In a message dated 96-03-09 21:59:24 EST, hyates@bcit.bc.ca (Harry Yates)
writes:

>I pulled off the plastic bag from the distributor, and it promptly 
>started to disintegrate.  Gotta get a new one, I guess!  

My 87 Syncro did not have one of these when I bought it used.  I recall that
VW's price for this little thing seemed very high (of course) and I did not
buy it.  I remember seeing a ford Mustang with a rubber distributer cover and
thought about seeing if one of those would work on the Syncro.  I never did
check, but I bet it would be 1/3 the price of the VW one.

>Anyway, the 
>rotor wasn't bad, but the distributor cap was due for replacement.  
>No problem, I thought.  I bought a new cap and rotor last fall from 
>my dealer, and figured now would be good time to install it.  Well, I 
>think I have the wrong cap.  
>

>The cap on the van has a metal shroud around it with a braided copper 
>ground strap attached.  The cap I bought last fall doesn't.  It has a 
>black plastic cover over the brown cap with a metal tab where the 
>spring clip locks onto the cap.  Hmmmm.  I couldn't get the old cap 
>out of the metal shroud as it is crimped on, but the black plastic 
>cover can come off the new cap.  Ok, put it all back together, and 
>write this note for clarification.

Also check to see what type of connectors are in the wire holes in the cap.
 I know that in my Vanagons it's not just a hole where the connector makes
contact around the perimiter but instead has a connector post in the center
of the hole where the spark plug wires connect.

Jim Davis
87 GL Syncro
88 GL Wolfsburg