I installed a factory new engine and replaced all electrical, ignition and fuel distribution system components this Dec.-Jan. Never reeally got everything running right, but acceptable at times. The engine sounded "restrained" if that's a proper way to describe it, and it had major hesitations in accleration and was generally low on power. I was at once tweaking the settings and learning to live with a disappointing outcome to my restoration.
Then yesterday morning, I was cruising down the Interstate when--*pop-pop*-- total engine failure. Got off to the side of the road, checked all obvious sources of trouble, distributor cap, wires, plugs in the heads, fuel, etc., etc. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary, but the engine would not even fire.
I was ready to give up; was shaking my head and talking on the cell phone ready to arrange the tow (this would have been the third tow since engine replacement) when an amazing thing happened.
A Good Samaritan stopped on the margin behind me and inquired about the situation. When stuck by the roadside, I ususally greet the arrival of the well-meaning motorist with a mixture of gratitude and dismay, as usually the well-intentioned person would like to help but knows nothing whatsoever about VWs. In this case, though, I was lucky, and the volunteer was a VW expert who performs roadside service.
We proceded with diagnostics of fuel and ignition and eventually removed the SVDA Distributor with Quadra-Fire electronic ignition and replace with an old reliable .009. Jockeyed the dist. around a little, beetle fired right up, and off I went. Now what's interesting about this whole long saga is that as I was limping back to my shop with the loaner dist., I noticed that Bug was running like my Beetles of old--snappy acceleration, no hesitation, no vibration, rattling; no feeling of an engine "restrained" or sluggish. It was a pleasure to drive.
I'm not condemning electronic ignition, except to say that my reason for installing it was to maybe make the new engine run better,a nd be more reliable. In this case, it failed on both counts. It is possible that this was simply a fluke and that I had a bad distributor/ignition setup right from the start.
I would appreciated any comments on the merits or demerits of the electronic (Quadrafire) ignition system, or whether its best to just install a stock .009 distributor.
Randall Brink