Date: Thu, 26 Dec 2013 23:20:07 -0800
Reply-To: Scott Daniel <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Organization: Cosmic Reminders
Subject: Re: Inductive Tach for tuning
In-Reply-To: <52BCD149.2040809@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
I 'suppose' if one wanted to say, make sure a 1.9 wbxr engine with
purely mechanical controls for timing advance ( centrifugal and vacuum
retard/advance on the distributor ) as 35 degrees advance at 3,000 rpm
..( or whatever the exact spec is )
then sure ..
a tack would be useful.
you can also just clip on an inductive timing light and make sure the
timing can advance in a healthy manner when you rev it.
That's worthwhile.
And besides .....I'd estimate that a full 60 % of the time, people,
including some shops, don't know how to check the rotor for free
movement ( engine off ) and then it springs back ..and it's not loose or
wandering. That's how you check the centrifugal advance mechanism for
basic proper function.
I'll betcha that is seldom done..
and 'nobody' knows to put a few drops of oil on the felt pad under the
rotor.
I have seen Entire fancy expensive 6,000 rebuilt rebuilt 1.9 wbxr
engines go out the door ..pro shop too ......
bone dry felt pad under the rotor.
I would bet ...that 70 % of people reading this that own a 1.9 wbxr
never ever think about this little service and check .....some don't
even know about that simple and important service item. Some shops
'doing a tune up' don't know or care about this detail.
AND ..if you have a 2.1 waterboxer..timing advance it controlled
entirely from within the ECU.
I suppose it's possible the timing curve count not be right .
but I've never seen that.
just do this ..
get to idle exactly right ..
this would include no air intake leaks, decent injector spray patters,
good compression, good ignition parts ...good Temp Sensor II ..
no air leaks at the air boot ...
a good AFM ...throttle switch working right ..good IAC valve and control
Unit it 2.1 ...and every other feature that can make them not run like
they new. No exhaust leaks either.
believe me .
if all those are right and you have the timing at idle about where it
should be...
and it's a reasonable 850 rpm or so at idle,
and it revs out right, starts at the very first touch of the key cold or
warm and has good power and fuel economy ..
you do not need a tach.
if it even mostly does all those..you do not need a tach.
On 12/26/2013 5:00 PM, JRodgers wrote:
> Seems it's one thing after another with my vans the last few days. The
> van I need to tune has a dead tach. I have an old Sears engine analyzer
> in which the tach has always worked - but today it decided to die on me.
> So - I need a cheap inductive tach just for that one purpose - setting
> the rpm for whatever operation I'm doing. Anyone have any suggestions?
> Cheap is the operative word here. Functional is important too.
>
> Thanks.
>
> John
>
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