[T3] Distributor

[Jim Adney]

On 5 Apr 2022 at 11:19, charles tupper wrote:

> Is there anything special about a Type 3 distributor for a 1967 engine?
> Does anyone know what the Bosch number is or even have a good photo that
> includes the vacuum advance and PN?

Questions like this can lead you down the rabbit hole. If you've never looked 
at the distributor page of the VW parts book, you wouldn't believe how many 
different distributors were used just on Type 3s. I count 26.

Unfortunately, VW only lists them by VW part number and engine number. 
Fortunately, my Bosch lit lists them by Bosch number and year, and the VW 
production data lists engine number by year.

Assuming you're asking about the '67 dual carb engine, here's what we get:

for '67, we have dual carb engines T 0260001 to T 0476124

we get distributor 311 905 205 G, with a 311 905 271 vacuum can.

>From Bosch, for '67, this should be a 0 231 137 015 distributor with a 1 237 
121 210 (aka: 07 017) vacuum can. Note that vacuum can operating arms 
are stamped with the last 3 digits of the long, 10 digit Bosch part number. So 
you should find a 210 stamped on your operating arm.

The VW parts book shows 10 different vacuum cans used over the years.  
This 210 vacuum can was used on 5 different Type 3 distributors and 
possibly other distributors used in Type 1s and Type 2s. My Bosch book 
shows this can also used in '66-67 Beetles and Buses, but not in the '66 
Type 3.

If you need a 210 vacuum can, I might have one. Not sure, but I could check.

I don't have the data to show the differences between different vacuum cans 
before '68. The brown Bentley shows all the data for the '68-73 FI engines, 
but those are different. I believe all the earlier distributors are vacuum 
advance only.

Note that the OE vacuum advance only distributors will only work correctly 
with their matching carbs. If you change carbs, you'll need a distributor to 
match it, or go with a mechanical advance distributor. This is what made the 
009 distributor so popular back in the day.

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Jim Adney, jadney at vwtype3.org
Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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