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This is from a 1967 bug with the original engine. Last year I upgraded to 1600cc jugs. This year I put in dual port heads, all new valves and valve guides. The distributor is a 009. I'm using the original PICT-1 carb. How do I time this thing? The car idles fast and it's shaky as if something is out of balance. I've been timing it by sound but I ordered a timing gun and it finally came in.

TIA,

kevin

The original pulleys found on VW's are...weird, IMHO. I'd suggest buying an aluminum degree pulley for setting your timing. You can, however, check the marks on your pulley by finding out which one it TDC. There are a few ways to do this. After you determine which mark is TDC you can use a pulley tape, or a calculator and a flexible measuring tape, to figure out what the other marks are set at. I think that one is for TDC, and the other 2 are for advance without and then with the vacuum advance connected, (which is not relevent with a 009). I'm not positive, however, since there was more than one type of pulleys made, and I always just threw them away in favor of the degree pulley.

As for the shaky issues that would lead me to think its a miss fire. Like a bad spark plug or wire and or arcing in the distributor cap.

IN picture, the dent in outer rim of pulley is TDC....

The two "V" notches on inner pulley rim are 7.5° and 10° BTDC marks...



Place the 7.5° "V' notch (left most) on case split line, with #1 cylinder (rotor) in firing position... Put test light on negative side of coil (points) to ground, turn key on, loosen dist clamp and rotate dist till points "just" open and light comes on.... You are now static timed at 7.5° BTDC, tighten dist clamp.



Image actually shows "V" notch at TDC (no dent) and one 7.5° and 10° BTDC.. Distributor may not be in exact same location, but relationship of rotor, line in dist body and tower on cap and timing mark to case split line is same ...

TO time engine with "strobe" light, you will need a timing mark at approximately 30° BTDC (either work out the geometry on stock pulley) or get aftermarket pulley with degrees etched into it... Looses dist clamp, connect light, start engine, rev engine to about 2800-3000 RPM rotate dist to put 30° "timing mark" on case split line.... Most engines max out in power band at about 28 to 30 degrees advance above 2800 RPM...

Dale

Thanks for the note. Does static timing work with a Compufire disc? If not, if I use the timing gun while the motor is idling can i set it to 7.5 BTDC? If so, then measuring the distance between TDC and 10 BTDC times three gives me the 30 degrees I need for timing with the engine revving. Logical?

kevin

crvc wrote:If so, then measuring the distance between TDC and 10 BTDC times three gives me the 30 degrees I need for timing with the engine revving. Logical?

Yes, this should work so long as you are sure you measure from TDC and measure the circumference accurately.

crvc wrote:Thanks for the note. Does static timing work with a Compufire disc? If not, if I use the timing gun while the motor is idling can i set it to 7.5 BTDC? If so, then measuring the distance between TDC and 10 BTDC times three gives me the 30 degrees I need for timing with the engine revving. Logical?

kevin

NO to gun (strobe) at idle..... You can static time (engine off) with Compufire or Pertronix just like they are points or at 2800 to 3000 rpm with strobe....

Some place on i-net was formula (measurement) to find where 30° BTDC is located on pulley, maybe on the Samba... It was something like 1-3/8 inch from TDC, but I'm not sure of value so do not use unless verified...

Dale

Dale M. wrote:Some place on i-net was formula (measurement) to find where 30° BTDC is located on pulley

You can measure the diameter of your pulley and multiply by 3.14 to get the circumference. Divide this value by 360 and you'll have the inches/degree. Mutliply this distance x 30 degrees and you get the distance, along the outside of the pulley, from TDC, that you mark for the strobe. FWIW, I get 30* to be at 2.0944, (2-3/32") for an 8 in. pulley.

Thanks guys,

This is at the top of my 'to-do' list starting after work tomorrow. Then I gotta figure out how to get the engine lid even. It's too high on one side, then ater adjusting it's to tight against the frame on the other side then it's so far off that the latch won't catch. And exactly the same problem happening with the glove box lid.

I'm hoping it's a timing problem but so far I'm not seeing any improvement in power with the dual port heads and Pict-1 carb.

kevin

crvc wrote:Thanks guys,

This is at the top of my 'to-do' list starting after work tomorrow. Then I gotta figure out how to get the engine lid even. It's too high on one side, then ater adjusting it's to tight against the frame on the other side then it's so far off that the latch won't catch. And exactly the same problem happening with the glove box lid.

I'm hoping it's a timing problem but so far I'm not seeing any improvement in power with the dual port heads and Pict-1 carb.

kevin

Static time it and go.... 10,000,000 VW engines can not be wrong....

or...



Grab picture and cut and past it on pulley...

Dale

Using a cloth tape I measured the distance between TDC and 10 degrees BTDC at 5/8". Then made a mark at 15/8" Then racing the engine I rotated the distributer til the mark was roughly even with the case split. Letting off the accelerator it wants to idle around 7.5 degrees BTDC.

Is it a factor that I put in a dual port manifold with an adaptor for the original PICT-1 carb?

Another question, The valves seem to make a lot of noise. I adjusted the valve gap to 0.06 for all cylinders with the engine still on the bench and cold. I'm still using the original 1967 oil cooler. I vaguely remember reading that valve lash should be adjusted with the engine warmed up. Also in the 6-volt days we adjusted number three to 0.06 but the rest to 0.04. As any of this relevant?

kevin

Valve clearance is always set with engine COLD....

IF you have aluminum pushrods the lash is .006 ....

IF you have Chrome Moly (steel) pushrods the setting is loose ZERO .000...

Timing is timing, carb and manifold application has no basic influence on timing (unless dist is vacuum advance) ...

Dale