Date: Fri, 18 Jun 2010 11:22:25 -0700
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: Fridae Question about ignition timing..
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Wow I didn't know they still made the 40 hp Bug until 1984 ~!
must be a Brazilian one. Usually 40 hp VW Bugs are about 1964.
here is a perfect way to get nail down the timing with an engine like this.
the engine has to be working right, good compression, good idle etc...
with it warmed up and idling. you rotate the distributor ( clockwise to
retard in most VW's ) clockwise until she's barely ticking over ...then
rotate counterclockwise ( advancing timing ) until she's idling quite fast
....like you move timing back to what is probably 5 degrees or more
retarded, then forward until what is 'way too advanced' ...probably 45 or
50 degrees BTDC ............then you put the distributor smack in the middle
of those two extremes ,
way way too retard, then way way too advanced, put it right in the middle.
that works very very well.
point cap on a 4 cylinder air-cooled VW - just set it at .016 in. ...
that makes dwell right about like it should be. Check for distributor shaft
side play...shouldn't be any of course.
change to electronic ignition if you can. Really 'wakes up' and points
ignition car- better starting, better throttle response, no points to wear,
etc.
I don't touch those old things anymore though .....btdt, too much.
I also think they are unsafe antiques.
But they started what we have now ..
this great VW and Vanagon community !
Scott
www.turbovans.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Karl Wolz" <wolzphoto@Q.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Thursday, June 17, 2010 11:38 PM
Subject: Re: Fridae Question about ignition timing..
> '84 40 horse:
>
> I'd turn the idle down till it was just barely running, then twist the
> dizzy
> till the rpms perked up. Turn the idle down some more and twist the dizzy
> some more. Could usually get it to run around 300 rpm. Then turn the
> idle
> back up to 750 or so and consider it done.
>
> Dunno if I was doing good or not, but it seemed to work pretty well.
>
> Karl Wolz
>
> |-----Original Message-----
> |From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
> Of
> |Don Hanson
> |Sent: Thursday, June 17, 2010 10:58 PM
> |To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> |Subject: Re: Question about ignition timing..
> |
> | Thanks for the reply.
> |
> | I recall now that I used to 'retard' the timing on my vehicles when I
> |went from Jackson Hole down to Baja..
> |
> | Since by the time this hits the list it will be Friday....
> |
> | I never had a timing light but I was a pretty good retard...er.
> |
> | So the way I timed my little air cooled VW and Porsche motors was with
> |Zig Zag rolling papers. First, of course, I had to use them for their
> |designed purpose and then I'd get to the timing part.
> | You could stick a paper between the points to see when they opened.
> I'd
> |set the flywheel pulley mark at the right spot and then rotate the
> |distributor till the points were closed, insert the rolling paper and re
> |rotate the distributor body, pulling gently on the paper. When it came
> |loose, the timing was on.....enough. Then you'd clamp the distributor in
> |place and turn the motor back a bit, pry the points open and stick the
> Zig
> |Zag paper back in there and re-rotate the big pulley...gently pulling on
> |the
> |paper. If it came loose just as the little notch hit the case
> seam...that
> |was TDC...
> | My 36hp bus was especially sensitive to timing, for some reason. It
> |would
> |often over heat on hills if the timing wasn't carefully adjusted. When
> it
> |overheated it would just seize up solid...the back wheels would lock up
> and
> |I'd clutch it over to the shoulder...and get out the Zig Zags....
> | After it cooled and I'd used the rolling papers...It would fire up and
> |we'd just drive on, no harm done...
> |
> | Don Hanson
> |
> |On Thu, Jun 17, 2010 at 3:29 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans <
> |scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:
> |
> | Snipped reply
> |
> |> just so she goes good and don't ping !
> |> that's your goal...
> |> nice starting, smoth idle, good acceleration, no pinging, and lastly ,
> |good
> |> fuel milage.
> |> you get that, and she's about right.
> |>
> |> Scott
> |> www;turbovans.com
> |>
> |> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Don Hanson" <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
> |>
> |> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> |> Sent: Thursday, June 17, 2010 10:54 AM
> |> Subject: Question about ignition timing..
> |>
> |> Keeping the 1.8 head will raise my compression ratio to 10:1, I am
> |>
> |>> told. The digifant EMS does not have a knock sensor provision. For
> now
> |I
> |>> am planning on running the new motor set-up on premium 92 octane fuel
> or
> |>> maybe mid-range. It has been
> |>> some time since I timed a vehicle. The last ones I messed with still
> |had
> |>> points ignition. I used to have to change the timing on my air cooled
> |>> German cars...Beetle, Splitty Van and a 356 S-90 Porsche when I went
> |from
> |>> altitude down to sea level because they would knock or run too hot
> |>> sometimes...but I have forgotten what the reasons and the direction is
> |to
> |>> adjust the timing for pre-ignition and regular vs premium fuel.
> |>>
> |>> Anybody care to give a short run-down on how to adjust the timing for
> |>> various conditions..
> |>> Thanks in advance
> |>> Don Hanson
> |>>
> |>
> |>
| 
