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Can't get distributor in correctly.

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6.4K views 13 replies 8 participants last post by  odinaka  
W
#1 ·
Hello, Thanks for reading,
This is my wife's 63 bug with a 1600 engine (?) I am a good backyard mechanic but I have never worked on an air cooled VW.
It has never ran right, it has very low miles on the engine but has sat with a once a year spin around the block.
It had a 009 distributor and I bought a Plextronic flame thrower. I can not get it to run right. Front story, it has a Solex 34 PIC 3 or something like that.
I rebuilt the carb and got it running with the old distributor, I could not get it to idle, same problem it had before I rebuilt the carb. Gas is fresh, it runs good, just
won't idle. The engine has an aftermarket degree pulley. I roll engine to TDC and take note to where the rotor is pointing. I remove the old distributor and install the new Plextronic,
I read many reviews of this distributor and everyone complained how hard it was to shove in, because the O ring is too thick, well sadly they have not fixed this yet.

I look down inside the engine at the drive gear, it is positioned correctly, so I rotate the distributor shaft to match and shove it in. As we all know they only go in one way.
The rotor is pointing to 1:00 oclock. I thought it was supposed to point at 5:00 oclock?
Now the rotor points to 1:00 oclock which is #2 plug wire with them in the original spots that worked with the 009.
What am I doing wrong here? The search function isn't much help here.
 
B
#3 ·
:D

Hi bug :) ,
Sounds to me like the distributor drive gear(7)
Image

is not installed correctly relative to the crankshaft:
https://www.google.com/#q=vw+air+cooled+tdc+vs+bdc
https://www.google.com/#q=vw+air+cooled+tdc+vs+bdc+buggyman
https://www.google.com/#q=vw+air+cooled+tdc+vs+bdc&nfpr=1
https://www.google.com/#q=vw+air+cooled+tdc+vs+bdc+buggyman
So it sounds to me that you either have to rotate the drive gear relative to the crankshaft(correct) or just rotate the dizzy body(or just wire location on the cap) to where #1 meets the tip of the rotor(politically incorrect, but will work).
https://www.google.com/#q=vw+air+cooled+distributor+drive+gear
https://www.google.com/#q=vw+air+cooled+distributor+drive+gear+buggyman

Then there's https://www.google.com/webhp?hl=en#hl=en&q=34+pict+flat+spot
https://www.google.com/webhp?hl=en#hl=en&q=34+pict+flat+spot+buggyman

The O-ring(33)
Image

is somewhat supposed to be a bear to install, helped with maybe a dollop of white grease or just a spray of WD-40, otherwise it would not seal correctly or maybe even allow the dizzy to eventually "back up/out" of the engine case bending the hold down bracket(28) upwards disengaging the dizzy from the dive gear.

Plextronic https://www.google.com/#q=vw+Plextronic , https://www.google.com/#q=vw+Plextronics ?, https://www.google.com/#q=vw+pertronix ? https://www.google.com/#q=vw+pertronix+problems .

An ongoing discussion;) .

:beer::D
 
C
#4 ·
With the old dizzy, is the rotor pointing to the line in the top of the distributor body?
In all reality where the rotor is pointing doesnt really matter. Just make that #1 cylinder.

Is the carb set correctly? Two and a half turns out on the volume screw to start.

Search around thesamba.com and shoptalkforums
 
W
#5 ·
Yes, I've tried starting with 2-1/2 turns out. And many other settings.
Once it falls of the fast idle cam it dies.
I need to keep pulling on the throttle to keep it running.
Below 1,200 RPM it dies.
I can't get it to idle long enough to play with the bypass or volume screw.
When I'm having to blip the throttle to keep it running it is too high of RPM to use starting fluid to check for
vacuum leaks, when the engine is 1,200 - 1,350 RPM that test is a waste of time.
Fuel pressure is 2.5 lbs.
carb is a German Solex . Gas is clean.
Pull the throttle wide open and it runs great.
I can keep it running with the throttle and adjust the screw, nothing changes.
It acted this way so I got a rebuild kit and went through the carb, it is the same after working on it.
The bypass and volume screw seem to do nothing.
Thanks!
 
B
#6 ·
:D
wifesbug said:
Yes, I've tried starting with 2-1/2 turns out. And many other settings.
Once it falls of the fast idle cam it dies.
I need to keep pulling on the throttle to keep it running.
Below 1,200 RPM it dies.
I can't get it to idle long enough to play with the bypass or volume screw.
When I'm having to blip the throttle to keep it running it is too high of RPM to use starting fluid to check for
vacuum leaks, when the engine is 1,200 - 1,350 RPM that test is a waste of time.
Fuel pressure is 2.5 lbs.
carb is a German Solex . Gas is clean.
Pull the throttle wide open and it runs great.
I can keep it running with the throttle and adjust the screw, nothing changes.
It acted this way so I got a rebuild kit and went through the carb, it is the same after working on it.
The bypass and volume screw seem to do nothing.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Hi bug :) ,
You've just definitively identified your carb problem:thumbup::
34 PICT carbs are set up pretty much unlike:banghead::laugh: any other carbs on the planet, the throttle valve has to be "set" in a particular position in order for all the side bypasses to work properly, that's why they came originally with a cap(50A)
Image

covering the factory set idle speed screw in order to prevent you from changing that setting, this is an embedded foundation to work from, just about everyone who is unfamiliar with them makes this mistake;) .
Now that you know that let's get you back to that point:cool: :
https://www.google.com/#q=34+PICT+adjustment
https://www.google.com/#q=34+PICT+adjustment+buggyman
https://www.google.com/webhp?hl=en#hl=en&q=vw+chewing+gum+wrapper+buggyman
Fuel pressure https://www.google.com/webhp?hl=en#hl=en&q=34+PICT+fuel+pressure
https://www.google.com/webhp?hl=en#hl=en&q=34+PICT+fuel+pressure+buggyman

:beer::D
 
D
#9 ·
On the passenger side of the carb there is an idle jet (brass colored screw ) , try cracking it loose about a quarter turn out , see if it idles then. That idle jet will clog very often and all the cleaning in the world will not fix it. If it idles after you loosen it, just order a new one. If you install the stock distributor as mentioned and the rotor does not align itself with the mark on the rim of the distributor you will have to re-index the distributor drive gear. #3 cylinder lobe on the distributor shaft is retarded so I do not like to rotate the wires around the cap, but I have done it in a pinch.
 
M
#10 ·
I'm with Drag on this one. I've seen more plugged jets than bad carbs. sometimes you can clean them out by spraying them with brake parts cleaner or shop air. if that doesn't work, then as he said, a new one will need to be bought. the other issue might be that there are intake leaks with can be common on DP engines where the center intake sections meets the horns. Those rubber boots very often are wore out and have cracks.

You can again take some brake parts cleaner and while it running (can be a fast idle) spray a few quick sprays at the boots. DONT hose it down, Just a few sprays and the engine will pick up in RPM if there is a leak. Same can be done at the head as well for checking leaks.
 
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