I'm a total novice with engines and everything I know about this bus I've learned from google in the last 5 days. Regardless, I've taken this project on and did manage to fix my initial problem with stumbling during acceleration. However it's opened up a new can of worms that I'm trying to fix properly.
As far as I know it's a 1600 engine, with a 34 Pict-3 carb and a bosch distributor with a single vacuum (so it's not the 009). I've set the timing 3 different ways and gotten 3 different sorts of input from 3 different sources. I want to make sure I've got it right so I don't blow this beautiful bus up while hurtling down the freeway.
1) I set the MAX ADVANCE (with vacuum hose off and plugged) at around 3400 RPM to 30º with a timing light. At that setting the idle advance was ~ 1/2" ATDC(!!) My local trusty mechanic seemed to think my advance was WAY too early when he checked my work statically.2) I set the IDLE ADVANCE (with vacuum hose off and plugged) at 7.5º BTDC with a timing light. Wouldn't that further increase my MAX ADVANCE beyond the 30º that are recommended? Scared of burning this thing up and the guys at vw-resource.com say setting it at the MAX ADVANCE is much more important. Again, it'll idle around 1/2" ATDC if I do that.
3) I set it STATICALLY (with vacuum hose on, not that it matters) to 7.5º BTDC. Same problem as above. Worried about the MAX ADVANCE being too high. The guy at the local VW salvage recommended setting the MAX ADVANCE to 30º with the vacuum hoses attached just to make sure I never exceed the recommendation and/or pre-detonate and blow it up.I THINK it's an SVDA distributor but it could be vacuum only. How can I tell? I'm totally winging it here and my Muir (idiot guide) should show up in a few days but being a bit obcessive I want to figure it out now and want to know who I should be listening to.