Date: Sat, 21 Jan 2017 10:20:23 -0800
Reply-To: Neil N <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Neil N <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Distributor rotor heat damage? (Solving intermittent engine
stall)
In-Reply-To: <CAHTkEu+ALoDFuJpDD-TcMNrw7XU+UGK2EEhbdZi+bPkMixgs2Q@mail.gmail.com>
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Thanks again Don and Dennis.
I wondered if the rotor wasn't hear damaged. Normally, I keep the used
rotor in the bus as a spare. It may be there. Will compare. Will pick up a
spare.
Distributor was new at time of engine swap. I'd guess that swap for sure
has less than 100K miles on it.
I will check for excessive play. Pretty sure sure I have a spar dizzy in
bus. Part of issue may have been corrosion at hall contacts at distributor.
Dizzy faces forward and may be exposed to moisture. I had slathered
dielectric grease at outside of dizzy hall connector some time ago. This
may not have done much to keep excessive moisture out.
Neil
On Friday, January 20, 2017, Don Hanson <dhanson928@gmail.com> wrote:
I've forgotten exactly how the distributor shaft goes, but maybe that's
> loose... I recall there's a bevel gear that's driven off the intermediate
> balance shaft... that may be loose somehow, allowing distributor shaft and
> the rotor to move up too tightly against the contact on the distributor
> cap...
> For my Franken-motor, I had to replace the distributor shaft bevel drive
> gear with one that fits the ABA (2.0 l) intermediate balance shaft... That
> allowed me to keep my Digifant distributor (from the 1.8l inline ) and not
> change anything else from the Vanagon electrics or wiring harness, or the
> head, and keep the body stock.. Didn't even have to re-time it..
> I don't remember if you took all that stuff apart during your ABA
> install... Could be something to consider
>
>
>
> On Jan 20, 2017 2:35 PM, "Dennis Haynes" <d23haynes57@hotmail.com
> <javascript:;>> wrote:
>
> > Looking at that rotor you could have more than one issue. A question to
> be
> > answered is what caused the material to melt near the center contact?
> There
> > is no evidence of arching there, only at the outer blade. Some arching
> wear
> > there is normal.
> >
> > Is the engine getting so hot that heat transfer is melting the rotor? Or
> > is the heat damage electrical?
> > Since this is an inline engine there is another possibility. The bushings
> > could be worn to the point the shaft has to much play. If I recall the
> > shaft is also supported by some shims including a fiber spacer under the
> > rotor. Maybe this set up is damaged-missing making the gap for the
> > electrodes to great causing excess heat from the arching. I have seen
> these
> > distributors fail in this way. Pull it out and check it. Measure the
> rotor
> > height in relation to the cap. Check for excess paly or movement.
> >
> > Dennis
> >
> >
>
>
--
Neil n
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