LEAKOIL Forum

There is a cheap tool that fits the slots in that nut. But it is a POS and doesn't work. An internal pipe wrench is what works. I have one. stop out and we will get it off.

I used an old door hinge and notched the edges out so it fit in there, then used a crescent wrench to turn it out... Only worked on some of them, the others were destroyed trying

Chuck stopped by and brought me a present. In the course of his flea market excursions he came acoross a set of the plumber sockets that can be used to remove difficult attachemnts like oil filler nuts on gen/alt stands. He scored a set of four for a whopping $3. How does he find this stuff?

Anyway, he had the nut out in under 20 seconds and I was able to clean it up and its aperfect match for the new alt stand.

I've been logging plenty of miles on my bus even with the engine transplant on the horizon, so when I was asked to bring it to an impromtu parade up at Kamm's Corners I agreed. Ran fine, then suddenly didn't run fine. Was acting like it was fuel starved. You know, run a little bit then die then start and run and die just chugging haphazardly the whole time. So I checked the fuel and it was getting gas and of course there was air so I thought it had to be electrical. I mean, even I know that's all it can be!

So I had a spare coil because I don't really know how to check if a coil is good or bad. I mean, I know you hold the center wire from the coil with your bare fingers to some exposd gas in the engine compartment then have someone crank it over. Ok, so you dont do that, but I had a spare coil so swaped it in by the side of the road and no change.

So I debated on pulling the distributor but it was a pain where I was stopped and I decided to just get it home and figure it out. Luckily when I called AAA they had a company with a truck right by me. 10 minutes later I had it back in my driveway.
So I got the distributor out and walla! Once I got the cap off I saw what was likely my problem. A cracked cap that I couldn't see with the clips on.
I did swap out distributors and for the life of me I can't figure out what's up wih the distributor the PO put into this bus. Its the craziest thing. You get the bus to TDC on #1, but the rotor is pointing to where #3 is normally located. You put another distributor in and the rotor with that distributor is pointing to where #1 is or should be. I thought someone put the distributor drvie gear in 180 degrees off, but I'm wondering if the gear is right, but this one distributor I have is just out of whack somehow? Can someone rebuild a distributor backwards

I'm going to mess with it today and call Bruce if I can't figure it out. On second thought maybe I should just call Bruce!

Six Volt wrote: Mon Oct 05, 2020 8:52 am Can someone rebuild a distributor backwards

It's not that someone built it backwards, it's that on some distributors the pin hole at the bottom (where the drive is attached) is at 90* from where most distributors are. This puts the rotor 90* off from most distributors. If the rotor is 180* off, yes, maybe someone put the drive on backwards on the bottom of the shaft.

All you need to do is move the plug wires one spot on the cap, but careful, it's easy to F that up.

Were the points closed up on the other distributor?

Yes, I moved the wires 1. 4. 3. 2 because I've had that gremlin in my inglorious past!

When I initially put the replacement distributor in (without touching the motor from the TDC spot with the rotor pointed at #3 the way it was on the original distributor) It would not fully seat. It would only seat when I swung the rotor around to #1 spot then it dropped in. And the test light stayed on continuously when i moved the seated drisributor side to side at the #1 spot. Points had the proper gap, but wires were still in the former location at that point.

I'll re-check where exactly TDC is on the motor. I'll pull a valve cover and watch the intake and exhaust on #1 and make sure neither are moving when I rock the motor with the generator nut. I'll also try more than one distributor to ascertain if I'm getting a different TDC indication with rotors based on that original distributor. I'll report back.

Just out of curiosity, if the problem was the distributor cap, why did you switch distributors?

Karl Kombi wrote: Tue Oct 06, 2020 9:55 am Just out of curiosity, if the problem was the distributor cap, why did you switch distributors?

You have to understand it's Sean......

Dual Port wrote: Tue Oct 06, 2020 11:08 am

Karl Kombi wrote: Tue Oct 06, 2020 9:55 am Just out of curiosity, if the problem was the distributor cap, why did you switch distributors?

You have to understand it's Sean......

Oh, OK then. Never mind.

Yes indeed, its me! Let's face it, I provide more entertainment on this site than anyone!

You should have to pay for a LEAKOIL subscription to view my missteps. They are legendary!

Remember when I drilled through the fan shroud and into the oil cooler? Oh yea! "Let me tell you a little story about a man named Jed..."

So today, after being warned not to cross plug wires, what did i do? What I always do! I crossed the 3 and 4 plug wires! Hey, I'm consistent! If it says "3," there's no reason in my book why we cant put a "4" in there! What's the fun in matching a 3 with a 3 and a 4 with a 4? Boring!

Anyway, I swapped distributors out because when the cap cracked it sent shards of plastic into the vacuum only distributor body gumming up the innards. Not pretty. So I was going to use one of my 36HP cast iron distributors I have, but there was a scary noise coming from the engine so I just popped on a 009 to get it running.

Bruce was kind enough to stop by and fix my error and gave me a big fat "F" on my wire distribution.

The noise persistend for a time. Bruce and I listened, but damn if I knew what it was? That's when I told Bruce I left the valve covers off while running the engine for a minute! Hey I forgot! I'm getting old! I'm eligible for Medicare this year! I also forgotten to tighten the bales when Bruce made it over to listen for himself? What's a little more oil on Mrs. G's driveway?

Eventually, the noise subsided and it seemed to run ok, for a bus with a 009. So before I did any more damage, I drove it out to Bruce's for him to have a look see and get me to KI by the weekend!

So, if anyone needs me to work on their bus in anticipation of getting up to KI I'm now available and I have space since my bus is at Bruces' So let me know!

Also I'm really happy to announce that I've been contacted by the Motor Trend channel and they're interested in doing a pilot of me fixing other people's VW's! They think it could be a top ten show!

As they say in show business... "Stay tuned!"