# How to change 4 window hall to 1



## REPOMAN (May 3, 2001)

I have had alot of interest in how to run OBD or DIGIFANT ecu on a 16v head.
HOW TO MODIFY AN ABA 1 window Dist to a 16v 4 window Distributor
To modify an ABA 1 window dist. pickup to a 16v dist.
first thing on the ABA dist. point the rotor to #1 mark on the dist.
housing. IDEX THIS POINT.
check rotor window to hall sender pickup. I.E. leading edge or trailing edge.
ABA turns clockwise the 16V turns counter clockwise.
if the ABA window was before the pick up clockwise then it needs
to be before the pick up counter clockwise.

remove dist gear ABA dist. remove shaft and window assembly.
INDEX the 16v timing Dial to keep the correct orientation
Remove timing dial on the 16v dist. there is a pin holding it in.
remove the wire spring first this keeps the pin from coming out.
remove all stainless washers of the 16v dist. before pressing the
shaft off or on.
Remember the order which they came off they go back on the same order.

The hall rotor window wheels are splined and pressed on, use a piece of tubing
to place over the shaft so the bottom of the hall window rotor is supported.
support it at the center hub NOT the thin tin of the rotor wheel.
from the top side press the shaft out.

With both rotor wheels removed from there shafts set the ABA rotor
wheel into the 16v dist. body.
align the pick up window to the hall sender leading or trailing edge.
I.E. if the ABA window was before the pick up clockwise then it needs
to been before the pick up counter clockwise.
slide shaft into the 16v dist into the wheel. align shaft notch to #1
cyl index mark
on dist. housing.
with the shaft and wheel aligned support the center of the wheel with
a socket and
tap the wheel onto the shaft.
BE AWARE there are CHINESE DISTRIBUTORS that have different spline shaft sizes.
BOSCH will work best.
with rotor wheel and shaft assembled be sure they are snug. if they
are loose you can use
green locktite or center punch around the hub to tighten.
pull shaft out and install the 16v washers and lube the shaft and washers then
reinstall shaft/rotor into 16v dist. housing install bottom washers,
timing dial.
REMEMBER index marks then imstall the Pin and spring wire.

Good Luck


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## JonVWluver (Mar 29, 2005)

*Installing the 1 window on a 16v distributor*

Thanks for all your information on how to go about making this swap happen. However, I have spoke to a dozen guys in the same situation I am in and that is we all have distrubutors that are already taken apart so we were not able to mark anything for positioning. It seems so easy to do this swap as it seems as long as you have your rotor facing cly 1 and the window facing the opposite side of the hall sensor (side the rotor is not facing) you could just press it on maybe use a little lock tite and be good. As much as I want everything to do with my build I may end up paying someone to do this so I know it's right. this build has cost me more money than I would have ever thought and has been going on now for about 3 years. Pictures would be great as I know with pictures this post would be used by many and continued to be used as time goes on. 

Again thank you for all your help and other questions you have helped me with in the past. I will continue to search more and visit back at another time to see if anyone has posted step by step pics.

Oh by the way good times on your drag. Sucks that you blew your left slick though.


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## REPOMAN (May 3, 2001)

Thanks, i have been busy lately, If you want bring down what you got and i am sure we can 
assemble it for you. i havn't had the need for this dist. setup lately so i havn't had the opritunity
to take pics. i will dig around the gerage to see if i have a oem 16v and oem 8v dist for pics.
:beer::beer:


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## JonVWluver (Mar 29, 2005)

Thanks..


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## JonVWluver (Mar 29, 2005)

I wish I could bring the car in and go over it with you guys. I don't have anyone around here that I can bounce ideas off of. Everyone around here is all about bought not built if you know what I mean.

I figured out the trigger wheel issue. However it seems now that I'm not able to get the darn thing to fire up. I'm thinking that I may have slightly positioned the trigger wheel just outside the trailing end of the pickup.

At this point I am willing to buy a modified 16v distributor if you know where to source one. I just can't seem to figure it to be anything else as timing is set at TDC and all my wires have been double checked. I'm at a loss on this one.


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## JonVWluver (Mar 29, 2005)

Oh I am in Silverdale Wa.


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## REPOMAN (May 3, 2001)

I will be at my mans shop this Saturday, I will ask him how much to modifie one. 
Do you have the distributor and parts from the aba?
this will make it alot cheaper.
:beer::beer:


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## JonVWluver (Mar 29, 2005)

*distributor*

I have extra 16v parts may be missing washers to replace and looking at getting a new 8v trigger wheel as of yesterday. Thanks for all your help.


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## REPOMAN (May 3, 2001)

ok so Jerry said he would do the modification for you. are you going to be in the portland area any time soon?
LMK


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## JonVWluver (Mar 29, 2005)

*timing and car problems*

I'm not sure if I will be in town soon. but I may be heading down at some point if a few things do and don't work in my favor. talk to you soon. Thanks for looking into and asking about this for me.

I need to do some more testing as I am getting a couple pops here and there, however when I turn the car over it cranks really slow like there is no juice in the battery however it's a brand new Optimia and reads great. I'm going to go and double check all my ground wires and coil and then my crank sensor after that if hat does not solve anything. I thought it may be a bad ECU abut i'm getting fuel delivery and I know that your fuel pump runs off your ECU at least to my understanding.

Hows the Car doing for you these days? Why don't you just sell me your motor and stuff for cheap and I can give you mine. lol anyway thanks again till next time.


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## chopped liver (May 30, 2010)

are you pushing the clutch in when trying to start it?

keep in mind, especially with a dry motor, there is no oil being provided and the crank can be pushing against the main journal sides and slowing down the starter by extra friction.

dont ask how i know  i walked a crank with a heavy clutch, by this exact scenario.


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