Could someone explain how this was done?

Larry A.

---- Original message ----
>Date: Mon, 19 Apr 2004 10:27:49 -0400
>From: David Brodbeck <gull@GULL.US>
>Subject: Re: distributor drive shaft installation
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>
>On Sun, 18 Apr 2004, Mark Seifert wrote:
>
>> This is a 2.1. I dont think the #3 is slightly retarded.
But why did they do
>> that on the older engines? I know the aircooled bugs were
like that.
>
>On VW Beetles, cylinder #3 tended to overheat because the
airflow to it
>was partially blocked by the oil cooler.  The timing for that
cylinder was
>slightly retarded to tame its tendancy to swallow exhaust valves.