I have had a 1.8 on a stand since February. Last week I got up the nerve to strip off the heat exchangers, engine tins, heads and a quarter inch thick coating of oil and dirt. Not to mention six generations of rodent bedding. So here I sit. Stumped. How do I get the dizzy out? And check out these pics. Are these cracks or casting wrinkles?

Casting wrinkles!
But always get your case to a machine shop before assembly...

There is one 13mm nut holding the distributor in. After removing it just pull the distributor straight up. There is a rubber seal on its body that is probably binding and making it difficult to remove.

You might want to start with Tom Wilson's book: "How to Rebuild Your Air Cooled Volkswagen Engine".

http://www.amazon.com/Rebuild-Volkswagen-a...s/dp/0895862255

I couldn't figure out how to move the distributor at all until I read through John Muir's VW "Idiot Book", which had nice illustrations and very specific words.

I don't have illustrations handy, so here's my try on the words:

Look around underneath the distributor. Sandwiched between it and the crankcase, you will find a clamp. This clamp is a flat piece of metal that goes around the distributor shaft and is bolted to the case. There is a very long nut that takes a 10mm wrench. I think it points toward the middle of the motor. You want to loosen that nut until you can twist the distributor body.

Once that is done, twist the distributor body, looking for a stud sticking straight out of the case with an M8 nut (13mm wrench) on it. You'll notice that the nut is holding a flat piece of metal to the case, and that metal disappears under the distributor body. The stud and nut should be closer to the crankcase parting line than the distributor is, and is partly hidden by the vacuum thingie (the "dashpot") on the side of the distributor.

Remove the nut and washer. You should then be able to twist and pull the distributor body out of the case. Just twist back and forth as you pull; the only thing holding the distributor in is the O-ring around the shaft.

--DD

That's what I thought. I have read the VW book and I have read the Haynes manual. I am new to type 4's but not to engines in general. Being in a predominately "Chevy" garage I've pulled and set distributors multiple times. It takes a little muscle, but they pull straight out, no biggie. But this is different.

There's no movement at all. I can't twist it. I can't pull it. I've used a pry bar. I've hit it around pretty good with a dead blow hammer. It won't budge. It is possible this engine was stored outdoors for some time. Is it possible it is corroded so badly that it can never be removed???

Thanks in advance, Dawn

Did you loosen the adjustment screw and then removed the nut holding the plate down as Dave mentions above?

Does the engine still turn?

Stu

If the casting marks disturb you, a drill motor with a wire brush will eliminate them pretty good.

Post a pic of the dizzy.

Shoot some PB Blaster around the base of it, then try again.

carefull with the hammer and pry bar, the case is weaker then you might expect. I havent had a distributor stick but I have had the drive gear stick in one that was left outside with no dizzy in it. After i split the case PB blaster and eventually a torch got it out.

PB Blaster is a wonderful thing!

Took a week of soaking and microscopic movement, but the dizzy is out.



Anyone have a helpful hint for splitting the case???



Thanks again, Dawn

Jake Raby sells a complete tear down and rebuild DVD.

If it does not come apart easy then you missed at least one bolt.

There is a diagram around here that shows every single one.
(is the flywheel off?)
Stu

Dawn,
There is a great forum on the site called the Lapuwali Classic Thread. You can find it by going to The 914 Forums and look down till you find it. It is named after a youngish guy who was fount of information and died of a brain aneurism at about 48... He knew so much. If he didn't know it he researched the heck out of it.

Anyway, Mark DeBernardi or McMark as you may know him wrote a very good thread on splitting the case. I will link it below so you don't have to seek it out...

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=50873

Good luck!