Distributor not advancing

Hi all. I have a 1972 Beetle that is not giving me much acceleration beyond
2500 rpm. I had a Beetle mechanic check it out and he tells me that the
distributor is not advancing, and that I need to dismantle it and check if
the small weights inside are moving freely. Any links as to where this
procedure might be explained? Thanks in advance.

Regards,
Elvin

Pop off dist cap. Try to turn rotor clockwise. It should move and then spring back when you release
it.
Hard to move at all?
Moves but does not spring back?
Does not move clockwise but you can move it counter-clockwise?
Pull off rotor. Remove the felt pad in the center of the upper shaft.
Get a REAL penetrant like Liquid Wrench or PB Blaster. But NOT WD40, you can't even **** out a fire
with that crap.
Fill opening and let it sit. Fill again. Put rotor back on and try to move. Keep filling until the
rotor
moves easily and springs back. But remember, you are overcoming the resistance of 2 springs down
below.
When you get it free, put the felt back in and put a few drops of motor oil on it. This is part of a
tune-up procedure but NO one does the oil-the-felt part. Everyone thinks a tune-up is plugs and
points and nothing else. It is even worse when the dist is converted to electronic ignition, then no
one thinks they have a reason to remove the dist cap!

But I wonder why your 'mechanic' did not spend a few minutes trying to free up the weights??


"Elvin Rambaran" > wrote in message ...
> Hi all. I have a 1972 Beetle that is not giving me much acceleration beyond
> 2500 rpm. I had a Beetle mechanic check it out and he tells me that the
> distributor is not advancing, and that I need to dismantle it and check if
> the small weights inside are moving freely. Any links as to where this
> procedure might be explained? Thanks in advance.
>
> Regards,
> Elvin
>
>

Elvin Rambaran wrote:

> Hi all. I have a 1972 Beetle that is not giving me much acceleration beyond
> 2500 rpm. I had a Beetle mechanic check it out and he tells me that the
> distributor is not advancing, and that I need to dismantle it and check if
> the small weights inside are moving freely. Any links as to where this
> procedure might be explained? Thanks in advance.
>
> Regards,
> Elvin
>
>
Your '72 should have a distrib with 2 vacuum hoses. Besides the
mechanical advance, you want to be sure the vac advance is working.

Suck on each hose and watch the advance plate. It should move to the
stop and stay there when you block off hose (tongue in hose).
If it fails this test, one or both vacuum chambers has a leak
or a hose leaks.

Speedy Jim
http://www.nls.net/mp/volks/

On Wed, 09 Feb 2005 14:32:08 GMT "Karl" > wrote:

>Pop off dist cap. Try to turn rotor clockwise. It should move and then spring back when you release
>it.
>Hard to move at all?
>Moves but does not spring back?
>Does not move clockwise but you can move it counter-clockwise?
>Pull off rotor. Remove the felt pad in the center of the upper shaft.
>Get a REAL penetrant like Liquid Wrench or PB Blaster. But NOT WD40, you can't even **** out a fire
>with that crap.
>Fill opening and let it sit. Fill again. Put rotor back on and try to move. Keep filling until the
>rotor
>moves easily and springs back. But remember, you are overcoming the resistance of 2 springs down
>below.
>When you get it free, put the felt back in and put a few drops of motor oil on it. This is part of a
>tune-up procedure but NO one does the oil-the-felt part. Everyone thinks a tune-up is plugs and
>points and nothing else. It is even worse when the dist is converted to electronic ignition, then no
>one thinks they have a reason to remove the dist cap!
>
>But I wonder why your 'mechanic' did not spend a few minutes trying to free up the weights??

Sometimes your technique works, but often the parts are so frozen
together that it is necessary to actually take everything apart to get
them to work freely. Nevertheless, this is exactly the right idea.

-
-----------------------------------------------
Jim Adney
Madison, WI 53711 USA
-----------------------------------------------

Thanks all. It worked.

Regards,
Elvin

"Jim Adney" > wrote in message
...
> On Wed, 09 Feb 2005 14:32:08 GMT "Karl" > wrote:
>
> >Pop off dist cap. Try to turn rotor clockwise. It should move and then
spring back when you release
> >it.
> >Hard to move at all?
> >Moves but does not spring back?
> >Does not move clockwise but you can move it counter-clockwise?
> >Pull off rotor. Remove the felt pad in the center of the upper shaft.
> >Get a REAL penetrant like Liquid Wrench or PB Blaster. But NOT WD40, you
can't even **** out a fire
> >with that crap.
> >Fill opening and let it sit. Fill again. Put rotor back on and try to
move. Keep filling until the
> >rotor
> >moves easily and springs back. But remember, you are overcoming the
resistance of 2 springs down
> >below.
> >When you get it free, put the felt back in and put a few drops of motor
oil on it. This is part of a
> >tune-up procedure but NO one does the oil-the-felt part. Everyone thinks
a tune-up is plugs and
> >points and nothing else. It is even worse when the dist is converted to
electronic ignition, then no
> >one thinks they have a reason to remove the dist cap!
> >
> >But I wonder why your 'mechanic' did not spend a few minutes trying to
free up the weights??
>
> Sometimes your technique works, but often the parts are so frozen
> together that it is necessary to actually take everything apart to get
> them to work freely. Nevertheless, this is exactly the right idea.
>
> -
> -----------------------------------------------
> Jim Adney
> Madison, WI 53711 USA
> -----------------------------------------------

<snip>
....put the felt back in and put a few drops of motor oil on it. this is part
of a
> tune-up procedure but NO one does the oil-the-felt part....
<snip>

Hey Karl,

what do you mean by a felt?
'My brother's 1302 dizzy is a little lazy, i sprayed it with WD40 and it did
some good but not too much. (will try liquid wrench later)
Maybe together with that drop of oil it will do the trick.
I looked in the haynes manual but no felt either.

Please can you clear that out for me??

TIA
Roger

Remove the rotor. Take a little pocket screwdriver and push down in the center of the top where the
rotor sits. Feel the felt pad? OIL it!!


"bug '59" > wrote in message
...
>
> <snip>
> ...put the felt back in and put a few drops of motor oil on it. this is part
> of a
> > tune-up procedure but NO one does the oil-the-felt part....
> <snip>
>
> Hey Karl,
>
> what do you mean by a felt?
> 'My brother's 1302 dizzy is a little lazy, i sprayed it with WD40 and it did
> some good but not too much. (will try liquid wrench later)
> Maybe together with that drop of oil it will do the trick.
> I looked in the haynes manual but no felt either.
>
> Please can you clear that out for me??
>
> TIA
> Roger
>
>

Now i know what you mean (i think).
Haynes call's it a driveshaft, correct?

I thought that it just was a hole with a gap in it to keep the rotor in
place.
Hmmmmm, again.... learning all the time.:-)

Thanx for the input
Roger


"Karl" > schreef in bericht
m...
> Remove the rotor. Take a little pocket screwdriver and push down in the
> center of the top where the
> rotor sits. Feel the felt pad? OIL it!!
>
>
> "bug '59" > wrote in message
> ...
>>
>> <snip>
>> ...put the felt back in and put a few drops of motor oil on it. this is
>> part
>> of a
>> > tune-up procedure but NO one does the oil-the-felt part....
>> <snip>
>>
>> Hey Karl,
>>
>> what do you mean by a felt?
>> 'My brother's 1302 dizzy is a little lazy, i sprayed it with WD40 and it
>> did
>> some good but not too much. (will try liquid wrench later)
>> Maybe together with that drop of oil it will do the trick.
>> I looked in the haynes manual but no felt either.
>>
>> Please can you clear that out for me??
>>
>> TIA
>> Roger
>>
>>
>
>