[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index] [New Search]

RE: [T3] Distributor and breather box questions


On Mon, 2005-04-25 at 10:34, Jim Adney wrote:

> > 
> > Hmmmmmmmmmm... Wow! I've never heard of a set of points NEVER needing
> > adjustment or replacing in 25 years? Do you drive it much? In my
> > previous VW's (1965 bug and 1964 Bus) or any other old car I owned with
> > points always needed some adjustment, even with lube on them. Thousands
> > of automotive engineers can't be wrong can they? :-)
> 
> I think Russ's '71 sat for many years, so his example really isn't fair. OTOH, 
> we hear of many Pertronix failures within 3 years, which is much less than my 
> points last.
> 
It sat from '85 until 2000. But the car fired up and is still running on
those points. I drive the car approx. 4000 miles a year, so that is
about 20K miles on those points since the car went back into service.
> 
> There was a time when the 009 was considered the dist of choice. That time was 
> when the stock dist was a vac adv dist. A mech adv dist was needed when people 
> started putting different carbs on their VWs, because once you do this your OE 
> vac adv dist won't work correctly any more. Around 1970 VW started supplying 
> dists that had mech adv (for proper operation & power) plus vac adv (for 
> enhanced advance at low load to give fuel economy.) These distributors are 
> actually pretty good choices, but you really have to look at the specific 
> advance curves to see which ones are better. It just happens that the early FI 
> type 3 dists have very good advance curves, good for ANY aircooled VW engine.
> 
The original 009 distributor was for an industrial engine. An engine
that was designed to run at one constant speed. We do not run our
engines at a constant speed. 

> There is also the thought that recent production of the 009 dists in Brazil is 
> not of the same quality as the originals, but I really don't know if there's 
> any truth in that. As far as I can tell, however, the only thing keeping the 
> 009 alive is the herd mentality that keeps people following what everyone else 
> is doing. This mentality continues to be stroked by those who stand to profit 
> from sales of the 009s.

I have heard of an 009 recently that disintigrated internally, The
person couldn't figure where the metal shavings were coming from.

> 
> Frankly, my first choice in ignitions are the old CDI units made by Delta. They 
> use the stock points & coil and have a switch that allows them to be switched 
> back to normal. I've been using them since 1966 and have had excellent 
> operation out of them. My points last for many years with this system, and the 
> only way they fail is if the little wire breaks inside its insulation.

I agree with Jim, The Delta CDI was a very reliable unit that could be
switched back to stock with the flip of a switch.
If you want a modern reliable unit, Get the one from a late T-2 with
electronic ignition. It will drop right into our engines. I think Hal
Sullivan posted what year it was that works.

-- 
Russ Wolfe
'71 FB AT
'66 FB MT
'64 T34 (not running)
'65 T1 (not running)
'05 KIA Sorento SUV
russw@classicvw.org
http://www.classicvw.org

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List info at http://www.vwtype3.org/list | mailto:gregm@vwtype3.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index] [New Search]