[Air and water do mix]

Oh no, it's patented? Hopefully no cease and desist letters show up :laugh:

Another quick update, NO MORE POINTS! Did a super quick video on install a pertronix ignitor module on my 77 911S.

This should be an easy upgrade for any 911 with a point system, which is 77 and earlier. Costs around $100, pretty easy install.

Installing the flywheel with some exciting stuff later this weekend, stay tuned 🤙

It's patented, trademarked and copyrighted!

I didn't realize 911s ran points that late. Some 911s used capacitive discharge electronic ignition in or around 1970, but perhaps that was only the 911S or the injected cars of the era. You know, back when injection was still exotic.

I'm using a Pertronix in my Bug now that it's 12-volt. I've run them before and love 'em. Some ask "What if the module fails and leaves you stranded?" I respond with "I have a set of points and a condenser in the ash try, so a failure would be treated just as if I had them go bad and had to fix it on the side of the road." :thumbup:

 

[Harold]

Damn, points? Last time I saw them was in my dads old '71 Chevy Caprice. He upgraded to a HEI distributor in the 80's.

 

[Aseras]

Pertonix in the BJR mechanical advance distributor was the best in my bug. I never worried about them failing. Broke plenty of linkages and engine mounts and transmission mounts and even ripped the splines out of the hubs when I went to 180hp, never had an issue with the pertronix.

 

[Air and water do mix]

Damn, points? Last time I saw them was in my dads old '71 Chevy Caprice. He upgraded to a HEI distributor in the 80's.

Yeah, the Germans held onto those for quite a while. VW had them up to 1980! No air cooled VWs ever got electronic ignition save the early air-cooled Vanagon. Well, not in the U.S. market, anyway. The last of the Mexican built Beetles had injection derived from the Digifant system and electronic ignition. As I understand it they run pretty good, too!

 

[ADDvanced]

I actually kept a 1" square of 300 grit in my ashtray. I had the points go 'bad' while I was an hour away and had to macguyver them on the side of the road to clean the corrosion off to get a good spark again. Never actually needed to use the sandpaper, but I guess I can toss it. Or replace with the points system, lol.

 

[Air and water do mix]

I actually kept a 1" square of 300 grit in my ashtray. I had the points go 'bad' while I was an hour away and had to macguyver them on the side of the road to clean the corrosion off to get a good spark again. Never actually needed to use the sandpaper, but I guess I can toss it. Or replace with the points system, lol.

Bosch points are solid tungsten instead of tungsten coated like the cheapies, so they can indeed be filed and re-gapped. I'd use a points file to keep everything square, but a bit of sandpaper would do in a pinch.

I also replace the condenser every couple of tune ups, as I've personally never had one go bad (but I have gotten an old car or two with a bad one already on it) and I figure you're about as likely to get a bad new one as for your old one to fail.

In your case I'd still recommend keeping a set of points and a condenser in the car for a "just in case" scenario. In my case I can keep a cheap-and-plentiful spare distributor with the points already gapped and swap it on the side of the road faster than I could change the points anyway. Just leave the clamp on the old one and have a new clamp already on the new one, then you only need a 13mm socket, extension, ratchet and maybe 5 minutes to do it, including static timing it.

 

[Stromaluski]

I'm using a Pertronix in my Bug now that it's 12-volt. I've run them before and love 'em. Some ask "What if the module fails and leaves you stranded?" I respond with "I have a set of points and a condenser in the ash try, so a failure would be treated just as if I had them go bad and had to fix it on the side of the road." :thumbup:

You can end up carrying around a complete engine based off of what ifs. I got to where I was carrying around so many tools and parts that it was dumb. I finally took out everything and just accepted that if something broke, I'd just have it towed back home.

Yeah, the Germans held onto those for quite a while. VW had them up to 1980! No air cooled VWs ever got electronic ignition save the early air-cooled Vanagon. Well, not in the U.S. market, anyway. The last of the Mexican built Beetles had injection derived from the Digifant system and electronic ignition. As I understand it they run pretty good, too!

Can confirm. My '80 Rabbit Truck had points in it from the factory. :laugh: I replaced it with the electronic ignition setup off of a later car.

I also replace the condenser every couple of tune ups, as I've personally never had one go bad (but I have gotten an old car or two with a bad one already on it) and I figure you're about as likely to get a bad new one as for your old one to fail.

I've had one go bad. That took me a LONG time to figure out what was wrong.

 

[Air and water do mix]

You can end up carrying around a complete engine based off of what ifs. I got to where I was carrying around so many tools and parts that it was dumb. I finally took out everything and just accepted that if something broke, I'd just have it towed back home.

Can confirm. My '80 Rabbit Truck had points in it from the factory. :laugh: I replaced it with the electronic ignition setup off of a later car.

I've had one go bad. That took me a LONG time to figure out what was wrong.

While I agree one shouldn't go overboard with carrying things, I would never drive a Bug or a 911 without a spare belt, as you cannot drive more than about 30 seconds without it. Points and condensers take up so little space and needs such small tools I wouldn't be without that, either. As I said, I keep them in the ash tray. Even if I did smoke I sure wouldn't smoke in the Bug, nor you your 911. :beer:

Condensers should be an easy diagnosis, but then again I've tinkered with these old things since 1983 and my first car had a bad condenser when I got it, so I went through it with my brother, who is 20 years my senior. He bought them new in the '60s and built many of them by that point (and he's en electronic and mechanical genius), so I had a pretty good advantage on most. He and my other brother got me through my first engine rebuild, too.

 

[freedo84gti]

While I agree one shouldn't go overboard with carrying things, I would never drive a Bug or a 911 without a spare belt, as you cannot drive more than about 30 seconds without it. Points and condensers take up so little space and needs such small tools I wouldn't be without that, either. As I said, I keep them in the ash tray. Even if I did smoke I sure wouldn't smoke in the Bug, nor you your 911. :beer:

same with my corvair, keep 2 spare belts, spare spark plugs, and oil. i went pertronix 2 many years ago and they still work great. even after swapping them between 3 different engines

 

[Stromaluski]

While I agree one shouldn't go overboard with carrying things, I would never drive a Bug or a 911 without a spare belt, as you cannot drive more than about 30 seconds without it.

I mean, that's true of any car that has a serpentine belt driven water pump. :laugh:

 

[ADDvanced]

Quick update: Just a how-to on installing some collapsible oil return tubes with a few tips/tricks involving a hose clamp and a 30mm open ended wrench. Should be the same for a VW

Kind of finicky to be honest, but collapsible tubes are by definition sort of hack, since the factory ones were one piece, captured between the case and the cam towers.

 

[ADDvanced]

Another quick one; setting valve clearance. This was... . really easy imho. I'm sure it'll be way more annoying in the car, but on an engine stand it's cake.

 

[ADDvanced]

So I'm pretty stoked about this guys, I found a CRAZY deal on a Sachs Power Clutch kit on Ebay, seller is in the UK and selling them for $350 which is the cheapest price I can find anywhere. Pelican's price is over double that. So I 'watched' the auction, and a day later he sent me an offer for $325!!!!!! INSANE!

I wound up measuring the weights of the stock pressure plate vs the aluminum sachs one in the video, and not only was that significantly lighter, even the clutch disc itself was 7-8oz lighter! I wound up keeping my stock flywheel and just getting it resurfaced, but I really feel like this is the better way to lose rotational mass if you need to buy a clutch kit anyway.

Also, I found out my throwout bearing was assembled wrong THE ENTIRE TIME IVE OWNED THIS CAR (7+ years now!?). Buttoned her up and ready to keep moving, waiting on fuel lines and my intake runners.... once I have those, I should have everything I need to put the car back on the road!

Vid:

Goal is to get it driveable before salt/winter, so I can shove it into my storage unit and get the jaguar project in the bay before winter.

 

[freedo84gti]

we had a 3.6 swapped 911 cab once that had a lightweight flywheel and clutch. it made such a huge difference that it would physically rev past limiter if you free revved it in neutral. it was scary how snappy the throttle response was. one missed shift and you would blow the engine apart. it was what the customer wanted and nothing we said would convince him otherwise

 

[ADDvanced]

Quick episode; just leveling the valve covers, but you can see how the powdercoating turned out, pretty geeked about how ridiculous this looks in person, they look like gold bars.

 

[Air and water do mix]

So with the black and gold theme running inside and out of this car are you going for a John Player Special livery? I'd consider an discreet JPS logo somewhere. Perhaps one could go in the engine compartment.

 

[ADDvanced]

Yeah, that was the goal when I did the livery in 2014 or so. Just felt weird putting JPS on it since it has nothing to actually do with JPS stuff.... idk.

 

[ADDvanced]

Super quick update, just installing a Rennline "Outlaw" Stainless Fan Strap. Going to try to crank all weekend; want to get this thing driveable before it's all salty and gross. Plus I want to move my new jag project into the garage.

Time is goign to be tight. $700 worth of fuel lines just got here yesterday.

 

[slngshot]

kind of surprised as well that Rennline supplied that hardware.

For the money their bits cost, you would think a spare bolt or two tossed in for the sake of convenience/margin of error to reduce customer frustration would be a no brainer.

I can't imagine this hasn't been encountered before.

 

[Air and water do mix]

To me it doesn’t look fully seated. It looks like it should have to tap the fan ring rearward to make it seat fully. Since I’m looking in 2D from one angle on an iPad I could be quite wrong, but that’s how it looks.