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Replacing a distributor


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Hi guys, my 1999 1.0 lupo has been very spluttery recently to the point of having to rev very high to move off.

My engine is an AER meanin it's has a distributor instead of the newer engines with coilpacks. I've had the leads off and they all look fine and going to replace all the plugs this week but heard the dizzy can give spark issues causing a splutter and a dodgey idle.

Sometimes the car rev hunts from 1k to around 500 and almost stalls

Anyone shed some light on how to replace/inspect a dizzy etc as I can't find much help elsewhere.

Cheers guys

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It could be your cooling sensor. Mine has been doing this for a week coursing is it to idle at 3rpm then drop again and its also been driving sluggish same as you i replaced plugs and checked leads. Plugged in to diognostics and it came up I'm replacing mine tomoz should be around £35 for a new one from vw

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It could be your cooling sensor. Mine has been doing this for a week coursing is it to idle at 3rpm then drop again and its also been driving sluggish same as you i replaced plugs and checked leads. Plugged in to diognostics and it came up I'm replacing mine tomoz should be around £35 for a new one from vw

Thanks pal but I don't think it's a sensor issue as vagcom hasn't thrown up any codes, i want to replace plugs as it's due a service anyway but thinking new dizzy if that doesn't work but i really am clueless about getting it off and putting a new one on, heard that it needs to be set properly and stuff anyone shed some light?

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The Dizzy is set by the cam, this is done by a lobe where it fits in.

Just mark up where the hall sender (three pin plug) is with a sharpie, undo the two bolts and slide it off.

Reverse to replace.

I'm sceptical that it's at fault though. I assume you've replaced the arm, cap, leads and sparks first ?

Under heavy load is it missing?

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The Dizzy is set by the cam, this is done by a lobe where it fits in.

Just mark up where the hall sender (three pin plug) is with a sharpie, undo the two bolts and slide it off.

Reverse to replace.

I'm sceptical that it's at fault though. I assume you've replaced the arm, cap, leads and sparks first ?

Under heavy load is it missing?

Thanks for the help Rich, I'm changing plugs and leads tomorrow hopefully that cures it not sure how to get the rotary arm and cap off? didn't want to just pull it etc and chuff it up?

It's hard to explain but yeah when you go full throttle sometimes it just gets sluggish and then if i sit in traffic for a bit i have to rev to around 3k revs before i let the clutch out as it just splutters from idle to around 2.5k

It is due a service and so i plan on replacing the above just wasn't sure about getting the arm and cap off and I've never worked with a dizzy before

cheers

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Never worked with a dizzy? You kids have such an easy life.

The cap clicks off and the arm just pulls off.

If you want to be pikey and try something then get some fine sandpaper and give the pins in the cap and the point on the arm a quick whip over.

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Points. :lol: Most of these young'uns have no idea what routine maintenance is.

I was only reminding a friend of mine about the "rule of nine" the other day.

Anyway, as Rich is pointing out a weak spark normally shows itself under high load. So I also doubt the distributor is at fault.

There is no harm in making sure the ignition system is in good condition though.

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A wee while back I had a Kawasaki KH250, 2 stroke 3 pot wailer, with 3 sets of points.

I also remember doing the shims on my Imps, what a pain. Put the top end together with the cam followers (buckets) without shims. Measure the actual gap, take away the "required gap" and then go buy shims to fill the difference. Take top end apart, and put it all back together.

All this auto stuff and adjusters and tensioners ruins the Saturday fun! Oh the joy of balancing twin Stromburgs or SUs!

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Oh yes. I have a friend that had a KH250, and I knew someone that had the 750.

I grew up tinkering with 2 strokes before progressing to pushrods, then turbos, then EFI and so on.

With the last engine I built I was almost tempted to go for mechanical cams for extra rpm, but going back to shims on a 20 valve engine seems like a headache these days.

I still occasionally drive an A-Series on twin SUs (when it is dry), so I cannot forget this old skool stuff.

Excuse us old farts for the OT, OP.

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Points. :lol: Most of these young'uns have no idea what routine maintenance is.

I was only reminding a friend of mine about the "rule of nine" the other day.

Anyway, as Rich is pointing out a weak spark normally shows itself under high load. So I also doubt the distributor is at fault.

There is no harm in making sure the ignition system is in good condition though.

What's the rule of nine ? lol there should be a post on this in the how to section lol haha

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...ask your dad, or grandad!

Copied from elsewhere:

"The "rule of nine" implies that you add 1 to the
number of valves - the engine has 8 valves, thus adding one reads nine.


When valve #1 is fully open, you check and adjust #8 (1+8=9)."

It's all dead now with OHC, hydraulic followers and auto adjusters etc.

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  • 3 years later...

Can anyone show me where the distributor cap is on a 1ltr Lupo?   It's a bugger to start in the wet and I'm guessing it's the distributor cap, so I'm gonna have a look.

If it's under the plastic cover, how the hell do you get those things off?

 

Ta, Fred

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All sorted.  There were 3 plastic covers covering the nuts to remove the plastic cover.  Just popped them off with a screw driver.  The nuts underneath were 10mm.  Unclipped the distributor cap and used a small file to clean the contacts and the one on the rotor arm.  Sprayed some WD40 all over and wiped clean.  Put everything back together and turn it over.  Fired up after a couple of goes, after being stood for about a month.  Worked a treat.  I've ordered a new distributor and rotor arm off amazon for 20 quid if/when it plays up again.

Edited by marcelb3
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