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Compufire install?

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Andy Andy\'s Adventures

2,820 posts · joined Nov 2002 ·

#843559
Hi all,
Might finally give up on points for the bus unless I can find some one selling Beru points still?

Anyway, I have an unused Compufire unit to fit the stock dizzy. The instrsuctions seem straight forward.
Any tricks/tips when installing?

Do you need to check the hight between the pick unit and disc, and also if the rotor is at the right height after installing?

Do you need to change the rotor/coil also, or are stock units fine?

Thanks

psimitar Son of Jim - Creator of Good

2,506 posts · joined Jan 2009 ·

#843613
Shouldn't need to change coil or rotor. All it does is replace the condenser and points 🙂
madness is in the eye of the beholder 👍

68AutoBug Beetle Restorer - Experience over 138\% - YIKES --

11,654 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#843685
Andy wrote:Hi all,
Might finally give up on points for the bus unless I can find some one selling Beru points still?

Anyway, I have an unused Compufire unit to fit the stock dizzy. The instrsuctions seem straight forward.
Any tricks/tips when installing?

Do you need to check the hight between the pick unit and disc, and also if the rotor is at the right height after installing?

Do you need to change the rotor/coil also, or are stock units fine?

Thanks
I thought Beru plugs etc would still be available although many are selling BOSCH or copies...

I'm not sure with the compufire , but with Pertronix , the Coil needs to be 3 ohms resistance or more...
most coils are 1 , 1.5, 2, 2.5 or 3 ohms...
I bought a few looking for the correct resistance...
I don't think its critical where the top of the magnetic piece is
but closer the better... once you push the rotor button down onto the shaft.. that is where the top of the magnetic piece will be..

My Son just installed a kit in His car, can't remember what brand it was... will have to ask Him... as He wouldn't have checked the resistance of the coil...
You can use a ceramic resistor as used in old Fords and Commodores etc... to add to the resistance...

Points are OK if You can find them with the bakelite rubbing piece as the plastic etc wears out too fast..

I was running an electronic high energy ignition system with points and the rubbing piece was white plastic or nylon which kept wearing down and then turned and shorted out My high energy ignition system... lol

cheers

Lee
- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---

hulbyw Insano Dub Head

819 posts · joined Sep 2009 ·

#843695
Suggest a little loctite on the module hold down screw. Otherwise just install it and enjoy not having to worry about points ever again
Cheers.....Wayne

Andy Andy\'s Adventures

2,820 posts · joined Nov 2002 ·

#843736
Thanks all.
Will have to give it a go I guess. Have never had issues with Beru points, but since I ran out of my stash (I bought a number of sets years ago) and have had to go back to Bosch, nothing but issues of course.

66brm Seriously Crusin Dubber

140 posts · joined Nov 2009 ·

#843820
Make sure once you have done the conversion that you retime the engine with a strobe light

MickH Hairy Gutted Sloth

3,389 posts · joined Sep 2003 ·

#843831
🤓
tssnq.com.au

Andy Andy\'s Adventures

2,820 posts · joined Nov 2002 ·

#843965
MickH wrote:🤓
🤪

MickH Hairy Gutted Sloth

3,389 posts · joined Sep 2003 ·

#843978
😘 so have you done it yet????? you shoulda done it years ago instead of letting them sit on the shelf...😁
tssnq.com.au

Andy Andy\'s Adventures

2,820 posts · joined Nov 2002 ·

#844186
What, I only bought the kit 8 years ago! Can't rush these things.
I only ran out of Beru points 12 months ago and have had sh%t running since.

Phil74Camper Head in the Clouds

2,703 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#844202
There are two basic designs of these ignition systems - Compufire and Pertronix. I've used both with the stock coil without problems. Both require the engine to be retimed after installation.

Compufire is the better of the two (in my opinion). It has a solid module that attaches to the base plate in place of the points, with a supplied allen screw. Yes a spot of Loctite helps to hold it in place. The two leads attach to the + and - sides of the coil. The switching unit is a flat disk, with small magnets at the 3, 6, 9 and 12 o clock positions. It fits over the distributor shaft under the rotor. You may have to shorten the rotor - measure the rotor height in place first, then install the disk and rotor and see if there is any difference. On my twin carb Kombi I had to shorten the rotor by 4 mm.

Pertronics has a smaller and differently-shaped module, attached via a base plate that uses a slotted screw into the points mounting hole. Then the module bracket attaches via two mounting posts and nuts. The switching unit is not a disk like the Compufire, but is a much smaller sleeve that fits over the centre shaft. It also has four magnets in it. Being a smaller sleeve, it doesn't affect the rotor height so it's an easier install. However, its design fault is that the plastic sleeve can come apart after a year or two, due to vibration and engine heat, and the cover can work its way upwards. This will make one or more of the magnets fall out, meaning the engine suddenly runs on 3 cylinders. You can remove the sleeve and attempt to reassemble/reglue it together, but the magnets are too strong to stay in place and will zap together before you can blink.

68AutoBug Beetle Restorer - Experience over 138\% - YIKES --

11,654 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#844218
Andy wrote:What, I only bought the kit 8 years ago! Can't rush these things.
I only ran out of Beru points 12 months ago and have had sh%t running since.

Hi Andy,

I had my Pertronix for about 2 years and My new SVDA distributor for about 12 months... before installing them lol

try German Bosch.. or ones with the knurled rubbing block...
these came with the small sachel of grease.. lol
and a piece of paper in between the points..

some points came with a coating [years ago] and the points were supposed to be cleaned with petrol etc before using..

Back in the 60s, My Dad's beetle always had Beru points and plugs [from the VW dealer]

Phil,
My Bosch SVDA from aircooled.net came with a Pertronix kit to be fitted.. it has a countersunk hole with a screw and the plate with two threads to fit the module...

I had to extend the slots in the module plate to get it close enough to the centre magnetic piece..

I also had to grind off about 4mm off the bottom of the rotor button [that came with the distributor] so it would engage in the shaft..

so, it did NOT fit straight in correctly.. ??

Lee

- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---

Andy Andy\'s Adventures

2,820 posts · joined Nov 2002 ·

#844320
Hey, thanks again for the great info Phil/Lee. Looks like I will have to give it a try on the week end. Lucky me....

So no one sell's Beru anymore?

Phil74Camper Head in the Clouds

2,703 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#844328
Lee I didn't have the location problem and rotor shortening issue with the Pertronix on my Kombi, but I still use the stock distributor. I got rid of the Pertronix a month ago and put a Compufire in it.

I haven't seen Berus on sale here for years, although there are bound to be stockists somewhere. You can easily buy them online if you like:

http://www.beruparts.com/main.sc

68AutoBug Beetle Restorer - Experience over 138\% - YIKES --

11,654 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#844385
Phil74Camper wrote:However, its design fault is that the plastic sleeve can come apart after a year or two, due to vibration and engine heat, and the cover can work its way upwards. This will make one or more of the magnets fall out, meaning the engine suddenly runs on 3 cylinders. You can remove the sleeve and attempt to reassemble/reglue it together,
but the magnets are too strong to stay in place and will zap together before you can blink.
YIKES....

and the magnetism can't be turned off... lol

so. it seems I need a spare already.. lol

cheers

LEE

PS: Andy, I looked up Beru and they don't list Points any longer..
- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---

Andy Andy\'s Adventures

2,820 posts · joined Nov 2002 ·

#844796
Thanks again. Installed the kit today, all seemed to go in OK, and needed to shorten the rotor as noted. Strange this was not detailed in the instructions!
Anyway, fired right up, minor adjustment of timing needed and all seemed OK. Have yet to take bus for a good run, but fingers crossed it's all OK.

What I have notice right away though was Dwell is now ~62 degrees!! Well out of stock spec's, but I guess that's OK.
I have also noticed the timing is a little erratic. Once warmed up, at idle it fluctuated ~1.5 degrees, but at ~2500rpm it jumped about almost 10 degrees!!

OK, I know some of this will be due to the distributor being old and warn, but advance seems reasonably smooth as you gradually rev up. It did jump about with worn points, but not to this extent, and is markedly less with new points. So is this to do with the ingnition unit, or is it all going to be in the distributor advance? (stock kombi vacuum + mechanical advance)

Joel Now containing 100\% E-Wang

9,368 posts · joined Feb 2006 ·

#844803
Andy wrote:What I have notice right away though was Dwell is now ~62 degrees!! Well out of stock spec's, but I guess that's OK.
I have also noticed the timing is a little erratic. Once warmed up, at idle it fluctuated ~1.5 degrees, but at ~2500rpm it jumped about almost 10 degrees!!
That's good, the more dwell the longer the coil can build up charge.

Somethings not right with the jumpy timing, it should be rock steady with electronic ignition.