You’ll need to set the static ignition timing to get the engine running, then time it with a strobe (if you want to). The backfiring means it’s out of whack. Changing the distributor will change the timing.
The mega backfire is completely normal. Generally you have the ignition leads in the wrong place when you do this. Its checking your exhaust is not rotten - I lost a big chunk out of a rotten EMPI once when it went bang ! ...silence ... silence ... tinkle tinkle..
BTW, it's unlikely you've damaged anything by the backfiring. Gets the leads correct and timing set, and the engine will run sweet as a nut
Having another go at this today. I’m trying to start from scratch. I’ve turned engine over to TDC and as I understand it that can be on cylinder 1 or 3. So I took the RHS rocker cover off and can see 2 valves for each cylinder 1 and 2. On the first try of turning the engine I saw that the 2 valves for cylinder 1 was moving and one valve (the rhs one) on cylinder 2 was too so I figured this was probably TDC for cylinder 3. So I cranked the pulley 360 degrees to find the TDC mark again and found when I wiggled the pulley around this TDC then none of the number 1 cylinder valves moved but this time the LHS valve on cylinder 2 moved. So I figured this was TDC for cylinder 1 which is what I want. Is this correct? Next thing I did was check where the rotor arm in the dizzy was pointing too but it was kind of pointing to roughly where the dizzy retaining clip was so practically in between 2 HT leads. There was one it was only very slightly closer to so I attached the lead for number one here then attached 4-3-2 in a clockwise order. So I think I’m ready to start it again but I don’t want it to go bang again. Is there anything I’ve missed? Should the rotor arm be in the middle of 2 leads or should it be more pointing towards a distinct one? I presume if I’ve got the wrong one it will go bang again?
When you say the valves were moving do you really mean the rockers were loose with their little bit of play? If yes you were on no.1 Regardless, start again. Turn the engine so the mark on the pully is at TDC. If you're on no.1 firing both it's valves will be closed i.e. the rockers will be loose. If one rocker is opening a valve by pressing on it's stem, turn the engine 360 degs so the mark is back at the top and check no.1 rockers again which should now be loose.
Great thanks. Got it started now. And yes it sounds like a bag of spanners so I need to tune. I have a strobe light. Any tips? How do I adjust the distributor? Do I turn it clockwise or counterclockwise or either? Is it safe to touch the metal base to adjust it? Ive seen on YouTube that type 4 motors need to be set at around 34. How will I know when I’ve got it right?
And have got it runing now too. Thanks for all your help guys. I nearly gave up on this but glad i didn't. I set it at 32 advance in the end at 3000 rpm. There is some slight hesitancy on initial acceleration but once you put your foot down it's very smooth. I may need to adjust a little at some point but now I know how to
So, 19 days after I change the distributor, the coil supposedly goes. We’ve been driving it around fine since the change of dizzy but I just drove it down the road today and the power went. Got the RAC out who established there was no spark coming from the coil lead to the dizzy even though there was power going to the coil. He suggested I try a new coil but this seemed a bit of a coincidence? This is the coil I have currently (see pic). I can’t find one that looks like this. Presumably I can just replace it with a cylinder type one like this?https://www.justkampers.com/0439051...-on-vw-t2-split-1967-vw-t2-bay-1967-1979.html
I would. I have no idea what the one you have fitted is intended for. You'll need the special type-4 fixing strap thing too - I see someone at least left the bolt in the hole. maybe it came with your van in a box of spares?
So I’ve now bought a new coil (Pertronix flamethrower one) and got a type 4 strap off eBay. Installed it and wired it up same as the old one but still doesn’t start. Any ideas what I can try? The RAC guy said it was the coil as no spark was coming from it to the distributor.
In all the chaos did you ever connect the black wire of the electronic module to the black wire of the coil ? Its certain that if you did that there is now no spark because you destroyed the electronic module. Or if you shorted the coil out with power on. .
Ok with these modules the misleading thing is that the Black wire to the coil from the front of the bus is the ignition Positive feed. Its the VW colour code. Electronic modules use Red for their positive feed. The Black wire on the module goes to the coil negative, where the points would connect. If you ever connect the Black wire from the module to the Black wire on the coil and turn on the ignition the module immediately turns on and shorts the 12 volts and blows the switching IGBT.. its how its designed sadly. Goodbye £79. They are all essentially the same. Accuspark, Pertronix etc are all equally flawed.
But when I connected the black and the red leads from the dizzy to the coil a couple of weeks ago I connected red to the +ve coil terminal and black to the -ve coil terminal and it was working fine for a couple of weeks.
That is correct. So it was correct until you replaced the duff coil, at which point you blew the ignition module by connecting it the other way round?
