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On 27 Aug 2004 at 8:28, Schlegel, Richard wrote: > I think you are missing the point. I like the electronic ones because > there are NO parts to wear out. You're correct that electronic ignitions have no parts to wear out, or fewer, as I'll try to get to later. OTOH, electronic parts generally fail suddenly and completely, and at random times. The reliability of electronic parts is quite variable, with some items very reliable and some much less so. I don't have any experience with any of the electronic modules that replace the points, so I don't have an opinion on their reliability. I note that even the people who like them tend to carry a set of points in their cars, just for emergencies. That tells us something. "Pointless" ignitions still rely on the distributor mechanical advance mechanism, vacuum advance mechanism, and bearings being in good condition. If you get a lot of play in the shaft or the breaker plate, then these ignitions won't work right. They are MORE sensitive to play here than points are, so this is a place where the genie of mechanical wear can still stick his nose in. > Why this group is so against new technology is beyond me. I agree that it would be foolish to dismiss any new technology item out of hand. Likewise, it would be equally foolish to jump on every new technology bandwagon before it has proven itself. There are billions and billions (apologies to Carl Sagan) of products out there that carry the words "new" and/or "improved" on their labels or advertising. The vast majority of them are inferior to the product they claim to replace. One of the many advantages of a list like this is that it gives each of access to the experience of many others, some of whom have real expertise. In this case, it means that I don't have to go out and buy a pointless igniton to replace my points just to see if it is better. The fact is that when I drove my type 3s daily, year around, I checked the dwell twice a year, adjusted them once a year or less, and replaced them no more often than every 2 years. If you have less success, then you can experiment with a Pertronix, or get me to rebuild your distributor, but rebuilding the distributor will probably be the cheaper option, AND it's a proven solution. The 009 is a different question. I used to think, like so many others, that it was THE thing to do to your VW. Then I started to read the VW newsgroup and listened to John Connolly's rants about it. Having no direct experience with it, I just sat in the background and listened. Eventually I came to understand that there were many people out there who have really worked with these things and don't like them. I know that 009s still get bought and sold in droves, but I also know that this doesn't tell us a thing about its true usefulness. I still recommend the Bill Fisher book "How to Hot Rod the VW Engine." That book has a refreshing attitude toward the "common knowledge" kinds of things that people do to their cars. I think that that he liked the 009, but there is some evidence that the 009 has changed since that book was written in 1970. There are other numerous examples in the book of things he tried, that he states outright don't help or actually make things worse. > So off my soap box I go and back to work on our SB. Please don't take > offense to my post. None taken. Hope none was given. ;-) -- Jim Adney jadney@vwtype3.org Madison, WI 53711-3054 USA ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ List info at http://www.vwtype3.org/list | mailto:gregm@vwtype3.org ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~ Shameless link for search engines: http://listarchive.type3.org ~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~