i held out on that because it was funny......and you know it was....LOL
------------------- Chris Perdue "I'm ever so thankful for the Internet; it has allowed me to keep a finger in the pie and to make some small contribution to those younger who will carry the air-cooled legend forward" Jim Mais Feb. 2004
On Tue, 23 Nov 2004 09:55:17 -0400, "Peter" scribbled this interesting note:
As to the time period and what engines, do the research for the information and post it for all to benefit from. I've heard that VW used quite a number of distributors on their cars over the years...the number I see most often is over 125 different distributors, so it seems you will have quite a task on your hands figuring out which engines the #3 retard was originally used on!:~)
Just on ramva I'm certain a pretty good dissertation has been posted about the need for that retard on those distributors. There are other sources. Seek them out and read up on the subject. There are quite a number of acvw lists and data bases on the Internet these days and lots of posts have been made on them for quite a number of years and somewhere out there you will find what you seek, but only if you figure out how to ask your questions to more accurately obtain good answers...
BTW, most short questions have very long answers. Most long questions have relatively short answers...at least in my experience!
I'm really trying to help. The research for my first response took less than two minutes and the second took less than that. I feel sure that with a properly phrased search parameter in the right data base that you'll find exactly what you're looking for.
-- John Willis (Remove the Primes before e-mailing me)
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BT, DT...
The date, chassis & serial number of when they started using the retarded distributor -- and when they stopped -- is in the Factory Service Manuals for each vehicle Type. I cited chapter & verse for the Type II when I was subscribed to that mailing list.
Doesn't do any good, of course. Providing valid information. Rather than adding to mankind's sum store of knowledge, the lack of any form of Turing Testing -- the ability for the newbies to tell good info from bad -- has turned the internet into a celebration of mediocrity.
-Bob Hoover
On 30 Nov 2004 00:49:45 -0800, snipped-for-privacy@isp.com (Bob Hoover) scribbled this interesting note:
I believe another way I've heard this same Law stated is "Bad Money Drives Out Good."
-- John Willis (Remove the Primes before e-mailing me)
I have been looking for that one but, as yet, I cannot find it. It would be of great assitance to me if you are able to resubmit the specific data, or if someone can point me more directly to your original posting. So far I have only seen you make mention of the end date being 1971 with a "(?)" to follow. I will keep searching, anyhow.
-------------------------------------------------------------- 'Workshop Manual for Volkswagen Transporter, 1963-1967' ISBN 0-8376-0391-9 Section E-9, page 12 'Service Note: From 3rd August 1964, Chassis No. 115 000 001, Engine No. 8 788 071, all VW engines are fitted with modified distributors. The breaker cam lobe which controls the firing point of No. 3 cylinder is offset 2 distributor-shaft degrees in the retarded direction.'
Various other associated Notes, Warnings and Illustrations, bleeding over to page 12a, the obverse of which is blank, indicating 12a is a suppliment, inserted after normal pagenation of the manual.
(To find out when they STOPPED using the retard, you need to look in a Factory Service Manual covering the 1971 model year.)
The real question is, Who gives a shit? You're talking about something that happend more than half a century ago.
If you have a VW engine of 1200cc displacement or more AND you are using the original upright oil cooler THEN you should be using a distributor which retards the #3 cyl. firing point.
If you are using an engine fitted with a dog-house type oil cooler then it doesn't matter what type of distributor you are running, although one WITHOUT the retard will improve the engine's efficiency.
If you have a distributor of unknown provenance and wish to determine if its #3 lobe is retarded, you can develop that information by inspection, either with a distributor diagnostic machine or by installing the distributor on an engine fitted with a degree wheel and observing the firing point OF EACH CYLINDER using a stroboscopic timing light.
Normal service life of the VW distributor is 50k to 70k miles and is determined by end-float. That means even the youngest of the retarded distributors was worn-out by about 1985.
-Bob Hoover
Thank you for the info and verification.
Now, if any one has a manual (since I don't) that specifies the end date etc, that would be wonderful. Another piece of info that would help is, precisely which Type 3 engines received this treatment?
Someone has already accused me of waffling on this thread, so I better not get into that one just now. Thanks.
I think you are pissing everyone off because you are 'researching' this info with NO resources except this newsgroup and you want everyone else to FIND it for YOU.
I think Bob is trying to tell you to LOOK for it and READ books YOURSELF. Not sure where you live [prison maybe?] but there is a public library just about in every town.
about in every town.
You'd be very wrong in your assumption. A great deal of background research has been done by myself, and others who would like to know the full answers to these questions. I thought the idea of these forums was to spread the info around, not keep it ourselves. Part of the research is to ask those, who may have the knowledge, for information. Why would anyone get pissed off? Anyway, we have great libraries in here!
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