Awaiting yellow taxi - again!

This is what I am thinking as it has to be the most fiddly thing to do on a type 4 engine.

 

I too have a type 4 Fi 2.0l and have changed over this year to electronic ignition, Pertronix module from JK (£70), I wasn't that confident to fit this so a local vw aircooled guy (kustomdubwerks) fitted this for me at under £25. Results has been very good, starts and runs much better and no more points to worry about! Recommend the update.

 

the issue is that points can be set on the roadside, using a piece of paper for a gap, whereas if your electric ign module fails theres nowt you can do.
you could however fit the electronic unit and carry a set of new points and condenser and learn how to fit incase it does fail

I have a spare accuspark module in the bus, got given it, I tested it so know it works

 

I will admit to blowing up a £70 Pertronix module with a black wire on black wire brain failure.

Got out the points and condenser and timing light I keep in the spares kit and setup and carried on going.

Bought an Accuspark module for £29 and discovered its better because it doesnt leave current running through the coil and cooking it all the time the ignition is on, only if the magnet in the dissy moves. Makes static timing a bit of a git..

 

Go for the COMPLETE accuspark dizzy , and if you`re not confident about fitting it just pay someone - you`ll only pay once !
keeping these busses reliable is all about eliminating possible breakdown problems , the electronic ignition is as good a mod as you can make for the outlay of a few quid .
Mines been on 20 years and still going strong - never even taken off the dizzy cap ...

 

Accuspark x 2

 

This was my initial thinking before wondering if part of my problem (being as this has happened twice now) is the dizzy itself - indeed how old / worn is the dizzy? So my leaning at this time is towards the whole unit but keep the other as a spare just incase of future disaster.

 

You know the rules.

 

pictures of what?

 

Yellow taxi ride, no pictures didn't happen

 

I had a pertronix fail after 10 years. It kept breaking down under load. Kept a spare dizzy with points. Got an accuspark last week as half the price so here is hoping for at least 10 years. Best thing you can do going EE

 

Well technically it didn't because they got me going both times, so I didn't get loaded up but tbh I was a bit too stressed to think about taking pictures with my new £3000 engine starting to become problematic and me 2oo miles from home etc etc. I'll try and remember if there is ever another time

 

What

 

I was cheating and abbreviating as above. Mobile phones is another saga......

 

Accuspark is the way to go mate, as said get the complete unit, get it fitting and setup by someone that knows what there doing as they are hard to set up, then it should need no input after, other than service items such as dizzy cap and rotor arm.

As said it's all about eliminating potential issues by using newer technology if it's available and better, which in this case it is.

I have started to take a bit of a proactive approach, and although the old saying if it ain't broke don't fix it is true in some cases, I am replacing bits I can foresee issues with down the line, and retaining the parts that come off, ie new leads, dizzy, fitting temp sensors etc, all in the name of progress

 

Cheers Chris, I will be asking for some help in fitting one and re-setting the timing as I know I couldn't do it myself and be confident in the result. I was wondering after responses here about the best to go for as several have mentioned Acccuspark over the Petronix that the big suppliers sell, so I just posted a poll in MechTech while you were replying here I always keep serviceable bits and pieces, just on the off chance I may need to go back to them too I only ever bin unserviceable items, hence my garage is full of crap! lol

 

Blimey - 3k on an engine and still trusting a worn dizzy and points ??

Plain ridiculous - change the dizzy..................... tomorrow !!

 

To be fair, I'd have expect them to change it if they thought it was worn, as they did the coil, but it wasn't recommended to me. I think you're right though and logically for such little extra cost should have been a no-brainer...

 

What did they replace the coil with? A new Bosch blue with the yellow and red Bosch or a cheap Bosch blue knock off

 

Petronix from what I've read is a bit gimmicky and not so good quality as the accuspark, as with the Petronix coils etc they are not that great