Alternative Distributors to the Bosch 009

Until you try something else, you never know just how bad a 009 is in so many ways... all 5 of my aircooled daily drivers has one. The one in my 912E has went 50K and still has the same dizzy cap installed... Timing was sety on the dyno and still exactly where I put it almost 2 years ago with zero wrenching on it.

I'd have to agree with John here. This friday I'll be ordering a SVDA dizzy from him to put on my '73 1600 DP with 34 pict. That engine should be using a vacuum advance dizzy, there's nothing else to it. There's no other way I can get rid of the flat spot when I put my foot down, or when I shift to second. THe only way is to have the distributor KNOW, ie sense the extra vacuum, as soon as my foot goes down. The 009 was invented for industrial VW engines that run at over

I've heard it all here: You're timing it wrong, take off a spring, blah blah blah. I've messed with that damn thing for HOURS, and at the altitude I live at (mile high) it simply will not work WELL. I've gotten it damn close, as it is now, but there will always be a hesitation shifting into second gear. It somewhat goes away when the car is warm, but is still there to some extent. The SVDA (or so I've heard) is just much much more drivable. I guess I'll see, but anything will be better than the double-oh-not-fine that's on there now.

~Anthony

What type of distributor would be right in your opinions for the three that I have without original carbs? I have webers on the puma, dual carbs on the westy and I'm putting a progressive 2bl on my bug.. What distributor without using one half vacuum pressure or costing an arm and leg would be right in your opinion. I had thought if I wanted to spend unlimited amounts of bucks, I would look into Jacobs. Jake, I know you build great motors and some using the aluminum cases. Do you have an affordable solution. John, which do you use? or would you use on an engine without the proper manifold vacuum pressure available for a distributor. The only affordable product that I have found to do the job is the 009 and I do make it work ok.....Not perfect but affordable and alright. Dennis

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Me John? I use the 009, but I'd like to buy a Mallory. I just need to know exactly which one to get for the 2165. Nobody ever answered my question regarding the best dizzy, coil, etc for that engine so I'll buy from CP1 because at least they don't even pretend to give a s*it.

did you ask us directly? Nobody on RAMVA OWES you an answer to any question you post, you shouldn't act like they are @$$holes for not answering you. If you e-mailed us directly and didn't get an answer, it's because we never got the e-mail. Contrary to popular opinion, e-mail IS NOT PERFECT.

Try again.

Buying from a company that doesn't give a $#!^ isn't helping things any, it just allows them to prosper despite doing their best to lose your business, and you lose in the long run.

John Aircooled.Net Inc.

On Mon, 26 Apr 2004 15:51:13 -0600, "John Connolly" ran around screaming and yelling:

sometimes they come off worse when they *do* answer... JT

that is very true. But if you expect an answer from me, you need to ask me directly. I have WAY to many irons in the fire to keep tabs on all the Internet forums where people may be "innocently asking me a question then getting pissed off when I do not answer". I try my best, but it's just impossible.

I don't think it is fair that a company that has not answered anything is getting better grades then someone that is at least trying.

John Aircooled.Net Inc.

Nobody attacked you, John. Is your imagination running away from you? Nobody mentioned your name or company. You picked up the out-of-court ball. You weren't a player, and now you own the ball. Did you notice that it bounced in dog s*it?

So I guess the most affordable solution is the 009 that I use for right now anyway. Thanks for the input .

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Aw hell, John. I always sound crabby. It's nothing personal.

Finnish! Oh yeah. I knew that. Sure I did.

Yer a Minnesotan. You got the trademark on them leetle balls that come from the swimming holes ya cut in the ice.

i just talked to my mechanic (vw mechanic, recently retired) and got another story altogether - so now i'm conflicted ... here's what he had to say:

the newer vacuum advance distributors advance too much and make the engine run hot, so they can't be used. the older ('70 and back) are okay and can be used.

this appears to contradict most of what has been said about these distributors, at least in this thread ...

i'm using weber progressive carb/009 combos on two of my beetles. is the situation he's referring to possibly applicable to the webers?

i haven't yet been able to test the vacuum port (if there is on) on the weber because i'm not sure where i should be looking. i've been googling for pictures/descriptions but haven't found what i'm looking for yet. that's why i called my mechanic - to find out what he knew about the vacuum port. and that's when he said i couldn't use the vacuum-advance distributors.

from the pictures i've seen i appear to have a dfev; can anyone comment on my mechanic's statement? can anyone tell me where to look for the vacuum port?

Get a vacuum gauge. Plug it into a port on the carb. There are anywhere from

The newest ones HAVE the port, if you have an older progressive you may be SOL

John Aircooled.Net Inc.

got the guage sunday, just haven't found where to plug it in ... earlier you said there'd probably be some kind of rubber plug currently in the vacuum port. i haven't found anything like that yet. can you or anyone else possibly tell me where on the carb i should be looking? or point me to related documentation? thx for all the help so far.

it depends on the vintage of your carb. If you have an early one there is no port.

John Aircooled.Net Inc.

ah-hah! 32 36 DFAV. it's a wonder what a really bright light can bring out. that and a solvent-soaked rag ...

now to continue my search for docs that show where these ports might be ...

Directly above the idle volume screw there should be a brass "port". As John says, it's probably covered with a rubber plug, or in the case of a weber IDF, has a brass screw in the end of it.

ahh, now /this/ is what i've been looking for! i've been staring at the exploded view of the dfev and basically not getting anywhere.

ahem ... no wonder i haven't found it; my big head simply doesn't fit between the carb and the fan shroud. guess i have to find some kind of a mirror or something.

thanks so much for this information!

Same combo for me.

Just swapped the 009 for a mallory unilite w/vac in my 1600 tonight.

WOW! Look Ma, no bog.. very smooth now. I still need to spend time tuning it. I got the spring kit, and as it came there's too much centrifugal advance for my setup. You can even tune the limit on the vacuum advance.