Hunter, Thanks again for your comments. I have compared the Eldo cam with a T-3 cam, and it looks to me as if the 'thread pitch' (I'm not sure if this is the correct term for the pitch of a worm gear) on the worm gear on the Eldo cam is about one half of the pitch on the T-3 cam. I may be wrong, but this leads me to believe that the Eldo distributor is driven at half the speed of the T-3 distributor. I think that the Eldo distributor fires each cylinder on the compression stroke only, but the T-3 distributor fires each cylinder on the exhaust stroke as well as the compression stroke (the Eldo distributor runs at 1/4 engine speed, and the T-3 distributor runs at 1/2 engine speed). Does this sound right? Brian
Hunter Jones wrote:
Hi Brian
I think the difference between the Eldo cam and the later cam may be the size of the distributor drive gears, not the ratio. Both distributors run at half engine speed. The Eldo distributor has one set of points and two lobes on the shaft whereas the later dual point setup has two sets of breakers and only one lobe on the shaft. The distributor has to run the same speed as the cam in order to fire properly in either engine. I think the culprit is (if memory serves) that the gear size on the eldo cam is smaller than the later bikes. The Eldo distributor may not be capable of mating up at all with the newer cam unless the single point distributor can accept the gear from a dual point distributor. If you have the two cams out of the engine to compare I would be interested to know how the distributor drive gears are different. I think that for the sake of maximum performance I would make a blanking plug for the distributor hole and get a crank ignition. :-) My two cents.
Hunter
At 12:51 AM 3/8/2001 -0800, you wrote:
The reason I want to go with a non-standard setup is because in my Eldo restoration I am installing 1000 cc cylinders and a B-10 cam. This cam was designed for the Tonti-frame bikes, and so the worm gear at the end of the cam drives the distributor at twice the speed of an Eldo cam.
This means that I will have to go with a dual-point distributor setup (which also means that I can use an electronic ignition system), but the
problem with that is that the distributor body will not clear the stock generator. Because of this, I am looking for a setup which is smaller so
that I can mount the dual-point distributor. I would prefer an alternator over a generator for the reasons already stated, but a generator would be fine as long as it clears the distributor. That said, I would very much like to see how that VW generator was made to work. Thanks, Brian '74 Eldo '78 T3
Tom Bowes wrote:
Todd M. Nordwig wrote:
What would be the advantage of an alternator on a loopframe vs the generator? The advantages in general?
Todd
Well, Todd, there are many advantages to having an alternator rather than a generator in nearly any vehicle application, not just for loopframes. The advantages would be, in no particular order:
1) Rated output at lower RPM's than a comparable generator.
2) No commutator to wear out.
3) Reduced brush wear due to the fact that on a generator the armature (rotor) output is carried by the brushes. On an alternator the brushes ride on slip rings and carry the field current, which is much lower.
4) Modern alternators usually have the voltage regulator built in.
5) Higher amperage output from a similar package size.
6) Less "hash" and electrical noise.
All that having been said, there is one HUGE disadvantage in trying to graft an alternator to a loopframe. It is nearly impossible to find one that will directly bolt in place of the generator. Therefore, installation of an alternator will probably adversely affect the looks of what is becoming a "classic" bike.
Tom
'70 Ambassador '82 V50-III Shelby Township, Michigan
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