Date:         Tue, 28 Apr 1998 11:08:52 -0700
Reply-To:     Malcolm Holser <mholser@ADOBE.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Malcolm Holser <mholser@ADOBE.COM>
Subject:      Re: Wasserboxer Distributor into A/C 2.0
Comments: To: Vanagon@VANAGON.COM

> If you mean a 2.1 digifant distributor then check if there is any centrifigual
> advanve mechanism. I believe these later dist's had all the timing done by the
> ECU. If true you will never get this to work right.
>

Sigh.

Look at the Bentley manual folks!  There is almost no difference
between the 1983-1985 Digijet ignition system and the 2.0 airboxer for
California.  Don't have a Bentley?  Buy one from one of the vendors on
the list -- and get the FI Bentley while you're at it -- best "tools"
you can own, even if somebody else does all the work on your van (just
leave the books sitting in the back...)

You *cannot* swap the distributor, ignitor and stabilizer -- you must
also take the *coil*.  This coil is very different from the points
version.  You can take the whole shebang -- coil, distributor, plugs, wires,
cap, rotor, ignitor *and* stabilizer and get a very nice Hall-effect
electronic ingnition -- for *any* VW airboxer.

This distributor has both vacuum advance and retard, but you can leave the
retard off should you so choose, but be aware that there is more vacuum
advance on the hall unit.

          Points Version     California '80-'83   Waterboxer '83-85
Distributor 022-905-205S      039-905-205C       025-905-205D
Cent Adv    21-25 @ 3400      21-25 @ 3400       21-25 @ 3800
Vac Adv     8-12 @ 266 mbar   9-12 @ 266 mbar    12-16 @ 360 mbar
Vac Ret     none              11-13 @ 266 mbar    9-11 @ 360 mbar

The distributors off the Digifant Vanagons are not applicable -- there
is no easy way to install these and there is no advance at all in the
unit.

The parts for these are breathtaking in cost, but most parts are the same
as used in Golfs, etc. during the mid-80s, so you can find the ignitors
and coils reasonably at wrecking yards.  The Hall sending unit is $$$$,
the coils about $80...  It is possible to use the coil/wires/distributor cap
from the later Digifant, which gives you the really nice spark-plug wires
(and really expensive ones...).  These have a different connector at the cap
and coil ends of the wires.

The system will work in any airboxer, although the distributor might have to be
rotated oddly to get the vacuum can to fit.  On TypeI engines, the late
timing on #3 will be gone, which may or may not trouble you.

Malcolm