distributor jumped out!!!

[hunt*266]

Hi guys and girls,

Not been on in a while as my time has been greatly taken up with the panel van to camper conversion but that’s for another day so let’s get on with the subject at hand.

I woke up today thinking it would be a good day to take the van for a spin so jumped in her to head to work. I tried to start the old girl (2.4l Aircooled) and after a couple of attempts (usually takes 3 - 4 before she holds her own) I herd a horrible cluck followed instantly by a spinning noise like a spring under tension going. So I quickly opened up the engine lid to have a quick look to see what had happened.... could see nothing so had a scout underneath... nothing.... so I hesitantly turned the key with all ears open Engine turned without any issue or unusual noises only thing was no fire, by this time I was starting to get pushed for time so I left for work in my car

Once back home I went back out to see if I could see what had happened, another twist of the key and still nothing unusual except still no fire. so I turned my attention back to the engine bay where as I was checking all leads saw that the distributor clamp was completely straight and the dizzy had jumped about an inch higher up so I went about removing it to see What the blithering heck had happened and why?
Once I removed the dizzy I found its driveshaft was very high up and had disengaged so I removed to see what damage had been caused if any to the distributor drive gear/(worm gear???). once removed I can now see there is a lot of brass filings from the worm gear now in the engine case and of what I can see some fairly hefty burs taken from the worm gear itself. (Also on the end of the dizzy driveshaft there seems to be about a 3-5mm step taken from the splines is this normal?)

So I guess what im after is confirmation that a full strip down and re-build is now on the cards........ and secondly has anyone come across this before and what might have caused this in the first place as it must of been under a lot of pressure to bend the original solid steel clamp.

[BOXY]

The clamp on a 2.0 ltr Aircooled is straight, not sure what engine you've got if it's a 2.4? the dizzie clamp on water cooled engines is cranked. Try to post some photos to show what you're describing.

My guess is the clamp just worked loose and the dizzie jumped out of the drive slot.

[hunt*266]

HI bOXY

Engine was a 2.0 cu but has now got bigger barrels and cylinders plus uprated cam etc....

The dizzy didnt work loose as it was all stilll tight and had'nt even spined round and clamp nut to crankcase secure. plus the clamp was still in the same place except there was now a gap of about an inch between what would be the clamp base and the crankcase. I also had to prise the dizzy and clamp off the engine case itself where it had jamed to the case after jumping out.

(it may not be bent then but where it normally sits at a slight downward angle it was now more square / flat if that makes sense)

I have pics of inside engine looking down where dizzy sits with filings and worm gear, will try and upload them from phone.

what are your opinions on the swaf that is now all inside the crank case and any ideas on the dizzy driveshaft splines? (shall try get pics of this tomo).

[BOXY]

If the dizzie clamp was still tight that must have been a fair force to lift the dizzie by an inch. The dizzie drive on the crank is brass I think. Can you turn the engine by hand while looking at the dizzie drive to see if it's still in one piece?

[hunt*266]

I know it must have been a massive force! That’s why I thought I would may this post and see if any one had experienced this before. The dizzy drive gear is brass hence I can see brass fillings.
I made the choice yesterday to take the engine out as it seems inevitable that a re-build is on the cards....
After seriously under estimating the weight of the engine (much heavier then the type 1 beetle!) I got it out and down the garden.
I managed to get a better look today and as I was turning the crank by hand could see what I think is a spacer ring between the crankshaft gear and dizzy drive gear was in half!
It looks as though it has forced itself over the dizzy drive gear chewing the absolute f**k out of it! And the burrs on the drive gear must have been what jammed in the dizzy shaft and pushed the dizzy so far out!!!
I’m just hoping it hasn’t done any damage to anything else and happy that I was only trying to start it as I think if I was driving then it would have been game over for that engine!!

I stripped engine down to just the main block today so once I crack it open i'll take some pics and post if your interested boxy?

[BOXY]

Hopefully the crank hasn't been damaged and the relatively soft brass parts have taken the full brunt of the damage. Photos would be interesting, not that I hope I ever have to delve that deep into my van's engine.