Ron LaDow wrote:Max,
I doubt you'll find a published spec for that. Bosch never presumed the distributors would be refurb'd; they were to be replaced.
When I asked, Don Marks (rip) said zero end float, and I can see that is the ideal. It's not easy to hit, and Don favored used fiber washers to avoid the 'first wear' issue.
Any end float is ideally removed with the spring in the center of the drive quill, but that thing doesn't seem up to dealing with high RPMs.
Rumor has it, in 12/66 Bosch published a repair guide stating .10 mm to .25mm "end float".
Albert Tiedemann wrote:
Just where do you have in mind to procure the "new" fiber washers used to set the axial clearance? Please share when you find them. They are special. Look closely at the material and you will see that it has the appearance of having been coined. This feature is to retain lubricant.
I purchased the washers from a helpful source, that wishes to remain anonymous. I did not measure their thickness. I used the metal shims to acquire the correct "end float".
Thanks for your useful suggestions Albert Tiedemann, Mike Horton, Ron LaDow!
This the best thread found via search on the VJR4BR18. Are there other threads equally filled with technical information I've missed covering this distributor?
Dan, this thread is also applicable to the 022, 031, 061 (US delivered post '68 912 vac. Retard units), as well as the earlier cast iron units. The excellent worn fiber washer example, shown in Max's last photo, is not only representative of the type, but inevitable due to the "ball point pen spring", fitted into the " drive pinion" gear, and this washer is often found missing in long in service units, as it is also exposed to the internal crankcase hot oil rich "blow-by", vapor, and heat, over the decades. Be cautious of feeling " ripped off", by the few really knowledgeable folks who wlll still overhaul the precision and excellently German engineered distritors, which in my humble opinion, yield the very best performance, in a 616 engine, especially in the under 3,000 RPM range "seat of the pants" torque boost.
Brad will attest to the ever harder effort to keep us access to the needed parts, to keep our vintage cars operational, and...Bosch's diminished attention to our decreasing market need for these parts, and the corporate need to accept the lowest bidder for the various manufacturers of these pieces. Thanks to Stoddard's, Brad, and others who support us!
For those of us with the SWB 900 series cars, the GNC/Lobro rear axle CV joints have been discontinued, and when I did a "contact us" search with Lobro for the potential need for replacements, after I was emailed a "how many do you need" answer, and I answered 1, I never heard from them again. I was doing a due diligence research effort for the 912 Registry, and we came up with 2 acceptable alternatives, a reality in this current market p!ace...
Be glad we still have dedicated enthusiasts who will do this skilled work, and vendors, who help us.
Glen Ring, had an excellent DIY tutorial, on the "010", early VW cast iron unit, which is very similar to the BR 18, and other Porsche specific pieces, on his website. There have been several good tech articles from the magazine, but I'm not sure these have been captured In the tech articles section, sad...