[200q20v] Re Dist:

[Derek Pulvino]

Bernie et al

If you find a way to get replacement gears, I would be willing to use my distributor as a guinea pig; it'd be coming directly off my car, so I'd probably want to do the work myself to minimize down time.  I just wonder if the hall sender would continue to be a problem.  According to your rundown on the operating principles, sounds like it might.  Worth a shot.  If worse comes to worst, I guess I'll just have to go the extra dollar and buy a new dist., but at least we'll know better for the future.  

I'll also keep up seeing if I can come up with some offbeat source for the gear on my end.  

>>> Bernie Benz <b.m.benz at prodigy.net> 12/20/00 07:16PM >>>
Derek,

I don't beleive in the "pay to play" mind set either.  On the other hand, I
am a preacher in the "don't fix it if it ain't broke" religion, and as yet,
(knock on wood) I have not had a distributor problem with any of my Audis.

On the other hand, Bosch must sell distributor parts to rebuilders.  So, and
because of your spearheading this issue, I have just today e-mailed Bosch
aftermarket tech service, inquiring about overhaul parts.  Will keep you
posted.

Seals being a "no brainer" was my earlier response, because I know for sure
that I can find a commercially available shaft seal if and when I can take
one apart to inspect and dimension it.  But I suspect that one will break 8
out of 10 crisp plastic gears in any disassembly program.  Until I can find
a source of replacement gears, I would not sacrifice good distributors.
Does anyone want to donate a core?

> And do or don't people think that oil w/in the distributor might
> cause a hall sender to errantly  malfunction?
No, I don't.  A Hall effect transducer is a magnetic flux senesitive device,
so the technology should work in any non flux conductive enviroment.  Air,
water, or oil should be all the same.

Bernie 


> From: "Derek Pulvino" <DPulvino at agraus.com>
> Date: Wed, 20 Dec 2000 16:52:51 -0800
> To: <200q20v at audifans.com>, <unix at flashmail.com>, <r-j-a at home.com>
> Subject: [200q20v] Re Dist:
> 
> Why should a distributor be considered a replace at 100-130k miles part?  I
> know the fact of the matter is that it basically is, but lord have mercy!  The
> reaction from this question makes it almost seem like I've violated the ten
> commandments of 200 ownership.  Sure, the seal might have seemed like a
> "no-brainer," but when the issue of a leaky seal came up, nobody came
> volunteering info about the possibility of changing the seal, if you can
> figure the gear dilemma.  And sure, maybe you have to "pay to play," but how
> many people would rather replace their whole center drive-line than retrofit
> the MB or BMW bearing?
> 
> I'm sure everybody that's replaced the dist. has been more or less down this
> same road, but no harm in asking/investigating the issue is there?
> 
> As far as the gear goes, yes or no; the only other distributor with a similar
> pitched drive gear in the Audi line is on the 90-20v, which unfortunately is
> also plastic, and not listed in the Audi fiche?  And do or don't people think
> that oil w/in the distributor might cause a hall sender to errantly
> malfunction? 
> 
> Any ideas there?
> 
> Derek P
> 
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