You are correct sir/madam!  Clearance and sensible wire routing are the
only reasons for a precise distributor gear alignment.

Max/Joyce Wellhouse wrote:
>
> I'm opening myself up for a bunch of "wow is this guy stupid or what" but
> let me give you the chance!!  I have always been under the impression that
> the position of the distributor drive gear wasn't all that critical as far
> as the engine's performance was concerned, but rather on the older
> air-cooled engines(and Vanagon 80-83) the placement of the offset on the
> drive gear only mattered as to getting clearance for the vacuum advance unit
> to turn without restriction against other engine components.  As long as the
> #1 firing notch on the rim of the distributor was aligned at the proper
> angle to the offset of the drive gear(assuming there's space/clearance for
> the vacuum advance unit to turn to set timing) when the engine is at TDC on
> the #1 cylinder,  does it really make any difference?   Yes the wire harness
> for the Hall sender may not reach if it were somewhere other than the
> factory location, but fretting over exact placement seems like needless
> stress to me.
>
> I  await your comments.
>
> Dimwitted Moose and Flying Squirrel
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Per Lindgren <lindgre@ONLINE.NO>
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Date: Thursday, April 27, 2000 3:49 PM
> Subject: Re: WAS Re: Bottom end reassembly?
>
> >How was this done again? Oh yes, here it is. It is quite obvious where the
> TDC
> >for cyl #1 is, when you are holding the crank in your hands! just hold the
> crank
> >with your left hand, and pull the #1 con rod in the cylinders direction,
> right?
> >Then lift the rear end of the crank carefully to disengage the teeth on the
> >gears, so you can turn the dizzy shaft to it's proper position. The reason
> to do
> >this before the crank case is bolted together, is that when the shaft is
> >dislocated, it takes several ties to relocate it in it's hole, and if you
> don't
> >have the tool to lift it up, it is not much fun to do either. BTDT.
> >
> >Hope this helps,
> >PerL
> >
> >
> >
> >Sean Garrett wrote:
> >
> >> Hmmm... can you elaborate? For instance I am confused about how to tell
> top
> >> dead center if you dont have your pistons in? Don't you have to put
> cylinder
> >> #1 at TDC and then line up the distributor drive shaft (with it connected
> to
> >> the distributor) in the slot looking down from the fan side of the
> engine?
> >>
> >> Do you use the cam shaft or crankshaft to eyeball TDC?
> >>
> >> Thanks in advance

--
Stuart MacMillan
Manager, Case Program
800-909-8244 ext. 8208
Fax: 206-269-6360

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