Which distributer?

[BenI]

Ive been reading post and started to get a bad feeling that Im not running the right distributer. Ill have to check which one I have-over the years of owning VWs, all te numbers are now mixing up in my head.

I have a 2.0L with Weber 44IDFs, and an appropiate WebCam. I know my dist is mechanical advance. I have an allison electronic pointless ignition.

Which distributer should I have? Also, if you suggest a vacuum advance one, do you know how to hook up the vacuum tube? Thanks!

Ben

[Joe Bob]

The dizzy # will be on the silver part of the dizzy itself....most people identify the type of dizzy by using the last three digits of the part#. The 009 is the one that you see a lot of. It was originally designed for a constant RPM industrial motor. Its advance is very limited, but it is cheap. It has flat spots in the acceleration curve and is significantly an under achiever....
You can pull the dizzy to look for the # or use a dental mirror to look for it.

The more knowledgeable 914 drivers will use an 050 dizzy, the advance curve is more tuned toward the 914. It can be had at most VW type parts houses, or via mail order for about $50. About the same price or little more that the 009 can be recurved for...

The best vacuum advance model is supposed to be the stock 1.8 dizzy. Expensive to buy new...something like $250. The vacuum advance line hooks up to the port in the carb(s)....some carbs have them some don't. They can be tapped very easily though. But the mechanical advance would be the better way to go....

Good Luck.

[This message has been edited by mikez (edited 02-28-2000).]

[neilca]

Ben,
Sounds like you have a 009 distributor. You don't need to go to a vacuum advance distributor with the webers. You have an individual runner intake manifold where each barrel goes to a unique cylinder. So your dist. would be working from the signal of one cylinder. Plus with the large webers the vacuum drop may be too great to get a good signal to the dist. A recurved 009 should do you.
neil

[Rouser]

I have a 2.0L running 44IDFs, carb-profile WEB-CAM, and a 050 mechanical-advance distributor with a Pertronix Ignitor breakerless module.

The 050s have an advance curve similar to the original FI distributor (approx. 24° total), which the 2.0L seem to prefer. No, you won't have the BANG!-Off-The-Line, All-At-Once total advance (approx. 12° total) of the 009, but your 914 won't run out of breath so soon either. It makes for a more "civilized" carbed 914.

[BenI]

I just checked and have a 009. Is it really worth it to change? I have a major flat spot at low RPM, and was thinking I might need to jet the carbs, but maybe this is part of the problem.

Ive heard now to go with the 050. The 250 is better, but maybe too hard/impossible to hook up to vacuum advance? Any other suggestions? Thank you!

Ben

[HarveyH]

It's better to get your ignition system optimized before you try to re-jet your carbs. In researching the setup on my car (cam, carbs and high compression), several Weber distributors recommended to bulletproof the ignition system with a point replacement, CD box and 8mm silicone wires before changing jets. Very similar to DD's Dance, Vacuum, Ignition, then Induction, Repeat as needed.

[S Schroeder]

Hi Ben-
Rouser is right on. I have a similar set up to his (2.0, euro pistons, carb cam and dual 44's). I had a 009 on a high compression 1.9 (bored 1.7) and could not get the needed advance for it to run correctly. When I installed the 2.0, my mechanic told me to use the factory 2.0 distributor and tap into any of the carb vacume ports. Put simply, the car is unbeleivably smooth and the usual flat spots due to being carbed are minimal. It definitely has to warm up before driven however. I would pitch the 009, you will be much happier with both the drivability and the performance.
Scott S

[Jim Osborn]

Here's a curve for ya. I just found out MSD makes a dizzy for the aircooled VEEDUBS that will work on our motors. Of course it's expensive but it allows you the adjust the timing curve and has an electronic Hall sensor built in. Only mechanical advance though. Here's the site...

http://www.msdignition.com/1distvol.htm


------------------
THE NIGHT TIME IS THE RIGHT TIME

***AGENT 009, JAMES BONDO***

[PeteD]

Ben,

I'm with the folks that say the 1.8 stock dizzy (205 AA) with the outer (advance) vacuum line attached is the way to go. It gives you lots of total advance and a nice smooth retard to prevent ping when you punch it.

The next question is how do you time it... For that read my article: http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/914_timing_carbs/914_timing_carbs.htm

(BTW, this question is covered a lot in prior threads. Check them out by using the search function.)