Baker & Raymond Paquette <raymondpaquette@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Definitive test for Hall > ECU?
Comments: To: Old Volks Home <oldvolkshome@gmail.com>
In-Reply-To:  <bfb5ccc40710300923w8f8873fi5919052adc484500@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Is there any reason not to rev it up and set the timing at maximum advance? It's not the timing at idle that really matters, I think, so it can just land wherever your worn out springs land it.

Of course, I don' t know what the timing should be at max advance.

Then again, don't CA smog check the actual timing, not just emissions?

Anyone?

Raymond

On 10/30/07, Old Volks Home <oldvolkshome@gmail.com> wrote: > > For the past 10 years I have always run my timing on my 84 Automatic Westy > at 0 (TDC) - runs smoother, best powerband transition and have no problem > passing California smog at this setting. > > Why not 5 degrees ATDC? The 1.9 Distributor with the high mileage (180K > on > mine) on them tends to be a bit "worn" with tired advance springs/weights > in > the mechanical action and placing the timing at 0 in most instances > (sometimes even up to 5 BTDC) compensates for the wear. Remember - the > specs shown in Bentley and on my website are for brand new and low mileage > distributors with fairly low to medium mileage engines for optimum > performance. > > I'm not sure if I would go as far as 10 degrees BTDC - yer living pretty > darn close to the edge of pinging/detonation, these things run lean enough > as it is. My rule of thumb is that if you have you time it that high, > it's > time to replace or rebuild the distributor with new springs, weights, etc. > > 10 half turns (actually is 5 full turns) from the bottoming out of the > Throttle Bypass Screw is a bit high. Generally 3 full turns is the norm > (it > is on mine) and when I upgraded to Boston Bob's Euro-Digijet 2.1 ECU > earlier > this year I had to re-set clockwise about 3 half turns ( 1 1/2 full > turns) in to bring the idle down (it went up). Checked the timing, but > that > didn't need resetting. Haven't had to mess with it since. > -- > Jim Thompson > 84 GL 1.9 "Gloria" > 84 Westfalia 2.1 "Ole Putt" > 73 K Ghia Coupe "Denise" > 72 411 Station Wagon "Pug" > oldvolkshome@gmail.com > http://www.oldvolkshome.com > *********************************** > On 10/30/07, Michael Elliott <camping.elliott@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > Thanks, Ken. You're not the first to suggest that while 5* ATDC can make > > passing emissions easier -- and in California that's always a > > consideration -- better performance is available closer to, or past, > TDC. > > I do a lot of mountain driving and don't want to ping the engine to > death > > so I might not enter deeply into BTDC territory. > > > > I am curious to see how getting closer to TDC affects the throttle > bypass > > screw adjustment. If 10 half-turns CCW from fully in is, as everyone > says, > > an unusually large amount to be needed in order to get the engine to > idle > > with the idle stabilizer bypassed, then something is fishy. > > > > But as Jim Thompson offered yesterday, I tend to get obsessive about > these > > things, about poking too deeply into the corners where my ignorance is > > darkest and chasing my tail. That's two metaphors, mixed, I think. > > > > W/r/t the other things you suggested I might consider, my cylinders test > > at 155, 155, 155, 135 and the manifold tests at 11'' Hg, which appears > to > > be the standard idle vacuum per Bentley's (inferred, see my top-rated > blog > > at http://camping.elliott.googlepages.com/poormileage). Others have > posted > > more inches of vacuum as being standard but I'm satisfied that 11'' is > > pretty good. But thanks for mentioning them. > > > > -- > > Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott > > 71 Type 2: the Wonderbus > > 84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana") > > 74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan Capistrano > > KG6RCR > > > > > > > > On 10/30/2007 4:21 AM Ken Wilford wrote: > > > > > Mike, I usually set mine for 5-10 degrees BTDC. The 2.1l Vanagons > were > > > spec at 7 deg BTDC (if memory serves). The retarded timing setting > for > > > the 1.9l Vanagon is (I believe) a compromise for emissions testing. > > > However I have set mine at 10 BTDC with much better driveability, > power, > > > etc. Never had any problems with pinging, or even getting through > > > emissions tests (strict here in NJ). > > > If you do this your idle should come up to where it should be without > > > turning the screw to oblivion. > > > Also you might want to check your valve adjustment. If the valves > > > adjustment is too tight this can cause low manifold pressure (vacuum) > > > and idling problems. A compression test would help in this area. > > > > > > Hope this helps, > > > Ken Wilford > > > John 3:16 > > > www.vanagain.com > > > > > > > > > Michael Elliott wrote: > > >> Hm. I already did all that. Had a friend check my timing, too. > > >> > > >> Bentley's says 5 degrees ATDC for the 1.9l (p. 24.18). Is there a > > >> reason I > > >> should be doing 10 degrees? > > >> > > >> -- > > >> Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott > > >> 71 Type 2: the Wonderbus > > >> 84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana") > > >> 74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan Capistrano > > >> KG6RCR > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> On 10/29/2007 9:30 PM Geza Polony wrote: > > >> > > >>> 10 full turns is way way way off the mark. This is an indication of > a > > >>> problem. The first thing I'd check is the ignition timing. Free, > too. > > >>> > > >>> Start by setting the timing, with the idle stabilizer bypassed, to > > >>> 10* ATDC, > > >>> hoses attached, 950 rpm. You should be able to get it to run fine > > >>> with the > > >>> idle stabilizer out. Then reattach. >


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