large plug disconnected?????

[Rozzo]

hi
got a 1981 2l Aircooled and in the engine bay on the left side looking from the back there is a quite large multi-plug effort which looks like part of the loom which is not connected. at the far left corner of the engine bay(again looking from the back) is some device, screwed to the bodywork which it looks as though this plug should go to? i dont want to connect it as i don't know what it is? can someone enlighten me please and is it safe to connect it back up? dont want to set the van on fire lol
tah
julian

[cumbriankeith]

There is a crank sensor plug which no one ever uses cos you need a VW workshop gizmo to connect it to - no need to worry about that one - you can see it in this pic of my engine near the dipstick tube.


Or are you talking about a different one. This thing that's screwed to the body - is it all black or partly aluminium? If it's black it's the idle stabilising unit and it has two round connection plugs - they are often removed cos they break down and aren't really necessary - you can connect the two plugs together cos they're male/female. There isn't one of these in the pic of my engine bay cos mine has been removed.
The partly ally one is part of the ignition ignition system and has one sort of flat multiplug connector, which does need to be connected. There is one in the pic!

[Rozzo]

hi
yeh thanks for that,,, it's the partly alluminium one and on mine its not connected? the plug is there tho so i wonder if that could be why it wont tickover?
cheers
julian

[cumbriankeith]

I'm surprised it'll run at all if it's not connected - but these electronic boxes are all magic to me and I'm now officially beyond the limit of my knowledge!

[Rozzo]

ok so it seems as tho it should be connected,, but what does it do?
cheers
julian

[Rozzo]

hi
it's deffo the one with the heatsink as in the picture but i think someones converted the bus away from electronic ignition as it uses points? probably thats why it's disconnected then?
maybe the distributer buggered up or something with a previous owner. i don't mind tho as i like points cos i understand them. it's currently wired points/condenser, coil, bang. simple lol. btw i put a new set of points in this morning and she idles nicely now, a bit lumpy but i think the carbs need a volky expert around them.
cheers
julian

[toolsntat]

Hi Julian, glad to hear you are making progress.
You could check out all the rubber pipes for deterioration and fit, as this system don`t like air leaks...

[Rozzo]

yeh cheers m8
i already found a few of the vacuum hoses split so i've re-done all of them now. really the engine needs a volky chap on it now to get it just right i think as the carbs look like a minefield to me. (looks to me like they're two different carbs?)
are the single choke webers any good as there's a pair on ebay?
i intend to get the bus exactly right as we both love the thing. the mrs has already bought material to freshen up the interior and is cleaning it up like a gud un. i've scrubbed all the crud off the outside and sorted a good few jobs out this weekend. started to polish the paintwork a bit too and it looks kinda respectable now.
i'd like to know what grade bosch super 4 plugs it takes as i think they're the best spark plugs ever invented.
there are 2 spots on the front but they dont work? are they supposed to have their own switch cos i cant see one anywhere.
cheers
julian

[cumbriankeith]

The carbs are slightly different - the left one has an additional simple idling carb which is piped to both left and right banks of cyls

[Rozzo]

cheers kieth, thats what was confusing me but it kinda makes sense now.
cheers
julian