Tune-up for dad with a new toy

Oh -- forgot to mention: the distributor is a 009.

Use it to set the timing to no more than 30 degrees at total advance. I know how good that Carlsbad gas is, I live about 15 miles from there and fill up everytime I go to Harbor Fish for Fish and Chips. 009's are somewhat notorious for having timing variances between distributors, so no matter what the initial advance is, make sure it isn't past 30 degrees, when you are past about 3,000 rpm.

Ah, just set it up and check the timing anyway. Who knows where it's really at. An ACVW engine might seem to run just fine way retarded - until it burns valves.

Respect to the above, buuuut the rest of the world normaly gets by with

32-34 deg. B.T.D.C. on the 009.

The correct answer would be:(asuming 009 and non drag race aplication) go as high as you can without knocking in low RPM/high load situations.....

J.

Yee-hah! Dad's gonna wave that timing light around and look all mechanical and competent and everything!

and they can also seem to run "fine" at up to 50BTDC till they burn a piston....so i agree with JJ., check it anyway....you may be glad you did....and as Dave said, go conservative on the timing with the 009 and the apparent sad gas you have available...hope the holidays have treated everyone well....

------------------- Chris Perdue

*All opinions are those of the author of this post* "Sometimes you're the windshield, sometimes you're the bug" reply take your PANTS off

buuuut the rest of the world normaly gets by with

32-34 deg. B.T.D.C. I know how good that Carlsbad gas is, I live about 15 miles from there.

In a Bus, with the Southern CA gas, which obviously you don't have to run, PJ, I stick by 30 degrees maximum, especially if he wants to run the "cheap stuff" which, around here, is 87 RON. I have also seen as much as 7 or 8 degrees difference in advance between brand-new, identical, 009 distributors. if you want to take that chance, fine by me. I'll just keep mine at 30 degrees.

87 RON was new to me, the "worst" we get up here is 92 RON.... I have no problem understanding your reservation.... :0)

J.

The household's traditional Useless Teenage Boy wants a bus. He, however, doesn't even have the attention span of a weasel. So the likelihood is high that I would have to work on his car for him. That is NOT exactly what I have in mind for my weekend. The Wonderbus soaks up enough time as it is.

Nope, nope, I'll just use this timing light for myself.

Fine. Sounds good. Two questions for the VW gurus:

What's "87 RON"? I put in 91 octane, the highest around. The sticker on the pump sez that they use the (R+M)/2 method of determining octane?

Now that I have this cool timing light with advance, where can I find a tutorial on checking and setting the timing on the Wonderbus?

RON = Road Octane Number. There are different ways for figuring out octane of fuel, but in the U.S. the RON and the accepted way. I wish we could get 92 RON such as what P.J. Berg is able to get, but, unfortunately, with California's oxygenated fuels, the best we can get is 91 RON, and that ain't all that good, with all the crap they stick in it. The advice about running it at as high an advance as you can without detonation (pinging) is a good one, but I always err of the side of caution by a few degrees. I am not getting maximum performance, to be sure, but if I get caught at a malfunctioning stoplight in Southgern California in July or August, it takes the worry out of being close.And I have a personal distaste for the 009 distributor, I prefer an old 010, or a GERMAN-MADE 009 (getting a little hard to find in good shape nowadays) or one of the Mallory units like snipped-for-privacy@aircooled.net sells. When it's really important to me, like on my 2 liter with P&P big-valve heads, Weber 48 IDA's, and other neat stuff (spelled $$$$$) that I can't afford to screw up, I bite the bullet and go with an MSD.Then I run right on the ragged edge ( 32-33 degrees advance) but knock it down a little (around 30 degrees) if I am planning a long-distance trip, or during the warmer summer months. When I can afford it, (and thats not real often) I like to stick some good, 5 dollar-a-gallon, VP 116 octane Race Gas in it, bump the timing to 36 degrees, and let 'er rip. I can feel the difference with the race gas, but thats too expensive for a daily diet. I feel for the people in the European countries that pay that much for an Imperial gallon of fuel (I don't know the percentage, but I know it's less than a U.S. gallon) Of course, cam, compression, amount and type of headwork done, type of piston, all factor into the timing, if you have a modified engine.. then you pretty much run it til it pings, take a few degrees out of it, and "leveritethere"

the "worst" we get up here is 92 RON..

pfffffftttttt ;-) lol

California's

important

"leveritethere"

Hi again :0)

Not to be a besserwisser or anything like it, I was aware of the diffrences between euro fuel and us fuel, however RON = Research Octane Number, did not know yours was as low as 87 RON.. Sorry can not remember the full name of US used formula the later used "thing" is R+M/2 Can't remember the correct term for the "M"....

J.

MMmm, not to shure what to make of this, as I'm not to familiar with the bronx slang BG :0)

J.

M, I think is short for Measured Octane Number, the actual "in lab" meassurements are done differently, I know I have it in a book somewhere....

J.

You're looking at this from the wrong perspective. Buy him a $500 bus, then when he's hogging the computer, you can send him to work on the bus, whilst you surf the net for car parts, or read RAMVA. If he gets really snotty, send him out there with a sleeping bag.

(Researched + Measured) / 2

Or the average of researched and measured.

Kinda like this:

http://63.230.74.177/cruises/2000_04_08/2/mvc-007f.jpg Max