The hard, brittle coating was not aluminum, it was something else. What, I
don't know. Aluminum oxide will be a fine grey powder that you can wipe off
with your finger.

Thanks,
Tom Hargrave
Our Web Sites:
www.kegkits.com
http://www.kegkits.com/JABF/
www.stir-plate.com
www.andyshotsauce.com
256-656-1924

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf Of
jonathan waters
Sent: Thursday, July 16, 2009 8:15 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: temp sensors?

Thanks Everyone!

I was just assuming it was aluminum?
There was a very thin hard / brittle coating on the
inside dia of the distributor contact points
where the rotor contacts the cap.

Once I carefully scraped that off it ran fine.

Now I do still have an overly fast idle to contend with.
It is a syncro, so I will try to locate the temp sensors first.

then move on to the tps sensor.
I did notice that when I unplugged it
and sprayed a little wd40 on it
the idle went down to 1K
So, I thought it was probably just a bad connection.

But soon went back up.
May the computer was adjusting?
And yes Scott, I agree!
A Subbie is in the near future !

On Wed, Jul 15, 2009 at 5:41 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans <
scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:

> is it  a Bosch cap ?
> I recall noiticing aluminum terminals in non-bosch el cheapo distributor
> caps,
> which have no purpose on a vanagon.
>
> I find that a real Bosch cap and rotor will last nearly indeffenitley
> ........or 'amost indefenitely'.
>
> 20 / 30 years ago, I'd fuss over the elctrodes in caps, cleaning them
> carefully etc.....
> but those cars had very weak points and coil igntion. ........they needed
> all the help they could get.
>
> the igntion systems in vanagons is very strong .......
> like they 'seem' like they are 5 times more powerful than igntion systems
> of
> yore - like points type non-electronic.
>
> So I find myself not even worrying about distrubotor caps on vanagons much
> at all.......
> as long as they are the right bosch type.
> I worry about spark plug wires more than I worry about bosch distributor
> caps on vanagons. I must have 10 good used ones.....
> and really......they barely wear ..............at least the ones I see. I
> don't think I've ever even seen a Bosch distributor cap on a vanagon
engine
> fail in any way.
> I would say ........
> that if everything else is working as it should.........goed plugs, good
> wires, good coil, engine running right etc.....
> a Bosch distributor cap on a vanagon that's 3 years old.............is
> still
> just fine. Like they'll do 40 to 60,000 miles even.
>
> but I see an el cheapo on a vanagon .....I take it right off and save it
> for
> an emergency spare, or something like that, and get a proper bosch
> distributor cap and rotor.   Those are the only proper caps and rotors on
> vanagons as far as I'm concerned, and boy to they last well.  And no
> complaints at all about quality.
> I'd say they are 'perfect' in every way.
> ( expect for even being there in the first place............Move up to a
> soobie engine and you won't be messing with any distributor cap & rotor
> .........'cause there isn't one on those engines, most 'more-high-techly'
.
> Scott
> www.turbovans.com
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Larry Alofs" <lalofs@GMAIL.COM>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Wednesday, July 15, 2009 5:22 AM
> Subject: Re: temp sensors?
>
>
> Thank you gentlemen.  Learn something every day.
>  I didn't realize that it was on the inside of the cap.
>
> Larry A.
>
>
> On Tue, Jul 14, 2009 at 10:09 PM, Tom Hargrave<thargrav@hiwaay.net> wrote:
>
>> He probably knows, it will be a very fine grey powder. It's usually from
>> the
>> electrodes inside the cap & excess arcing can spray the stuff all over
the
>> inside of the cap. I like the old caps with the copper electrodes -
copper
>> oxide is not conductive.
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Tom Hargrave
>> Our Web Sites:
>> www.kegkits.com
>> http://www.kegkits.com/JABF/
>> www.stir-plate.com
>> www.andyshotsauce.com
>> 256-656-1924
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf
>> Of
>> Larry Alofs
>> Sent: Tuesday, July 14, 2009 9:16 PM
>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>> Subject: Re: temp sensors?
>>
>> How do you know it was aluminum oxide and where do you think it came
from?
>>
>> Larry A.
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Jul 14, 2009 at 6:17 PM, jonathan waters<shponglevan@gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Thanks Everyone!
>>>
>>> I found aluminum oxide coating on the distributor cap,
>>> that was stopping the bus from running well
>>> especially at lower rpm's.
>>> ( and, surprisingly, to me, the cap isnt even 4K old? )
>>>
>>> And that got me back on the road
>>> to Canada and eventually home.
>>> (and Internet access as well)
>>>
>>> But, I am still having problems with High RPM's
>>> running about 2K instead of 1.
>>>
>>> I'm guessing tps too.
>>>
>>> This is a syncro I guess I should have added.
>>> Does this affect the location of the temp sensors?
>>>
>>> Thanks again,
>>> Jonathan
>>>
>>>
>>> On Sat, Jul 4, 2009 at 6:48 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans <
>>> scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> adjustment of the throttle switch pops to mind.
>>>> those get off ......I find them out of adjustment 'usually' even.
>>>> I find some worn enough that you can't adjust it to spec, without
>>>> lengthening a slot an adjustment screw slides in.
>>>>
>>>> Timing is probably right ....but always important to consider that one.
>>>> oxygen sensor ?
>>>> does it run strongly cold, but less so warm ?
>>>> what's the status of the fuel filter ?
>>>>
>>>> fwiw..........sure, I find tired tune up parts, and cheap tune up parts
>>>> ........
>>>> and replace those of course ........but I never find 'poor running' is
>>>> really due to 'tune up parts' ..........not unless there's a bad plug
>>>>
>>> wire
>>
>>> say , or fouled or very tired spark plug .......my point is ........
>>>> yes, tune up parts have to be decent and to spec, and adjusted right
>>>> .......
>>>> but when they don't run right ..........it's usually things other than
>>>>
>>> tune
>>
>>> up parts ..but they do have to be right of course as well.
>>>>
>>>> Air flow meter ?
>>>> the only symptom I get on those is uneven running .......like weak
spots
>>>>
>>> in
>>
>>> the acceleration curve . I consider them a weak link because it's where
>>>> electrons interface with something mechanical...........always a weak
>>>>
>>> area
>>
>>> in my opinion. Next technology up, uses an air mass meter with no moving
>>>> parts .......no sweeper arm or anything hokey light that .
>>>> vacuum leaks ?
>>>> I had one waterboxer engine that ran, started nicely......but just
>>>> didn't
>>>> rev out well.
>>>> You could even tell............open the throttle.......it was getting
>>>> the
>>>> air, but no fuel to go with it.
>>>> I found about a dozen intake air leaks on that engine .......
>>>> and that's all it was. It was leaking at the intake runner rubber
boots,
>>>>
>>> at
>>
>>> the throttle body rubber seal, at the screws that secure the fuel
>>>>
>>> pressure
>>
>>> regulator bracket even .......lots of tiny leaks. That's all it was
>>>>
>>> too.
>>
>>>
>>>> speaking of ........fuel pressure ..........usually good, but you need
>>>> to
>>>> always consider or test for that one too.
>>>> Scott
>>>> www.turbovans.com
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "jonathan waters" <
>>>> shponglevan@GMAIL.COM>
>>>> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>>>> Sent: Saturday, July 04, 2009 7:08 AM
>>>> Subject: temp sensors?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Hi,
>>>>
>>>>> I have a 2.1, and it started to run kind of funny?
>>>>> It starts good, and has been running real good.
>>>>> until now that is!
>>>>> I have given it a real good tune up.
>>>>> Even a new cat.
>>>>> but what I am experiencing now,
>>>>> after just driving 800 miles,
>>>>> is a lack of power on starting to drive?
>>>>> I have to rev it up to get it to have any Ump!
>>>>> I am wondering if it may be a temp sensor?
>>>>> Is there 2 of them?
>>>>> And where are they located?
>>>>> Any help from you guys would be much appreciated!
>>>>> Thanks,
>>>>> jon
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>
>>