Distributor cap?

First step towards getting my GTi cab starting more reliably is a new dizzy cap. I ordered one and a rotor arm but the cap is wrong. 
Anyone got a part number perhaps?
I put one I had on the shelf from an air-cooled engine that "works" but a decent one would help. 
Thanks!

More details. 
1.8 GTi. 
1984. 

Post up the Bosch number of the dizzie (assuming of course it's the original), should begin something like 0 237 *** ***

There's other VW numbers, but that's the easiest to work with.

Right. Good plan. 
I'll take a snap in the morning. 

Couldn't see a part number but does this help?

Not really, unfortunately… I'd need the full Bosch number to potentially tell you the exact cap / rotor (and in some cases the Hall sender  / vacuum canister if applicable).

I went back over some of your previous posts to see if there was more / better info. and noticed you changed the dizzie in 2019.

One thing that catches my eye from your images above on this latest post is the Hall sender connection, (that's the plug with the 3 x wires that goes into a black socket on the side of the dizzie), it looks to be the older, oval shape… I'd have expected it to be the later rectangular type if original to a 1985 car.

Might explain too why it looks to be a forced fit?

Also suggests that you've an older version of dizzie than that which would've been on your car from new… in some cases that's not a problem as a few of the changes were improvements and each dizzie will still work between different aged cars, but that's not a given either.

Even if the dizzie does turn out to be one that is interchangable, it may well need a different cap / rotor to be so.

If you've still the (possibly original?) dizzie you took out in 2019, give me it's Bosch number also, I may be able to confirm what it came from and also that your current one and it can be interchanged with one another, be that with or without adaptation of the cap / rotor.

If you're thinking of taking the current dizzie out to see the number better, make sure you're comfortable that you can return it exactly as you found it otherwise it could upset the timing, not the end of the world, but helps if you're aware of what you're doing.



 

Thank you bacardincoke  
I had actually forgotten the dizzy was changed then. 
Interesting. I'll see if I can find the one that came off but there is no guarantee that was original either as there were 1001 bodges when I got it. 
That's very much for the help!

There is also a difference to how the HT lead connects to the dissy cap, there's either a pin in the middle of the connector, later cars had this type.

I think your car should be the type in the link below.

https://www.eurocarparts.com/p/beru-distributor-cap-404550030

Or no pin and the outer edges of the HT leads make the connection.

https://www.eurocarparts.com/p/beru-distributor-cap-404440130


Theres some pictures of the different cap in this thread.

https://vwgolfmk1.org.uk/forum/index.php?page=topicview&id=helllllpppp%2Ffinding-the-correct


 

Any luck with numbers, can't do anything without them?

The more I look at the image you previously put up of your engine bay in an earlier post the more it puzzles me!

It's a small piccie and difficult to see things clearly, but your dizzie in it (that you changed for the current one) looks to have the larger vacuum canister that'd have both advance and retard functions, again not something I'd expect on a 84/85 car which'd just have advance.

Your Fuel Distributor also looks non-standard, that's the bit that the fuel lines exit from to the injectors.

Might've been painted since, but they're ordinarily black (and iron) on your age of car, plus there looks to be a casting bulge that's usually on the bare alloy / silver distributors.

I'm thinking it may have been changed out too at some point, be curious to know.

If you give me the numbers of it ( 0 438 10* ***) and the Air Flow Sensor it's attached to ( 0 438 12* ***) will be able to say what they came from.

Not saying it is, but have read several different things on the inter-web of folks using XR3i Fuel Distributors (silver alloy bodied) and / or Air Flow Sensors on MK1's.

Actually saw one on eBay recently (red hard top, so not yours) that'd them fitted so maybe some truth to it.













 

Thanks bacardincoke
Nothing has changed except now it won't start at all.

Ill look for those numbers.
Ill also get a current pic of the engine bay too.