Date:         Tue, 8 Nov 1994 17:02:16 -0800
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         wabbott@townshend.Corp.Megatest.COM (William Abbott)
Subject:      Re: Distributors revisited

	Jon Ulrigg asks:

> Is it possible to seat the distributor so that it is 
> sending the spark to plug 3 when it should send to plug 1, or do they 
> only seat in the correct manner.  If it were seated this way, would the 
> vehicle still run?

	Jon,
	My recollection is that the vacuum can is going to prevent your
putting the distributor in 180 degrees out, but human creativity being
what it is...

	The good news is, the car only runs with the distributor in the
right way, another way of saying that the right way is whatever works.

	Your standard Bentley or Haynes or Idiot's book should have a
picture that shows you approximately where the rotor should be pointing 
at #1 Top Dead Center, with the valves closed. This is where the engine
should be when you set the valve clearence, and where the spark is fired
when the engine is running.

	So you start from the inside out: If you removed the old distributor
without lining the engine up at #1 TDC, then line the engine up there first.
Remember, our 4 cycle engines have 2 complete strokes of the piston for
each time the cylinder fires, so lining up the crank-shaft only gives
you a 50% chance of being in the right place.

	You can tell you're in the right place by the valves being 'relaxed' on
#1, or by the rotor of the distributor being able to plug in and point to
the #1 position, or better yet, both. Now that I think about it, you may
be asking this question because the little ridged bit on the bottom of the
distributor that engages the disributor drive looks like it can go in
either correctly or 180 out, and well it may. So *do* pull the #1 & #2 valve
cover and turn the engine (by hand) until you're sure that #1 is at TDC 
with the valves closed. (At the 'other' tdc, the exhaust valve and the
intake valve will be opened by the cam shaft, and you won't be able to easily
slip the feeler gauge between the rocker adjuster and the valve shaft.)

	Remember that using the big nut/bolt on the crankshaft belt pulley,
you can only turn in the direction that *tightens* the fastener. That's
clockwise as you look at it. If you go too far, go twice around again.

	Ok, now that you've got the engine pointed the right way, put in
the distributor, note which way it points and install the plug wire from #1
to the cap position that is over the longer, narrower, end of the rotor.
Turn the engine 180 degrees and be sure that the distributor has turned 90
degrees. This is (I think) #3- your book will tell you under "Firing order". Connect the plug wire. Turn the engine another 180 degrees and check the #1 valves,
they should be open now. Keep turning, and connecting plug wires.

	I appologise for being a little rusty on bus installations, the 914 is
about 15 years newer in my memory, and you couldn't reach it's alternator belt
pulley nut. Turning the engine to tighten the fastener, you may be turning
it backwards, which doesn't hurt anything, but does reverse the firing order.
The easiest way to be sure you're doing this right is to follow the directions
for setting the valves, and connect a plug wire to that point on the cap
that the rotor is pointing to when its ok to set that valve.

	Whether a one-vacuum hose distributor can be connected to a two
vacuum hose carb I'm not sure- go the the VW place, or someone with the
parts micro-fiche, and see how the factory meant to assemble it.

	I *did* find a 63 crew cab in the paper, for $4900. Will talk to the
fellow tonight!


	Bill