Date:         Wed, 13 Apr 2011 00:33:10 -0400
Reply-To:     Jonathan Poole <jfpoolio@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jonathan Poole <jfpoolio@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Consistent cutout at 3k rpm
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Howdy Vanagon List,

My '83 Air-Cooled Vanagon is consistently cutting out at 3 thousand rpm.
This behavior started recently after I made some changes to the ignition
system.  I believe that the problem is related to my changing out the
breaker points for a pertronix electronic ignition module but it may also be
related to the new plug wires, distributor cap, rotor, coil, plugs or the
thorough cleaning of all accessible electrical connections in the engine
compartment or the adjusted timing.

A few items of note:
-the timing at idle and high-rpm is good (7.5 deg to 31 deg) so it doesn't
appear to be an advance issue
-the engine runs great all the way up to 3k rpm with better power/feel than
before these changes
-fuel pressure was stable when tested it while making these changes.
-engine temps are good (350 cht, < 220 oil) when cruising at 2900 rpm
-I have tried different gaps between the pertonix unit and the magnetic ring
with little/no change in cutout/performance.
-the tach doesn't drop or jump erratically when the engine cuts out which
may contradict my suspicion of the pertronix unit?  The tach is out of a '91
Vanagon and wired up in typical fashion off of the coil.

My next tests will be to re-check voltage at the coil at high-rpm and then
to put the points back in but I wanted to inquire here before the switch-out
in case there is something easy that I have overlooked that I can test
before pulling the pertronix out.

Any suggestions, especially of easy tests, are appreciated.

Thanks,

Jonathan