CDI Swap (Permatune for PartsKlassik) '72 2.4 T
Yes. I'm sure a lot of you have experience with this and think it's a no-brainer. Keep in mind there are still quite a few of us that haven't done smallish projects like this and would rather not set off on discovery without a heads-up of some kind.
This procedure is easier with electrical panel removed from vehicle and should take less than 1 hour (q-tips and toothbrush cleaning extra). CDI swap is then completed on bench.
> Disconnect both batteries (isolate ground straps for safety).
>>> In Engine Compartment
> Remove plastic electrical panel cover (2 large thumbscrews).
> Follow wire loom to locate 2 large multi-pin connector plugs and disconnect from e-panel.
> Disconnect large main connector and one small spade connector from under CDI unit.
> Locate 3, 10mm bolts fastening the e-panel to fender wall (red circles in foto).
> These bolts are connected to receivers (offsets) on the fender wall (no nuts).
> The two bolt heads in the upper area are easy-peasy. the one below (under) the Permatune unit can > be a bit fiddly. The design of the housing on the P-tune unit interferes with the bolt head.
> Of course this now requires the p-tune unit to be loose in order to move it around a bit to access the bolt head.
> If memory serves, there are 2 more connectors remaining, one spade on the front of the e-panel the other is a '2-wire' plug hidden up under the e-panel. once these are free and the bolts removed, the entire panel can then be placed on the bench for cleaning and disassembly.
>>> IMPORTANT
> MAKE a NOTE of the location of the '2-wire' plug that you just removed from the underside of the e-panel. on my car there were 2 (TWO) identical female plugs in the same location. apparently one is not used. The correct connector was red wires to red wires.
> HIDDEN Ground Strap, located on the lower rear of the e-panel. (see dusty foto image) remember to reinstall to the lower rear of the e-panel fastener (below the CDI).
At this point of course I disconnected everything on the workbench and cleaned all the connectors and just tidied everything up before reassembly.
There are two tools I recommend that may allleviate some frustration. A small extension rod with magnetic tip to retrieve the lost spring washers that will probably fall down near the upper valve cover on the engine tin. A small mirror to locate the bolt below the CDI is also helpful.
The most difficult part of all this was locating an affordable Bosch core to make the swap cost effective. Sarah and Kurt at PartsKlassiK did a great job and held my hand as I tried to sort out what to order from them. The new CDI went in without issue. The car fired right up and runs like a top. All in all, it was an eventful Saturday morning and the aesthetics of the 'correct' look back there are worth every penny.
Don't forget to reset your clock.
YAY, no more ugly 'blue box'!
40yrs of dust.
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