first AS bug and have questions!

[jaywiz]

Got the slipping taken care of low atf even thought it was at the upper line on the dipstick.I did however find that the vacuum advance on the dist isn't working,and can't seem to find a replacement for the 70 they are all labeled 75 on up with only one port.Is the advance throw the same?Will the newer style work just cap off the return port on the carb?It also over heated on the way home(think there is more mouse nests to be found).I also have fuel problems,replaced the fuel line all the way to the tank(what fun that was with the body on)!Think the fuel pump might be the problem.What do you guys think of the electric ones they sell?I also have a 009 dist from the 68 that i was thinking of throwing on there,and wanted some insight on what to expect if i go that route.Summer is wearing on and wifey is getting inpatient about driving her bug.

[Bookwus]

Hiya Jay,

As to the distributor, have you seen this...................http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=871084 ?

The fuel pumps used on 1600s sometimes have problems with pressure.  The system (read: carburetor) wants to have between 3 and 5 lbs of fuel pressure.  Anything over that will cause problems like (but not limited to) cutting out at stoplights and long downhill runs.  Pressure problems with mechanical fuel pumps are easily solved however.  I'm not a fan of electric fuel pumps and if you should decide to go that way be absolutely sure that you wire the pump so that it stops pumping when the engine is shut down (ie not to a constant hot).  I'd definitely stay away from a 009 if I had a choice to do so.

[jaywiz]

OK,got the new petronics svda dist and the correct coil,rebuilt the carb,and going to replace the fuel pump tonight.I do have one question though,the small port where the CV connects to the carb doesn't seem to have much vacuum?How much is it supposed to have?I also have a flat spot on take off that really annoys me,the dist came with no timing instructions,and i have got many diffrent opinions on what it should be set at and if the hose should be disconnected(and plugged) when setting or hooked up.I tuned the carb how the bently manual says,got the dist set at 7.5 degrees b4 TDC(with the hose hooked up)and am at 21/4 turns out on the small screw on the carb.The car idles right at 950rpms(bently says between 900 and 1000 for the AS).HELP me guys to straighten this out.It seems to run ok but has a terrible flat spot right above 1200rpms.

[Bookwus]

Hiya Jay,

The devil is in the details.

It sounds as if you have everything in place correctly.  But something you have adjusted, tweaked, rebuilt, or installed is amiss.  I know that last statement is probably already obvious to you, but this is where troubleshooting one system at a time comes in.  FWIW, whenever I work on a car I always (if possible) try to do one thing at a time.  If I then have a problem I know exactly where that problem is.  So much for the soapbox.

Your vacuum should be noticeably lower at the correct CV port on the carburetor.  It is drawing that vacuum from above the butterfly and that vacuum is considerable less than vacuum from under the butterfly.  Not to worry, the CV likes that lower vacuum.  And do know that this particular vacuum issue has no effect on the engine performance - it is strictly a shift issue.

Flat spots in VWs have been mostly associated with incorrect curves in distributors.  The 009 is the prime example of this.  Were I you, I'd be concentrating on examining the distributor and it's hook-ups for possible problem sources.  A really easy thing to do (providing you have access to one) is simply to swap out your present dizzy with another and see how that affects performance.  That might be my first shot.   

[jaywiz]

As far as the vacuum to the CV,I was just curious do to the low vacuum above the throttle plate,the car shifts fine.
Now on to the flat spot,The dist is a totally new dist from midAmerican motorsports with the electronic pickup,and a new coil to go along with.I can tune the flat spot away with carb adjustments but then the idle goes to pot.My question is do i set this dist with the vacuum hose disconneted and plugged,or with it hooked up?My other question is should it be set at 7.5 degrees B4 TDC?The bentley book only tells ya how to set the DVA dist and I got the SDVA now,I got the 7.5 off what i had read on here and other Vw forums.