83 SC Distributor Advance Issues

[911 Camper]

Hello Pelicans,

1983 911 SC
Now that I got the car started after a week of out of service, See 83 SC dies, won't restart, I went to re-time the car since I pulled the distributor to test the green wire and clean the distributor.

Symtoms: The Car starts and idles fine, Vacuum lines hooked up it idles at 5 degrees BTDC. When I reved the engine the timing did not advance but when I let off the throttle the ignition retarded to about 5 to 10 degrees ATDC.

The set up is this. Vacuum line on the top of the vacuum unit on the distributor, tword the back of the car, is hooked to a vacuum port above the throttle plate on the throttle body. (advance?) The lower vacuum connection of the vacuum unit on the distributor which points into the distributor is hooked to a vacuum nipple below the thottle plate on the throttle body. (Retard?)

Question 1: I used a mighty vac tester to test the advance / retard of the vacuum unit. When vacuum is applied to the lower nipple it puses the pick-up plate counter clockwise. (this should be advancing it?) When I applied vacuum to the upper nipple (the one tword the back of the car it moves the pick-up plate clockwise (retarding?). This seems backwards to me, am I right? What would cause this?

Question 2: When I took apart the distributor, Before I read Gunters Post, (my Bad) I removed the screw under the felt pad on top of the cener shaft. What does this do? Is there a calibretion that needs to be redone? I never removed the weights and all of the avance and retard components move freely. Have I screwed something up?

Question 3: I would like to get a logic check? The vacuum can on the distributor moves the pick-up plate to advance and retard and the weights and springs advance the timing core. (spider looking thing). Is this a correct statment?

Any Help would be greatly appreciated!!

[911 Camper]

I hope this isn't stumping everyone, or it could be so elementary that everone is shaking their heads at what an idiot I am.

[Gunter]

If you follow the instruction and take apart/service the distributor, youll find out how it works.

Vacuum moves the Magnetic Pulse Generator (805) The vacuum line from the top of the can goes to the back of the FD. (Back means toward the bulkhead; front of the car)
You may have the lines hooked up wrong.

The weights/springs move the upper half of the shaft independently from the lower half.
(The upper half is held by the screw that you aren't supposed to open)

The Timer Core (811) rotates with the shaft and rotor. Both rotor and timer core are moved by the weights/springs. (Mechanical advance)

Instead of guessing, take it apart. You'll learn a lot about the distributor mechanism.
Read the instruction carefully, use the right tools and watch the small dowel under 811!
Leave 805 and 807 connected but free it up with penetrating oil.

[gtihop]

Gunter's right!
I followed his instructions last summer and serviced mine, found vac/retard lines were switched. Checked timing as per his instructions. Car runs very well now. It previously had a uneven idle at times but now is good!