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Really, this again? 1968 Autostick issues.
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Justin1958
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 20, 2018 11:56 am    Post subject: Really, this again? 1968 Autostick issues. Reply with quote

I don't know if anyone remembers my x-country trek when I brought my Bug home from CA to NY this past April, but I was plagued with losing power many times.
That was in April and I have done a ton of stuff to the car since then. Carb was rebuilt, new fuel pump was removed so I could sand down the cone to easily drop fit, solenoid, vacuum tank, and atf tank were dissected and cleaned, vacuum leaks were fixed, ignition timed, valves adjusted, gas tank and lines checked, and probably more.
Today was its first trial on the highway since then. Bug was so nice , so easy and nimble to drive, eager up the hills, and so ready to master the road at every entrance ramp. I felt like this was the easiest car to drive and loved each moment. Shifting was so easy and neat. Total trip was 16 miles. Then, in slower local traffic on the way home with the engine now hot I noticed that it was not accelerating well, but didn't think much of it. Within another mile it began to get bad. Backing out of a parking space the gearbox growled going into reverse for the first time since I replaced the oil in the box; that had been a common problem on the long trip east. Leaving a full stop was dreadfully slow, as if the accelerator was not even attached to the carb.
So now the problem that plagued me through every state from Nevada is back. I thought I had addressed everything. What am I missing?
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 20, 2018 1:28 pm    Post subject: Re: Really, this again? 1968 Autostick issues. Reply with quote

My immediate thought is it sounds like it's getting too hot. Check for the following:
- obstructed cooling airflow
- ignition timing is over or under advancing over the full rpm range
- mixture is too lean (jetting incorrect, fuel delivery restricted to carb, vacuum leak)
- oil cooler is being bypassed too long (oil too heavy, oil piston sticking or spring too strong)
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 20, 2018 2:20 pm    Post subject: Re: Really, this again? 1968 Autostick issues. Reply with quote

Probably be good to pull engine and strip it down to a long block. That way you can clean out all the cooling fins, remove oil cooler and go thru a lot more.

Just pulled apart a core short block, to find the oil cooler seals the DPO used were the wrong ones. Which resulted in the seals constricting off oil flow....
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 20, 2018 3:58 pm    Post subject: Re: Really, this again? 1968 Autostick issues. Reply with quote

Justin1958 wrote:
I don't know if anyone remembers my x-country trek when I brought my Bug home from CA to NY this past April, but I was plagued with losing power many times.
That was in April and I have done a ton of stuff to the car since then. Carb was rebuilt, new fuel pump was removed so I could sand down the cone to easily drop fit, solenoid, vacuum tank, and atf tank were dissected and cleaned, vacuum leaks were fixed, ignition timed, valves adjusted, gas tank and lines checked, and probably more.
Today was its first trial on the highway since then. Bug was so nice , so easy and nimble to drive, eager up the hills, and so ready to master the road at every entrance ramp. I felt like this was the easiest car to drive and loved each moment. Shifting was so easy and neat. Total trip was 16 miles. Then, in slower local traffic on the way home with the engine now hot I noticed that it was not accelerating well, but didn't think much of it. Within another mile it began to get bad. Backing out of a parking space the gearbox growled going into reverse for the first time since I replaced the oil in the box; that had been a common problem on the long trip east. Leaving a full stop was dreadfully slow, as if the accelerator was not even attached to the carb.
So now the problem that plagued me through every state from Nevada is back. I thought I had addressed everything. What am I missing?


Hey Justin, yes I remember that trip (and your issues) back then.
Can you refresh us on everything you did to the car after getting it back to NY? That might at least help to narrow the issue down. One initial question- do you see any ATF fluid leakage either on the ground or around the bell housing area of the transmission? Do you hear any metallic "scraping" noises when this happens? It's possible the flex plate gland nut was not tightened enough (it's supposed to be 280 ft/lbs!) and came loose basically disconnecting the crankshaft from the torque converter. I would not suspect worn clutch facings due to the car driving normally the last few months, but it IS possible gear oil and/ or ATF fluid has gotten on the facings causing the clutch to slip. The clutch can also slip if the clutch arm is not adjusted properly (pretty easy to check, remove the left rear wheel and look at the arm coming off the clutch servo canister mounted on the tranmission-- you will see an adjuster sleeve on that arm with a locknut on the far end. There should be no more than 4mm clearance between the canister's outer mounting bracet edge, and the edge of the adjuster sleeve closest to the canister.) It's also possible the torque converter or bushing has gone bad.

Or it could be strictly engine related and none of this is the culprit-- was there any smoke out the back or any sign of something internal to the engine going bad (wierd noises etc?) I know you mentioned the growling sound in reverse-- was this sound when you actually move the gear shifter into reverse? Or when you start actually backing up? That could be another clue.

Just about any of this unfortunately is going to require removal of the engine and inspection both of the engine and the transmission parts (torque converter and bushing, TC seal, ATF hoses etc.)
Please again let us know what you have done to the car since you got it back home so hopefully we can rule out some stuff and then go from there.
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 20, 2018 5:18 pm    Post subject: Re: Really, this again? 1968 Autostick issues. Reply with quote

sb001, glad to see you chime in. I will get a complete list together tomorrow.

Now, for Mr. Mukluk, If you could hold my hand a moment longer, can you explain how a hot engine would give me these symptoms. It runs, doesn't stall, the hot light from the electric dipstick doesn't come on, it just feels like it can't get enough gas. What changes in a hot engine are there? I hope I don't sound snide, but the connection is just not clear to me.

One other thought is that early on I moved the gas filter from between the pump and carb to before the pump. I figured that any debris shouldn't be going into the pump. Is the pump that much better at pushing then pulling gas that this could make a difference? Could I be sucking the hose shut? It was new fuel line. Back when I thought it was debris in the tank/tank filter, I'd pull to the side of the road whenever it acted up, disconnect the line and blow back into the tank. I was good for a few miles and then I'd pull over and do it again. Well, there was never any accumulated debris in the tank, but at those times the filter was dry.

I did lay fresh cardboard under the car last night and now see that the gearbox has a leak. Not a spot like drain or filler plug leak, but maybe a seal between components because it is about 6" wide from left to right.

Thank you all for your input and insight. I appreciate it very much,
Justin
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 20, 2018 5:31 pm    Post subject: Re: Really, this again? 1968 Autostick issues. Reply with quote

Take the fuel line off the inlet side of the fuel pump and direct it into a container. See if fuel gravity feeds freely into the container.
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 20, 2018 7:34 pm    Post subject: Re: Really, this again? 1968 Autostick issues. Reply with quote

Justin1958 wrote:
can you explain how a hot engine would give me these symptoms. It runs, doesn't stall, the hot light from the electric dipstick doesn't come on, it just feels like it can't get enough gas. What changes in a hot engine are there? I hope I don't sound snide, but the connection is just not clear to me.


There are two speculations out there about a hot engine affecting fuel flow. The first is "vapor lock"- normally this is supposed to occur when the metal fuel inlet line in the engine bay is resting against the hot intake manifold, causing the fuel in the line to vaporize and not get to the pump. Personally I have never bought into this theory, although some people swear they've fixed the problem by lifting the metal line off the manifold or attaching wooden clothes pins to the line to absorb the heat.

The other is that the fuel pump stand "stem" swells as the engine heats up and causes the fuel pump rod which sits inside it not to be able to move up and down freely, thereby starving the fuel pump of fuel. This video explains it pretty clearly:


Link


I'm not sure how much I really buy into either one of these theories but I suppose they are easy enough to check.

Justin1958 wrote:
One other thought is that early on I moved the gas filter from between the pump and carb to before the pump. I figured that any debris shouldn't be going into the pump. Is the pump that much better at pushing then pulling gas that this could make a difference? Could I be sucking the hose shut? It was new fuel line. Back when I thought it was debris in the tank/tank filter, I'd pull to the side of the road whenever it acted up, disconnect the line and blow back into the tank. I was good for a few miles and then I'd pull over and do it again. Well, there was never any accumulated debris in the tank, but at those times the filter was dry.

I did lay fresh cardboard under the car last night and now see that the gearbox has a leak. Not a spot like drain or filler plug leak, but maybe a seal between components because it is about 6" wide from left to right.

Thank you all for your input and insight. I appreciate it very much,
Justin


As far as moving the filter goes, it would be quite easy enough to move the filter back to where it was and see if it makes any difference. Personally I believe the best location for it is between the pump and the carb, so as to not interfere with the fuel pump pulling fuel from the tank-- but if you had it there before when this same issue was occurring, that's probably not the issue. Also it would most likely be doing it all the time, not just after the engine is warmed up.

AS far as the gearbox oil leak, it IS gearbox oil right? (Not ATF fluid?) Where was the piece of cardboard-- was it back around the bell housing of the transmission, or was it further up toward the middle of the transmission case? If under the bell housing, that could indicate a bad or leaky torque converter or seal. If further up, it probably indicates gearbox oil leaking from the drain pan gasket (if you look under there you'll see the rectangular drain pan I mean with bolts around it, there is a specific autostick drain pan gasket that goes inside that pan.) If you determine that it needs replacing this is the best price by far that I have found on a new gasket:

https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/vw-auto-trans-oil...001301139a

However I still say that eventually that engine will probably need to come out and everything inspected... it's not really that difficult just time consuming, but worth it in the long run. Anyway keep us posted on further findings, good luck
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 20, 2018 7:37 pm    Post subject: Re: Really, this again? 1968 Autostick issues. Reply with quote

One more question Justin-- after the car cools down to where the engine is cold again (say, overnight), can you please try to drive it again and see if the problem is truly ONLY after the engine warms up? If it drives normally again until the engine is warmed up that may help eliminate some possibilities as well. Thank you
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 20, 2018 10:20 pm    Post subject: Re: Really, this again? 1968 Autostick issues. Reply with quote

Justin1958 wrote:
Now, for Mr. Mukluk, If you could hold my hand a moment longer, can you explain how a hot engine would give me these symptoms. It runs, doesn't stall, the hot light from the electric dipstick doesn't come on, it just feels like it can't get enough gas. What changes in a hot engine are there? I hope I don't sound snide, but the connection is just not clear to me.

An engine that is running hot will lack power and generally exhibit the behaviour as you described in your initial post -- loss of compression due to valve clearances closing up, increased friction and resistance to movement as dissimilar metals expand outside of designed tolerances (think aluminum pistons inside steel cylinders), sealing surfaces between the cylinders and heads can warp as well leading to compression loss. Other considerations with an overheating engine include fuel boiling in the carb bowl or lines, as well as degraded ignition system performance. Something as simple as too much heat picked up by the intake manifold from the heat risers can throw off the mixture and cause a cascade effect on how the engine performs. A hot running engine often won't die unless sufficiently overheated. I associated the shifting difficulty with excess heat being picked up by the trans and a loss of available vacuum from the hot engine.

To help gather some more data to figure out your issue, I'd suggest picking up an IR temp gun to read the temperature of various points on the engine during normal and reduced performance (rather handy tool to have around the house regardless), as well as a decent combination gauge that will allow you to check both the vacuum and fuel pressure readings. Doing a good read of your spark plugs would also be a good idea to gauge the condition of your tune and combustion chamber sealing.
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 21, 2018 5:06 pm    Post subject: Re: Really, this again? 1968 Autostick issues. Reply with quote

I did buy an infrared thermometer today and when the weather clears up a bit I will go for another ride and do some before during and after reads. Any special points recommended for collecting temps? I already have half a dozen vacuum gauges; I have been hoarding and sharing them since I was a pup.

Throughout the cross country trip the car would start up fine but it would take a bit for enough vacuum accumulate to let me shift so I knew I had a vacuum leak. I checked all components, tightened the carb down and sealed all the fat vacuum hoses with a double layer of the stretchy self-annealing rubber tape. It now shifts fine. One person suggested that I move the vacuum connection to the distributor to the lowest port and I did that. Previously one line was used and tee'd to go to the A/S solenoid & the vacuum advance. I soaked and soaked the carb, blew it out, and rebuilt it. When cold it starts in an instant. The carb is a later pict 30/31. Before I left the seller's house I installed one of those electric dipsticks so I could be warned if things got too hot. Occasionally it would feather on and off but never came full on for good. Once home I discovered that the ATF warning light was not hooked up correctly. The newer tranny had just one switch instead of two and whoever put it together didn't bother.

The timing had been off so I put it back to TDC then a few degrees advanced where it was happier. BUT,,, I have since read that VW's of my vintage should be timed with the vacuum advance hooked up. I have not yet confirmed this so timing might be off. It has the Ignitor unit instead of points in the original distributor. The plugs are in good shape, with the gap perfect after the long trip.

In Nevada I changed the oil but approaching Salt Lake I noticed that my deluxe magnetized plug was leaking. Swapped out drain plugs with some speedy handiwork, topped up the oil and was off again.

North of Provo, UT I thought I was having a problem with vapor lock so I installed a new fuel pump that I had purchased in Sacramento, replaced the rubber gas line and rerouted the line and filter to keep it above the tins and put the filter before and not after the fuel pump. I still had the same trouble going to Provo, and stalled at every intersection once the car was hot. It always started again.

Climbing mountains was frighteningly slow. I thought things would go more smoothly once they were behind me but I still had the same thing, a nice running start when cold and then after about 15 miles that cursed lack of performance with my highway speed reduced to a crawl. Often, however, for no apparent reason, acceleration and speed would come back and I'd be good for another 15 miles. I don't understand this but I was grateful for those 15 miles.

At this point I thought I must have dirt in the tank. Maybe the debris was blocking the little filter in the tank or maybe that filter was no longer there. With this in the back of my mind I'd pull over, hop out with a nut driver in hand, quickly disconnect the line at the filter in the engine compartment and blow back into the tank. It was better, but it didn't last, not even a few miles before I'd hop out and do it again. The run between the Gilmore museum across Michigan to see friends north of Detroit was especially tedious with some stupid driving because I didn't dare to stop. There I drained and pulled the tank. It was clean and absolutely rust free.

On my way out of Michigan I stopped and installed an electric fuel pump, but that accomplished nothing either. At least I was getting closer to home. Each morning before heading out I checked the oil, and at my first gas stop of the day I'd check the transmission fluid. I never added ATF until I was near Erie, PA. I was way past tired and saw a vacant motel with a shady spot to snooze. I could not get up the small hill into the parking lot. I was really low on ATF. Don't know where it went either. I hoofed it to a gas station, refilled the ATF tank and was on my way. It hasn't leaked since. Once home I cleaned up all the AutoStick components so I drained the tank then and refilled it with fresh, but it doesn't even drip. Back to the road, however, I gave up once I made it to a rest stop in NY. My road nerves were shot and I felt I was killing the car. The last 96 miles were on a flatbed courtesy of AAA.

I can add that the diaphragm in the servo was fine, and better quality than the replacement I purchased. I purchased a solenoid to practice on and then took apart, cleaned and inspected the original one. Probably due to the vacuum leak, the adjustment screw was way off once I had everything buttoned up but now it all works as it should. I also re-installed the new mechanical fuel pump and removed the fuel pump spacer to sand it down until it was a drop fit. I did not, however, sand down the inside diameter that the rod rides in.

I knew it has a newer engine and there is no number stamped in the usual spot, but when I thought about installing the 1968 air cleaner I realized that the system that controls the flaps and the bowden cable is not there at all: no flaps, no linkage, and no cable. It has a newer air cleaner with only one snorkel. I assumed that the only problem associated with this is that the engine won't warm up as quickly.

The motor oil is more amber than the golden gearbox oil, and nothing on a garage floor is as red as fresh tranny fluid. I line my garage floors with plastic and then run a big sheet of corrugated up the middle. I have a spot of motor oil and a bigger stain of gear oil. No ATF has dripped at all. I will pull the engine come late fall, but until then I am all out of ideas. If I start it up now it will be all eager to hit the road. On this latest trip it didn’t begin to fail at high speeds when fuel would be most in demand, so I doubt it is a fuel delivery problem unless the hotter temps of driving in local traffic instigated this only after a high speed highway run.

I am probably forgetting a few details. If I had to refer to the actual receipts for the trip I'd have to commit myself.

Thank you for your time and interest,
Justin
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 21, 2018 7:16 pm    Post subject: Re: Really, this again? 1968 Autostick issues. Reply with quote

Points I find useful for reading temps are the cylinder heads next to where the exhaust bolts on, the flat spot on the case above the oil dipstick, the fuel pump, and the intake manifold below the carb flange.

I'd still recommend checking the distributor to see what advance it is giving from idle up through full in and what engine speeds those occur -- match up what you see with the specs the distributor is supposed to provide.

Check your vacuum reading after the choke opens and again when the car is acting up -- take note of any oddities/variation to the readings and compare them to the information provided at this site: Read & Interpret a Vacuum Gauge

Verify what size carb jets you are currently running. Pull the plugs and get a good reading on them to gauge your idle mixture, also perform a lean cut off at speed when power is starting to fall off and pull the plugs to read your mixture at cruise speed. To perform a lean cut off, operate the car at the speed/load condition you wish to check for at least a minute or two, then abrupty switch the ignition off while also taking the car out of gear, coast off the road to a safe spot to let the car cool for a bit until you can remove the plugs to look at them. Note their appearance -- colour, wear, any buildup, fouling, wet or dry -- taking good clear closeup pics and posting them would be even better.

If you have a compression tester, consider taking readings when the car is hot and losing power.
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 22, 2018 4:35 pm    Post subject: Re: Really, this again? 1968 Autostick issues. Reply with quote

How's your intake manifold? Has the carbon been cleaned out?

May not be your problem but I was having idle reliability issues with my autostick until I cleaned the intake manny out. Helped a lot.
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 22, 2018 4:56 pm    Post subject: Re: Really, this again? 1968 Autostick issues. Reply with quote

My first thought is an ignition issue attributed to heat. You may want to try changing out the condenser, followed by the coil. One at a time.

Check your fuel supply first. If volume and pressure are good, move onto the ignition components.
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 23, 2018 3:55 am    Post subject: Re: Really, this again? 1968 Autostick issues. Reply with quote

Justin1958 wrote:

The timing had been off so I put it back to TDC then a few degrees advanced where it was happier. BUT,,, I have since read that VW's of my vintage should be timed with the vacuum advance hooked up. I have not yet confirmed this so timing might be off.
Justin


This seems like it could be an issue, like you were guessing at the timing settings. You could be overheating the engine if you're timing too retarded or too advanced.
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 23, 2018 4:49 am    Post subject: Re: Really, this again? 1968 Autostick issues. Reply with quote

Due to a busted hose in the garden I had a major flood in the basement so nothing was done to the bug over the weekend. Today I am taking off work to reassemble the basement.
Before I get back to the car though, can someone give me the definitive answer whether the timing should be set with the vacuum advance hooked up or blocked?

Every car I have owned was set with the vacuum advance hose plugged. I was told that the VW was different and that the hose should be attached. A book I have for 70-81 Air Cooled VWs notes that some of those models are but not all of them. What about a '68 with the original 113905205P distributor but a newer mystery engine?

On an older car I don't always go strictly by the factory setting. Clearances change and parts age/wear differently, gasoline has changed too. My DeSotos get timed with a vacuum gauge to find a nicely running sweet spot with room to grow without knocking.

Bug will get some exercise later today. I'll let you know what I discover.

Always grateful,
Justin
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 23, 2018 9:02 am    Post subject: Re: Really, this again? 1968 Autostick issues. Reply with quote

I don't think we ever actually asked you which distributor you have, but judging from this photo:

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


it appears you have an early SVDA (single vacuum double advance) autostick distributor, which would be correct for your 68 autostick (it should be either a 113-905-205 P or 113-905-205 AA distributor, which were both SVDA.)

A quick explanation and comparison between SVDA and DVDA distributors might be in order here. "SVDA" or "single vacuum double advance" simply means that the distributor uses a single vacuum line to assist with timing advance, and it uses two different advance systems (vacuum I just mentioned, and mechanical, which uses centrifugal weights inside the distributor body.) In this way the vacuum advance "assists" the mechanical advance, which helped autosticks accelerate off the line better. (In fact the autosticks were the first to use the double advance system, VW went to it later in all their cars.)

Later DVDA (double vacuum double advance) distributors such as my 1970 113-905-205 AE distributor were slightly different in that they used a second vacuum line for timing retardation at idle, which backed off the timing at idle to help with emissions control.

Now, on SVDA distributors like yours, YES you want to pull that vacuum hose off and plug it when setting timing at idle. Although typically the vacuum signal on that line at idle should be pretty much non-existent (meaning you COULD leave it on there and it shouldn't really make any difference), it's better to just go ahead and pull it and plug it to make sure there is no vacuum signal present. So pull it, plug it, and then set timing to 0 TDC (correct for your distributor) at idle.

However on a later DVDA distributor like mine, you leave those vacuum hoses connected when setting timing at idle, because that vacuum retard signal is in FULL PLAY at idle, so it needs to be taken into consideration. If I were to pull and plug that line when setting timing, and then I set my timing to 0 TDC (correct for my distributor) then when I re-plugged that line back in my timing at idle would drop about 7.5 degrees! And I'd be running my timing WAY too retarded. On your SVDA there is no vacuum retard signal present, only vacuum advance, which again is not really in play at idle, so it doesn't really make any difference.

Now this brings up a question I have always wondered about with regard to the early autostick SVDA distributors. It always seemed odd to me that the earlier SVDA autostick distributors and the later DVDA distributors were BOTH set to 0 TDC at idle. Since there is no vacuum retard signal present on your SVDA to retard the timing down to 0 TDC at idle, you would think that the timing would be more advanced on your SVDA at idle (say, 7.5 degrees BTDC, or BEFORE top dead center.) There was a one year-only SVDA distributor that VW used on its cars in 1974 (after the emission laws were relaxed a bit) and THAT SVDA distributor IS set @ 7.5 BTDC. But, everything I've ever seen about those early autostick SVDA distributors says time them to 0 TDC at idle, so I'll go with that.

There is ONE way you could be absolutely sure your timing is accurate-- that is by timing your distributor to around 30 degrees before top dead center at full throttle (with your vacuum hose disconnected and plugged.) 28-30 degrees is about the maximum mechanical advance your distributor is capable of (without the vacuum assist) and you want to make sure this is the timing you are getting when you are "all in" on the throttle. To set timing this way, you would need to make a mark on your pulley 30 degrees to the right of your existing TDC mark, then rev the engine like crazy (to where your crank pulley is not rotating around anymore, i.e. "full advance"), then while revving the engine adjust your distributor to where that 30 degree mark is lined up with the case seam. That way you are sure you have the maximum advance capable of your distributor when your foot is to the floor. After doing this, when you release the throttle and the engine drops back to idle, the timing will rotate back to close to 0 TDC but it might not be exactly 0 TDC. That's OK because you are far more concerned with getting full timing advance from your distrbutor at full throttle.
Then when you replace your vacuum line, you will get a little added "assist" from vacuum advance whenever you go to accelerate, but you will be sure that your mechanical advance is as good as it can be without overtaxing the distributor.

WHEW. Good luck
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Bosch 113905205AE autostick distributor
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sb001
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 23, 2018 9:07 am    Post subject: Re: Really, this again? 1968 Autostick issues. Reply with quote

One other thing I will say- I had some trouble with the recent H30/31 carb I tried to use- there was a major flat spot off the line, and the car didn't seem to accelerate quite as well as it does now with my genuine German Solex carburetor. Part of the problem was I found out I had a significant vacuum leak, due to the O-ring on my volume screw on that H30/31 being ripped. I chased that issue forEVER until I finally found the problem. But I don't think that's your case here, although the H30/31 is known for not putting out nearly as strong a vacuum signal as the genuine Solex carbs (although there is a rumor that you will get almost as strong a vacuum signal if you use the rear-facing 45 degree angled port at the bottom of the H30/31 instead of that left side port, I tried that and it didn't seem to make much difference.)
I do think that may be PART of your problem, but I think there is something else going on as well.
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Bosch 113905205AE autostick distributor
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 23, 2018 11:52 am    Post subject: Re: Really, this again? 1968 Autostick issues. Reply with quote

Justin1958 wrote:

Before I get back to the car though, can someone give me the definitive answer whether the timing should be set with the vacuum advance hooked up or blocked?

Set your timing with the vacuum line disconnected and the advance port on the carb plugged.
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 26, 2018 7:15 am    Post subject: Re: Really, this again? 1968 Autostick issues. Reply with quote

So, one more question to add. If my gearbox is leaking and dribbling along the seam in front of the engine then is the seal between the torque converter and the gearbox at fault? Where else will the gear oil get to and what damage is likely from that?
I am not clear where the ATF ends and the gear oil begins.

Thank you,
Justin
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 26, 2018 3:02 pm    Post subject: Re: Really, this again? 1968 Autostick issues. Reply with quote

You're SURE that's gearbox oil?? That hypoid gearbox oil stinks like crazy, you'd know if that's what it is. ATF fluid typically stays within the confines of the bell housing (and torque converter) the TC seal is really to prevent ATF fluid leaking out of the torque converter into the bell housing:

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


It's far more likely that's ATF fluid if it's in the seam between the bell housing and the engine case. How does your ATF level look?? Low ATF fluid could cause the problem you are having..
if it's not that then IMO it's more likely to be engine oil, which could be leaking from a bad main seal, which if it's getting around the gland nut on the flex plate I suppose could cause some slippage... or a loose gland nut...

Pull that engine!!! Wink
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1969 autostick sedan, family owned since new
1600 SP engine
Solex 30 PICT 3 carburetor
Bosch 113905205AE autostick distributor
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