In a message dated 98-06-10 14:17:52 EDT, Shaner@FAMENT.COM writes:

<< I didn't pay much attention to how the cyndrilical metal ring went around
 the dizzy. So I just put it back on there however it seemed to fit. Is
 there a special way this should fit? I don't understand its purpose. It
 has a ground wire coming off of it going to a spade connector. But where
 does it ground to? >>

The metal ring around the "dizzy" is a radio-buzz suppression gizmo, (not the
official VW title, for those flamers who want everyword on the list to be VW
gospel).

It shields the distributor and "absorbs" the radio-frequency disturbance that
the little spark-gap generator (your distributor) creates. The grounding strap
on it should plug int a wee-little spade on the side of the distributor.

The ring does fit on just one way: take off the distibutor cap, flip it over,
and look for the raised "land" in the circumferance. The metal gizmo has a
matching land, and the distributor body has a matching (receiving) detent.

bzzzzzzzzz.

gmbulley
cary, nc