Watch out when doing a basic tuneup Options

[shawnhayes]

Ok, so I'm a journeyman mechanic.

I can manage significant work on most vehicles, and bought a 74 914 2.0 as a track car.

Doing a minor tuneup, I've found several pitfalls:

1. There are SEVERAL easy to disconnect wires near the distributor that are easy to accidentally disconnect or damage.

2. It is very difficult to get good lighting to do this work without a corded shoplight.

3. The "tuneup" parts aren't readily available from the local autoparts stores - plan on purchasing them WAY AHEAD of the time you will need them.

Shawn

P.S. - my car was disabled for two months while figuring all this out

[lapuwali]

Most of the wires near the distributor are grounds or aren't essential to the car running (like the oil pressure switch wire). All brown wires in German cars (well, VW/Porsche, anyway) are grounds. The engine bay wiring isn't all that complex, and familiarizing yourself with a wiring diagram is a very good idea. In a D-Jet car, injectors, air temp sensor, CHT, TPS, MPS, coil wire, alternator field, trigger points, and a handful of grounds are all you need to worry about. On several of these, there are distinct connectors that only go in one place. The AAR and oil pressure switch wires won't cause the car to not run.

30 year old wiring harnesses are often fragile, mostly due to heat. Those in the engine bay that are also exposed to the weather don't fare too well, either. Replacing terminals and adding lots of heatshrink helps enormously.

Removing the engine lid completely (two 10mm bolts and a bit of care in lifting it out) helps lighting and access considerably. Cover the positive terminal on the battery while you do this (it's easy to lose one end of the lid and short this). Also use the time to check the engine lid mounts on the firewall, as they frequently crack.

[scotty914]

actually the tune up parts are very easy just ask for vanagon parts early 80's years if they dont show 914 parts. everything fits perfectly including the spark plug wires.

another thing to have handy when doing a tune up is about 10 pictures of everything in the engine bay that way if it wont start you have something to compare to.

as for setting the points i never used a feeler gauge i found the box from the points was close enough to get it to run, to check and adjust with a dwell meter. when setting the points have the dizzy cap off put it in 4 gear and roll the car to get it on the flat spot on the dizzy shaft. and dont forget to gearse the shaft

[shawnhayes]

QUOTE

In a D-Jet car, injectors, air temp sensor, CHT, TPS, MPS, coil wire, alternator field, trigger points, and a handful of grounds are all you need to worry about.

Pretty sure it was the "trigger point" connector I knocked loose that caused the car not to run. Ick. But, thats 8 connections and a "handful" of grounds to worry about. I know it's not bad for an old car, but geez.

QUOTE

30 year old wiring harnesses are often fragile, mostly due to heat.  Those in the engine bay that are also exposed to the weather don't fare too well, either.  Replacing terminals and adding lots of heatshrink helps enormously.

Yep. What happened was one of the wires "broke off" at the blade connector. Not sure what sensor it was (too lazy right now), but it was a bitch to repair.

QUOTE (lapuwali @ May 17 2005, 06:48 PM)

Removing the engine lid completely (two 10mm bolts and a bit of care in lifting it out) helps lighting and access considerably.  Cover the positive terminal on the battery while you do this (it's easy to lose one end of the lid and short this).  Also use the time to check the engine lid mounts on the firewall, as they frequently crack.

Good to know. Thanks for the tips.

Shawn

[shawnhayes]

QUOTE (scott thacher @ May 17 2005, 07:13 PM)

actually the tune up parts are very easy just ask for vanagon parts early 80's years if they dont show 914 parts. everything fits perfectly including the spark plug wires.

Good to know. It took Advance three weeks to get a distributor rotor.

QUOTE

as for setting the points i never used a feeler gauge i found the box from the points was close enough to get it to run, to check and adjust with a dwell meter. when setting the points have the dizzy cap off put it in 4 gear and roll the car to get it on the flat spot on the dizzy shaft. and dont forget to gearse the shaft

Points went the way of the dodo for this car eons ago. Someone converted it to a Crane fireball years ago.

Can't forget to "gearse the shaft" - gotta remember that one. Funny.

Shawn

[Rhodes71/914]

Try towing your car 3000 miles up the Alcan hwy and then we'll talk about loose connections.

I'm still trying to get the kinks worked out. Next is a valve adjustment in the dirt driveway. I'll be missing my 3 car garage while doing that.