Club 80-90 Forums

As some of you may know our van had a wee spot of bother with a recon VEGE engine.

All sorted you would think.....

Well, today she started misfiring and losing power
Swearing like a trooper, I pulled over and thrust my head inside the engine compartment not really expecting to solve this new problem. But what the hell....I must've learned summit by now.

Hmm. Fuel filter here (I've one by tank and one just before carb...is this correct?) is new-ish and loaded with petrol. So that's okay.
I gave the new-ish leads a firm push back into the new-ish dizzy cap and new-ish coil. Fired her up again, and hey presto! All is cool.

The leads are Champion silicone filled but not angled heads. Straight heads out of the dizzy, if you understand what I mean. However, they are cable tied to prevent swinging around but must be pulling themselves out.

So I'm gonna replace with genuine VW ones before departing for Spain.

Here's my new question......
As my vehicle was made at a crossover time I hope the info below is of help.
1986 1900 DG manual. Date of registration 28/09/1986.


Which leads/Dizzy cap/rotor/coil (?) should I buy and from whom? Brickwerks or JK or VW or Halfords or ??? I need em before monday!

I've a spare set of old stuff on board and they all have some kind of raised pin to old dizzy cap and coil. New stuff on engine is straightforward, as you find on most engines.
thanks

regarding the fuel filter ...just the one is sufficient...by the tank.

ive used GSM leads and cap and arm no probs dont bother with rev limiter arm its "pooh"

take the cable tie off the leads,, they'll be fine

please remove your vin number from your post, this forum is viewable by non logged in users, and not secure.
i will E D I T your post if you have seen this next time i come by here, for your own safety........

Righto Mocki and thanks

no probs, just dont like to see you putting details like that where any goon can see........ no point in inviting trouble......

Maxstu,

get B&B components on the case (maidstone) they sell decent bits for vw, and what isn't in stock today is generally got for tomorrow. They are open saturday morning.

if you do use them, let me know and I'll give you directions to find them!

Em
X

Thanks Emma,
Not the same as Tierod of eBay fame? Up the hill beside Maidstone prison?

yep, that's them....but not next to the prison anymore.....now in Granville road...

and we found there are two types of leads and caps.....some have prongs inside as you describe, some don't!!!??? That's a really poor description, sorry.

Em
x

thats the difference between late and early spec plig leads and dissy caps....

Hi Mocki,

Thanks for your concern, but that was the reason I initially posted vin number. So someone in the know/trade could give a positive id.

Didn't think about other consequences.....what a friggin' society we live in today

As you say Em.....some do & some don't. All the old stuff's got pins...does it matter which is used for what year? If you know wot I mean

Should I clear silicone leads to rubber covers at dizzy end and coil prevent further mishaps?

Hi Rozzo

take the cable tie off the leads,, they'll be fine

Too frightened to touch anything after latest dilemma

late vans have pins in the dissy cap, early dont, but as long as the leads match the cap and coil it matters not..........
go for the better leads, the cheap ones are pooh, they break down quickly letting sparks escape

I had starting troubles a while back and replaced the dizzy cap on mine (1984 DG engine)... It was only then I found out that 1984 was the year VW upgraded the HT system to use leads with those prongs. I fitted the early cap because my spark plug leads were the early type, but then I couldn't plug the main HT lead into it, because my coil (and thus the main HT lead) were the later type with prong!

The HT lead had previously been somehow wedged into the old cap and mostly by luck had stayed put... anyway I couldn't (and didn't really want to) get the same trick to work on my new cap...

So I was faced with a dilemma... either (a) upgrade the dizzy cap and spark plug leads, so everything is using the later type - much nicer as those prongs have little spring clips in them to stop them falling off... or (b) fit an older type coil and main HT lead so everything can use the older type. Both of these would be a shame really as I would be replacing perfectly good parts

Decided to choose the cheapest option so I went to Motoman and was astounded to learn that (a) would cost about 90 quid and (b) about 50 but they didn't have the coil and would have to order it

As I started walking away in shock, to have think about whether there might be another way, a very helpful young assistant showed me this wonderful invention: the "dual fit" lead... each end has a bendy metal sleeve which can be bent either in or out to make it fit either style of plug so I kept my both new type coil and my old type dizzy cap... and I only needed to buy one lead!

and the cost... about 3 quid

nice one ambivert...you see...that's what this forum is for ....sharing experiences