How do you set timing on 1969 beetle vw?

Answer 1

All VWs have a slightly different timing setting. The official setting is 5 degrees before top dead center, but I'll tell you how to get it exactly right.

First thing you do is set the valve clearance. This WILL change your timing. Please note: the engine has to be completely cold to properly set the valves, so do this in the morning after the car has rested overnight.

Once that's done, get your timing light, dwell tach, little flathead screwdriver, feeler gauges and 10mm nutdriver. Examine your crank pulley. If it's the one the car came with from the factory, there will be a notch filed in the rim. That notch is at 5 degrees before top dead center. If you have one of the pulleys with a protractor painted on it (the cool kids call these degree wheels), the 5 you're looking for is the one to the right of the TDC mark.

Next, adjust your points to 0.016". This will get you started. You WILL be adjusting them in just a second.

Next, adjust the idle screw on the throttle arm. Turn it all the way in. Turn it all the way out, counting the number of turns. Then turn it back in halfway.

Anyway, start the car and adjust the idle speed to 1500 rpm. There is a screw on the left side of the carb body - NOT the screw on the throttle arm! Yes, that's very fast compared to modern cars, but it's correct for this car. Next, switch the tach to the dwell setting and look at what it says. It should read 50 degrees of dwell, or as close to it as you can get - try keeping it within five degrees in either direction. What "dwell" is, is the length of time the points are closed, measured in degrees of engine rotation. While the points are closed, power is going to the coil to charge it up. If the dwell is too short, there won't be enough charge and you'll get a weak spark. If it's too long, the points won't have enough "open" time and you'll get an incomplete fuel burn. If the dwell is too long you close the points gap; if it's too short you increase it. Once the dwell is right, switch back to the RPM setting and readjust to 1500 rpm.

NOW it's time to look at the timing. Point your timing light at the crank pulley and pull the trigger. If the timing is 5 degrees before top dead center, grab the throttle arm on the carb and pull back real fast. If the engine doesn't bog down before it accelerates, you're done. Since you're not done, loosen the distributor clamp and very, very slowly turn the distributor. If the mark goes the other way from what you want it to, turn it the other direction until the mark is lined up. Then pull the throttle arm. If the engine accelerates nicely, tighten the clamp and readjust the idle speed; if it doesn't accelerate nicely, turn the distributor just a hair and pull the arm, and repeat this until you get good acceleration.

Notice I keep telling you to readjust the idle. This WILL change with every adjustment you make.