The Compleat Idiot
- rokemester
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The Compleat Idiot
I'm in big trouble! I was trying to verify TDC on my 66 bug last night with a pencil. If I wasn't crying I'd be laughing. I was moving the generator pulley back and forth getting a feel with the pencil as it moved up and down as it rode the top of the No. 1 cylinder head. I wasn't getting the feel I needed so I pulled the pencil to switch to the point end. I was shocked to find that the eraser head had been chewed off and was in the cylinder! Now I'm really @#$%%!. I guess that's why amateurs shouldn't be working on Bugs! HELP and please don't tell me I've got to pull the engine for this!
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All I can say is why on earth would you use this method to find TDC? There are two marks on the pulley for 7 degrees and 10 degrees before top dead center (assuming the engine is a '66), and TDC is about a half inch to the left of the left mark. If it's just for adjusting valves, you don't even need to be exact. So long as you're close, you're fine.
At any rate, I'd probably just run the engine, and hopefully the combustion will smash the eraser to bits and blow it out the exhaust valve. Otherwise you have some disassembing ahead of you.
At any rate, I'd probably just run the engine, and hopefully the combustion will smash the eraser to bits and blow it out the exhaust valve. Otherwise you have some disassembing ahead of you.
- rokemester
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Some of the things you pick up in forums are useful and some things are not. The pencil thing is one of those things. Straw, pen, toothbrush end, anything would have been better including not sticking ANYTHING into the cylinder! I was trying to be so precise in finding TDC. Anyway I found that the 009 distributor was installed 180 off. Did a static at 9 BTDC and got the car running and idling reasonably well. What i read is that 28-32 BTDC with a strobe at 3,000RPM is how I should set the timing. I only have a 12V engine analyzer and strobe so I guess I need to find a 6V equipment. Hopefully I won't be hearing any expensive noises down the road.
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Either method of setting the timing should work right. I've found that static timing my own 1300 to 9 degrees BTDC works best for me. But what you should really do is get it close, and then experiment to see how your own engine runs best. This is how the first person ever to time a Volkswagen engine did it.
- rokemester
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- Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Murray Hits the Road
My lovely bride and I took Murray out for his first drive in 6 years. It was sweet, sweet, sweet! She's been pretty patient with me as I've been obsessed with getting him running again.
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- Senior Member
- Posts: 879
- Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2009 8:34 pm
- Location: Tampa, Florida
- rokemester
- Senior Member
- Posts: 274
- Joined: Wed Mar 18, 2009 9:46 pm
- Location: Cleveland, Ohio
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- Senior Member
- Posts: 879
- Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2009 8:34 pm
- Location: Tampa, Florida